Portable terminal holding tool

Abstract

To provide a portable terminal holding tool that can smoothly hold portable terminals of different shapes and that can hold products in a state where the products can be read.SOLUTION: A portable terminal holding tool 1 includes a left side contact portion 23 against which a first surface of a portable terminal 200 can come into contact, and a movable holding portion 30 that faces the left side contact portion, is movable toward and away from the contact surface of the left side contact portion with the portable terminal, and clamps the portable terminal between the left side contact portion and the movable holding portion. The portable terminal holding tool 1 further includes an external attachment portion 5 for attachment to another mechanism, and when attached to the other mechanism, the reading direction of a reader of the portable terminal is directed outward with respect to the center line of the other mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal holder and a cart having a terminal holder. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In a store where products are displayed, such as a supermarket, customers may shop around the store using a mobile terminal such as a tablet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2006-512637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When customers shop in a store, they often move around while pushing a shopping cart. For this reason, it would be ideal to have a shopping cart that can hold a mobile terminal. In addition, the shapes of mobile terminals used by customers vary depending on the manufacturer, so there is a need for a mobile terminal holder that can smoothly hold mobile terminals of different shapes.

[0005] Furthermore, in a cash register system in which a customer uses his or her own mobile terminal to register products to be purchased and payment is made based on the registration, the products are registered using a reading unit of the mobile terminal. Therefore, a mobile terminal holder that can hold the mobile terminal in a state in which the products can be read is required.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a tablet and mobile terminal for a shopping cart connected to a product conveying device. However, it cannot hold various types of mobile terminals owned by customers.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal holder that can smoothly hold mobile terminals of different shapes and that can hold the mobile terminals in a state that allows product reading. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a mobile terminal holder according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a holding section for holding a mobile terminal, and a storage section for storing a battery for supplying power to the mobile terminal.

[0009] The battery storage device may further include a restriction section that restricts removal of the battery stored in the storage section by locking and unlocking the storage section with a specified key.

[0010] An information display unit may be provided on a surface of the battery, and the storage unit that stores the battery may be provided with a window that exposes the information display unit.

[0011] The holding portion may include a holding surface that holds the mobile terminal from a rear side, and the holding surface may be provided with an area that exposes the rear side of the mobile terminal.

[0012] A slip prevention member for preventing the held mobile terminal from slipping may be attached to the holding surface.

[0013] The area may be provided at a position such that, when the portable terminal is held, the portable terminal holder does not enter an image capturing range of a reading unit provided on the rear surface of the portable terminal.

[0014] The device may further include an external attachment portion for attachment to an object to be attached.

[0015] The storage device may further include a connecting portion that connects the holding portion and the storage portion, the holding portion being provided at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion.

[0016] A cart according to another aspect of the present invention has the above-mentioned mobile terminal holder attached thereto. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, portable terminals of different shapes can be smoothly held and held in a state in which merchandise can be read. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above from the front side. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile terminal holder as viewed from the front side. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of the mobile terminal holder as viewed from the bottom side, in which a storage section provided on the back side of the mobile terminal holder is omitted. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile terminal holder as viewed from the right rear side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a state in which the mobile terminal holder holds a mobile terminal. [Figure 6] 4 is a perspective view of the mobile terminal holder holding the mobile terminal, as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a right perspective view showing a mechanism for pivoting a main body and an external attachment part of the mobile terminal holder. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing the mobile terminal holder attached to a grip of a cart, as viewed from the right front side, with the cover of the external attachment portion omitted. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are perspective views showing the mobile terminal holders attached to two different shapes of carts, as viewed from the opposite side in the direction of travel. [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a storage basket is arranged on the cart, as viewed from the direction of travel. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal holder according to another embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front side. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile terminal holder as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a front view of the mobile terminal holder; [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the mobile terminal holder as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the mobile terminal holder as viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a side view of the mobile terminal holder. [Figure 17] 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which an auxiliary part is stored in the mobile terminal holder. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the mobile terminal holder attached to a grip of a cart. [Figure 19] 19 is a perspective view showing the mobile terminal holder attached to a grip of a cart, and is a partially enlarged view showing part A in FIG. 18. FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view showing a modified example of the mobile terminal holder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A mobile terminal holder according to an embodiment of the present invention will now

[0020] ●Mobile device holder● 1 and 2, the mobile terminal holder 1 includes a main body 20 and a movable holding part 30. The mobile terminal holder 1 is a member that holds a mobile terminal 200 shown in FIG. 5 by means of the main body 20 and the movable holding part 30.

[0021] Overview of the system in which the mobile terminal according to the present invention is expected to be used The mobile terminal 200 is, for example, a flat-plate member, and is assumed to be a typical smartphone, tablet, or the like that is currently in widespread use. A product reading unit, for example a camera, is disposed on the upper rear portion of the mobile terminal 200. A display unit is provided on the front of the mobile terminal 200, which is capable of displaying information such as the name and price of the read product, as well as the total amount. After reading the product to be purchased with the mobile terminal 200, the customer places the product in the shopping cart. Once the customer or the store has performed a prescribed process, the payment for the read product can be made. In such a system, the registration process at the cash register in a conventional supermarket can be omitted, and congestion at the cash register can be alleviated.

[0022] ●Main body of mobile terminal holder 1 1 and 2, main body 20 of the mobile terminal holder has flat rear receiving portion 71 that receives the rear of the terminal, and the front surface of rear receiving portion 71 forms rear contact surface 21a against which the rear of the mobile terminal abuts. In main body 20, the lower edge of rear receiving portion 71 protrudes forward to form bottom contact portion 22 that receives the bottom surface of the mobile terminal. Left side contact portion 23 that receives the left side surface of the mobile terminal rises upward from the left end of bottom contact portion 22 in FIG. 1 parallel to the left side surface of rear receiving portion 71 with a gap 24 between this left side surface and the bottom side surface.

[0023] The bottom surface contact portion 22 and the left side surface contact portion 23 protrude forward from the front surface of the rear support portion 71 to form a contact surface for the bottom surface and a contact surface for the left side surface of the mobile terminal, respectively. In addition, the upper edge of the front end surface of the bottom surface contact portion 22 and the right edge of the front end surface of the left side surface contact portion 23 protrude to face the rear surface contact surface 21a, forming ribs 22b and 23b. When the mobile terminal is held by the main body 20, these ribs 22b and 23b face the front surface of the lower end edge and the left end edge of the mobile terminal to prevent the mobile terminal from falling off.

[0024] The bottom contact part 22 has an opening 25 penetrating the bottom contact surface 22a. When the mobile terminal holder 1 holds the mobile terminal 200, cables 27b and 27c extending from the storage part 80 described later can be inserted into the opening 25, and the cables 27b and 27c can be connected to the terminals on the bottom surface of the mobile terminal 200. Therefore, for example, the mobile terminal 200 can be charged while being held by the mobile terminal holder 1. In a usage scene in which the mobile terminal 200 is fixed to a cart and used for shopping, the mobile terminal 200 needs to be constantly activated, and therefore this configuration allows stable use without losing the charge of the mobile terminal. It is also possible to connect the mobile terminal 200 to another device via the cables 27b and 27c to transmit and receive information.

[0025] A recess 21b is formed by cutting out a substantially trapezoidal shape from the right side surface of the back support portion 71 at a position toward the upper side of the back support portion 71. The shape of the recess 21b corresponds to the shape of the movable holding portion 30, which will be described in detail later. Specifically, the recess 21b is formed by an inclined surface extending inward from the upper end of the back support portion 71, a vertical surface continuing therefrom that is parallel to the side surface of the back support portion 71, and a horizontal surface continuing to the lower end of the vertical surface.

[0026] The lower side of the recess 21b of the back support 71 has a flat surface that is continuous with the back contact surface 21a and forms a flat portion 21c that protrudes to the right from the recess 21b. The lower end of the flat portion 21c forms a protruding portion 21d that protrudes downward, and the protruding portion 21d is connected to the right side surface of the bottom contact portion 22.

[0027] The main body 20 holds the movable holding part 30 so that it can slide horizontally from the recess 21b in parallel with the back surface abutment surface 21a. The shape and structure of the back surface support part 71 that slidably holds the movable holding part 30 are as follows.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, a recess 21e is provided on the rear side of the rear support 71 that supports the rear side of the mobile terminal to receive the rectangular plate-like sliding part 31 of the movable holding part 30. The depth and vertical dimension of this recess 21e correspond to the thickness of the sliding part 31 (see FIG. 1) of the movable holding part 30. A flat plate 22f that covers most of the recess 21e is screwed to the rear side of the rear support 71, and the recess 21e and the flat plate 22f form a tunnel-shaped space whose left end is open when viewed from the rear side as shown in FIG. 3. The sliding part 31 of the movable holding part 30 is inserted into this space from the open end on the left side in FIG. 3. The sliding part 31 of the movable holding part 30 can slide horizontally within the space.

[0029] The movable holding portion 30 is biased in a direction in which the movable holding portion 30 is pulled into the back support portion 71 by two horizontal tension coil springs 4 that are stretched between the sliding portion 31 and the back support portion 71.

[0030] A rectangular window 22g is formed in the flat plate 22f, and a tension coil spring 4 (an example of an elastic body) can be attached through the window 22g.

[0031] 1 and 4 to 6, a storage section 80 for storing auxiliary parts 201 that assist in using the mobile terminal 200 and shopping is attached to the rear side of the rear support section 71. The storage section 80 is a hollow member having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. An opening 27a is provided on the bottom surface of the storage section 80, and a part of the auxiliary parts 201 stored in the storage section 80 can be exposed or protrude to the outside of the storage section 80.

[0032] The auxiliary part is, for example, a battery for the mobile terminal 200. The battery has cables 27b and 27c extending therefrom that can be connected to the mobile terminal 200, protruding from the opening 27a, and can be connected to the mobile terminal via the opening 25. Note that the charging terminal of the mobile terminal 200 may have several shapes, so that a plurality of types of cables may extend therefrom. In this embodiment, there are two cables, but there may be one or three or more cables. The store prepares a battery capable of charging the mobile terminal 200 of the user and stores it in the mobile terminal holder 1 in advance, so that the mobile terminal 200 can be charged while the user is shopping around.

[0033] In addition, the following items may be stored in the storage section 80 as shopping aids: Coupons used at checkout, point cards such as stamp cards, cards to be exchanged for actual products (for large or expensive items that cannot be placed in a cart, a store clerk must prepare the item, so a card with a barcode and price printed on it is placed on the sales floor and used for this purpose). In particular, if a card to be exchanged for an actual product gets mixed up with the items in the basket, there is a risk that the card will be taken home and forgotten to be exchanged for the actual product. By storing the card in the storage section 80, it is possible to prevent forgetting to replace the card.

[0034] A fitting portion 28 is provided protrudingly on the lower rear surface of the storage portion 80, which fits into a groove 5a of the external attachment portion 5, which will be described later, and slides relative to the external attachment portion 5. The configuration of the fitting portion 28 will be described later.

[0035] ●Movable holding part As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the movable holding part 30 has a right side surface abutment part 32 that is continuous with the right end of the sliding part 31, protrudes forward from the front surface of the sliding part 31, and can abut against the right side surface of the mobile terminal, and a guide part 33 that is continuous with the upper end of the right side surface abutment part 32. The right side surface abutment part 32 extends in the vertical direction, and the guide part 33 is inclined diagonally upward and to the upper right. The shape of the right side surface abutment part 32 and the guide part 33 connected together corresponds to the shape of the recess 21b of the back support part 71. As a result, when the movable holding part 30 is drawn toward the back support part 71 by the biasing force, the right side surface abutment part 32 and the guide part 33 enter the recess 21b.

[0036] The right side contact portion 32 faces the left side contact portion 23 of the main body 20, and the right and left side surfaces of the mobile terminal are sandwiched between the right side contact portion 32 and the left side contact portion 23 by the biasing force of the movable holding portion 30. A protrusion 32b is formed on a part of the front side of the right side contact portion 32, which is parallel to the rear contact surface 21a and protrudes toward the rear contact surface 21a.

[0037] The protrusion 32b is on the same plane as the ribs 22b, 23b of the bottom surface contact portion 22 and the left side surface contact portion 23, and a gap of at least the thickness of the mobile terminal is maintained between the protrusion 32b, the ribs 22b, 23b, and the rear surface contact surface 21a. The protrusion 32b, together with the ribs 22b, 23b, is located in front of the mobile terminal held by the main body 20 and the movable holding portion 30, and prevents the mobile terminal from falling off.

[0038] The guide portion 33 of the movable holding portion 30 is shaped to open the mobile terminal holding space formed by the main body 20 and the movable holding portion 30 in a sequential manner upward. When the mobile terminal is not attached to the movable holding portion 30, the urging force narrows the mobile terminal holding space to a width smaller than that of the mobile terminal. When the mobile terminal is inserted into the narrow space from its bottom end, the left side of the mobile terminal abuts against the abutment surface 23a on the main body 20 side and is positioned accordingly. Meanwhile, the right side of the mobile terminal pushes the guide portion 33 while the right bottom end of the mobile terminal is guided by the guide portion 33, causing the movable holding portion 30 to slide against the urging force.

[0039] Also, the starting point of the guide 33, i.e., the connecting portion with the right side abutment portion 32, is located below the upper end of the left side abutment surface 23a. With this configuration, when inserting the mobile terminal 200, the left side of the mobile terminal 200 abuts against the left side abutment surface 23a while the right end of the mobile terminal 200 abuts against the guide 33. Therefore, the repulsive force from the left side abutment surface 23a is transmitted through the mobile terminal 200 and acts in a direction that slides the movable holding part 30 to the right. It is expected that the user will insert the mobile terminal 200 into the mobile terminal holder 1 with the intention of moving the mobile terminal 200 downward, and the user can insert the mobile terminal 200 with the image of dropping it under its own weight, so that the insertion can be achieved intuitively and with a small force. If the starting point of guide portion 33 were located above the upper end of contact surface 23a, even if a force pressing downward on the guide portion is applied, it would be difficult to generate a force to slide the movable holding portion to the right, and the user would have to consciously exert a force to slide the movable holding portion to the right, which would be cumbersome.

[0040] 5, the vertical length of back support part 71 is shorter than the length of mobile terminal 200. In other words, when mobile terminal 200 is held by mobile terminal holder 1, it protrudes above back support part 71 and the upper part of the back of the mobile terminal is exposed. Since a product reading unit is generally arranged at the top of mobile terminal 200, according to this configuration, the mobile terminal can read products even when held by mobile terminal holder 1.

[0041] A gap 24 is provided between the left side contact portion 23 and the back support portion 21. The gap 24 is open at the top, and appropriate items attached to the mobile terminal 200 can be sandwiched from above the main body 20 downward. For example, there is a cover that covers the back and front of the mobile terminal 200, and the display unit on the front can be exposed by opening the cover to the left. With this gap 24, the display unit can be exposed while the mobile terminal 200 is held by the mobile terminal holder 1 by inserting the cover from above with the display unit exposed.

[0042] A state in which the mobile terminal 200 is inserted into the mobile terminal holder 1 and held therein will be described. Before the mobile terminal 200 is inserted, the movable holding part 30 is biased toward the left side abutment part 23 by the tension coil spring 4, and the distance between the left side abutment surface 23a and the right side abutment surface 32a is narrower than the width of a typical mobile terminal 200. When the mobile terminal 200 is inserted from above the mobile terminal holder 1, as the mobile terminal 200 advances downward along the guide part 33, the movable holding part 30 slides to the right due to the repulsive force from the left side abutment surface 23a, and the distance between the left side abutment surface 23a and the right side abutment surface 32a is pushed wider by the mobile terminal 200. At the same time, the sliding part 31 slides against the back abutment surface 21a, and the tension coil spring 4 is extended. When the mobile terminal 200 reaches the bottom contact surface 22a, the mobile terminal 200 is urged against the left side contact surface 23a by the restoring force of the tension coil spring 4, and is sandwiched between the left side contact surface 23a and the right side contact surface 32a. The upper end of the mobile terminal 200 is not covered by the mobile terminal holder 1 and is open. With this configuration, even mobile terminals of different shapes can be smoothly held by being urged by the tension coil spring 4.

[0043] The direction in which guide portion 33 extends and the direction in which gap 24 opens are both toward the upper side of mobile terminal holder 1. Therefore, when mobile terminal 200 is guided by guide portion 33 and inserted from above into mobile terminal holder 1, accessories of mobile terminal 200 can be inserted into gap 24 at the same time.

[0044] External mounting part 4 and 7, the rear surface of the mobile terminal holder 1, more specifically, the rear surface of the storage section 80, is provided with an external attachment section 5 for connecting to an attachment object. The attachment object is, for example, a cart, particularly a shopping cart in a retail store. The external attachment section 5 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with rounded corners that is long in the vertical direction, and the surface facing the main body 20 and the upper surface are continuous curved surfaces.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 7, an elongated groove 5a is provided in the vertical direction on the surface of the external attachment part 5 facing the main body 20. The groove 5a is provided continuously to the upper surface of the external attachment part 5. The fitting part 28 is fitted into the groove 5a, and can slide vertically along the groove 5a while maintaining the rear surface of the mobile terminal 200 approximately perpendicular to the placement surface, i.e., standing up. That is, the height of the mobile terminal 200 can be adjusted according to the height of the user, in other words, the height of the user's viewpoint. The fitting part 28 and the groove 5a constitute a movement mechanism.

[0046] 8, a sliding member 5c having, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is connected to the tip of the fitting portion 28. A pair of long plates 5b that define the sliding path of the sliding member 5c are arranged on both side surfaces of the sliding member 5c. The sliding member 5c and the long plates 5b are arranged inside the external attachment portion 5.

[0047] When the fitting portion 28 is slid upward along the groove 5a of the external attachment portion 5, the front surface of the main body 20 faces upward as it advances along the curved surface continuing to the upper surface. When the fitting portion 28 is slid to the top end of the groove 5a, the angle of the main body 20 changes from the upright state to a supine state by approximately 90 degrees. That is, when attached to the cart 100, the angle between the placement surface of the cart 100 and the back surface of the mobile terminal 200 can swing between a position where it is approximately vertical and a position where it is approximately parallel. With this configuration, even a taller user who cannot be accommodated by vertical sliding can operate the terminal as if peering at it from above, and can use the mobile terminal 200 comfortably.

[0048] A fitting hole 52 that penetrates in the left-right direction is provided in a lower portion of the external attachment part 5 to fit onto a rod-shaped part of the attachment object. The inner diameter of the fitting hole 52 of the external attachment part 5 can be adjusted according to the attachment diameter.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 9, the fitting hole 52 of the external attachment part 5 can be fixed to the grips 102, 102a of carts 100, 100a of various shapes. The cart 100 is an example of an attachment target. A user stands on the back side of the paper in Fig. 9, grasps the grip 102, and pushes the cart 100 toward the front side of the paper. That is, the mobile terminal holder 1 is located in front of the user's right hand when attached to the cart 100.

[0050] According to this configuration, the external attachment part 5 is attached so that the mobile terminal holder 1 protrudes above the cart 100, so that the user can easily view the display part of the mobile terminal 200. In addition, since the mobile terminal 200 does not protrude excessively to the side of the cart 100, the risk of the mobile terminal 200 or the mobile terminal holder 1 hitting shelves, objects, people, etc. in the store can be reduced.

[0051] Furthermore, when the cart 100 is stacked with another cart 100 in the front-rear direction, the upper part of the grip 102 of the cart 100 is open. Therefore, the mobile terminal holder 1 does not interfere with the other cart 100. In other words, according to this configuration, the cart 100 can be connected to and stored in the front-rear direction with the other cart.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 9, when the mobile terminal holder 1 is attached to the cart 100, the back surface of the mobile terminal 200 faces outward relative to the cart 100. In this embodiment, the main body 20 is fixed to the external attachment part 5 at a predetermined angle inclined outward in the traveling direction. A reading unit of the reading device of the mobile terminal 200 is generally provided at the upper part of the back surface of the mobile terminal 200. Therefore, by facing the back surface of the mobile terminal 200 outward relative to the cart 100, the reading object such as a product to be purchased can be read on the right outer side rather than above the cart 100. According to this configuration, when a user reads a product, assuming that the user approaches the mobile terminal 200 from the right side of the cart 100 with the product in his / her right hand, the reading position is close to the position of the right hand while driving the cart 100, making it easy to read.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 10, a reservation basket 10 may be connectable to the bottom of the grip 102 of the cart 100. Since it is assumed that products that have been read by the mobile terminal 200 are placed in this basket 11, products that could not be read correctly during shopping around the store can be placed in the reservation basket 10. In addition, a system may be provided that detects that the product could not be read correctly and prompts the user to place the product in the reservation basket 10 via the mobile terminal 200. In addition, the mobile terminal 200 or an appropriate system connected to the mobile terminal 200 may be configured to store information that the product reading has failed and an operation history at the time of the error.

[0054] In conventional self-shopping systems, if a product could not be read correctly, the user would sometimes give up on the purchase. In contrast, with the present configuration, products that could not be read correctly during shopping can be held in the reserved basket 10, and the product can be registered later by another method. For example, in a system using the cart 100 according to the present invention, after shopping, the user pays for the product at a payment terminal installed in the store. At the time of payment, a store clerk is notified and called based on information about product reading failures that occurred during shopping and the operation history at the time of the error. The store clerk can then register the products in the reserved basket 10.

[0055] Furthermore, if the configuration is configured to save information indicating that the product reading failed and the operation history at the time of the error and to notify store staff based on that information and history, it is possible to deter fraudulent acts such as shoplifting, in which unpaid products are taken out of the store, thereby ensuring security.

[0056] The opening of the holding basket 10 is inclined downward from the grip 102 toward the front in the direction of travel. This configuration makes it easier for the user to put products into the holding basket 10. In addition, since there is no interference with the grip of another cart 100' inserted from behind, linked storage is possible.

[0057] In this way, the mobile terminal holder according to the present invention can smoothly hold mobile terminals of different shapes, and can hold them in a state that allows product reading.

[0058] In the case of carts like those shown in Figures 9 and 10, you can hang a plastic bag or a reusable bag on the front and simply place the registered products into the plastic bag or reusable bag. This eliminates the time and effort required to transfer the products twice as previously required. 1st time: The trouble of having to scan the items in the first basket prepared by the store and move them to the second basket when registering them at the POS register 2nd time: After completing the transaction, go to the bagging station and transfer the contents of the second basket into a shopping bag or your own bag.

[0059] <Additional Notes> In one aspect of the above-described embodiments, the mobile terminal holder includes a first contact portion against which a first surface of a mobile terminal can come into contact, and a movable holding portion that faces the first contact portion and is movable toward and away from the contact surface of the first contact portion with the mobile terminal, and that clamps the mobile terminal between the first contact portion and the movable holding portion.

[0060] The mobile terminal may further include an external attachment portion for attachment to an object to which the mobile terminal is attached, and a moving mechanism that enables the angle between the mounting surface of the object to which the mobile terminal is attached and the rear surface of the mobile terminal to swing between a position where the angle is approximately vertical and a position where the angle is approximately parallel when the mobile terminal is attached to the object to which the mobile terminal is attached.

[0061] When attached to the attachment object, the rear surface of the mobile terminal may be oriented outward with respect to the attachment object.

[0062] Even when the attachment object to which the mobile terminal holder is attached is connected and stored with another attachment object, the mobile terminal holder may be attached at a position where they do not interfere with each other.

[0063] The portable terminal may further include a second contact portion against which a second surface adjacent to the first surface of the portable terminal can come into contact, and a gap may be provided between the first contact portion and the second contact portion.

[0064] The movable holding portion may have a guide portion extending in a direction away from the first contact portion, and the guide portion may have a starting point of extension at a position lower than an upper end of the first contact portion.

[0065] The portable terminal may further include a storage section for storing auxiliary parts that assist in the use of the portable terminal.

[0066] In order to achieve the above object, a cart according to one aspect of the present invention is a cart having a mobile terminal holder attached thereto, The mobile terminal holder is any one of the mobile terminal holders described above.

[0067] Hereinafter, a mobile terminal holder according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0068] ●Mobile device holder 6 As shown in FIGS. 11 to 15, the mobile terminal holder 6 includes a main body 70, a storage section 80, a connecting section 90, and an external attachment section 95, and holds a mobile terminal 200 as shown in FIGS. Unless otherwise specified, the configurations of the mobile terminal 200 and other components described in the above-described embodiments are the same in this embodiment as in the above-described embodiments.

[0069] Main body 70 of mobile terminal holder 6 As shown in Figures 11 to 15, the main body 70 of the mobile terminal holder 6 has a substantially flat back support portion 71 as a holding surface that holds the mobile terminal 200 from the rear side, and the rear of the mobile terminal 200 abuts against the front surface of this back support portion 71.

[0070] The rear support part 71 has an opening 71a at a position corresponding to the upper rear surface of the portable terminal 200 to be held. This opening 71a is an area that partially exposes the rear surface of the portable terminal 200 held on the rear support part 71, and prevents a reading unit such as a camera that a typical portable terminal 200 has on its rear surface from being hidden by the rear support part 71. The position, shape, and size of the opening 71a correspond to the position of a reading unit such as a camera that a typical portable terminal 200 has on the upper part of its rear surface. This opening 71a allows the portable terminal 200 to read a commodity even when the portable terminal 200 is held by the portable terminal holder 6. The opening 71a has a certain area to accommodate the position of the reading unit of various portable terminals 200, but since the outer edge of the opening 71a abuts against the back surface of the portable terminal 200 to hold the portable terminal 200, it is better not to make it too large.

[0071] A recess 711 that is recessed slightly rearward from the surrounding surface is provided approximately in the center of the back support part 71. This recess 711 can accommodate accessories that may be attached to the back of the mobile terminal 200 when the mobile terminal holder 6 holds the mobile terminal 200. Incidentally, instead of providing recess 711, opening 71a can be made wider; however, in order to prevent mobile terminal 200 from falling out of opening 71a and to maintain the strength of main body 70, it is preferable to provide recess 711.

[0072] Anti-slip members 771, 772, and 773 for preventing the mobile terminal 200 from slipping are attached to the surface of the back support portion 71. The anti-slip members 771, 772, and 773 are realized by sheet-like silicone rubber or the like, and can prevent the mobile terminal 200 from sliding on the back support portion 71 or falling off.

[0073] Upper surface abutment portions 72 protruding forward at a right angle from the back surface receiving portion 71 are provided on the upper edge of the back surface receiving portion 71 and on both left and right side edges of the upper edge. The upper surface abutment portion 72 is formed in an approximately U-shape when viewed from above, and when the mobile terminal 200 is held by the mobile terminal holder 6, it surrounds the upper end and both upper side surfaces of the mobile terminal 200, preventing the mobile terminal 200 from falling off the mobile terminal holder 6 at the top.

[0074] A right side contact portion 73 for receiving the right side of the mobile terminal 200 rises at a right angle from the right end of the rear support portion 71 toward the front side from the rear support portion 71. Also, a left side contact portion 74 for receiving the left side of the mobile terminal 200 rises at a right angle from the left end of the rear support portion 71 toward the front side from the rear support portion 71. The right side contact portion 73 and the left side contact portion 74 prevent the mobile terminal 200 from falling off from either the left or right side when the mobile terminal 200 is held by the mobile terminal holder 6.

[0075] The lower edge of the back support portion 71 is provided with a pair of bottom contact portions 75, 76 which protrude forward from the back support portion 71 at a right angle. The tips of the bottom contact parts 75, 76 extend inward like a claw parallel to the back support part 71, and when the mobile terminal 200 is held in the main body 70, this bottom contact part 22 prevents the mobile terminal 200 from falling off from the bottom or front side.

[0076] 17 and 19, a gap is formed between the pair of bottom surface abutment parts 75, 76, and when the mobile terminal holder 6 is holding the mobile terminal 200, the cables 27e, 27f, 27g led out from the insertion hole 91a can be inserted through this gap and connected to the terminals provided on the bottom surface of the mobile terminal 200. This makes it possible to charge the mobile terminal 200 while it is held by the mobile terminal holder 6. As in the above-mentioned embodiment, it is also possible to connect the mobile terminal 200 to another device through the cables 27e, 27f, 27g to transmit and receive information.

[0077] Further, the upper surface contact portion 72 and the right surface contact portion 73, the upper surface contact portion 72 and the left surface contact portion 74, the right surface contact portion 73 and the bottom surface contact portion 75, and the left surface contact portion 74 and the bottom surface contact portion 76 are all spaced apart to form gaps 73a, 74a, 75a, and 76a, respectively. By providing gaps 73a, 74a, 75a, and 76a without surrounding the entire back support portion 71, it is easy to hook fingers on the mobile terminal 200 through the gaps 73a, 74a, 75a, and 76a when the mobile terminal 200 is held on the back support portion 71, and the mobile terminal 200 can be easily removed. This is preferable, for example, when the mobile terminal 200 receives an incoming call and the user wants to quickly remove the mobile terminal 200. Furthermore, in a situation where a product is registered using the mobile terminal holder 6 in a supermarket or the like, it is assumed that the product registration will be performed while the mobile terminal 200 is held by the mobile terminal holder 6, but for products that do not have barcodes such as vegetables, it is necessary to remove the mobile terminal 200 in order to read the barcode printed on the vegetable shelf or product POP to perform product registration. Even in such a case, the mobile terminal 200 can be quickly removed, which is convenient.

[0078] In a system in which the mobile terminal holder 6 according to this embodiment is used in a supermarket or the like, it is assumed that the mobile terminal held by the mobile terminal holder 6 is used to register products and monitor baskets and bags on a shopping cart, and it is necessary to prevent unnecessary objects from entering the imaging range of the mobile terminal 200. In this regard, the mobile terminal holder 6 according to this embodiment has the main body 70 at the upper end and does not have the storage section 80, the connecting section 90, or the external attachment section 95 on the back or above of the main body 70, so that even if the mobile terminal 200 is set on the main body 70, not only the main body 70 but also the storage section 80, the connecting section 90, or the external attachment section 95 will not enter the imaging range. This prevents the mobile terminal 200 from registering products or monitoring baskets and bags on a cart.

[0079] Storage section 80 of mobile terminal holder 6 11 to 17, the storage section 80 connected to the main body 70 via the connecting section 90 can store auxiliary parts 201 that assist in using the mobile terminal 200 and shopping. The storage section 80 is a generally box-shaped member that is open at the top, and is made up of a flat back member 81, a right side member 82, a left side member 83, a front member 84, and a bottom member 85.

[0080] The front member 84 is lower than the rear member 81, so that the auxiliary parts 201 stored in the storage section 80 can be easily taken out or stored. Further, the front member 84 is provided with a window 84a for exposing to the outside an indicator provided on the auxiliary part 201, which will be described later. This window 84a is provided by cutting out a position corresponding to the indicator provided on the auxiliary part 201 in a predetermined shape. This window 84a allows the indicator of the auxiliary part 201 to be visually recognized from the outside even when the auxiliary part 201 is stored in the storage section 80, and allows the information indicated by the indicator to be confirmed.

[0081] An opening 85 a is provided in the bottom member 85 , and a part of the auxiliary part 201 stored in the storage section 80 can be exposed or led out to the outside of the storage section 80 .

[0082] Here, the auxiliary part 201 is, for example, a battery that supplies power to the user's mobile terminal 200. As shown in Fig. 17, a cable 27d for supplying power to the outside is led out from the battery through the opening 85a, and this cable 27d passes through the rear side of the connecting part 90, is led out from the insertion hole 91a to the front side, and is connected to the mobile terminal 200. In addition, since the charging terminal of mobile terminal 200 can have several shapes, cable 27d branches into cables 27e, 27f, and 27g that can be connected to mobile terminal 200 along the way, and any of cables 27e, 27f, and 27g can be connected to mobile terminal 200 to charge it.

[0083] In addition, an indicator is provided as an information display unit that displays the charge level on the outer surface of the battery, which is the auxiliary part 201. This indicator is visible through a window 84a provided in the front member 84. In this way, by storing the battery as auxiliary part 201 in storage unit 80, the user can charge mobile terminal 200 while shopping. In addition, with the battery as auxiliary part 201 stored in storage unit 80, the user can check the battery indicator and recognize the need to replace the battery before the charge runs out. As in the above-described embodiment, the storage section 80 can also store cards such as coupons.

[0084] ● Connection portion 90 of the mobile terminal holder 6 The connecting part 90 connects the main body 70 and the storage part 80. This connecting part is a hollow rod-like member with a generally U-shaped cross section, and is composed of a front member 91, and a right side member 92 and a left side member 93 that are bent at right angles and extend from both side edges of the front member 91, with the main body 70 attached to the upper end side and the storage part 80 attached to the front of the lower end.

[0085] 11, 13, and 14, an insertion hole 91a penetrating from the rear side to the front side is provided above the front member 91. As shown in FIG. 17, cables 27e, 27f, and 27g can be inserted through this insertion hole 91a from the rear side to the front side of the connecting part 90. The rear side of the connecting portion 90 is open, and the cables 27d, 27e, 27f, and 27g routed from the opening 85a can be housed within a hollow space surrounded by the front member 91, the right side member 92, and the left side member 93.

[0086] The lengths of the front member 91, right side member 92, and left side member 93 are such that the main body 70 attached to the upper end of the connecting portion 90 is spaced apart from the external mounting portion 95 attached below, and the main body 70 is located at a position sufficiently higher than the basket portion of the cart 100a when the mobile terminal holder 6 is attached to the grip 102a of the cart 100a as shown in Fig. 19. The reason for providing such lengths is that when registering a product using the mobile terminal 200 held by the mobile terminal holder 6, if there is not a sufficient distance between the basket or bag on the cart 100a and the main body 70 holding the mobile terminal 200, the product to be imaged cannot be captured within the imaging range. Also, if there is not a sufficient distance between the basket or bag on the cart 100a and the main body 70, it is not possible to monitor the entire basket of the cart 100a. In this way, since the front member 91, right side member 92, and left side member 93 of the connecting part 90 are of sufficient length, a sufficient distance can be secured between the basket or bag on the cart 100a and the main body 70 holding the mobile terminal 200, so that the product can be captured within the imaging range when registering the product and the entire inside of the basket on the cart 100a can be photographed.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 16, the main body 70 is attached to the connecting part 90 in a state inclined backward at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the connecting part 90. That is, as will be described later with reference to Fig. 18, when the mobile terminal holder 6 is attached to the cart 100a, the connecting part 90 is attached so as to stand vertically upward from the grip 102a, and the main body 70 is provided at an angle inclined toward the basket side of the cart 100a. This allows the user of the cart 100a and the mobile terminal holder 6 to operate the mobile terminal 200 as if peering at it from above, providing good visibility and operability. At the same time, the reading unit provided on the rear part of the mobile terminal 200 allows the products in the cart 100a to be accurately recognized. This configuration is preferable because it is assumed that the mobile terminal 200 held by the mobile terminal holder 6 according to this embodiment functions not only as a registration device for registering products, but also as a display device or operating device for displaying the product registration status and accepting various operations.

[0088] In this embodiment, a connecting piece 911 is provided on the upper end of the front member 91 and on the back of the main body 70 to connect the front member 91 and the main body 70, and the main body 70 is attached to the connecting part 90 by this connecting piece 911. This connecting piece 911 has two bolt holes 911a and 911c in the width direction of the mobile terminal holder 6 or the main body 70, and the connecting piece 911 and the connecting part 90 are integrally connected by bolts 911b and 911d fitted into the two bolt holes 911a and 911c. At least one of the bolt holes 911a and 911c is an elongated hole having a length in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the mobile terminal holder 6 or the main body 70. By tightening the bolt at any position of this elongated hole, the main body 70 attached to the connecting part 90 can be fixed at a predetermined angle in the width direction of the mobile terminal holder 6 or the main body 70.

[0089] That is, in this example, the bolt hole 911a on the right side abutment portion 73 side forms an elongated hole, and when the mobile terminal holder 60 is viewed from the front, the mobile terminal 200 held on the main body 70 can be adjusted to face the left side in the width direction of the mobile terminal holder 6. As a result, when the mobile terminal holder 6 is attached to the grip 102a on the right side of the cart 100a as shown in FIG. 18, the mobile terminal 200 can be faced directly to the center of the cart 100a. As a result, even when the mobile terminal holder 6 is attached to the grip 102a on the right side of the cart 100a so that right-handed people, who are the majority, can easily operate the mobile terminal 200, the entire cart 100a can be monitored by the reading unit provided on the back of the mobile terminal 200. In addition, without being limited to this example, the bolt hole 911c on the left side contact portion 74 side can be configured as a long hole, and the mobile terminal 200 held on the main body 70 can be adjusted so that it faces to the right in the width direction of the mobile terminal holder 6 when the mobile terminal holder 60 is viewed from the front.

[0090] 11, the connecting portion 90 is provided with a restricting portion 94 that restricts removal of the battery, which is the auxiliary part 201, stored in the storage portion 80. The restricting portion 94 is composed of a locking / unlocking mechanism 94a, a restricting piece 94b, and a through hole 94c. The restricting piece 94b protrudes from the rear side of the front member 91 to the front side through a through hole 94c, and moves up and down while protruding from the through hole 94c having a length in the vertical direction in accordance with the locking / unlocking operation by the locking / unlocking mechanism 94a. The locking / unlocking mechanism 94a receives a locking / unlocking operation using a predetermined key, and can move the restricting piece 94b up and down, and can lock the restricted piece 94b that has been moved up and down so that it cannot move up and down.

[0091] A situation in which the restricting portion 94 is used will be described with reference to FIG. The restricting piece 94b protrudes from the through hole 94c above the auxiliary component 201 stored in the storage section 80. When an unlocking operation is performed by the locking / unlocking mechanism 94a and the restricting piece 94b is located above and away from the auxiliary component 201, the auxiliary component 201 can be stored in the storage section 80 or removed from the storage section 80. On the other hand, when a locking operation is performed by the locking / unlocking mechanism 94a in a state in which the auxiliary component 201 is stored in the storage section 80, the restricting piece 94b moves downward and comes into contact or nearly contacts the upper surface of the auxiliary component 201. In this state, the restricting piece 94b is locked so as not to be able to move up and down, and the auxiliary component 201 in the storage section 80 is restricted from being removed by the restricting piece 94b. This makes it possible to prevent an unauthorized person from removing and carrying away a battery stored in the storage section 80 as the auxiliary part 201 without permission.

[0092] External mounting part As shown in FIG. 12, the external attachment part 95 is attached to the rear side of the lower end of the connecting part 90 (which is also the rear side of the mobile terminal holder 6 or the rear side of the storage part 80). The external attachment part 95 has a generally cylindrical shape with both ends open, and includes a fitting hole 95a penetrating from left to right. As in the above-described embodiment, the attachment target for the external attachment part 95 is, for example, a cart, particularly a shopping cart in a retail store, and as shown in Fig. 18, a rod-shaped grip 102a provided on a cart 100a can be fitted into the fitting hole 95a to be fixed. Regardless of the example of Fig. 18, the mobile terminal holder 6 can be attached to various carts, as in the above-described embodiment.

[0093] The mobile terminal holder 6 according to this embodiment can also smoothly hold mobile terminals of various shapes, and can hold them in a state that allows reading of the product.

[0094] In addition, the mobile terminal holder 6 according to the present embodiment described above can be configured as shown in FIG. 20 in a modified example (in FIG. 20, different reference numerals are used only for different parts as a modified example). That is, in the example shown in FIG. 20, a right side contact portion 78 and a left side contact portion 79 are provided instead of the upper surface contact portion 72, while the upper part of the back support portion 72 is open. Also, unlike the above-mentioned opening portion 71a, the opening portion 71b is also open at one end side. In this way, when the mobile terminal 200 is held on the main body 70, the mobile terminal 200 can be held even if the mobile terminal 200 is surrounded by a U-shape and nothing contacts the upper surface of the mobile terminal 200. Also, when the mobile terminal holder 6 is configured in this way, it is easy to insert and remove the mobile terminal 200, and the imaging area of ​​the reading portion of the mobile terminal 200 can be securely secured. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the right side contact portion 78 and the left side contact portion 90 may be omitted.

[0095] In addition, in another embodiment, the entire mobile terminal holder 1, 6 according to the above embodiment, or the back support part 71 that abuts against the back of the mobile terminal 200 may be made of a transparent material. As a result, even if the opening 71a is not provided in the mobile terminal holder 6 and the reading unit provided on the back of the mobile terminal 200 is covered with a predetermined member, the transparent member that allows the back of the mobile terminal 200 to be seen forms an area that exposes the back of the mobile terminal 200, and does not prevent the reading unit of the mobile terminal 200 from reading the product. In addition, in such a configuration, the entire back of the mobile terminal 200 can be held while enabling the reading unit provided on the back of the mobile terminal 200 to read the product, so that the mobile terminal 200 can be held more reliably.

[0096] An example of a product registration and payment system suitable for use in a supermarket or the like when the mobile terminal holders 1 and 6 described in the above embodiments are used will be mentioned. In one example of such a system, a predetermined software application is installed on the mobile terminal 200 held by the mobile terminal holder 6, and the application software reads the product that the user himself / herself wishes to purchase and registers the product. More specifically, the mobile terminal 200 reads the barcode attached to the product and the shape of the product using a reading unit such as a camera that the mobile terminal 200 is equipped with, and identifies and registers the product by decoding the barcode and performing shape recognition. When the product registration is completed, information about the registered product is transmitted to a predetermined settlement processing device equipped in the store, and the payment is completed by a settlement machine separately prepared in the store or by executing a settlement process on the mobile terminal 200, thereby completing the settlement. This can reduce the burden on the store's work associated with the settlement of products, reduce personnel, and alleviate congestion during settlement. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 200 can be configured to monitor the inside of the cart 100, 100a in addition to registering products. That is, the mobile terminal 200 can take pictures of the inside of the cart 100, 100a, recognize the products placed in the cart 100, 100a from their shapes, and compare them with the contents of products registered separately, thereby preventing the settlement from being completed without the products being registered. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 Mobile terminal holder 21 Rear support 22 Bottom contact part 23 Left side contact part 30 Movable holding part 100 Cart 100a Cart 200 Mobile Devices 6 Mobile terminal holder 70 Main Unit 80 Storage area 90 Connection part 95 External mounting part

Claims

1. A holder for holding the mobile terminal; A storage section for storing a battery for powering the mobile terminal. Mobile device holder.

2. and a restriction unit that restricts removal of the battery stored in the storage unit by locking and unlocking the storage unit with a predetermined key. The portable terminal holder according to claim 1.

3. An information display unit is provided on a surface of the battery, The storage section that stores the battery is provided with a window section that exposes the information display section. The mobile terminal holder according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the holding portion includes a holding surface that holds the mobile terminal from a rear side, The holding surface is provided with an area for exposing the rear surface of the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal holder according to claim 1.

5. A slip prevention member is attached to the holding surface to prevent the mobile terminal from slipping. The portable terminal holder according to claim 4.

6. the area is provided at a position where the portable terminal holder does not enter an image capturing range of a reading unit provided on the rear surface of the portable terminal when the portable terminal holder is held by the portable terminal holder; 6. The portable terminal holder according to claim 4 or 5.

7. Further comprising an external attachment portion for attachment to an object to be attached. The mobile terminal holder according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A connecting portion connecting the holding portion and the storage portion, The holding portion is provided obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion. The mobile terminal holder according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A mobile terminal holder according to any one of claims 1 to 8, cart.

Images