Terminal and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a terminal and a method with which it is possible to reduce the possibility that a pen-type input device falls off from the terminal and the pen-type input device becomes lost.　A terminal (1) comprises: a body unit (11) having a display operation unit (13) to which an input can be made with a pen-type input device (3); a magnet (31) that causes the body unit (11) to attract and hold the pen-type input device (3) by magnetic force; and a controller (60) that controls the magnitude of the magnetic force acting on the pen-type input device (3).

Description

Terminal and method

[0001] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a terminal and a method.

[0002]

[0003] Pen-type input devices called stylus pens or touch pens that can operate the displays of tablets or smartphones are known. For example, Patent Literature 1 (JP-A-2005-102626) discloses an information processing device that includes a housing and a stylus pen as an example of an input device for information input, and that includes a holder that detachably holds the stylus pen placed on the housing by magnetic force of a magnet provided on at least one of the housing and the pen-type input device. This information processing device allows the stylus pen to be temporarily and stably held without requiring the user to perform any cumbersome operations.

[0003] JP 2011-100221 A

[0004] However, with the above-mentioned conventional terminal (information processing device), when the terminal is carried with a pen-type input device (stylus pen) held in it, the pen-type input device may fall off the terminal and be lost.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide a terminal and a method that can reduce the possibility of a pen-type input device falling off the terminal and being lost.

[0006] A terminal according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a main body having a display and operation unit that can accept input using a pen-type input device, a magnet that magnetically attracts and holds the pen-type input device to the main body, and a controller that controls the magnitude of the magnetic force acting on the pen-type input device.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the pen-type input device will fall off from the terminal and be lost.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a stylus pen is adsorbed on the terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 4(A) is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for detecting that the terminal is being carried based on acceleration acquired by an acceleration sensor. FIG. 4(B) is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for detecting a release operation based on acceleration acquired by an acceleration sensor. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a modified example of operation of the terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another modified example of operation of the terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a further modified example of operation of the terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure in the following description are specific examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise specified to limit the present invention.

[0010] Terminal 1 is a mobile communication terminal that performs mobile communication in a mobile communication network (by connecting to the mobile communication network). In this embodiment, terminal 1 is assumed to be a tablet terminal, but it may also be a mobile communication terminal other than a tablet terminal, such as a smartphone or a notebook personal computer. Note that terminal 1 may also be a tablet terminal or notebook personal computer that does not have the function of connecting to a mobile communication network.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a stylus pen is adsorbed to the terminal of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal of Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the terminal 1 is mainly configured to include a main body unit 11, a display operation unit 13, an electromagnet (magnet) 31, an acceleration sensor 51, a fingerprint sensor 53, a camera 55, a controller 60, and a battery 71.

[0012] The components of the terminal 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 will be described below.

[0013] The main body 11 supports the display operation unit 13, the fingerprint sensor 53, and the camera 55, and houses the electromagnet 31, the acceleration sensor 51, the controller 60, and the battery 71. The main body 11 is formed from a material such as stainless steel (SUS), aluminum, or magnesium so as to have a desired mechanical strength. Note that, in order to reduce the effect on the electromagnet 31 described later, the periphery of the main body 11 that houses the electromagnet 31 is preferably formed from a non-magnetic resin material such as polycarbonate, glass-containing polycarbonate, or polyamide-based engineering plastic.

[0014] The main body 11 has an edge 11A formed to surround the display operation unit 13. The suction unit 21, the fingerprint sensor 53, the camera 55, the release button 57, etc. are arranged on the edge 11A.

[0015] The display operation unit 13 notifies the user of various information and accepts input of various information from the user. The display operation unit 13 has a touch panel 13A provided on the surface and a display unit 13B arranged on the back surface of the touch panel 13A.

[0016] The touch panel 13A accepts information input from a user's finger, the stylus pen 3 (described in detail later), or the like. The touch panel 13A can be a touch panel of various types, such as a resistive film type, a capacitive type, an electromagnetic induction type, or a surface acoustic wave type. The touch panel 13A is formed from a transparent film so that information displayed on the display unit 13B can be seen. The touch panel 13A detects, for example, contact or pressure of the pen tip of the stylus pen 3. The information accepted by the touch panel 13A is acquired by the controller 60.

[0017] The display unit 13B displays various types of information. Examples of the display unit 13B include a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and electronic paper.

[0018] Here, the stylus pen 3 will be described. The stylus pen 3 is provided separately from the main body 11. The stylus pen 3 is a pen-type input device that inputs information to the touch panel 13A. The stylus pen 3 inputs information via the touch panel 13A by contacting or pressing the pen tip of the stylus pen 3 against the touch panel 13A. At least a portion of the stylus pen 3 is made of a magnetic material such as iron. This allows it to be attracted by an electromagnet 31, which will be described in detail later.

[0019] The suction portion 21 is formed on the edge portion 11A and is an area capable of attracting the stylus pen 3. An electromagnet 31 is disposed below the suction portion 21. The area of ​​the edge portion 11A that becomes the suction portion 21 may be configured to be distinguishable from the other edge portions 11A so that it is easily recognizable by the user. For example, the suction portion 21 may be colored a different color from the other edge portions 11A, may have a different texture, or may include a mark indicating that the stylus pen 3 can be attracted.

[0020] The electromagnet 31 includes a magnetic material such as an iron core, a coil which is an electric wire wound around the magnetic material, a current supply unit, and the like. The current supply unit is connected to a battery or the like. The electromagnet 31 is configured to be able to change the magnitude of the magnetic force that attracts the stylus pen 3. Specifically, the electromagnet 31 changes the magnitude of the magnetic force that attracts the stylus pen 3 by adjusting the current flowing through the coil. The current flowing through the coil is controlled by the controller 60 (magnetic force control unit 63). In other words, the magnitude (strength) of the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 31 is controlled by the controller 60 (magnetic force control unit 63).

[0021] The acceleration sensor 51 detects acceleration occurring in the terminal 1. The acceleration sensor 51 is disposed inside the main body 11 and may be disposed near the suction unit 21. The acceleration sensor 51 is, for example, a triaxial sensor capable of detecting acceleration in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. The acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 51 is acquired by the controller 60. Note that a vibration sensor that detects vibrations may be provided instead of the acceleration sensor.

[0022] The fingerprint sensor 53 is a sensor that reads the user's fingerprint. Information about the fingerprint read by the fingerprint sensor 53 is acquired by the controller 60. The controller 60, having acquired the fingerprint information, performs authentication processing to use the information for unlocking the terminal 1, logging in to an application, approving a payment, or the like.

[0023] The camera 55 is a sensor that acquires images, videos, etc. The camera 55 is disposed on the edge 11A of the main body 11. Information acquired by the camera 55 is acquired by the controller 60. The controller 60 that has acquired the information acquired by the camera 55 uses the information for storing images or videos, for video call images, or for face-based authentication processing, etc.

[0024] The controller 60 controls each part of the terminal 1. The controller 60 includes a processor, memory, storage, a communication device, an input device, an output device, a bus, etc. The hardware configuration of the terminal 1 including such a controller 60 will be described later using FIG. 9 and other figures. The controller 60 of this embodiment, for example, identifies information input by the stylus pen 3 based on the position and trajectory of contact or pressure by the stylus pen 3, unlocks the terminal 1 based on authentication processing, and controls the magnitude of the magnetic force acting on the stylus pen 3.

[0025] The following describes each function provided by the controller 60 of the terminal 1 shown in Fig. 1. The functional blocks in the terminal 1 do not have to be configured as shown in Fig. 3, and some functional blocks may be missing, multiple functional blocks may be integrated into one functional block, or one functional block may be separated into multiple functional blocks.

[0026] The state determination unit 61 determines whether the terminal 1 is in a stationary state or in a state where the terminal 1 is being carried by the user. The state determination unit 61 determines whether the terminal 1 is in a stationary state or in a state where the terminal 1 is being carried by the user based on the detection result by the acceleration sensor 51. When the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 51 is smaller than a threshold value, the state determination unit 61 determines that the terminal 1 is in a stationary state, and when the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 51 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the state determination unit 61 determines that the terminal 1 is in a state where the terminal 1 is being carried by the user.

[0027] The state determination unit 61 may determine that the terminal 1 is being carried by the user when it is detected that the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor 51 exceeds the first threshold range a predetermined number of times during a first set time. The first set time can be set as appropriate. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A , the state determination unit 61 may determine that the terminal 1 is being carried by the user when the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor 51 exceeds the first threshold range a predetermined number of times (e.g., three times) during a first set time ST1, ST2, or ST3 (e.g., five seconds). The state determination unit 61 may determine that the terminal 1 is being stationary when the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor 51 does not exceed the first threshold range a predetermined number of times during the first set time ST1, ST2, or ST3.

[0028] 4A from the acceleration sensor 51, the state determination unit 61 determines that the terminal 1 is being carried by the user during the first set times ST1 and ST3, and determines that the terminal 1 is being placed stationary during the first set time ST2. The lengths of the first set times ST1, ST2, and ST3, the predetermined number of times, and the first threshold range can be set as appropriate so that the accuracy of determining the state of the terminal 1 satisfies desired performance.

[0029] The magnetic force control unit 63 controls the magnitude of the magnetic force acting on the stylus pen 3 placed on the adsorption unit 21. When the magnetic force control unit 63 determines that the terminal 1 is in a stationary state, it sets the electromagnet 31 to a first mode in which it generates a first magnetic force, and when the magnetic force control unit 63 determines that the terminal 1 is in a carried state, it sets the electromagnet 31 to a second mode in which it generates a second magnetic force greater than the first magnetic force. More specifically, when the magnetic force control unit 63 determines that the terminal 1 is in a stationary state, it supplies a first current to the electromagnet 31, and when the magnetic force control unit 63 determines that the terminal 1 is in a carried state, it supplies a second current greater than the first current to the electromagnet 31.

[0030] The current can be adjusted by using a known method, such as using a current control circuit (such as PWM control) or controlling the current value using a driver IC, etc. Note that the method for changing the magnitude of the magnetic force is not limited to the above-described methods, and may include not only controlling the magnitude of the current flowing through the coil, but also moving a magnetic material relative to the coil, moving the electromagnet 31 relative to the attraction portion 21, or moving a magnetic shielding material disposed between the electromagnet 31 and the attraction portion 21.

[0031] Furthermore, the release accepting unit 65 sets the terminal 1 to the first mode when the terminal 1 is powered on or when the terminal 1 is unlocked.

[0032] Next, the operation of the terminal 1 according to the embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 5. When the terminal 1 is powered on (step S1), the electromagnet 31 starts to attract the stylus pen 3 (step S2). In this embodiment, when the power is turned on, the controller 60 is set to a first mode in which the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 31 is relatively weak. The controller 60 monitors the acceleration input from the acceleration sensor 51 (step S3). The electromagnet 31 continues to attract the stylus pen 3 until the terminal 1 is powered off (step S4).

[0033] 4A (step S5: YES), the controller 60 is set to the second mode in which the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 31 is relatively strong. This increases the force of attraction of the stylus pen 3 to the main body 11, reducing the possibility of the stylus pen 3 falling off the main body 11.

[0034] On the other hand, if the acceleration of the acceleration sensor 51 monitored by the controller 60 does not exceed the first threshold range as shown in Figure 4 (A) (step S5: NO), the controller 60 is set to (continues to) the first mode in which the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 31 is relatively weak. This weakens the adhesive force of the stylus pen 3 to the main body 11, making it easier to separate the stylus pen 3 from the main body 11. As a result, the stylus pen 3 becomes easier to use.

[0035] Next, the effects of the terminal 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0036] According to the terminal 1 and the method for adsorbing and holding the stylus pen 3 of the above embodiment, the strength of adsorption of the stylus pen 3 to the main body 11 can be changed. As a result, for example, when carrying the terminal 1, by increasing the adsorption strength of the stylus pen 3, the possibility of the stylus pen 3 falling off the main body 11 when the terminal 1 is carried around with the stylus pen 3 adsorbed to the main body 11 can be reduced. On the other hand, increasing the adsorption strength of the stylus pen 3 makes it difficult to separate the stylus pen 3 from the main body 11, reducing usability. According to the terminal 1 and the method for adsorbing and holding the stylus pen 3 to the main body 11 of the above embodiment, when the terminal 1 is used in a stationary position, the adsorption strength of the stylus pen 3 can be reduced, reducing the deterioration of usability of the terminal 1.

[0037] According to the method of attracting and holding the stylus pen 3 to the terminal 1 and the main body 11 of the above embodiment, an electromagnet 31 may be used, the strength of which is changed depending on the magnitude of the current supplied to the coil. This configuration makes it possible to change the strength of the magnetic force with a simple configuration.

[0038] The controller 60 may determine whether the terminal 1 is stationary or carried, and when it determines that the terminal 1 is stationary, set the electromagnet 31 to a first mode in which a first magnetic force is generated, and when it determines that the terminal 1 is carried, set the electromagnet 31 to a second mode in which a second magnetic force greater than the first magnetic force is generated. With this configuration, the attractive force of the stylus pen 3 is automatically strengthened when the terminal 1 is carried, and automatically weakened when the terminal 1 is stationary. This reduces the possibility of losing the stylus pen 3 without imposing a burden on the user.

[0039] The controller 60 may be set to the first mode or the second mode based on the detection result by the acceleration sensor 51. With this configuration, it is possible to determine in a simpler way whether the terminal 1 is in a stationary state or in a carried state.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4A , the controller 60 may be set to the second mode when the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor 51 exceeds the first threshold range a predetermined number of times during the first set times ST1, ST2, and ST3, and may be set to the first mode when the acceleration does not exceed the first threshold a predetermined number of times during the first set times ST1, ST2, and ST3. With this configuration, even if an acceleration that unexpectedly exceeds the first threshold range occurs unintentionally, it is possible to prevent the terminal 1 from being determined to be in a carried state based solely on this unintentional detection. This improves the accuracy of determining whether the terminal 1 is in a carried state.

[0041] The controller 60 may set the terminal 1 to the first mode when the terminal 1 is powered on or the terminal 1 is unlocked. In this configuration, the first mode is automatically set when the terminal 1 is powered on or the terminal 1 is unlocked, taking into consideration that this is when the terminal 1 is generally used. This allows the mode to be automatically set in consideration of user convenience.

[0042] The terminal of the present disclosure may have the following configuration.

[0043] [1] A terminal comprising: a main body provided with a display operation unit that can accept input using a pen-type input device; a magnet provided on the main body and capable of switching the strength of magnetic force that attracts the pen-type input device; and a controller that switches the strength of the magnetic force.

[0044] [2] The terminal according to [1], wherein the magnet is an electromagnet whose magnetic force changes depending on the magnitude of the current supplied to the coil.

[0045] [3] The terminal according to [1] or [2], wherein the controller determines whether the terminal is stationary or carried, and when it determines that the terminal is stationary, sets the magnet to a first mode in which a first magnetic force is generated, and when it determines that the terminal is carried, sets the magnet to a second mode in which a second magnetic force greater than the first magnetic force.

[0046] [4] The terminal according to [3], further comprising an acceleration sensor built into the main body, wherein the controller sets the first mode or the second mode based on a detection result by the acceleration sensor.

[0047] [5] The terminal according to [4], wherein the controller sets the terminal to the second mode when the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor exceeds a first threshold a predetermined number of times during a configurable first set time, and sets the terminal to the first mode when the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor does not exceed the first threshold a predetermined number of times during the first set time.

[0048] [6] The terminal according to [4] or [5], wherein the controller sets the terminal to the first mode when, in the second mode, the acceleration in one direction detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a second threshold a predetermined number of times within a configurable second set time.

[0049] [7] The terminal according to [3], further comprising a location information acquisition unit that is built into the main body and acquires location information of the terminal, wherein the controller sets the first mode or the second mode based on a change in the location information of the terminal acquired by the location information acquisition unit.

[0050] [8] The terminal according to any one of [3] to [7], wherein when the power of the terminal is turned on or the lock of the terminal is released, the controller sets the terminal to the first mode.

[0051] [9] The terminal according to any one of [3] to [8], wherein the controller transitions to a battery safe mode when it detects that the screen of the display operation unit has been turned off while in the second mode.

[0052]

[10] A method for attracting and holding a pen-shaped input device to a terminal comprising a main body provided with a display operation unit that can accept input using a pen-shaped input device, and a magnet that attracts and holds the pen-shaped input device to the main body by magnetic force, the method determining whether the terminal is in a stationary state or a carried state, and causing the magnet to generate a first magnetic force when it is determined that the terminal is in a stationary state, and causing the magnet to generate a second magnetic force greater than the first magnetic force when it is determined that the terminal is in a carried state.

[0053]

[11] A terminal comprising: a main body unit provided with a display operation unit; an acceleration sensor built into the main body unit; and a controller that determines whether to switch to a battery save mode that reduces battery consumption based on a detection result by the acceleration sensor and whether the display operation unit is OFF.

[0054] Although one embodiment has been described above, one aspect of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the terminal 1 is described as automatically increasing the adhesive force of the stylus pen 3 against the main body 11 when it is determined that the terminal 1 is being carried. However, with this configuration, even if the user wants to use the terminal 1 immediately after carrying it, the first set time (e.g., 5 seconds) must elapse before the controller 60 determines that the terminal 1 is stationary (i.e., before automatically switching to the first mode). Although the first set time is a short time, there are cases where it is desirable to omit this time.

[0056] Therefore, in addition to the configuration of the terminal 1 of the above embodiment, a function for forcibly canceling the second mode may be provided. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the terminal 1 may include a cancel button 57 on the edge portion 11A of the main body 11, and the controller 60 may include a cancel acceptance unit 65 that accepts pressing of the cancel button 57. Then, when the cancel acceptance unit 65 detects pressing of the cancel button 57 in the second mode, the magnetic force control unit 63 may switch to the first mode. Note that instead of such a physical button, a button having a similar function may be displayed on the display operation unit 13. Furthermore, instead of the dedicated physical button as described above, an existing power button or the like may be used.

[0057] Furthermore, when the terminal 1 is carried, the display operation unit 13 of the terminal 1 is often locked or the display is turned off. For this reason, the release acceptance unit 65 may be configured to accept the timing when the lock or display-off state of the display operation unit 13 is released by pressing the power button or by authentication processing (PIN code authentication, fingerprint authentication, face authentication, etc.). Then, when the release acceptance unit 65 detects that the lock or display-off state of the display operation unit 13 has been released in the second mode, the magnetic force control unit 63 may switch to the first mode.

[0058] The release acceptance unit 65 may also detect that the acceleration in one direction (e.g., the Z direction) acquired by the acceleration sensor 51 exceeds the second threshold range a predetermined number of times (e.g., three times) within a second set time ST5 (e.g., one second), as shown in FIG. 4B . Note that the second set time ST5 is preferably set to a time different from the first set time in the above embodiment. For example, by limiting the direction of acceleration to one direction and setting the second set time ST5 to an extremely short time, such as one second, the release acceptance unit 65 can detect the user's knocking action (operation) on the main body 11.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6, when the second mode is set (step S6), if the release receiving unit 65 detects a release operation such as detecting the pressing of the release button 57, unlocking the display operation unit 13 or the display being turned off, or detecting a knocking operation by the acceleration sensor 51 (step S11: YES), the magnetic force control unit 63 may be set to the first mode, in which the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 31 is relatively weak.

[0060] Furthermore, instead of or in addition to determining the state of the terminal 1 using the acceleration sensor 51 in the configuration of the above embodiment or the above modified example, a position information acquisition unit 67 that acquires position information of the terminal 1 may be provided as shown in Fig. 3. The position information acquisition unit 67 is a functional block formed in the controller 60. In this case, the state determination unit 61 may determine whether the terminal 1 is in a stationary state or in a state where the terminal 1 is being carried by the user, based on a change in the position information of the terminal 1 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 67.

[0061] The state determination unit 61 can acquire location information of the terminal 1 using, for example, GPS or the like. Here, when a user carrying the terminal 1 travels by vehicle or the like, it is considered that the stylus pen 3 is less likely to fall off than when the user carrying the terminal 1 on foot. It is also considered that the user is more likely to use the terminal 1 when traveling in a car or the like. Therefore, the state determination unit 61 of this modified example determines that the terminal 1 is being carried by the user when it is determined that the terminal 1 is moving within a walking speed range (e.g., 3 km / h or more and less than 7 km / h). In other words, when it is determined that the terminal 1 is moving within a speed range other than walking (e.g., 7 km / h or more), it determines that the terminal 1 is not being carried by the user.

[0062] In addition to the configuration of the above embodiment or the above modified example, a battery control unit 69 may be provided, as shown in FIG. 3 , which switches to a battery save mode to reduce power consumption of the battery 71. The battery control unit 69 is a functional block formed in the controller 60. Power consumption of the battery 71 can be reduced, for example, by restricting the operation of unnecessary apps or turning off some functions. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the second mode is set (step S6), the battery control unit 69 may transition to the battery save mode (step S22) if it detects that the screen of the display / operation unit 13 has been turned off (step S21; YES). Note that if it is not detected that the screen of the display / operation unit 13 has been turned off (step S21; NO), the battery save mode is not transitioned to.

[0063] In the above embodiment and the above modified example, an example has been described in which the terminal 1 has a function of attracting and holding the stylus pen 3, but this function may be replaced with a battery function. In this case, the operation of the terminal 1 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 8.

[0064] When the terminal 1 is powered on (step S31), the battery control unit 69 starts operating the battery save function (step S32). In this modification, when the power is turned on, the controller 60 is set to a normal mode in which the operation of unnecessary apps is not restricted and some functions are not turned off. The controller 60 monitors the acceleration input from the acceleration sensor 51 (step S33). The battery save function by the battery control unit 69 continues until the terminal 1 is powered off (step S34).

[0065] 4A , when the acceleration of the acceleration sensor 51 monitored by the controller 60 exceeds the first threshold range and the screen of the display operation unit 13 is detected to be OFF (step S35: YES), the battery control unit 69 transitions to battery save mode (step S36). This automatically determines that the terminal 1 is not being used by the user, thereby reducing consumption of the battery 71. When the acceleration of the acceleration sensor 51 monitored by the controller 60 does not exceed the first threshold range and the screen of the display operation unit 13 is not detected to be OFF (step S35: NO), the battery control unit 69 continues to monitor the acceleration sensor 51 without transitioning to battery save mode.

[0066] The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wires, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining software with the single device or the multiple devices.

[0067] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, election, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, regard, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0068] 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal 1 may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0069] In the following description, the term "device" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the terminal 1 may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices.

[0070] Each function in terminal 1 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as processor 1001, memory 1002, etc., so that processor 1001 performs calculations, controls communication via communication device 1004, and controls at least one of reading and writing data in memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0071] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the above-mentioned state determination unit 61, magnetic force control unit 63, release acceptance unit 65, position information acquisition unit 67, battery control unit 69, etc. may be realized by including the processor 1001.

[0072] The processor 1001 also loads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with the programs. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the magnetic force control unit 63, the release acceptance unit 65, the position information acquisition unit 67, and the battery control unit 69 may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be used for other functional blocks. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by a single processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented on one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0073] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured, for example, by at least one of a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a terminal selection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of, for example, an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0075] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the above-mentioned state determination unit 61, magnetic force control unit 63, release acceptance unit 65, position information acquisition unit 67, battery control unit 69, etc. may be realized by including the communication device 1004.

[0076] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0077] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0078] The terminal 1 may also be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0079] The notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI) and Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB) and System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0080] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0081] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0082] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0083] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0084] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0085] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0086] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0087] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0088] In addition, terms explained in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

[0089] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0090] Similarly, the user terminal in the present disclosure may be read as a base station, in which case the base station may be configured to have the functions of the terminal 1 described above.

[0091] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like, all of which are considered to be "determining." "Determining" and "determining" may also include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, and the like, all of which are considered to be "determining." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Also, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0092] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0093] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0094] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0095] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0096] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0097] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0098] 1...terminal, 3...stylus pen (pen-shaped input device), 11...main body, 11A...edge, 13...display operation unit, 13A...touch panel, 13B...display unit, 21...suction unit, 31...electromagnet (magnet), 51...acceleration sensor, 53...fingerprint sensor, 55...camera, 57...release button, 60...controller, 61...state determination unit, 63...magnetic force control unit, 65...release acceptance unit, 67...position information acquisition unit, 69...battery control unit, 71...battery, 1001...processor, 1002...memory, 1003...storage, 1004...communication device, 1005...input device, 1006...output device, 1007...bus.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising: a main body having a display and operation unit that can accept input using a pen-type input device; a magnet that attracts and holds the pen-type input device to the main body by magnetic force; and a controller that controls the magnitude of the magnetic force acting on the pen-type input device.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is an electromagnet whose magnetic force changes depending on the magnitude of the current supplied to the coil.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether the terminal is stationary or carried, and when it determines that the terminal is stationary, sets the magnet to a first mode in which a first magnetic force is generated, and when it determines that the terminal is carried, sets the magnet to a second mode in which a second magnetic force greater than the first magnetic force.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, further comprising an acceleration sensor built into the main body, wherein the controller sets the first mode or the second mode based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor.

5. The terminal according to claim 4, wherein the controller sets the terminal to the second mode when the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor exceeds a first threshold a predetermined number of times during a configurable first set time, and sets the terminal to the first mode when the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor does not exceed the first threshold a predetermined number of times during the first set time.

6. The terminal according to claim 4, wherein the controller sets the terminal to the first mode when, in the second mode, the acceleration in one direction detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a second threshold a predetermined number of times within a configurable second set time.

7. A terminal according to claim 3, further comprising a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the terminal, wherein the controller sets the first mode or the second mode based on a change in the location information of the terminal acquired by the location information acquisition unit.

8. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein the controller sets the terminal to the first mode when it detects that the terminal has been powered on or unlocked.

9. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein the controller, when detecting that the screen of the display operation unit has been turned off while in the second mode, causes the terminal to transition to a battery safe mode.

10. A method for adsorbing and holding a pen-shaped input device to a terminal comprising a main body provided with a display operation unit that can accept input using a pen-shaped input device, and a magnet that magnetically adsorbs and holds the pen-shaped input device to the main body, the method determining whether the terminal is stationary or being carried, and causing the magnet to generate a first magnetic force when it is determined that the terminal is stationary, and causing the magnet to generate a second magnetic force greater than the first magnetic force when it is determined that the terminal is being carried.

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