Portable terminal

• US 20050143148A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Hiroyuki, Miyashita, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,028,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/30 Earth-inductor compasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

the present invention aims to achieve that geomagnetism can be sensed in high precision while eliminating an adverse influence by magnetic noise with respect to a geomagnetic sensor provided in a housing, and correct azimuth information can be acquired.

A portable terminal apparatus according to the present invention is arranged by that both a first housing (11) and a second housing (12) are coupled to each other by way of a hinge portion (13) under pivotable condition, a geomagnetic sensor (33) is provided on a circuit board (32) in the second housing (12), and also, a speaker (19) is provided on the side of a rear surface thereof. Both this geomagnetic sensor (33) and a speaker (19) corresponding to a component for generating magnetic noise which gives an adverse influence with respect to the geomagnetic sensor (33) are provided in the vicinity of each other within the same second housing (12), and both the members are arranged on the same plane. In this structure, since a magnetic force line (35) which is caused by magnetic noise generated from a magnet (19a) of the speaker (19) is intersected with respect to the geomagnetic sensor (33) at a right angle, and thus, a horizontal direction component thereof is not produced, the geomagnetic sensor (33) can correctly sense the geomagnetism without being adversely influenced by the magnetic noise.

Claims

1. A portable terminal apparatus having a geomagnetic sensor for sensing geomagnetism and azimuth measuring means for acquiring azimuth information based upon the sensed geomagnetism,

wherein both said geomagnetic sensor and a component for generating magnetic noise are arranged on the same plane within the same housing, while said magnetic noise generating component is positioned in the vicinity of said geomagnetic sensor and gives an influence to a function of said geomagnetic sensor.

4. The portable terminal apparatus as claimed in any one of claim 1 to claim 3,

wherein a shape of a rear surface of the housing in which said geomagnetic sensor is arranged is formed substantially parallel to said geomagnetic sensor.

5. The portable terminal apparatus as claimed in any one of claim 1 to claim 4,

wherein the housing in which said geomagnetic sensor is arranged is made of a non-magnetic material.

6. The portable terminal apparatus as claimed in any one of claim 1 to claim 5,

wherein said geomagnetic sensor is provided within a housing equipped with an operation unit.

7. The portable terminal apparatus as claimed in any one of claim 1 to claim 6, further comprising:

an exclusively-used operation button capable of causing said geomagnetic sensor to function,

wherein said operation button is provided with a function indication related to an azimuth measuring operation.

2. A portable terminal apparatus having a geomagnetic sensor for sensing geomagnetism and azimuth measuring means for acquiring azimuth information based upon the sensed geomagnetism,

wherein both a first housing and a second housing are coupled to each other by way of a hinge portion in such a manner that said first and second housings can be opened/closed, and

wherein said geomagnetic sensor is arranged within said first housing, a component for generating magnetic noise which gives an influence to a function of said geomagnetic sensor is arranged within said second housing, and both said geomagnetic sensor and said component for generating the magnetic noise are positioned on the same plane under at least any one of such conditions that both said first and second housings are closed and are opened.

3. A portable terminal apparatus having a geomagnetic sensor for sensing geomagnetism and azimuth measuring means for acquiring azimuth information based upon the sensed geomagnetism,

wherein a plurality of housings are coupled to each other by way of a pivotable portion in such a manner that said plurality of housings can be opened/closed, and

wherein both said geomagnetic sensor and a component for generating magnetic noise which gives an influence to a function of said geomagnetic sensor are arranged within the separate housings respectively, and both said geomagnetic sensor and said component for generating the magnetic noise are positioned on the same plane under at least any one of such conditions that both said plurality of housings are closed and are opened.