Terminal device

Abstract

To provide a terminal device capable of improving performance when external devices are connected. [Solution] The terminal device comprises an outlet into which the terminals of an external device can be inserted, a tuner capable of selectively switching the connection state of the circuit between the outlet and the terminal ground from a plurality of states, and a control unit that performs the switching of the connection state based on the insertion state in which the external device is inserted into the outlet.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal device. [Background Art]

[0002] In a wireless terminal device, the impedance of an antenna may change in accordance with changes in the environment or usage conditions. When the impedance of the antenna changes, the communication performance of wireless communication may deteriorate. To address this issue, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes mounting an antenna tuner between the antenna and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC). According to this configuration, switching the impedance using the antenna tuner in accordance with the situation can suppress deterioration in communication performance.

[0003] For example, when a connectable USB device is connected to a terminal device such as a smartphone using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector, the connector, cable, and the device itself of the USB device may approach the antenna inside the terminal device. This may cause a change in antenna performance, and as a result, communication performance may deteriorate. In such a case, switching the impedance using an antenna tuner as in, for example, the device of Patent Document 1, can suppress deterioration in communication performance. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2024-519741 [Summary of Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, problems that arise when external devices such as USB devices are connected to terminal devices are not limited to deterioration of communication performance caused by fluctuations in antenna performance. For example, the shape of the connector, cable, and metal components of a USB device may resonate at a specific frequency, degrading antenna performance and consequently communication performance. In this case, since the USB device is the cause of the deterioration in communication performance, adjusting the impedance with an antenna tuner will not improve communication performance.

[0006] Furthermore, when an external device, including a USB device, is connected to a terminal device, the input sensitivity of wireless communication signals between the terminal device and other wireless communication devices may be affected depending on the connection status of the external device. In addition, when an external device, including a USB device, is connected to a terminal device, the data communication status between the external device and the terminal device may also be affected depending on the connection status of the external device.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned issues. The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a terminal device capable of improving performance when an external device is connected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A terminal device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a socket into which the terminals of an external device can be inserted; a tuner capable of selectively switching the connection state of a circuit between the socket and the terminal ground from a plurality of states; and a control unit that performs the switching of the connection state based on the insertion state in which the external device is inserted into the socket. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a terminal device that can improve performance when an external device is connected. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows the state when the terminals of an external device are plugged into the socket of the terminal device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the terminal device when the tuner is configured with a single-pole double-throw switch. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the terminal equipment when the tuner is configured with a single-pole multi-throw switch. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the tuner and terminal ground within a terminal device. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing other possible arrangements of the tuner and terminal ground within a terminal device. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of the arrangement of the tuner and terminal ground within a terminal device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, several embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of identical or equivalent components will be omitted where appropriate if they are redundant.

[0012] <Terminal device configuration> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device 1 according to one embodiment. The terminal device 1 can be composed of, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a computer, but is not limited to these, and can be composed of any terminal device that can take on the configuration described in this embodiment.

[0013] Terminal device 1 is provided with a socket 11 in a part of the housing 10, shown by a dashed line in Figure 1, into which the terminal (connector) of an external device can be inserted. The external device is a device that can transmit and receive information or power to and from terminal device 1 by being plugged into the socket 11 of terminal device 1. Examples of external devices include, but are not limited to, USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices. USB devices include, for example, USB memory, USB cameras, and mobile batteries. The socket 11 is a port formed in accordance with various standards. Examples of various standards include, but are not limited to, VGA (Video Graphics Array), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), Mini-DVI, PS / 2, USB, and DisplayPort. In this embodiment, the socket 11 is a USB port, and the external device is a USB device that can be connected to terminal device 1 via a USB terminal.

[0014] The terminal device 1 is equipped with a connector casing metal 12 at the socket 11. In this embodiment, the connector casing metal 12 is the casing metal that constitutes the USB port provided on the terminal device 1. The terminal device 1 is also equipped with a signal line 13 for transmitting and receiving information or power.

[0015] Figure 2 shows the state in which the terminal 21 of the external device 2 is inserted into the socket 11 of the terminal device 1 in Figure 1. When the terminal 21 of the external device 2 is inserted into the socket 11, the connector casing metal 22 that forms the outer surface (shield) of the terminal 21 comes into contact with the connector casing metal 12 of the socket 11. In addition, the signal line of the terminal 21 is connected to the signal line 13 of the terminal device 1.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the connector sheathing metal 12 of the insertion port 11 is connected to a terminal ground 15 via a tuner 14. The tuner 14 is a mechanism that can selectively switch the connection state of a circuit between the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 from a plurality of states. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the tuner 14 is configured including, for example, a Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) switch. That is, the tuner 14 shown in Fig. 1 can selectively switch the connection state of the circuit between the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 between a first state in which the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 are connected and a second state in which the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 are not connected. The terminal ground 15 is a reference for the voltage of the circuit, and is, for example, a frame ground.

[0017] In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, a circuit element is disposed between the tuner 14 and the terminal ground 15. In Fig. 1, a capacitor 16 is disposed as the circuit element. The capacitance of the capacitor 16 can be appropriately determined according to the specifications and desired performance of the terminal device 1. For example, the capacitance of the capacitor 16 can be set to a capacitance that allows passage of an alternating current of a predetermined high frequency. As an example, the capacitance of the capacitor 16 can be 100 nF.

[0018] Furthermore, the terminal device 1 includes a control unit 17 and a communication unit 18 inside a housing as functional units. The control unit 17 controls and manages the entire terminal device 1, including each functional unit of the terminal device 1. The control unit 17 performs various controls, for example, by operating a control program stored in a storage unit (not shown). For example, the control unit 17 can be configured by a control device such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a Micro Processing Unit (MPU). In the present embodiment, the control unit 17 controls the tuner 14. Specifically, the control unit 17 causes the tuner 14 to switch the connection state of the circuit based on an inserted state where an external device is inserted into the insertion port 11.

[0019] The communication unit 18 performs wireless communication with other devices. The communication unit 18 is configured by, for example, an antenna. Via the communication unit 18, the terminal device 1 can transmit and receive information to and from an external other device by wireless communication.

[0020] <Example of connection state switching> Next, a specific example of connection state switching by the tuner 14 based on control of the control unit 17 will be described. The control unit 17 executes switching of the connection state of the circuit between the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 by the tuner 14. In the example shown in Figure 2, the control unit 17 can switch the tuner 14 between a first state in which the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 are connected, and a second state in which the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 are not connected.

[0021] When the control unit 17 sets the tuner 14 to the first state, the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 are connected via the capacitor 16. In this case, the circuit between the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 passes a predetermined high-frequency alternating current. Further, the circuit between the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 does not pass direct current. On the other hand, when the control unit 17 sets the tuner 14 to the second state, the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 are not connected. In this case, the circuit between the insertion port 11 and the terminal ground 15 passes neither direct current nor alternating current. In this way, the control unit 17 can switch between a state in which a predetermined alternating current is passed and a state in which it is not passed by switching between the first state and the second state.

[0022] The control unit 17 switches the connection state of the circuit between the socket 11 and the terminal ground 15 based on the plug-in state in which the external device 2 is plugged into the socket. The plug-in state is the state of the terminal device 1 when the external device 2 is plugged into the socket. As an example, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the communication performance of wireless communication in the plug-in state. Specifically, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the communication performance of the communication unit 18 in the plug-in state. That is, the control unit 17 switches to the selected state with the highest communication performance from among several states (here, the first state and the second state). For example, when the plug-in state is reached, the control unit 17 performs the first state and the second state respectively, measures the communication performance of the antenna in each state, and switches the tuner 14 to the state with higher communication performance based on the measurement results. If the control unit 17 can recognize which of the first state and the second state has higher communication performance based on data stored in a memory unit (not shown), for example, the control unit 17 may switch the tuner 14 to the state with higher communication performance based on that data. Alternatively, if the control unit 17 can calculate which state—the first state or the second state—offers higher communication performance, depending on the type of external device 2, for example, it may switch the tuner 14 to the state with higher communication performance based on the calculation result. In this way, by the control unit 17 switching the connection state of the tuner based on the plug-in state, the terminal device 1 can improve its performance when the external device 2 is connected. This can solve problems that cannot be solved by adjusting the impedance on the antenna side using, for example, an antenna tuner.

[0023] <Other examples of tuners> In the above example, described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the tuner 14 was described as being configured to include a single-pole single-throw switch. However, the tuner 14 does not necessarily have to be configured to include a single-pole single-throw switch; it may be configured to include other switches. For example, the tuner 14 may be configured to include a single-pole multi-throw switch.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device 1 when the tuner 14 is configured with a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch. A single-pole double-throw switch is an example of a single-pole multi-throw switch. As shown in Figure 3, a single-pole double-throw switch has two contacts as output contacts: a first contact 14a and a second contact 14b. Therefore, with a single-pole double-throw switch, the tuner 14 can take on three states as the connection state of the circuit between the socket 11 and the terminal ground 15: a first state in which the input side of the switch is connected to the first contact 14a, a second state in which it is connected to the second contact 14b, and a third state in which it is not connected to either the first contact 14a or the second contact 14b.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, a first circuit element 16a is placed between the first contact 14a and the terminal ground 15, and a second circuit element 16b is placed between the second contact 14b and the terminal ground 15. By using circuit elements with different properties for the first circuit element 16a and the second circuit element 16b, different behaviors can be made depending on whether the circuit connection state is the first state or the second state. In the example shown in Figure 3, both the first circuit element 16a and the second circuit element 16b are composed of capacitors, but their capacitances are different. For example, the capacitance of the first circuit element 16a can be 100nF, and the capacitance of the second circuit element 16b can be 0.1pF to 10pF. This makes it possible for the first circuit element 16a and the second circuit element 16b to pass AC currents in different high-frequency bands.

[0026] If the tuner 14 is configured with a single-pole double-throw switch, the control unit 17 switches the connection state of the circuit between the socket 11 and the terminal ground 15 between a first state, a second state, and a third state, based on the plugged-in state in which the external device 2 is plugged into the socket 11. As for the details of the switching method, the same method as the one shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be applied. That is, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the communication performance of the wireless communication in the plugged-in state. Specifically, the control unit 17 switches from a plurality of states (first state, second state, and third state) to the selected state with the highest communication performance, based on the communication performance of the communication unit 18 in the plugged-in state.

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device 1 when the tuner 14 is configured with an SP4T switch. The SP4T switch is an example of a single-pole multi-throw switch. As shown in Figure 4, the SP4T switch has four contacts as output contacts: a first contact 14a, a second contact 14b, a third contact 14c, and a fourth contact 14d. Therefore, with the SP4T switch, the tuner 14 can take on five states as the connection state of the circuit between the socket 11 and the terminal ground 15: a first state in which the input side of the switch is connected to the first contact 14a, a second state in which it is connected to the second contact 14b, a third state in which it is connected to the third contact 14c, a fourth state in which it is connected to the fourth contact 14d, and a fifth state in which it is not connected to any contact.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, a first circuit element 16a is placed between the first contact 14a and the terminal ground 15, and a second circuit element 16b is placed between the second contact 14b and the terminal ground 15. In the example shown in Figure 4, the first circuit element 16a is a capacitor, and the second circuit element 16b is an inductor. Also, as shown in Figure 4, no circuit element is placed between the third contact 14c and the terminal ground 15, and the connection between the fourth contact 14d and the terminal ground 15 is electrically disconnected. In this way, by differentiating the circuit configuration between each contact and the terminal ground 15, different behaviors can be made depending on the connection state of the circuit. In the example shown in Figure 4, a capacitor 19 is placed as a circuit element between the socket 11 and the tuner 14. The capacitance of the capacitor 19 can be set to a capacitance that can pass a predetermined high-frequency AC current. For example, the capacitance of the capacitor 19 can be 100nF.

[0029] If the tuner 14 is configured with an SP4T switch, the control unit 17 switches the connection state of the circuit between the socket 11 and the terminal ground 15 between the first state and the fifth state, based on the plugged-in state of the external device 2 plugged into the socket 11. As for the details of the switching method, the same method as the one shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be applied. That is, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the communication performance of the wireless communication in the plugged-in state. Specifically, the control unit 17 switches from a plurality of states (first state, second state, third state, fourth state, and fifth state) to the selected state with the highest communication performance, based on the communication performance of the communication unit 18 in the plugged-in state.

[0030] As explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4, different circuit elements are connected between the socket 11 and the terminal ground 15 depending on the state. This allows the circuit to perform different actions depending on the connection state. In general, the more possible states the circuit can take, the higher the potential for the terminal device 1 to achieve a connection state with higher communication performance, thus increasing the likelihood of improving communication performance.

[0031] In this explanation, we have described SPDT and SP4T as examples of single-pole multi-throw switches. However, single-pole multi-throw switches are not limited to these examples, and similar effects can be obtained with other single-pole multi-throw switches as described above.

[0032] Furthermore, the circuits shown in Figures 1 to 4 are examples, and appropriate circuits can be used depending on the specifications of terminal device 1. Similarly, the circuit elements are not limited to those shown in Figures 1 to 4, and appropriate circuit elements can be used.

[0033] <Example of tuner and terminal ground placement> Figures 5 to 7 are schematic diagrams showing examples of the arrangement of the tuner 14 and terminal ground 15 within the terminal device 1. However, in order to simplify the explanation, the circuit and circuit elements between the tuner 14 and the terminal ground 15 are omitted from Figures 5 to 7.

[0034] For example, as shown in Figure 5, both the tuner 14 and the terminal ground 15 can be located on the smartphone circuit board 31 inside the housing 10 of the terminal device 1. This configuration is possible when the socket 11 is directly mounted on the smartphone circuit board 31.

[0035] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, for example, the tuner 14 and terminal ground 15 can both be placed on the USB flexible circuit board 32 inside the housing 10 of the terminal device 1. This configuration is possible if the USB port, which is the socket 11, is mounted on the USB flexible circuit board 32.

[0036] Alternatively, if the USB port, which is the socket 11, is mounted on the flexible USB board 32, the tuner 14 and terminal ground 15 can be placed on the board 31, as shown in Figure 7, and the circuit from the socket 11 can be connected to the tuner 14 and terminal ground 15 on the board 31 via a spring 33 or the like.

[0037] <Other examples regarding criteria for switching connection states> In the above embodiment, it was explained that the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the communication performance of wireless communication in the plugged-in state. However, the criteria for switching the connection state are not limited to communication performance, and the control unit 17 may switch the connection state based on other criteria. Several criteria for switching the connection state will be described below.

[0038] The criteria for judgment can be, for example, the communication frequency band of wireless communication. In this case, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the wireless communication frequency band of the communication unit 18 in the plugged-in state. For example, as shown in Figure 2, with the external device 2 plugged into the socket 11, the tuner 14 may be switched to a state with higher communication performance depending on the wireless communication frequency band. This makes it possible to improve communication performance according to the communication frequency band.

[0039] The criterion for judgment can be, for example, the input sensitivity of the wireless communication signal from another device that communicates wirelessly with terminal device 1. In this case, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the input sensitivity of the wireless communication signal from the other device in the plugged-in state. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when wireless information communication is performed between the other device and terminal device 1 with the external device 2 plugged into the socket 11, noise may increase and the input sensitivity of the wireless communication signal from the other device to terminal device 1 may deteriorate. Examples of other devices include, but are not limited to, base station devices or routers.

[0040] Therefore, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the input sensitivity of the wireless communication signal from other devices in the plugged-in state. Specifically, the control unit 17 switches from the connection states of multiple circuits to the selected state that can best suppress the degradation of the input sensitivity of the wireless communication signal. For example, when the plugged-in state is reached, the control unit 17 performs connection states of multiple circuits, measures the input sensitivity of the wireless communication signal in each state, and switches the tuner 14 to the state with the highest input sensitivity based on the measurement results.

[0041] Thus, when switching the connection state based on the input sensitivity of the wireless communication signal, a circuit element that helps suppress the degradation of the wireless communication signal sensitivity can be used as the circuit element placed between the tuner 14 and the terminal ground 15. For example, as shown in Figure 3, if the tuner 14 is an SPDT switch, the capacitance of the first circuit element 16a can be set to 100nF, and the capacitance of the second circuit element 16b can be set to a capacitance suitable for suppressing the degradation of sensitivity.

[0042] The decision criterion can be, for example, the input sensitivity of the communication signal from the external device 2 in the plugged-in state. In this case, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the input sensitivity of the communication signal (priority data communication signal) from the external device 2 in the plugged-in state. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when information communication is performed between the external device 2 and the terminal device 1 with the external device 2 plugged into the socket 11, noise may increase and the input sensitivity of the communication signal from the external device 2 to the terminal device 1 may deteriorate. Therefore, the control unit 17 switches the connection state based on the input sensitivity of the communication signal from the external device 2 in the plugged-in state. Similar to the other examples described above, the control unit 17 can suppress the input sensitivity of the communication signal by switching from the connection states of multiple circuits to the selected state that can best suppress the deterioration of the input sensitivity of the communication signal from the external device 2.

[0043] The decision criterion can be, for example, the usage status of the external device 2. In this case, the control unit 17 switches the connection status based on the usage status of the external device 2 in the plugged-in state. The usage status includes appropriate states regarding the use of the external device 2. For example, the usage status includes whether or not data communication is being conducted between the external device 2 and the terminal device 1, or the type of communication.

[0044] For example, the control unit 17 switches to an appropriate selected state from the connection states of multiple circuits, depending on whether the external device 2 is simply plugged into the socket 11 and not in use, whether the external device 2 plugged into the socket 11 is performing USB 2.0 communication, whether the external device 2 plugged into the socket 11 is performing USB 3.0 communication, or whether the external device 2 plugged into the socket 11 is performing a DisplayPort connection. If data communication is taking place between the external device 2 and the terminal device 1, the control unit 17 can switch the tuner 14 to a selected state suitable for data communication.

[0045] The criteria for judgment are not limited to those described herein, but may be other appropriate criteria.

[0046] <Other examples of external devices> In the above embodiment, the case where the external device 2 is a USB device was described, but it is also possible to use other devices as the external device 2. Specifically, as the external device 2, a device that can be plugged into the socket 11 of the terminal device 1 can be used, and as an example, a device that can be plugged into the earphone jack that functions as the socket 11 of the terminal device 1 can be used. Even when other devices are used, the control unit 17 can appropriately switch the connection state of the circuit between the socket 11 and the terminal ground 15 based on the plugged-in state by the process described above.

[0047] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each functional part or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple functional parts or steps can be combined into one or separated. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1. Terminal device 2 External device 10 cabinets 11 outlets 12,22 Connector housing metal 13 Signal Tracks 14 tuners 14a First contact 14b Second contact point 14c 3rd contact 14d Fourth contact 15 Terminal Ground 16 Capacitors 16a First circuit element 16b Second circuit elements 17 Control Unit 18 Communications Department 19 Capacitors 21 terminals 31 circuit boards 32 Flexible circuit boards 33 Springs

Claims

1. An outlet into which the terminals of an external device can be plugged in, A tuner capable of selectively switching the connection state of the circuit between the aforementioned outlet and terminal ground from multiple states, A control unit that performs switching of the connection state based on the insertion state in which the external device is inserted into the socket, A terminal device equipped with the following features.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the tuner includes a single-pole single-throw switch or a single-pole multi-throw switch capable of selectively selecting one state from the plurality of states.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein different circuit elements are connected between the socket and the terminal ground depending on the plurality of states.

4. It further includes a communication unit capable of performing wireless communication with other devices, The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the connection state based on the communication performance of the wireless communication with the other device in the plugged-in state.

5. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit switches from the plurality of states to the selected state that has the highest communication performance.

6. It further includes a communication unit capable of performing wireless communication with other devices, The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the connection state based on the communication frequency band of the wireless communication in the plugged-in state.

7. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs switching of the connection state based on the input sensitivity of the communication signal from the external device in the plugged-in state.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs a switch of the connection state based on the usage state of the external device in the plugged-in state.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the usage state includes whether or not data communication is performed between the external device and the terminal device, or the type of communication.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the external device is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device.

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