Information communication apparatus and method of controlling information communication apparatus

• US 8,228,303 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Naruse, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafari, Sepideh
• Application Number:
  US12/392,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 341/33, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An information communication apparatus includes: an electrostatic panel unit that is at least provided with an electrostatically chargeable panel surface; a capacitance detection unit that detects a capacitance variation of the panel surface to detect a location at which an object substantially contacts the panel surface; an electric field communication unit that uses the panel surface as an electrostatic field antenna to carry out electrostatic field communication; a connection switching unit that selectively connects any one of the capacitance detection unit and the electric field communication unit to the electrostatic panel unit; and a control unit that controls the connection switching unit to connect the electrostatic panel unit to the capacitance detection unit at the time of detecting a location at which an object contacts the panel surface and to connect the electrostatic panel unit to the electric field communication unit at the time of the electrostatic field communication.

Claims

1. An information communication apparatus comprising:

an electrostatic panel unit that is at least provided with an electrostatically chargeable panel surface;

a capacitance detection unit that detects a variation in capacitance of the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit to detect a location at which an object substantially contacts the panel surface;

an electric field communication unit that uses the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit as an electrostatic field antenna to carry out electrostatic field communication;

a connection switching unit that selectively connects any one of the capacitance detection unit and the electric field communication unit to the electrostatic panel unit; and

a control unit that controls the connection switching unit so as to connect the electrostatic panel unit to the capacitance detection unit at the time of detecting a location at which an object contacts the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit and to connect the electrostatic panel unit to the electric field communication unit at the time of the electrostatic field communication.

2. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric field communication unit includes

an electric field communication transmitting unit that changes electrostatic field strength of the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit in response to a transmission signal of electrostatic field communication;

an electric field communication receiving unit that detects a variation in electrostatic field strength of the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit to acquire a signal corresponding to the detected variation in electrostatic field strength as a reception signal of electrostatic field communication; and

a transmission/reception switching unit that selectively connects any one of the electric field communication transmitting unit and the electric field communication receiving unit to the connection switching unit, and wherein

the control unit controls the transmission/reception switching unit so as to connect the electric field communication transmitting unit to the connection switching unit at the time of transmitting a signal in electrostatic field communication and to connect the electric field communication receiving unit to the connection switching unit at the time of receiving a signal in electrostatic field communication.

3. The information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electric field communication unit includes a status detecting unit that uses a plurality of areas that are obtained by dividing the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit as independent electric field communication antennas, respectively, and that detects the electric field communication antenna in connected state where at least electric field communication may be carried out with an electric field communication antenna of another electric field communication apparatus, from among the plurality of electric field communication antennas, and wherein

the control unit controls an operation of the host information communication apparatus in response to the result detected by the status detecting unit.

4. The information communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the status detecting unit detects a change of a status indicating whether the electric field communication antennas are in the connected state, and wherein

the control unit controls an operation of the host information communication apparatus in response to the change of the status detected by the status detecting unit.

5. The information communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the status detecting unit at least detects a combination of the electric field communication antennas that are in the connected state, and wherein

the control unit controls an operation of the host information communication apparatus in response to the combination detected by the status detecting unit.

6. The information communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the status detecting unit at least detects a change of a combination of the electric field communication antennas that are in the connected state, and wherein

the control unit controls an operation of the host information communication apparatus in response to the change of the combination detected by the status detecting unit.

7. The information communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electric field communication unit carries out multi-channel communication using a plurality of the electric field communication antennas for which the connected state is detected by the status detecting unit.

8. The information communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the electric field communication unit carries out multiplexed communication by means of the multi-channel communication.

9. A method of controlling an information communication apparatus, comprising the steps of:

detecting a variation in capacitance of an electrostatically chargeable panel surface, which is at least provided for an electrostatic panel unit, by a capacitance detection unit to detect a location at which an object substantially contacts the panel surface;

using the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit as an electrostatic field antenna to carry out electrostatic field communication by an electric field communication unit; and

connecting the electrostatic panel unit to the capacitance detection unit by a connection switching unit at the time of detecting a location at which an object contacts the panel surface of the electrostatic panel unit, and connecting the electric field communication unit to the electrostatic panel unit by the connection switching unit at the time of the electrostatic field communication.