Terminal device with detector

• US 6,044,256 A
• Filed: 12/27/1996
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US08/774,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/556, 455/557, 455/67.7, 455/66, 455/67.1, 379/56.1, 379/56.2, 379/56.3, 379/39, 379/44, 359/152, 359/154, 359/176, 359/146, 359/155, 340/539, 340/552, 340/565, 340/825.36, 340/825.37, 250/211, 250/341.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/184 using radiation reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A terminal device having an infrared optical communication circuit with improved efficiency in use of the infrared optical communication circuit and the terminal device itself. In a pocket telephone T as a terminal device, an infrared optical communication circuit includes a light emitting section for emitting infrared rays and a photo detector section for detecting the infrared rays. A controller compares the infrared rays emitted from the light emitting section with the infrared rays which are reflected by a reflecting plate and are detected by the photo detector section and detects the information of infrared ray interruption on the basis of the comparison result. The information of the infrared ray interruption can be transmitted from a radio transmitter-receiver circuit to another terminal device, is output as voices from an audio transmitter-receiver, is displayed on a display, or is stored in a memory circuit, resulting in enabling to detect a movement of a person or substance and improving efficiency in use of the terminal device.

Claims

1. An infrared communication device comprising:

an infrared optical communication circuit for communicating information with another infrared communication device using infrared rays, the infrared optical communication circuit having a light emitting section for emitting infrared rays and a photo detector section for detecting the infrared rays;

a comparison device for comparing the infrared rays emitted from the light emitting section with the infrared rays detected by the photo detector section to output a comparison result; and

an output device for outputting information of an interruption of the infrared rays detected by the photo detector section on the basis of the comparison result of the comparison device.

2. The infrared communication device of claim 1, further comprising a reflecting plate for reflecting the infrared rays emitted from the light emitting section to the photo detector section.

3. The infrared communication device of claim 2, wherein the output device is selected from a group consisting of:

a radio transmitter-receiver section for transmitting the information of the infrared ray interruption as radio signals to a destination station;

a voice processing section for converting the information of the infrared ray interruption into voice signals;

an audio transmitter-receiver section for outputting voices corresponding to voice signals output from a voice processing section;

a display section for displaying the information of the infrared ray interruption; and

a memory section for storing the information of the infrared ray interruption.

4. The infrared communication device of claim 3, wherein the infrared communication device is a portable telephone capable of communicating a telephone call with a destination station via a radio communication network and of mutually communicating information with another infrared communication device using infrared rays.

5. The infrared communication device of claim 3, wherein the infrared communication device is a radio selection call receiver capable of outputting a call inform sound on the basis of a received call signal and of storing information.