Portable terminal device, external equipment for the same, and method and computer-readable recording medium storing a program thereon for recognizing the external equipment

• US 20040229648A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Nobuhiro, Yamamoto, Masahiro
• Application Number:
  US10/871,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229648A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60

Abstract

The switch unit of the external equipment connected to the portable terminal device short-circuits the upstream signal line and the downstream signal line while no voltage is being supplied to the control unit so that the signal received from the portable terminal device through the downstream line is turned back at the switch unit to the portable terminal device through the upstream line. As a result, even if any external equipment which is powered off is connected to the portable terminal device, it is possible for the device to detected the signal turned back from the switch unit, thereby recognizing the external equipment as a specific type of equipment having such a switch unit, without necessity for altering the number of terminals (lines) required in the connection.

Claims

1. External equipment adapted to be connected to a portable terminal device via connecting means which includes an upstream signal line that transfers a signal coming into said portable terminal device and a downstream signal line that transfers a signal going out from said portable terminal device, said external equipment comprising:

a control unit which is supplied with a predetermined operation voltage and controls communications between said external equipment and said portable terminal device via said upstream and downstream signal lines; and

a switch unit which short-circuits said downstream signal line and said upstream signal line with no such operation voltage being supplied to said control unit.

2. External equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said switch unit is adapted to open the short circuit between said downstream signal line and said upstream signal line with such operation voltage being supplied to said control unit.

3. External equipment as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a power supply which generates and supplies such operation voltage to said control unit.

4. External equipment as set forth in claim 2, wherein the operation voltage is supplied to said control unit from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device via said connecting means.

5. External equipment as set forth in claim 4, wherein said connecting means further includes a power supply line through which the operation voltage is supplied from said internal power supply of said portable terminal device to said control unit of said external equipment.

6. External equipment as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a power supply which generates and supplies such operation voltage to said control unit.

7. External equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the operation voltage is supplied to said control unit from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device via said connecting means.

8. External equipment as set forth in claim 7, wherein said connecting means further includes a power supply line through which the operation voltage is supplied from said internal power supply of said portable terminal device to said control unit of said external equipment.

9. A portable terminal device adapted to be connected to external equipment via connecting means which includes a downstream signal line that transfers a signal going-out to said external equipment and an upstream signal line that transfers a signal coming-in from said external equipment, said portable terminal device comprising:

a transmitting unit which transmits a signal to said external equipment through said downstream signal line;

a return detecting unit which detects whether or not a signal, transmitted from said transmitting unit to said external equipment, is switched by a switch unit, which short-circuits said downstream and upstream lines in said external equipment, to return from said external equipment through said upstream signal line; and

a recognizing means which recognizes, if said return detecting unit detects that the signal returns from said external equipment, said external equipment as specific equipment having said switch unit.

10. A portable terminal device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a power control unit which supplies, if said recognizing means recognizes that said external equipment is such specific equipment, an operation voltage for said external equipment from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device.

11. A method for recognizing a type of external equipment connected to a portable terminal device via connecting means which includes an upstream signal line that transfers a signal coming into said portable terminal device and a downstream signal line that transfers a signal going out from said portable terminal device, said method comprising the steps of:

short-circuiting, on the external equipment side, said downstream signal line and said upstream signal line by a switch unit, without any operation voltage being supplied to said external equipment, so as to return a signal, received from said portable terminal device, back to said portable terminal device; and

recognizing, on said portable terminal device, said external equipment as specific equipment having said switch unit, by receiving the signal that is returned from said external equipment by means of said switch unit.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of supplying, if said external equipment is recognized to be such specific equipment on said portable terminal device, an operation voltage for said external equipment from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device via said connecting means.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the step of, if said external equipment is supplied with the operation voltage, opening the short circuit established by said switch unit between said downstream signal line and said upstream signal line so as to enable said portable terminal device and said external equipment to communicate with each other via said connecting means.

14. A method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of, if said external equipment is supplied with the operation voltage, opening the short circuit established by said switch unit between said downstream signal line and said upstream signal line so as to enable said portable terminal device and said external equipment to communicate with each other via said connecting means.

15. External equipment adapted to be connected to a portable terminal device via an external-equipment-side connector provided for said external equipment and a portable-terminal-device-side connector provided for said portable terminal device, which portable-terminal-device-side connector includes:

an upstream signal line connecting terminal for an upstream signal line transferring a signal coming into said portable terminal device;

a downstream signal line connecting terminal for a down stream signal line transferring a signal going out from said portable terminal device; and

two types of external antenna connecting terminals, one for signal transmission and reception and the other for signal reception,

said external-equipment-side connector including;

a downstream signal line connecting terminal adapted to be connected to said downstream signal line connecting terminal of said portable-terminal-device-side connector;

an upstream signal line connecting terminal adapted to be connected to said upstream signal line connecting terminal of said portable-terminal-device-side connector; and

an external connection terminal adapted to be connected to either one of the external antenna connecting terminals of said portable-terminal-device-side connector so that said portable terminal device recognizes a type of said external equipment according to a logic that depends on connection made to said external antenna connecting terminals of said portable-terminal-device-side connector.

16. External equipment as set forth in claim 15, further comprising a control unit which is supplied with a predetermined operation voltage and controls communications between said external equipment and said portable terminal device via said upstream signal line and said downstream signal line,

said external-equipment-side connector including a power supply terminal which receives the operation voltage, to be supplied to said control unit, from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device after said portable terminal device recognizes the type of said external equipment.

17. External equipment as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a switch unit which short-circuits said upstream signal line and said downstream signal line with no such operation voltage being supplied to said control unit.

18. External equipment as set forth in claim 15, further comprising a switch unit which short-circuits said upstream signal line and said downstream signal line with no such operation voltage being supplied to said control unit.

19. A portable terminal device with a connector which serves as connecting means adapted to be connected to said external equipment, which connector includes:

an upstream signal line connecting terminal for an upstream signal line transferring a signal going out from said external equipment;

a downstream signal line connecting terminal for a downstream signal line transferring a signal coming into said external equipment; and

two types of external antenna connecting terminals, one for signal transmission and reception and the other for signal reception, said portable terminal device comprising;

a connection detecting unit which detects whether or not said external equipment is connected to said portable terminal device via any of said external antenna connecting terminals of said connector; and

a recognizing unit which recognizes, if said connection detecting unit detects that said external equipment is connected to said portable terminal device via either one of said external antenna connecting terminals, said external equipment as a specific equipment.

20. A portable terminal device as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a power control unit which supplies, if said recognizing means recognizes that said external equipment is such specific equipment, an operation voltage for said external equipment from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device.

21. A portable terminal device with a connector which serves as connecting means adapted to be connected to said external equipment, which connector includes:

an upstream signal line connecting terminal for an upstream signal line transferring a signal going out from said external equipment;

a downstream signal line connecting terminal for a downstream signal line transferring a signal coming into said external equipment; and

two types of external antenna connecting terminals, one for signal transmission and reception and the other for signal reception, said portable terminal device comprising;

a connection detecting unit which detects whether or not said external equipment is connected to said portable terminal device via any of said external antenna connecting terminals of said connector;

a transmitting unit which transmits a signal to said external equipment via said downstream signal line;

a return detecting unit which detects whether or not a signal, transmitted from said transmitting unit to said external equipment, is switched by a switch unit, which short-circuits said downstream and upstream lines in said external equipment, to return from said external equipment to said portable terminal device through said upstream signal line; and

a recognizing means which recognizes said external equipment as specific equipment, based on detection results of said connection detecting unit and said return detecting unit.

22. A portable terminal device as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a power control unit which supplies, if said recognizing means recognizes that said external equipment is such specific equipment, an operation voltage for said external equipment from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device.

23. A method for recognizing a type of external equipment connected to said portable terminal device via a portable-terminal-device-side connector serving as a connecting means, which connector includes:

an upstream signal line connecting terminal for an upstream signal line transferring a signal going out from said external equipment;

a downstream signal line connecting terminal for a downstream signal line transferring a signal coming into said external equipment; and

two types of external antenna connecting terminals, one for signal transmission and reception and the other for signal reception, said method comprising the steps of;

monitoring, on said portable terminal device, whether or not said external equipment is connected to said portable terminal device via any of said external antenna connecting terminals; and

recognizing, if said connection detecting unit detects that said external equipment is connected to said portable terminal device via either one of said external antenna connecting terminals, said external equipment as a specific equipment.

24. A method as set forth in claim 23, further comprising the step of supplying, if said external equipment is recognized to be such specific equipment on said portable terminal device, an operation voltage for said external equipment from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device via said connecting means.

25. A method for recognizing a type of external equipment connected to said portable terminal device via a portable-terminal-device-side connector serving as a connecting means, which connector includes:

an upstream signal line connecting terminal for an upstream signal line transferring a signal going out from said external equipment;

a downstream signal line connecting terminal for a downstream signal line transferring a signal coming into said external equipment; and

two types of external antenna connecting terminals, one for signal transmission and reception and the other for signal reception, said method comprising the steps of;

(i) monitoring, on said portable terminal device, whether or not said external equipment is connected to said portable terminal device via any of said external antenna connecting terminals, and also, whether or not a signal transmitted from said portable terminal device to said external equipment through said downstream signal line returns to said portable terminal device via said upstream signal line; and

(ii) recognizing said external equipment as specific equipment based on a combination of the two kinds of monitoring results obtained in step (i).

26. A method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising the step of supplying, if said external equipment is recognized to be such specific equipment on said portable terminal device, an operation voltage for said external equipment from an internal power supply of said portable terminal device via said connecting means.

27. A computer-readable recording medium storing an external equipment recognizing program thereon which instructs a computer of said portable terminal device to recognize a type of external equipment connected to said portable terminal device via a connecting means which includes an upstream signal line that transfers a signal coming into said portable terminal device and a downstream signal line that transfers a signal going out from said portable terminal device, said program instructing the computer to perform the steps of:

(a) sending-out a signal to said external equipment through said downstream signal line without any operation voltage supplied to said external equipment;

(b) receiving the signal returned from said external equipment via a switch unit, which is provided on the external equipment side to short-circuit said downstream signal line and upstream signal line; and

(c) recognizing said external equipment as specific equipment having said switch unit, by receiving the signal in step (b).