Portable Electronic Device

• US 20090167545A1
• Filed: 12/26/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Osaka, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,978,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/647
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

Disclosed is a portable electronic device, including: an interface unit connected to an external device; a housing provided with the interface unit; a cap placed in a location allowing for the covering of the interface unit and covering the interface unit when attached to the housing; a signal detecting line placed in the interface unit and connected to a predetermined electric potential when the external device is connected to the interface unit; a switch which electrically connects the signal detecting line to the predetermined electric potential when the cap is attached to the housing and electrically disconnects the signal detecting line from the predetermined electric potential when the cap is separated from the housing; and a control unit connected to the interface unit and configured to determine whether the signal detecting line is electrically connected to the predetermined electric potential or not.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an interface unit configured to be connected to an external device;

a housing provided with the interface unit;

a cap placed in a location allowing for the covering of the interface unit and covering the interface unit when attached to the housing;

a signal detecting line placed in the interface unit and connected to a predetermined electric potential when the external device is connected to the interface unit;

a switch which electrically connects the signal detecting line to the predetermined electric potential when the cap is attached to the housing and electrically disconnects the signal detecting line from the predetermined electric potential when the cap is separated from the housing; and

a control unit connected to the interface unit and configured to determine whether the signal detecting line is electrically connected to the predetermined electric potential or not.

2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the signal detecting line is electrically connected to the predetermined electric potential or not when the control unit detects a change in a logical state of the signal detecting line.

3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the interface unit comprises a signal input line connected to the external device and a signal output line connected to the external device, and the control unit outputs a certain signal to the signal output line when determining that the logical state of the signal detecting line indicates a state where the signal detecting line is not electrically connected to the predetermined electric potential, wherein the control unit determines that the external device is connected to the interface unit when a response to the certain signal through the signal input line is detected, and determines that the external device is not connected to the interface unit and the cap is not attached to the housing when the response is not detected.

4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the interface unit comprises a stereo detecting line connected to the external device, and the control unit determines whether the stereo detecting line is in an open state or not when the control unit determines that the logical state of the signal detecting line indicates a state where the signal detecting line is not electrically connected to the predetermined electric potential, wherein the control unit determines that the external device is connected to the interface unit when the stereo detecting line is not in an open state, and determines that the external device is not connected to the interface unit and the cap is not attached to the housing when the stereo detecting line is in an open state.

5. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the switch comprises

a terminal placed in a location capable of being covered by the cap when the cap is attached to the housing and having the predetermined electric potential;

and

a conductor placed on an inner surface of the cap and connected to the signal detecting line,

wherein the conductor contacts the terminal when the cap is attached to the housing, so that the signal detecting line is electrically connected to the predetermined electric potential.