Communication terminal device and control program thereof

• US 8,280,411 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Company Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Chiashi, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US12/552,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/418, 455/456.1, 455/565, 455/569.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

In a mobile phone (1) that is changeable to a plurality of styles, when connecting a call in response to an originating call or an incoming call by a wireless communication section (14), a central control section (11) controls a style detecting section (24) to detect a current style, and judges whether or not the call should be restricted by referring to an operation mode information storage section (M5). The central control section (11) then restricts the call based on this restriction judgment result and the detection result from the style detecting section (24). Also, the central control section 11 drives a notifying section (20) to give a notification indicating that a call in a certain style is restricted.

Claims

1. A communication terminal device having at least one housing with a structure that is changeable to a plurality of styles, comprising:

a communication detection means for detecting communication that is at least one of either an incoming call or an originating call;

a call connection means for connecting a call in response to communication detected by the communication detection means;

a distance detection means for detecting a distance between a communication antenna and a reception speaker corresponding to a style change;

a set means for setting an operation mode associated with a region where the communication terminal is being used;

a restriction judgment means for judging whether or not a call in a certain style should be restricted based on the operation mode set by the set means and a detection result from the distance detection means;

a control means for performing control such that a call connected in response to communication detected by the communication detection means is restricted based on a judgment result from the restriction judgment means; and

a style detecting means for detecting a style based on the distance between the communication antenna and the reception speaker detected by the distance detection means.

2. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a restriction notification means for giving at least one of either a notification indicating that a call connected in response to communication detected by the communication detection means is restricted or a notification prompting change of the style detected by the style detecting means to another style.

3. The communication terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an incoming call notification means for giving a notification of an incoming call;

wherein a notification by the restriction notification means and a notification by the incoming call notification means are given in different notification manners.

4. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a release means for, when a style detected by the style detection means is changed while a call is being restricted under control performed by the control means, releasing the restriction on the call based on a style after the change.

5. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a message recording and playback means for, after a predetermined time has passed since a call is restricted under control performed by the control means, recording a message from a call partner and allowing the message recorded to be played back.

6. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connection means for connecting an external audio output device;

wherein the control means performs control such that a call is not restricted when an external audio output device has been connected by the connection means.

7. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker-phone call connection means for performing a speaker-phone call in which audio from a call partner is outputted from a reception speaker at a loud volume;

wherein the control means performs control such that a call is not restricted in a case where the speaker-phone call connection means performs a speaker-phone call.

9. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reception means for receiving region identifying information used to identify regions;

wherein the restriction judgment means judges whether or not a call should be restricted based on region identifying information received by the reception means.

8. A communication terminal device having at least one housing with a structure that is changeable to a plurality of styles, comprising:

a communication detection means for detecting communication that is at least one of either an incoming call or an originating call;

a call connection means for connecting a call in response to communication detected by the communication detection means;

a distance detection means for detecting a distance between a communication antenna and a reception speaker corresponding to a style change;

an acquisition means for acquiring location information;

a restriction judgment means for judging whether or not a call should be restricted based on the location information acquired by the acquisition means and a detection result from the distance detection means;

a control means for performing control such that a call connected in response to a communication detected by the communication detection means is restricted based on a judgment result from the restriction judgment means; and

a style detecting means for detecting a style based on the distance between the communication antenna and the reception speaker detected by the distance detection means.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer, comprising:

communication detection process for detecting communication that is at least one of either an incoming call or an originating call;

call connection process for connecting a call in response to detected communication;

a distance detection process for detecting a distance between a communication antenna and a reception speaker corresponding to a style change;

a set process for setting an operation mode associated with a region where a communication terminal is being used;

restriction judgment process for judging whether or not a call should be restricted based on the operation mode set by the set process and a detection result from the distance detection process;

control process for performing control such that a call connected in response to detected communication is restricted based on a restriction judgment result; and

a style detecting process for detecting a style based on the distance between the communication antenna and the reception speaker detected by the distance detection process.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer, comprising:

communication detection process for detecting communication that is at least one of either an incoming call or an originating call;

call connection process for connecting a call in response to detected communication;

a distance detection process for detecting a distance between a communication antenna and a reception speaker corresponding to a style change;

an acquisition process for acquiring location information;

restriction judgment process for judging whether or not a call should be restricted based on the location information acquired by the acquisition process and a detection result from the distance detection process;

control process for performing control such that a call connected in response to communication detected by the communication detection process is restricted based on a judgment result from the restriction judgment process; and

a style detecting process for detecting a style based on the distance between the communication antenna and the reception speaker detected by the distance detection process.