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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
The present invention relates to a device and a method for connecting
a mobile phone handset to an external keyboard. A multimedia card
slot interface is included in the portable keyboard of the present
invention, which can be incorporated to the original interface of
the handset. In the meantime, a microprocessor and a random access
memory are also included in the keyboard. After sending an interrupt
command from the handset to the keyboard, by scanning the keyboard,
whether the key is pressed or not is determined by the microprocessor
and the key value is stored in its own random access memory. When
the key value is stored in the random access memory, an interrupt
command is sent to the handset by the keyboard. After the handset
is ready, the key value will be transferred to the handset via the
multimedia card slot interface.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An external keyboard device of a mobile phone handset, comprising:
a multimedia card slot interface is provided in said mobile phone
handset; and a keyboard coupled to said mobile phone handset via
said multimedia card slot interface; the mobile phone handset receives
a key value from the keyboard in the interrupt mode.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said mobile phone handset
including an LCD display screen and the input keys.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said mobile phone handset
including an RF input module and an RF output module.
4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia card
slot interface of said mobile phone handset is externally coupled
to a memory card.
5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said keyboard further
comprising: keys for data entry; a random access memory for storing
data entered; and a microprocessor for controlling said memory and
transmission of data entered.
6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the storage and transmission
of said data entered is processed by said microprocessor via an
interrupt mode activated by the keyboard upon detecting key entered
on the keyboard.
7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said mobile phone handset
and said keyboard are communicated through interrupt mode.
8. A device according to claim 1, wherein after pressing the keyboard,
said mobile phone handset enters into an interrupt mode.
9. A method for transmitting data by using an external keyboard
of a handset, comprising: verifying whether a keyboard is connected
to a transmission interface of the handset; instructing said keyboard
to enter an interrupt mode, while said keyboard is connected to
said handset; detecting keys entered on said keyboard under the
interrupt mode, and storing the value of the key entered in memory;
setting handset into an interrupt mode; and transmitting said key
value to said handset via said transmission interface.
10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said handset including
an LCD display and keys.
11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said handset including
an RF input module and an RF output module.
12. A method according to claim 9, wherein said transmission interface
of said handset is a multimedia card slot interface.
13. A method according to claim 9, wherein said multimedia card
slot interface is connected externally to a memory card.
14. A method according to claim 9, further comprising: transmitting
an interrupt request from said keyboard to said handset and clearing
an interrupt flag of said keyboard.
15. A method according to claim 9, further comprising: setting
said keyboard to enter an interrupt mode.
16. A method according to claim 9, further comprising: clearing
an interrupt flag of said handset.
17. A method according to claim 9, further comprising: storing
said key value in a memory by said handset.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for the mobile phone
handset, more particularly, it relates to a device for the mobile
phone handset which is interfaced to an external keyboard through
a multimedia card (MMC) slot, and a method for transmitting the
data with such device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, the telecommunication services have been developed
vigorously, and the trend of the market with liberalization has
been formed, wherein considerable opportunities are concealed in
the wireless communication. Thus, the normal communication industries,
from the system equipment enterprises of the upstream to the terminal
equipment enterprises, such as electronic notebook (or referred
to as Personal Digital Assistant, PDA) or the mobile phone handset
enterprise; of the downstream, from the equipment manufacturers
to the telecommunication companies, all of them are competing to
occupy a scat in the communication market.
In the wireless communication, the mobile data can be served to
receive and transmit short messages in the Chinese format, to receive
the finance stock quotations, e-mail, speech mailbox, information
inquiry and the like. So a set of light, thin, short and small electronic
notebooks, has been developed by many enterprises. Furthermore,
they are capable of two-way transmission and the Internet is popularized.
Therefore, they will be products of the new generation.
However, besides the electronic notebooks, the mobile phone handsets
(abbreviated as handset hereinafter) which have been developed earlier
and involve infinitive potentiality are in tremendous demand on
the market. Apart from using the handset directly for speech communication,
using it for transmitting the short message data is increasingly
popular. Therefore, it is desirable to have handsets that can receive
and transmit e-mail incorporated the above electronic notebooks,
as well as the handsets for carrying out the video transmission.
The front view of a conventional handset is shown as in FIG. 1.
Because the limitation of the volume of the handset 100, only the
digit keys of 0-9 and several function keys of the key 120 can be
installed under the screen 110 (for the handsets of the new generation,
the size of screen 110 is increasing, and the space of the key 120
is reducing). When it is required to input the characters or short
message other than the digit, only the digit keys of 0-9 can be
used, and other characters must be incorporated into the digit keys.
For example, alphabets a, b, and c are also involved in the digit
key "2" of the key 120. When "b" is input by
the user, the user must realize first that "b" corresponds
to the digit key "2", then, "b" will not derived
until this key has been pressed for three times (if Chinese characters
are input, then the input method of which will be more complicated).
The user may bear with this discrepancy, if only few characters
are required to input to the handset, for example, when a directory
function or a short message function are established. But if the
handset is used to transfer e-mail, the user will face the input
a large amount of characters. At this time, if it is input by the
fixed keyboard on the handset only, the input action will be tedious
and inefficient. This will be a problem that greatly disturbs the
user since the E-mail transmission on handset is an inevitable trend
today.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the invention background described above, the input
method of the conventional handset is rather inconvenient, since
it must use the multipurpose digital keys for operation. But nowadays,
a large amount of the electronic information is transferred, the
action that utilizes a handset to input will occur more often. For
example, the transfer of e-mail is one such action. At this time,
inputting by a single handset will be complicated and inefficient.
Thus, the main object of the present invention is to implement the
input action of the handset with the aid of connecting externally
a portable keyboard.
Another object of the present invention is to connect externally
a portable keyboard by utilizing the original multimedia card slot
transmission interface of the handset without the need for preparing
another interface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to utilize such
portable keyboard which is connected externally for the convenience
of the data transmission.
The portable keyboard according to the above objects of the present
invention comprises a multimedia card slot transmission interface.
This is an interface with seven pins, and there are several keys
on the keyboard for the convenience of inputting. Separate microprocessor
(MPU) and random access memory (RAM) are also included in the external
keyboard. When the portable keyboard is inserted to the handset
via an MMC interface, the connectors on the MMC interface will be
checked first by the handset, if it is MMC memory card, then the
service program of MMC will be called, otherwise, the external keyboard
mode will be entered, and the portable external keyboard will be
instructed to enter the interrupt mode.
After the external keyboard entering the interrupt mode, the sequence
number of the keyboard will be scanned, and the value that represents
the key will be calculated and stored in the random access memory
of the external keyboard, then an interrupt request will be sent
to the handset. After the interrupt request from MMC interface is
received by the handset, the interrupt service program of the external
keyboard for the handset will be entered, then the external keyboard
is instructed to enter the data transmission mode, and the key value
will be obtained by the handset from the specific random access
memory of the external keyboard via MMC interface, and the key value
obtained will be input to the buffer memory of the handset's own.
In the meantime, the external keyboard will be set to the interrupt
mode again for receiving the next batch of data.
Through the above process, the key value of the external keyboard
can be transferred to the handset and displayed on the LCD display
screen of the handset, and the input method of the portable external
keyboard of the present invention is completed.
Separate microprocessor and random access memory are included in
the portable external keyboard of the present invention, thus a
separate system is formed. When the portable external keyboard is
connected to the handset and after the keyboard being instructed
to enter the interrupt mode, the external keyboard is used to input
a large amount of the data, for example, to input a directory or
a short message, even to send E-mail and the like by pressing the
key, and it is not limited by few keys on the handset and the complicated
input method, so it is more simple and easier. In the meantime,
the standardized MCC interface is used by the external keyboard,
thus the same interface can be used commonly with the original MMC
card so that further developing a different interface is not necessary
and the multi-function effect is reached.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of a conventional handset, showing a picture
that the handset carries out an E-mail Transmission;
FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing according to an exemplary embodiment
of the present invention, showing a portable external keyboard with
multi-media card;
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing according to an exemplary embodiment
of the present invention, showing a handset coupled to the external
keyboard;
FIG. 4 is a system block diagram according to one embodiment of
the present invention, showing the connection between the handset
and the external keyboard;
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the external keyboard according
to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a software flowchart illustrating the operation of the
external keyboard according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the interrupt service program of the external
keyboard according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a software flowchart illustrating the operation of the
handset according to the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the interrupt service program of the external
keyboard of the handset according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A device and a method for utilizing an external keyboard for the
mobile phone handset is disclosed in the present invention. The
design of the handset is developed toward light, thin, short, and
small, but the LCD display screen disposed on the handset is developed
toward the large size, so the space for the keys can only be further
reduced in size. As described above, when the character information
is required to input, the method of pressing the keys will be more
complicated and inefficient, and if a large amount of the characters,
such as transferring the e-mail, is input, then it will be inefficient
and meaningless. But, by using the device and the method of the
present invention, the disturbed problems can be solved.
In the transmission standard of the external interface of the handset,
there is a transmission interface known as multimedia card slot.
As shown in FIG. 1, the section labeled 130 of the handset 100 is
the multimedia card slot interface. This is a standard interface
with seven signal pins. Normally, this interface is used to connect
a device such as the memory card, for carrying out the expanding
function such as the data storage.
Referring to FIG. 2, an embodiment of the portable external keyboard
of the present invention is shown. In the external keyboard 200,
the size and the number of the key 220 can be designed on the basis
of the practical requirement. But for the sake of convenience to
input, it is necessary that the key 220 may include substantially
at least one input key for each single alphabet such as the single
English alphabet input keys shown in the drawing for example. In
the meantime, the connecting interface of the external keyboard
200 is a standard MMC interface described above, that is, the interface
labeled 130, as shown in the drawing. Within the interface 130,
for example, pin 2 may receive or transmit commands specifically;
and pin 7 is responsible for data transmission, while pin 3 and
6 provide the function of standard potential and the like.
Referring to FIG. 3, an embodiment of the connection mode of the
external keyboard 200 according to the present invention is shown.
In FIG. 3 the handset 100 and the external keyboard 200 are connected
with each other via MMC interface 130. In the drawing of the present
embodiment, although the keyboard 200 is externally connected similar
as a card inserting mode, but other similar connection mode, such
as external keyboard 200 is interconnected to the handset 100 via,
connection wire and MMC connector, will also be one of the feasible
ways.
Referring to FIG. 4, the system connection diagram of the handset
and the external keyboard is shown, wherein label 400 represents
the handset and label 410 represents the external keyboard. In the
handset 400, label 415 is an RF (radio frequency) signal input module,
and label 420 is an RF signal output module. Receiving and transmitting
the RF signal is controlled by the microprocessor 435. The information
may be temporarily stored in the random access memory (RAM) 455
by the microprocessor 435, while the service program stored in the
read only memory (ROM) may be called by the microprocessor 435 for
setting the function of the handset's own or the control function
of the external device and the like. Storing and retrieving the
information may be carried out by the user through key 430, LCD
display screen 425, and a handset 400. During the verbal conversation
through the handset 400, the speech data passing through the speaker
440 or the microphone 445 may be transferred via RF signal input/output
module 415, 420 under the control of the microprocessor 435.
Furthermore, multimedia card slot interface 460 and the external
keyboard 410 may be communicated with each other also under the
control of the microprocessor 435. The external keyboard 410 of
the present invention includes a microprocessor 465, a random access
memory (RAM) 470 and a keyboard 475, thus, it may be considered
as a separated system.
Referring to FIG. 5, a circuit diagram of the external keyboard
of the present invention is shown. In FIG. 5, whether the key on
the keyboard 520 has been pressed or not can be detected and processed
by the microprocessor 500 via, for example, the interrupt mode or
inquiry scanning mode. In order to reduce the number of contacts
in the keyboard and to increase the efficiency, the keyboard may
normally be arranged as a matrix circuit 540, and from it's logic
state (switched on or switched off) and the applied voltage (for
example, voltage 5V, as shown in the drawing), `whether the key
has been pressed or not may be decided. Then the value will be sent
to a controller 530 which is specifically responsible for the data
input/output processing, for further processing.
The data I/O processing controller chip 530 is controlled by the
microprocessor 500. As shown in the drawing, they are interconnected
via a pulse signal line, a data bus, an interrupt signal line and
the like. When the data I/O processing chip 530 is set to the output
mode, the data stored in the random access memory 550 will be sent
to the processing chip 530 by the microprocessor 500, then the data
will be sent to the handset (not shown) via MMC interface 510. However
when the chip 530 is set to the input mode, the key data will be
sent to the microprocessor 500 and stored in the random access memory
550.
Now referring to FIGS. 6 to 9, the software flowchart and the interrupt
service program flowchart of the external keyboard and the handset
of the present invention are shown in these drawings. Referring
to FIG. 6 first, this is a drawing of the software flowchart of
the external keyboard. After starting from the block 595, when the
external keyboard is connected to the handset, the connectors on
the MCC is checked by the handset. If it is MCC card, then the service
program of MCC. card will be called, otherwise the external keyboard
service program will be called, and the external keyboard will be
instructed to enter into interrupt mode (block 600). When the interrupt
request from the handset is received by the external keyboard, the
interrupt processing mode of keyboard itself will be entered (block
610). That is the mark A in the drawing.
Then referring to FIG. 7, the interrupt processing mode flowchart
of the external keyboard is shown. After the external keyboard entering
the interrupt processing mode, it is waiting for the input data
from the user. At this time, the matrix circuit (for example, the
matrix circuit 540 in FIG. 5) of the keyboard will be scanned continuously
by the interrupt processing program to detect the key pressed by
the user, and the sequence number of the key will be obtained (block
700).
Next, the key value will be calculated from the key sequence number
(block 710), and then this key value will be stored in the specific
random access memory by the microprocessor (block 720), and an interrupt
request will be sent to the handset (block 730) in order to transfer
the key value to the handset. Then the interrupt flag of keyboard
itself will be cleared (block 740) and the flow returns (block 750)
to the external keyboard software process for waiting the next key
pressed.
Now, returning to FIG. 6. When the key value is obtained and an
interrupt request is sent to the handset by the external keyboard,
a command will be sent from the handset to Inform the external keyboard
that the data transmission mode is entered (block 620), then the
key value stored is sent to the handset by the external keyboard
via MMC interface. After that, the process goes to the block 630
and whether the data input program will be stopped by the handset
is decided. If it is decided that the data input is continuous,
then it will return to the block 610, otherwise, it will go to the
block 640 and the software process of the external keyboard terminates.
Referring to FIG. 8, this is a software flowchart of the handset.
After starting from the block 795, whether a plug-in board is on
the MMC interface will be checked first by the handset (block 800).
If there is no plug-in board, then the software process will terminate
(block 810), otherwise the process proceeds to the block 820 to
make a decision that this plug-in board is an MMC card or an external
keyboard. If it is an MMC card, then MMC service program will be
called (block 830), if it is an external keyboard, then the process
continues to block 840. At this time the external keyboard is instructed
by the handset to enter the interrupt mode, that is, a mode in which
whether a key is pressed is detected continuously by the external
keyboard as described above. In the meantime, as described above,
when the external keys have been detected and stored, an interrupt
request will be sent to the handset, and the interrupt request may
be received by the handset via MMC interface (block 850). After
that, the handset will enter the interrupt service program of the
external keyboard for the handset block 860), that is, the section
with the mark B.
Then referring to FIG. 9, when it enters the interrupt service
program of the external keyboard for the handset, a command is sent
by the handset to the external keyboard first to allow the external
keyboard to enter the data transmission mode (block 900). Then the
key value will be read from the specific random access memory in
external keyboard via MMC interface (block 910), that is, the key
value stored in the external keyboard's own random access memory
will be sent to the handset by the external keyboard's own microprocessor
465. Then the flow goes to the block 920 and the external keyboard
is set to the interrupt mode again, and then the key value obtained
will be input into the key value buffer memory of the handset (block
930). Finally, the interrupt flag of handset itself will be cleared
(block 940), then the flow returns to the software process of the
handset (block 950) and for waiting the next batch of data input.
Now, returning to FIG. 8. After the block 860 is implemented to
enter the interrupt service program of the external keyboard for
the handset and the key value is obtained, the application program
interface will be called by the handset to retrieve the key value
from the buffer memory (block 570) and to display it on the LCD
display screen of the handset. Then, if the handset desires to terminate
the input program, it will return to the end block 810, otherwise,
it will return, to the block 820 and wait for the next batch of
data input.
From the above portable external keyboard device and its transmission
method of the present invention, the key value of the external keyboard
can be transferred into the handset and displayed on the LCD display
screen of the handset, thus the object of the present invention,
i.e. inputting the data with a portable external keyboard, can be
realized.
It will be apparent from the above description that the portable
external keyboard of the present invention includes the separate
elements such as the microprocessor and the random access memory
and the like, so it is configured as a separate control system.
By communicating between the handset body and the external keyboard,
the key value of the external keyboard can be transferred to the
handset, while it is not necessary to utilize the keys of the handset's
own for inputting the data. When a large amount of data is required
to input by the user, it will never be limited by the complicated
input method of the handset. Thus, for example, it will be more
convenient for transferring e-mail.
In the meantime, the interface of such external keyboard is a standardized
MMC interface. MMC card and the external keyboard can be switched
by the handset with ease, so that no extra interface should be further
developed. Thus, by using such MMC interface, the multi function
can be reached.
It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the above description
is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and it
is not intended to use to limit the claim application scope of the
present invention, thus the equivalent changes and modifications
made without departing from the spirit disclosed by the present
invention are all included in the attached claims.
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