Abstract:
In an mobile electronic equipment in which an upper cabinet is openably and closably coupled with a lower cabinet, cutout portions from which a track ball is exposed are formed to the coupling portions of the upper and lower cabinets, and the track ball is interposed between a pair of hinge mechanisms for connecting both the cabinets to each other. With this arrangement, since the track ball is exposed in any of the opened state and the closed state of the mobile electronic equipment, a user can manipulate the track ball in any of the opened state and the closed state. Accordingly, there can be overcome the disadvantageous operability of a conventional folding type mobile electronic equipment, which has a track ball as a pointing device, in that a job for opening the equipment is required to manipulate the track ball.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a mobile electronic equipment, and more particularly, to an mobile electronic equipment such as a folding mobile electronic equipment and the like having a track ball acting as a pointing device for executing manipulations of moving a cursor displayed on a display unit and scrolling a screen on the display unit.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     In mobile electronic equipment such as a mobile phone and the like, operability is one of important technical factors. Although pointing devices such as a four-way key, a rotary (jog) key, and the like are used to execute manipulations of, for example, moving a cursor displayed on a display unit and scrolling a screen, a pointing device using a track ball is conventionally known as an example of the pointing devices (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 10-254617 and 2003-29896).  
         [0005]     The conventional mobile electronic equipment disclosed in JP-A No. 10-254617 includes a track ball disposed to a main body, and the track ball acts as a coordinate input unit. The track ball permits a coordinate to be input on a display unit as well as can be rotated from two directions, that is, from an upper surface and a lower surface, and respective rotating manipulations can be detected.  
         [0006]     The conventional mobile electronic equipment disclosed in JP-A No. 2003-29896 is a mobile terminal including a track ball manipulation means. In the mobile terminal, the information displayed on a display screen is selected or moved by rotating a track ball, and the mobile terminal includes a track ball, a track ball rotating speed detection means, and a display control means which switches an operation for selecting or moving the information on the display screen when a track ball rotating speed is faster than a predetermined threshold value.  
         [0007]     However, when the conventional mobile electronic equipment disclosed in JP-A No. 10-254617 is applied to a folding type electronic equipment in which a lower cabinet is turnably coupled with an upper cabinet at one side ends thereof through a hinge portion and which is used in the opened state, in which the inside surfaces of the lower and upper cabinets are separated from each other, or in the closed state, in which the inside surfaces thereof are disposed in close proximity to each other, the track ball cannot be manipulated unless the mobile electronic equipment is placed in the opened state because the track ball is disposed at a central portion of the lower cabinet. Accordingly, since the conventional mobile electronic equipment disclosed in JP-A No. 10-254617 requires a job for placing the equipment in the opens state, the equipment is disadvantageous in operability.  
         [0008]     The conventional mobile electronic equipment disclosed in JP-A No. 2003-29896 includes the track ball whose upper portion is exposed at the central portion of a main body. Therefore, when the electronic equipment is applied to a folding type electronic equipment, a job for placing the equipment in an opened state is required likewise the mobile electronic equipment disclosed in JP-A No. 10-254617. Further, since the upper portion of the track ball is exposed from the surface of the cabinet, it is impossible to manipulate the track ball by simultaneously holding the upper portion and the lower portion thereof from the front surface and a back surface of the cabinet. Thus, the mobile electronic equipment also has a drawback in operability.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     An object of the present invention, which was made in view of the above problems, is to provide a mobile electronic equipment capable of using a track ball in a closed state to thereby improve the operability of the equipment when the present invention is applied to a folding type electronic equipment.  
         [0010]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile electronic equipment in which the track ball can be applied to uses other than an input of a coordinate.  
         [0011]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes an upper cabinet having a display mechanism, a lower cabinet having a manipulation mechanism, a hinge mechanism connecting both the cabinets so that they can be folded, a track ball exposed from both the cabinets in both an opened state and a closed state in which the cabinets are opened or closed by the hinge mechanism, a means for rotatably supporting the track ball, a means for detecting the rotation angles of the track ball, a means for calculating the moving direction and the amounts of movement of an image on the display mechanism based on the detected rotation angles, and a means for changing the image on the display mechanism based on the calculated moving direction and amounts of movement.  
         [0012]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes the display mechanism of the upper cabinet having a main display unit for display a screen in the opened state of both the cabinets, an auxiliary display unit for display a screen in the closed state of both the cabinets, and a manipulation unit for inputting an instruction to the screen of the auxiliary display unit.  
         [0013]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention detects the rotation angles in two orthogonal directions by the means for detecting the rotation angles of the track ball.  
         [0014]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention further includes means for allocating predetermined processing to a combination of the rotation of the track ball and the manipulation content of the manipulation mechanism.  
         [0015]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes means for supporting the track ball so that a depressing manipulation can be executed to the track ball, and means for detecting the depressing manipulation executed to the track ball, changing when the depressing manipulation executed to the track ball is detected, an image on the display mechanism.  
         [0016]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes the means for detecting the depressing manipulation of the track ball having a magnetic body, and a detector detecting the presence or absence of the magnet applied by the magnetic body.  
         [0017]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes means for transmitting a signal to other equipment through a near distance radio communication when the depressing manipulation of the track ball is detected to cause the other equipment to execute a preset operation.  
         [0018]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes the means for rotatably supporting track ball having support tables connected to any one inside walls of both the cabinets, and a plurality of spherical bodies connected to the support tables as well as in contact with the track ball.  
         [0019]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes the means for supporting the track ball so that it can be depressed having springs connected between the inside walls and the support tables.  
         [0020]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes the means for detecting the rotation angles of the track ball having rollers coming into contact with the track ball and rotated by the rotation of the track ball.  
         [0021]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes each of the upper cabinet and the lower cabinet has cutout portion for exposing the track ball from itself.  
         [0022]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention includes the hinge mechanism having a pair of hinges disposed across the track ball between both the cabinets.  
         [0023]     A mobile electronic equipment of the present invention further includes means for executing a phone call to other equipment.  
         [0024]     According to the present invention, since the track ball is exposed in both the opened state and the closed state of the mobile electronic equipment, a user can manipulate the track ball in any of the opened state and the closed state. The above arrangement can greatly improve the operability of the mobile electronic equipment as compared with that of conventional mobile electronic equipment. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]      FIG. 1A  is an outside view of a mobile electronic equipment of an embodiment of the present invention in an opened state;  
         [0026]      FIG. 1B  is an outside view of the mobile electronic equipment of the embodiment of the present invention in a closed state;  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a view showing an example of a manipulation method of the mobile electronic equipment of the embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the mobile electronic equipment of the embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of a main portion of the mobile electronic equipment of the embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0030]     An embodiment of a mobile electronic equipment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.  FIGS. 1A and 1B  show outside views of the mobile electronic equipment of the embodiment according to the present invention in an opened state and in a closed state, respectively. The mobile electronic equipment of the embodiment is a folding type mobile phone  10  composed of an upper cabinet  11  and a lower cabinet  12  turnably coupled with each other at one ends thereof through a hinge portion  13 . When the mobile phone  10  is placed in the opened state in which the inside surfaces of the upper and lower cabinets  11  and  12  are separated from each other about the hinge portion  13 , a main display unit  14 , which has a large screen, is disposed on the inside surface of the upper cabinet  11  and displays various kinds of information, and a speaker  15  for generating a received voice and the like are exposed as shown in  FIG. 1A . An antenna  16  is disposed at the upper end of the upper cabinet  11 .  
         [0031]     The hinge portion  13  is composed of a right hinge  13 A and a left hinge  13 B. The hinge portion  13  has a mechanism for applying torque (torque application mechanism) to enhance a feeling of manipulation as an ordinary function thereof, and the torque application mechanism may be provided with both the right and left hinges  13 A and  13 B or any one of them. In particular, when the upper cabinet  11  is connected to the lower cabinet  12  through a not shown flat cable, the flat cable may be connected to the cabinets  11  and  12  making use of the space of the hinge portion without the torque application mechanism. A track ball  23  is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the right hinge  13 A and the left hinge  13 B and partially exposed in the opened state of the mobile phone  10 .  
         [0032]     A main manipulation unit  21  and a microphone  22  are exposed in the opened state of the mobile phone  10 . The main manipulation unit  21  is disposed on the inside surface of the lower cabinet  12  and composed of a determination button, ten key buttons, and the like, and the microphone  22  collects a received voice and outputs a voice signal by subjecting the received voice to acoustic-electric conversion.  
         [0033]     In contrast, in the closed state, a camera  17 , an auxiliary display unit  18 , an auxiliary manipulation unit  19 , and a speaker  20  are exposed as shown in  FIG. 1B . The camera  17  is disposed on the back surface (outside surface) of the upper cabinet  11  and records a subject image, the auxiliary display unit  18  has a small area and displays various kinds of information, the auxiliary manipulation unit  19  is used to execute a simple input manipulation therethrough, and the speaker  20  subjects an electric signal to the voice by electro-acoustic conversion and generates a notification sound and the like. Accordingly, the camera  17  and the auxiliary manipulation unit  19  can be manipulated in the closed state. Further, as shown in  FIG. 1B , the track ball  23  is exposed from between cutout concave portions  24  formed in the central portions of the upper and lower cabinets  11  and  12  and from between the right and left hinges  13 A and  13 B.  
         [0034]     As apparent from the internal structure of the mobile phone  10  which will be explained later, the track ball  23  is held by the cutout concave portions  24  such that it can be rotatably manipulated and exposed from both of one main surface and the other main surface of each of the cabinets.  
         [0035]     Since the mobile phone  10  is arranged such that a part of the track ball  23  is exposed in any of the opened state and the closed state as described above, a user can rotate the track ball  23  by holding it between a thumb  51  and a forefinger  52  from both the upper and lower surfaces of the lower cabinet  12 . Note that although  FIG. 2  shows the mobile phone  10  in the opened state, the exposed track ball  12  can be rotated likewise even if the mobile phone  10  is in the closed state as shown in  FIG. 1B .  
         [0036]      FIG. 3  shows a block diagram of the embodiment of the mobile electronic equipment according to the present invention. In  FIG. 3 , the same components as those shown in  FIG. 1  are denoted by the same reference numerals and the explanation thereof is omitted. In  FIG. 3 , a radio communication unit  26 , a memory unit  27 , first, second, and third detectors  28 ,  29 , and  30 , a rotation detector  31 , a handset  32 , a short distance transmitter  33 , and a controller  34  are disposed in the upper cabinet  11  or the lower cabinet  12 . The radio communication unit  26  transmits and receives a radio signal to and from a not shown radio base station through the antenna  16 , the memory unit  27  stores telephone directory information, information of transmitted and received mails, information of sent and received calls, and the like, various settings of a mobile phone terminal, the first, second, and third detectors  28 ,  29 , and  30  independently detects the x-, y-, and z-coordinates in the rotating direction of the track ball (ball)  23 , the rotation detector  31  converts rotation data into movement data in response to the outputs from the first and second detectors  28  and  29 , the handset  32  receives the voice signal from the microphone  22  as an input and outputs the receiving voice signal to the speaker  15 , the short distance transmitter  33  executes short distance transmission using an extremely weak radio wave such as a blue tooth and the like, and the controller  34  centrally controls the respective units including the track ball  23  of the mobile phone terminal and controls a phone function, a mail function, a camera function, and the like, and the respective units are connected to each other through a bidirectional bus  35 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of an example of the periphery of the track ball  23  as a main portion of the mobile phone  10  of the embodiment. In  FIG. 4 , the same components as those in FIGS.  1  to  3  are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the track ball  23  is partially exposed from the front and back surfaces of the upper and lower cabinets  11  and  12  between the not shown right and left hinges  13 A and  13 B.  
         [0038]     Further, rotation detection rollers  36  and  37  are disposed around an equator which defines the circumference of the track ball  23  at the positions having an elevation angle of 90° such that they are in contact with the surface of the track ball  23 . The rotation detection rollers  36  and  37  correspond to the first and second detectors  28  and  29  shown in  FIG. 3 , have fixed central shafts, and are rotated by the rotation of the track ball  23 . Further, fixing ball casters  38  and  39 , which are fixed to a support table  40  of the upper cabinet  11 , and fixing ball casters  43  and  44 , which are fixed to a support table  45  of the lower cabinet  12 , are in contact with the track ball  23 .  
         [0039]     The support table  40  has a projection  41  disposed thereto, and force is applied to the support table  40  in a vertical direction in  FIG. 4  by a spring  42  having one end fixed to the projection  41  and the other end fixed to the lower cabinet  12 . In contrast, the support table  45  also has a projection  46  disposed thereto, and force is applied to the support table  45  in a vertical direction in  FIG. 4  by a spring  47  having one end fixed to the projection  46  and the other end fixed to the lower cabinet  12 ,. Note that rails for vertically movably clamping and guiding the support tables  40  and  45  may be provided in place of the springs  42  and  47 . In this case, the support tables  40  and  45  can be stably moved vertically.  
         [0040]     In an initial state in which no force is applied to the track ball  23  by the user in the z-axis direction (vertical direction in  FIG. 4 ), the support tables  40  and  45  are located at illustrated positions by the springs  42  and  47 , and the track ball  23  is rotatably fixed at a position having an illustrated height by the fixing ball casters  38 ,  39 ,  43 , and  44 . A magnetic body  48  is disposed to a part of the support table  45  of the lower cabinet  12 , and when the support table  45  is in the initial state shown in  FIG. 4 , that is, when no vertical force is applied to the track ball  23 , the magnetic body  48  is located at a position where it is located in close proximity to a magnet detector  49  at intervals. At the time, the magnetic body  48  is located within a detection range of the magnet detector  49 , and the magnet detector  49  outputs a magnet detection signal.  
         [0041]     In contrast, when downward force is applied to the track ball  23  by the user against the spring force of the springs  42  and  47 , the track ball  23  is moved downward together with the support tables  40  and  45  while being fixed by the fixing ball casters  38 ,  39 ,  43 , and  44 . When the magnetic body  48  is moved to the outside of the magnet detection range of the magnet detector  49  by the movement of the track ball  23 , no magnet detection signal is output from the magnet detector  49 , thereby the downward movement of the track ball  23  is detected.  
         [0042]     When the downward press force is released from the track ball  23 , the track ball  23  is automatically returned to the ordinary original position shown in  FIG. 4  together with the support tables  40  and  45  while being fixed by the fixing ball casters  38 ,  39 ,  43 , and  44  by the extended spring force of the springs  42  and  47 . With the above operation, a magnet detection signal is output from the magnet detector  49  again, thereby it is detected that the track ball  23  is returned to the illustrated initial state. The third detector  30  is composed of the magnetic body  48  and the magnet detector  49 .  
         [0043]     Next, an operation of the folding type mobile phone  10  of the embodiment will be explained. When an ordinary phone call is made in the mobile phone  10 , the phone number of a calling party is input by manipulating the main manipulation unit  21 , thereby a dial signal is created by the controller  34  and radio transmitted to a nearest radio base station through the radio communication unit  26  and the antenna  16 . When a phone call is received, an incoming signal from a calling party&#39;s terminal is received from a nearest radio base station through a network and the antenna  16  and further an incoming tone is issued by the speaker  15  through the bus  35  and the handset  32 . Then, a communication circuit is established from the radio base station to the calling party&#39;s terminal through the network according to a predetermined protocol by responding to the incoming tone by manipulating the main manipulation unit  21 .  
         [0044]     With the above operation, a voice signal from the calling party&#39;s terminal is received and demodulated by the radio communication unit  26  through the antenna  16  and issued from the speaker  15  through the bus  35  and the handset  32 . In contrast, a transmitted voice is converted into a transmitted voice signal by the microphone  22 , supplied to the radio communication unit  26  through the bus  35 , converted into a transmission signal by being subjected to modulation and the like, and radio transmitted to a nearest radio base station. An E-mail is also transmitted and received approximately likewise the voice communication described above.  
         [0045]     Although the voice and E-mail communications are executed in the same way as conventional ones, an operation for scrolling the images of the phone directory and the like displayed on the main display unit  14  or the auxiliary display unit  18  will be explained. In this case, the user rotates the track ball  23  in a scroll direction by holding it between the thumb  51  in contact with the upper surface of the track ball  23  and, for example, the forefinger  52  in contact with the lower surface thereof as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0046]     The rotation angles of the track ball  23  is detected by the first and second detectors  28  and  29  which are the rotation detection rollers  36  and  37 . The rotation angles of the track ball  23 , which are detected by the first and second detectors  28  and  29  is converted into an amount of movement in an x-direction and an amount of movement in a y-direction by the rotation detector  31 , and then supplied to the controller  34  through the bus  35 . The controller  34  scrolls the images of the phone directory and the like displayed on the main display unit  14  or the auxiliary display unit  18  according to the input data of the amounts of movement in the x- and y-directions in conformity with the rotating direction of the track ball  23 .  
         [0047]     As described above, according to the mobile phone  10  of the embodiment, since the track ball  23  is mounted so as to project from the center of the hinge portion, the track ball  23  can be manipulated delicately from both the surfaces thereof by holding it between the thumb  51  (upper surface) and the forefinger  52  (lower surface). Accordingly, when, for example, the phone directory is searched by scroll or a displayed screen is scrolled, the mobile phone  10  can be easily manipulated regardless that the cabinets thereof are opened or closed.  
         [0048]     Further, according to the embodiment, since the track ball  23  is exposed at all times regardless that the mobile phone  10  is opened or closed, an address, a transmitted/received call history, a mail, and the like can be confirmed using the auxiliary manipulation unit  19  on the back surface and the track ball  23  even if the mobile phone  10  is closed.  
         [0049]     Incidentally, although an operation executed by rotating the track ball  23  is described above, selection or determination can be executed by depressing the track ball  23  in a vertically downward direction, specifically, in a downward direction in  FIG. 4 . In this case, the third detector  30  detects the depression of the track ball  23  as explained in  FIG. 4 , and a magnetic detection signal detected thereby is supplied to the controller  34  through the bus  35 . When the magnetic detection signal is input to the controller  34 , there is executed processing for selecting or determining information (menu item and the like) displayed on, for example, the main display unit  14  or the auxiliary display unit  18  at the position designated by a cursor located at a desired position.  
         [0050]     Note that when the third detector  30  detects the depression of the track ball  23 , it is also possible for the controller  34  received the detection signal drives the short distance transmitter  33  to cause it to transmit a radio signal. When the radio signal is received by a short distance receiver provided with not shown equipment acting as a communication party, a desired menu is selected and determined from a plurality of menu images displayed on a monitor screen of the equipment or a predetermined preset operation is executed by a known means. With the above arrangement, the versatility of manipulation and control of the equipment can be greatly extended as compared with conventional equipment.  
         [0051]     Note that the controller  34  may allocate a special manipulation (start of a predetermined program) based on the signal detected by the third detector  30 , based on a combination input executed through the auxiliary manipulation unit  19  on the outside surface of the upper cabinet  11  and the main manipulation unit  21  on the inside surface of the lower cabinet  12 , based on a combination input executed by depressing the main manipulation unit  21  (or the auxiliary manipulation unit  19 ) while rotating the track ball  23 , or the like. With the above operation, functions more than those of the conventional equipment can be provided.  
         [0052]     When the rotation detector  31  converts the rotation angles output from the first and second detectors  28  and  29  into the data of the amounts of movement, a different conversion ratio may be used to the output from the first detector  28  and the output from the second detector  29 .  
         [0053]     The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment described above. That is, although the folding type mobile phone in which the upper cabinet  11  is connected to the lower cabinet  12  through the hinge mechanism is explained in the above embodiment, the present invention can be also applied to a slide type mobile phone which is opened or closed by swiveling one of cabinets on a surface parallel with the surface of the other cabinet. Further, the structure for permitting the track ball  23  to be depressed in the vertical direction and the detection means for detecting the depression thereof are not limited to those disclosed in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , and various modifications such as detecting the vertical movement of the track ball  23  by a limit switch may be employed.  
         [0054]     It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to folding type mobile information equipment such as a notebook personal computer and the like, in addition to the mobile phone. The auxiliary display unit  18 , the auxiliary manipulation unit  19 , the speaker  20 , and the like may be disposed on the lower cabinet  12 . The camera  17  and the short distance transmitter  33  may not be necessarily provided. The track ball  23  need not be disposed at the center of the hinge portion  13  and may be dislocated toward any of the right or left side thereof.