KR100777864B1 - Portable information terminal and control method of portable information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal having a voice input / output earphone jack, a personal handy-phone system (PHS), personal digital assistants (PDA) and a mobile personal computer, and a digital camera for connecting to the portable information terminal. And a digital camera connected to a portable information device including a portable information terminal and a digital camera, and a method of controlling such a portable information terminal. Existing earphone jacks provided on a portable information terminal can be employed as a plug for a digital camera or an insert plug for a connector of a USB cable, thereby reducing costs and the system can be used with highly flexible portable information terminals and portable information terminals. It is made compact to provide a digital camera.

Description

PORTABLE INFORMATION TERMINAL AND CONTROL METHOD OF PORTABLE INFORMATION TERMINAL}

1A is a front view of the digital camera for a portable information terminal of Example 1-1;

1B is a side view of the digital information portable camera of Example 1-1;

1C is a bottom view of the digital information portable camera of Example 1-1;

1D is a perspective view of a digital camera for a portable information terminal of Example 1-1;

2 is an exploded perspective view of a digital camera for a portable information terminal of Example 1-1;

3 is a diagram illustrating a connection state of a digital camera for a portable information terminal;

4 is a block diagram of a circuit in a connected state of a digital camera for a portable information terminal;

5A is a flowchart for processing of image recording and transmission of recorded image information;

5B is a flowchart for processing of image recording and transmission of recorded image information;

6A is a diagram for explaining a method of using a digital camera;

6B is a diagram for explaining a method of using a digital camera;

7 shows an example of earphone microphone plugging,

8 shows an example of stereo headphone plugging;

9 is a schematic diagram of connecting an information terminal and a digital camera using a dedicated extension cable;

10 is a diagram showing an example of using a dedicated extension cable as a strap connecting a digital camera and a portable information terminal;

11 shows an appearance of a digital camera having a housing for accommodating a plug and a guide;

12 shows the USB cable 100 used in Example 1-2,

13 is a block diagram of a circuit configuration of the portable information terminal of Example 1-2;

14 is a block diagram of a circuit configuration of the portable information terminal of Example 1-3;

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a portable digital camera connecting device composed of a portable information terminal and a digital camera;

16 is a block diagram of a circuit configuration of a portable digital camera connecting device;

17 is an example of a timing diagram for each of the output waveforms of the (a) clock line and (b) data line of the digital camera from each output terminal of the portable information terminal and the digital camera at two contacts,

18 is an example of a timing diagram for each of the output waveforms of the (a) clock line and (b) data line of the digital camera from each output terminal of the portable information terminal and the digital camera at two contacts,

19 shows output waveforms of (a) clock lines and (b) data lines of digital cameras and (c) data lines of portable information terminals from respective output terminals of the portable information terminal and the digital camera at three contacts; Examples of timing diagrams for

20 shows output waveforms of (a) clock lines and (b) data lines of digital cameras and (c) data lines of portable information terminals from respective output terminals of the portable information terminal and the digital camera at three contacts; Examples of timing diagrams for

21 is a timing diagram for output waveforms from a data line of the digital camera in FIGS. 18 and 20;

Fig. 22 is a block diagram showing the construction of the portable telephone terminal and the digital camera of the third embodiment;

23 is a timing diagram for transmitting image data from the digital camera 650 to the portable telephone terminal 630.

24 is a diagram showing the structure of image data S1;

25 is a timing diagram of clock signal output for data request signal line L1b and image data output for data output signal line L1c;

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a table showing an item included in the header 400a;

27 is a diagram showing an example of the value of an end marker 400c composed of two bytes of data;

28 is a diagram showing an example of an output sequence of the image data main body 400b in the image data S1;

29 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable information terminal according to the fourth embodiment;

30 is a diagram showing a keyboard in an operation section of the portable information terminal of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 29;

31 is a flowchart of a control process of the portable information terminal of Embodiment 4 shown in FIG. 29;

32 is a flowchart of a control process of the portable information terminal of Embodiment 4 shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

2: top cover 3: infrared absorption filter

4 lens-barrel 5 holder

6 antireflection film 8 base plate

9: lower cover 9a, 9b: cutout

10: plug 10a: base section

11a: contact for power supply 11b: contact for grounding

11c: Clock signal contact 11d: Data transmission contact

The present invention relates to a portable telephone having an earphone jack for voice input / output, a personal handy-phone system (PHS), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile personal computer, a digital camera for use with a portable information terminal. And a portable information terminal such as a portable digital camera / information terminal system constituted by an information terminal and a digital camera, and a method for controlling the portable information terminal.

In recent years, in the environment of increasing speed of data communication using portable information terminals and the great advances made in information communication technology, portable telephones have changed from their use as telephones to a rapidly accepted integrated information tool.

With that trend, customer needs have expanded from basic information such as images, music and mail to higher levels of content such as moving images and programs, and more applications are expected to be created in the future.

In response to the needs of such customers, machines that can be called information vending machines have emerged in the market for sale and can be accessed by connecting not only voice data information, but also portable information terminals to the information bending machine by means of special cables. Provides a service that sells several different kinds of information.

When receiving information from an information bending machine using such a special cable, it is necessary to insert the connector of the cable into the portable terminal, but one inconvenience is that the connector is connected to the front and rear to ensure that the connection is formed in a fixed direction. Because of this, the user causes the inconvenience of having to check the front and rear of the connector.

In addition, when the connector is inserted into the portable terminal, the locking mechanism of the connector is operated to lock the connection. When the user pulls the connector without knowing that the connector is locked, the connector is subjected to excessive load. It may cause damage. In addition, when a portable telephone and a PHS are used as a communication device for mobile computing, a PC card is generally used as an interface, so another inconvenience is that the user must carry a PC card and a connection cable when moving. Will be provided. In addition, some computers have only one personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) slot to insert a personal computer (PC) card, so when this slot is taken by a portable telephone, it is inconvenient to connect other devices. do. In addition, if you want to use some peripheral devices, since the PC card inserted into the PCMCIA slot has to be exchanged with other cards, it causes a problem that consumes handling time.

On the other hand, by connecting a digital camera to a portable terminal, the Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, Hei 10-341302, and Pyeong 11-08823 are in response to a request to transfer an image recorded on the digital camera to another terminal. A code-based access technique, such as IRDA (infrared data access) or RS-232C, for transmitting data by connecting a digital camera to a portable terminal is disclosed.

However, there is a problem of operation and portability in transmitting image data using a code such as IRDA or RS-232C.

In addition, conventional digital cameras are expected to be accessible to various common portable communication terminals such as portable telephone terminals, PHSs, PDAs, mobile personal computers, so that display sections and operating sections such as liquid crystal monitors are provided for the portable terminals. Sometimes they are also provided for digital cameras, which complicates operation and increases the cost of the combined system. In addition, since it is impossible to supply power from the device to which the camera is connected, the camera itself must have a power source, and the size of the casing is increased, thus providing an inappropriate problem for a portable device. As described above, in the past, it has been difficult to provide a very convenient digital camera while avoiding the complexity of the camera structure.

In addition, image data is generally transmitted serially according to the EIA (Electronic Industry Association) standard, but IRDA and RS-232, etc. always require a special interface. Furthermore, in addition to the data transmission method using a cable as described above, Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, and Pyeong 06-268582 disclose a data transmission technology through a medium such as a memory card, but even when using such a technology, Interface circuit and driver circuit are required. For this reason, when connecting a digital camera to a portable communication terminal, expensive components and interfaces have been required in the past, and it has been difficult to reduce the size of the digital camera and the portable terminal or reduce the combined system cost.

Moreover, when using the RS-232C cable as described above, serial communication according to the EIA RS-232C standard is used, but in normal serial communication, after confirming that both sides are in an operating state between the portable terminal and the digital camera. The problem that the image data transfer operation cannot be started immediately because it is necessary to perform a so-called "handshake operation" by exchanging predetermined commands before communication is started so that the image data is transmitted. Results in. Also, in serial communication, information for identifying the start and end of individual data is attached to each data byte (= 8 bits) so that when two of the eight bits are used for identification purposes, by one byte Since the amount of information that can be delivered is only 6 bits, the problem arises that the data itself cannot be processed efficiently. In addition to these problems, although parallel communication is known, which increases the transmission speed by increasing the number of serial lines, parallel data transmission technology is a signal at the connection terminals of devices such as digital cameras and portable communication terminals that require small size, light weight and low cost. The fact that the number of lines must be increased increases the system cost, which is undesirable.

In addition, when recording an image with a digital camera, the user selects an image recording mode by operating a key of an operation section provided on the portable terminal while checking the settings on the display section of the terminal, and defines the image recording mode. In order to do so, several operations must be performed, such as pressing a define key and recording an image in the image recording mode. Moreover, when the portable terminal is a portable telephone, it is necessary to operate, for example, at least two keys, one key for switching from the voice mode of the telephone function to the image recording mode of the camera function, and the other key in the selected mode. It is to define the task. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide an operation key required for recording an image, for example, a key functioning as a shutter button, a setting key for specifying a recording condition, and the like. Therefore, the number of keys to be operated, such as switching to the recording mode and operating the camera, increases, so that when the picture is ready to record, some time in operating the keys before reaching the recording mode definition step This causes the problem of being consumed. In order to define the image recording mode, first, after selecting the image recording mode and operating the definition key, the user should look at the display section of the portable terminal while operating the key for defining the parameters of the image recording mode, and thus the key operation. Not only is this complicated, there is a problem of missing a chance to record a good image.

The present invention has been made in view of the background information provided above, and an object thereof is to provide a portable information terminal capable of communicating data with an external device in a very convenient way due to the simplified cable connection.

A second object of the present invention is to provide intimacy to the user, which can freely change the direction of image recording without complicated camera structure for use with a portable information terminal having an earphone jack for voice input / output. A digital camera, a portable information terminal for use with such a digital camera, and a digital camera / information terminal combination system are provided.

In addition, since the portable information terminal is already provided with an earphone jack for the purpose of voice input / output, such a jack can be used for the purpose of data transmission, the third object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal, It is to provide a digital camera for a portable terminal and a portable digital camera / information terminal system that does not require a special connection device or an expensive interface.

It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a portable information terminal, a digital camera for a portable information terminal, and in particular a portable digital camera / information terminal system capable of transmitting image data easily, quickly and efficiently using serial transmission.

A fifth object of the present invention is a portable information terminal, portable information which can be operated using fewer keys without having to look at the screen of the display section and without having to provide a dedicated key for image recording. It is to provide a method for controlling the terminal.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a portable information terminal comprises a jack having first and second transmission contacts for transmitting and receiving data, which is a data transmission / reception contact of the connector 101 shown in FIG. (173, 174). According to this structure, since there are two data communication contacts, it is possible to connect to a connector such as a USB connector having a similar structure.

A second feature of the portable information terminal is a power supply contact connecting to the power contact 171 of the connector 101 shown in FIG. 12 and a ground contact connecting to the grounding contact 172 of the connector 101 shown in FIG. It relates to a jack further comprising a contact. According to this structure, since a power source contact and a ground contact are provided, power can be supplied from an external source.

A third feature of a portable information terminal relates to a jack having contacts arranged in the order of a first data transmission contact, a second data transmission contact, a ground contact, and a power contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. According to this structure, since a case section having a large contact area is selected as a power source contact, the problem of a bad contact can be avoided even when complementarily rotated. Also, because contacts in the vicinity are transmitted, incomplete insertion of the plug does not cause power shorting. In particular, since the power contact and the ground contact are arranged in the same way as the earphone plug, the terminal side problem is prevented.

A fourth feature of a portable information terminal relates to a jack that can be used with an earphone jack. According to this structure, since the earphone jack in any existing portable information terminal can be used as the data communication terminal, it is not necessary to provide a new connector for connecting the USB cable. In addition, the earphone jack can be rotated 360 ^° about the plug axis and is convenient to use because it does not need to check the orientation of the USB connector for insertion into the jack. Moreover, since there is no locking device for the earphone jack, the plug connector can be removed regardless of potential damage. Portable telephones, PHS, PDAs are examples of portable information terminals that can use jacks as earphone jacks.

The seventh feature of the portable information terminal may use a first data transfer contact corresponding to the data transfer contact 11d of the plug 10 of the digital camera 1 for the data line, the digital camera for the clock signal line. The present invention relates to a jack capable of using a second data transfer contact corresponding to the clock signal transfer contact 11c of the plug 10 of (1).

According to this structure, the image data generated by the digital camera can be transmitted using the earphone microphone contacts, which contributes to making a multi-purpose portable information terminal.

An eleventh feature of the portable information terminal is a circuit switching section (this embodiment) for connecting a jack to a voice circuit (voice interface 19a in this embodiment) or a data processing circuit (USB interface 19c in this embodiment). Switching section 125 or 126).

According to this structure, a circuit (interface) for processing input data can be switched to match an external device connected to the jack, and data processing suitable for the external device can be performed.

A sixteenth feature of the portable information terminal relates to a circuit switching section for connecting a jack to a data processing circuit (USB interface 19c) when information related to start of data transmission is input to the circuit switching section (embodiment described below). In, when the user switches to the USB mode using the operation section 23, a signal so notifying is input from the CPU 26, or a specific signal indicating that the USB cable 100 is connected is input by an external device. do).

According to this structure, when it is detected that the USB cable is connected, the circuit switching section automatically switches the target connection of the earphone jack, so that a process can be performed to match various data output from the earphone jack. do.

A seventeenth aspect of the invention relates to an information terminal comprising a jack having four contacts for power supply, grounding, clock signal transmission and data transmission.

According to such a portable information terminal, the camera can be directly and electrically attached to the portable information terminal by inserting the plug of the digital camera into the jack.

An eighteenth feature of a portable information terminal relates to four contacts of a jack, arranged in the order of data transmission contacts, clock signal transmission contacts, grounding contacts, and power supply contacts from the inside of the terminal body to the outside.

Therefore, by selecting a case section having a large area as a power contact, the problem of inappropriate contact can be avoided even when complementarily rotated. In addition, when the plug is only partially inserted, a short circuit can be avoided because there is no terminal nearby. In the case of earphone microphones, since the grounding contact is second from the base section, problems at the terminals can be prevented.

A nineteenth aspect of the portable information terminal relates to a jack that can be used with an earphone jack.

According to this structure, since image data transmission can be performed using an earphone jack on an existing portable information terminal, it is not necessary to provide a new jack for connecting a digital camera. In addition, portable information terminals that can use the jack as an earphone jack include, for example, a portable telephone, a PHS, and a PDA.

The twenty-first feature of the portable information terminal is a circuit switching for selecting a voice circuit (voice interface 19a) or an image circuit (image interface 19b) according to a signal input to a jack, and then connecting the selected circuit to the jack. Section (switching section 25).

According to this structure, image recording can be easily started by connecting a digital camera.

The twenty-fourth feature of the portable information terminal is that when a plug of an external device is connected to the jack, the device connected to itself using a simple circuit, by measuring the electrical resistance between predetermined contacts of the plug, and identifying the connected external device. A circuit switching section can be identified.

A twenty-fifth aspect is directed to a digital camera for a portable information terminal, to which a portable information terminal having a jack for input / output of a signal containing a voice signal can be connected, said digital camera having a plug for detachably connecting to the jack. A camera body, the plug having a circular transverse cross-sectional shape.

According to the structure of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, and the plug is thereby selected from a predetermined direction, the recording angle (recording angle) is less than 360 ^o when it is inserted into the jack of the portable information terminal, rotating the plug about an axis predetermined In order to be adjustable in the direction, the digital camera body has a plug for detachably connecting to the jack.

Moreover, the plug of the digital camera is connected by inserting directly into the jack of the portable information terminal, and the two devices are made into one terminal by mechanically and electrically connecting to each other. Therefore, the connection cable, which was necessary in the past, is no longer needed, and since the digital camera and the portable information terminal are transformed into one terminal, the image recording operation can be performed with one hand.

A twenty sixth feature relates to a digital camera for a portable information terminal, wherein the plug is arranged such that the tip end of the plug is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the digital camera lens.

Thus, when a plug is connected to a jack generally provided on the side of the portable information terminal, the digital camera can be operated while observing the display section of the portable information terminal.

A twenty-seventh feature relates to a switching section provided to a digital camera body or an information terminal for switching between an audio circuit and an image circuit, wherein when the jack and plug are electrically connected, the information terminal is connected from the digital camera side via the plug and jack. The image data is transferred to.

Therefore, the image recording operation can be started by simply connecting a digital camera.

A twenty-ninth feature relates to a mound section provided near the periphery of the plug of the digital camera body, wherein the mound section is adjacent to the periphery of the jack when the plug is inserted into the jack, when the digital camera is rotated. The surface of the section is made to slide about the periphery of the jack.

According to this structure, the digital camera can be easily rotated with respect to the portable information terminal, in which case the mound section is preferably formed in a convex-shape.

A thirty-second feature relates to a plug of a digital camera having four contacts for power supply, grounding, clock signal transmission and data transmission.

Therefore, the digital camera can be operated using the electric power supplied from the portable information terminal, and the recorded image data is transmitted to the portable information terminal.

A thirty sixth feature relates to four contacts arranged in the order of a power source contact, a ground contact, a clock signal transmission contact, and a data transmission contact, starting from the base section on the digital camera body side.

Thus, by selecting a case section having a large contact area as a power contact, it is possible to avoid the problem of inadequate contact even when complementarily rotated. In addition, when the plug is only partially inserted, a short circuit can be avoided because there is no terminal nearby. In the case of the earphone microphone, since the ground section is second from the base section, problems in the terminal can be prevented.

A thirty seventh feature relates to the grounding contact of the plug and the contact for clock signal transmission, which are electrically separated.

According to this structure, by detecting the resistance value between the contacts, it is possible to inform the portable information terminal that the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal.

A thirty-ninth feature relates to a digital camera having an insertion section for inserting a cable to facilitate carrying the camera by inserting through an insertion section using a strip-shaped object.

The forty feature is a movable member supporting the plug to be movable with the plug, freely movable along the longitudinal axis of the plug, allowing the plug to be housed in the digital camera body so that the plug can be received in the body itself. The present invention relates to a digital camera for a portable information terminal having a guide section for supporting a movable member.

A forty-first aspect relates to a lens cover of a camera for protecting a lens of a digital camera, wherein the lens cover can be separated from the lens by moving with the movable member, so that the lens can be protected from dust and impact.

In a digital camera having such a structure, by connecting the plug and the portable information terminal using a cable having a first terminal for electrically connecting to the plug and a second terminal for transmitting information output from the plug, the camera is not only vertical. It can also be moved horizontally. Thus, the image can be recorded over a wider range.

A forty-second aspect relates to a portable digital camera / information terminal system comprising a portable information terminal according to the eighteenth aspect and a digital camera for the portable information terminal according to the thirty sixth aspect connected to the portable information terminal.

According to the structure of the thirty-seventh feature connected to the portable information terminal according to the twenty-fourth aspect and the portable information terminal, the digital information is connected to the portable information terminal by detecting a resistance value between the contacts. You can inform.

A forty-fourth aspect is directed to a portable information terminal having a contact for data reception and a contact for clock signal transmission.

According to this structure, image data can be input from the digital camera to the portable information terminal by a simple method. In addition, by using a predetermined earphone jack provided in a conventional portable telephone for data receiving contacts and clock signal transmission contacts, it is not necessary to provide new terminals.

A forty-fifth aspect relates to a portable information terminal further comprising a contact for data transmission. This provides a data transmission contact and allows the portable information terminal to operate the digital camera by connecting a data reception contact of the digital camera. By doing so, bidirectional data transmission is possible. In addition, since the earphone jack of the conventional portable information terminal has four channels, such earphone jack can be employed for the present use, even when a contact for data reception is further provided to be three contacts.

A forty sixth feature relates to a portable information terminal having a first digital camera connection recognition section including a control section for recognizing that the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal when a clock signal is input to the clock signal transmission contact. .

According to this structure, by simply having a clock signal input when an external device is connected, it can be determined that the external device is a digital camera.

A forty-eighth feature is a second digital camera comprising a control section for initiating generation of a clock signal when an external device is connected and recognizing that the external device is a digital camera when predetermined data is received by a data receiving contact. A clock line section having a connection recognition section.

According to this structure, the external device can be identified by supplying a clock signal and identifying data input from an external device corresponding to the clock signal.

A fifty-first feature relates to a digital camera for a portable information terminal having two contacts including a data transmission contact and a clock signal transmission contact.

According to this structure, as long as the connected device has contacts with two contacts, the image data can be transmitted to the connected device in a simple manner without using a complicated interface or the like.

A fifty-first feature relates to a digital camera for a portable information terminal having contacts for data reception.

According to this structure, data reception becomes possible, for example, the digital camera can be operated from a device connected to the digital camera.

A fifty-second feature relates to a digital camera for a portable information terminal having a control section for outputting a clock signal to an external device via a clock signal transmission contact when the external device is connected.

According to this structure, by outputting the clock signal from the clock signal transmission contact, the device to which the camera is connected can recognize that the digital camera is connected.

A fifty-fourth aspect relates to a digital camera for a portable information terminal, when the control section receives a clock signal through a clock signal transmission contact, so that the control section outputs predetermined data through the data transmission contact.

According to this structure, by transmitting predetermined data in response to the clock signal output from the connected device, the device to which the camera is connected can easily recognize that the digital camera is connected.

A fifty-sixth aspect relates to a portable digital camera / information terminal system comprising a portable information terminal according to the forty-fourth feature and a digital camera according to the fiftyth feature connected to the portable information terminal.

As described above, the portable information terminal of the present invention includes a clock signal transmission contact and a data reception contact, and the digital camera includes a clock signal transmission contact and a data transmission contact, so that mutually corresponding contacts are connected. Thereby, the portable information terminal can perform the task of identifying an external device or recognizing that the digital camera is connected, and also by transmitting the image data to the portable information terminal, the image is displayed on the display section of the portable information terminal. Can be. If there is only one data line each, it is not possible to operate the digital camera from the portable information terminal, so it is desirable to provide a memory of sufficient capacity to store image data to be transmitted from the digital camera. In addition to the two contacts, the digital camera can be operated from the portable information terminal by providing a data transmission contact to the portable information terminal and providing a data credit contact to the digital camera. In this case, when the portable information terminal recognizes that the digital camera is connected as an external device, the internal circuit of the portable information terminal can be operated from the portable information terminal by, for example, making the operation section become the digital camera operation section. So that it is switched to the service of the digital camera. Since there are at most three contacts in each, the earphone jack of the existing portable information terminal can be used as it is, and there is no need to provide a special terminal. For communication between two devices, regardless of whether they are unidirectional or bidirectional, a pacing synchronized method, typically represented by a clock synchronization serial interface and a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART), can be used. have.

A sixty ninth aspect is a terminal side detection section for detecting a transmit-ready signal indicative of a data transmit-able state transmitted from a digital camera and a reception for receiving image data transmitted from the digital camera. And a receiving section receives image data after the terminal-side detection section detects a transmission ready signal.

A sixty-third feature relates to a portable information terminal for detecting an abnormality in accordance with a reception abnormality discrimination signal included in the received image data when the receiving section receives the image data.

The sixty-fourth feature further includes a terminal-side output section for outputting a transmit-request signal requesting that image data be transmitted, and when the terminal-side detection section detects a transmission ready signal, the terminal-side output section. This transmission request signal is output to the digital camera, and the receiving section receives image data transmitted from the digital camera in response to the transmission request signal.

A sixty-sixth feature relates to a portable information terminal wherein the receiving section receives image data in one block when the transmission request signal is not blocked.

A sixty-seventh feature includes a camera side output section for outputting a transmission ready signal indicative of an image data transfer possible state to a portable information terminal, and a transmission section for transmitting image data to the portable information terminal in one block, the transmission section being a camera side. A digital camera for a portable information terminal for transmitting image data to a portable information terminal after the output section outputs a transmission ready signal.

The sixty-eighth feature has a camera side output section for detecting a transmission request notification output from a portable information terminal requesting that image data be transmitted, wherein the camera side detection section outputs a transmission ready signal; When a transmission request signal is detected, the transmission section relates to a digital camera for a portable information terminal for transmitting image data to the portable information terminal.

A sixty ninth aspect relates to a portable digital camera / information terminal system comprising a portable information terminal according to a sixty-second aspect and a digital camera for a portable information terminal according to the sixty-seventh feature connected to the information terminal.

A seventy-seventh feature relates to a method of controlling a portable information terminal to which a digital camera can be connected, wherein the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal body, and a predetermined key provided in an operation section of the portable information terminal is pressed for a predetermined period. When lost, the digital camera is placed in a recording state, and in such a state, when a key or a plurality of keys in the operation section are operated, an operation corresponding to the recording function assigned to the key is executed.

Therefore, there is no need to provide a dedicated key for the purpose of image recording, and fewer keys are required for the operation for image recording, which switches to the recording mode, in the recording mode while checking each item on the display section. Eliminate the need to operate.

A seventy-eighth aspect is directed to a method of controlling a portable information terminal, wherein the digital camera is held in a recording state and is in a recording state when one of the plurality of keys in the operation section is pressed for a period shorter than a predetermined period. The operation assigned to the pressed key corresponding to the recording function of the digital camera is executed under this condition, and in such a state, when a key of one of the keys of the operation section is pressed for a predetermined period, the portable information terminal enables a predetermined key input. It is placed in the key input enabled state.

Here, the predetermined state required by the input key relates to a state enabled by input keys such as initiating a call operation, setting a parameter for a telephone function or a data communication function, and creating a mail and phone number entry. Thus, switching between an operational state (communication mode) for communication and an operational state (record mode) for image recording becomes easy, thereby providing a user-friendly system.

A seventy-seventh feature relates to a method of controlling a portable information terminal to which a digital camera can be connected, wherein the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal body, and a predetermined key provided in an operation section of the portable information terminal is pressed for a predetermined period. When lost, the digital camera is placed in a recording state, and in such a state, when a predetermined key in the operation section is operated, an operation corresponding to the recording function assigned to the predetermined key is executed.

According to this method, by operating one key, the operation mode can be switched from the communication mode to the recording mode, thereby eliminating a key press error, thereby facilitating processing.

The eighty-eighth feature is that when the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal main body and the predetermined key provided in the operating section of the portable information terminal is pressed for a predetermined period, the digital camera enters the recording state. In such a state, when one key in the operation section is operated, an operation corresponding to the recording function assigned to the key is executed, eliminating the need to provide a dedicated key for the purpose of image recording, so as to record the image. And a control section for controlling the portable information terminal in such a way that fewer keys are required for the operation for the purpose of switching to the recording mode, thereby eliminating the need to operate in the recording mode while checking each item on the display section. And a portable information terminal to which a digital camera can be connected.

An eighty-eighth feature is that when the control section is held in the recording state and the digital camera is in the recording state and one of the plurality of keys in the operation section is pressed for a period shorter than the predetermined period, In the manner in which the portable information terminal is placed in a predetermined key input enable state when an operation assigned to the corresponding pressed key is executed, and in such a state, when one of the keys in the operation section is pressed for a predetermined period of time. A portable information terminal for controlling a portable information terminal.

Thus, switching between the operating state (communication mode) for communication and the operating state (recording mode) for image recording becomes easy, thereby providing a user-friendly system.

An eighty-eighth feature is that the digital camera is placed in a recording state when the operation section having a plurality of keys and the camera are connected to the portable information terminal body and the predetermined key provided in the operation section of the portable information terminal are pressed for a predetermined period. And, in such a state, when the predetermined key in the operation section is operated, including a control section for controlling the portable information terminal in such a manner that an operation corresponding to the recording function assigned to the predetermined key is executed. It relates to a portable information terminal that can be connected.

Thus, by operating one key, the operation mode can be switched from the communication mode to the recording mode, thereby eliminating the key press error and facilitating the processing.

In the following, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

1 shows a digital camera (hereinafter referred to simply as a digital camera) for use with a portable information terminal, and FIGS. 1A-1D are front and side views of the digital camera for a portable information terminal of Example 1-1, respectively. , Bottom view and perspective view.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the digital camera of this embodiment. The digital camera positions the top cover (2), infrared absorption filter (3), lens barrel (4) and lens barrel (4) constituting the lens system of the camera, and from the outside of the optical axis to the image element. A base plate on which a holder 5 for blocking light of the light, an anti-reflection film 6 for removing harmful reflected light, a CMOS-IC7, IC7 and other electronic components for processing image elements and image data ( 8) and a lower cover 9.

On the lower surfaces of the top cover 2 and the bottom cover 9, semi-circular cutout sections 2a, 9a are provided. Behind each cutout section 2a, 9a, support plates 2b, 9b are provided, each cutout further having respective support plates 2b, 9b each having a cutout. Here, the CMOS-IC7 may be replaced with the CCD-IC.

The plug 10 inserts the lower section of the base section 10a of the plug 10 between the cutouts 9a, 9b of the lower cover 9, assembles the parts 2-8, and the top cover. By positioning (2) and inserting the upper section of the base section 10a between the cutout 2a and the support plate 2b, it is attached to the camera body. The arrangement order in the plug 10 is the power supply contact 11a, the ground contact 11b, the clock signal transmission contact 11c, and the data transmission contact 11d from the base section 10a side. The upper cover 2 and the lower cover 9 are fixed by screws (not shown). The structure can be fixed without the use of screws.

The central axis 10b of the plug 10 has a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens (optical axis of the lens barrel) 4a. Mound section 12 is formed as part of the upper and lower cover surrounding plug 10. The mound section 12 is a portion projecting from the lower surface around the base section, which preferably has a convex shape such that the amount of protrusion gradually decreases as the tip extends from around the base section of the plug 10. Do.

Light from an image object propagating through the lens window 2c of the upper cover 2 is incident on the lens barrel 4 through the infrared absorption filter 3 and focused on the image element CMOS-IC7. The image signal accumulated in the image element is converted into an electrical signal, processed in the CMOS-IC7, and transmitted to the plug 10. Here, it is assumed that the image signal is output after correcting for white balance.

3 is a diagram illustrating a connection state of a digital camera.

The earphone jack 11 is provided on the right surface 13c of the portable telephone 13.

A liquid crystal display section 24 is disposed in front, and an antenna 13b is provided on the upper surface.

By inserting the plug 10 of the digital camera 1 into the earphone jack 11 in the direction shown in FIG. 3, the digital camera 1 is electrically connected to the portable telephone 13 and is mechanically appropriately fixed. .

Since the earphone jack 11, the two terminals for connecting the plug 10 is a circle, as indicated by the double arrow A, can be rotated 360 ^o about the shaft terminal (10b). For this reason, the lens window 2c of the digital camera 1 can be rotated in a predetermined direction in the direction A shown in FIG. 3 with respect to the front face of the portable telephone 13 having the display section 13c. . That is, the lens optical axis (image recording direction) of the digital camera 1 crossing the plug 10 at right angles can be directed in a predetermined direction within a 360 ^° rotation range with respect to the liquid crystal display section 24.

In addition, the mound section 12 provided on the lower surface of the digital camera contacts the peripheral side of the earphone jack 11 to slip this section. Thus, the distance of the projection of the digital camera 1 from the portable telephone 13 can be minimized, and the contact area for the portable telephone 13 can also be minimized. As a result, the size of the entire apparatus can be made compact, and the sliding operation of changing the recording direction of the digital camera 1 with respect to the terminal axis 10b in the connected state becomes easy.

Furthermore, the peripheral section 1a of the mound section 12 of the digital camera is spaced apart from the side surface 13c of the portable telephone 13, so that when the digital camera has a lid to the earphone jack 11, The digital camera can rotate without interfering with the lid of the earphone jack 11, so that the lid does not prevent the digital camera from being properly positioned.

Next, when the digital camera 1 is connected to the portable information terminal of Embodiment 1-1, the internal circuit configuration of the digital camera 1 will be shown in FIG. Here, the portable information terminal is represented by the portable telephone (including the PHS) in this embodiment.

In the figure, the digital camera 1 is composed of an image section 14, an AD conversion section 15, a signal processing section 16, a buffer memory section 17 and an I / F (interface) section 18. In this case, the buffer memory section 17 has a capacity to store one sheet of image, and the memory section 20 is composed of a semiconductor memory, a card, and the like. It should be noted that the image data can be output directly to the portable telephone 13 without storing in the buffer memory 17.

On the other hand, the portable telephone 13 includes an I / F section 19 for transferring data to and from an external device connected via the earphone jack 11, and a ROM and RAM including various programs and fixed data. A memory section 20, an antenna (not shown), an RF transceiver section 21 for transmitting voice signals and other data through a base station between the destination terminals, a signal processing section 22 for basically processing data, and 10 keys Operation section with various keys as in the ten-key panel, liquid crystal display section 24 displaying various data, switching section 25 switching interface section 19 according to the type of external device, memory section It consists of a CPU 26 which controls each section by executing a program stored in 20.

The interface section 19 has a voice interface (I / F) 19a and a picture interface (I / F) 19b. The voice I / F 19a responds to analog voice signals input from externally connected devices such as earphone microphones or stereo headphones, and converts such analog signals into digital signals that can be processed inside the portable telephone. Outputted data to the signal processing section 22, or converting digital voice data output from the memory section 20 or the signal processing section 22 into analog data, and converting such data to the external through the earphone jack 11; Output to the device.

On the other hand, when the digital camera 1 is connected to the earphone jack 11 as an external device, the image interface 19b ensures that the data processed by the digital camera 1 and the portable telephone 13 are compatible. That is, the image data input from the earphone jack 11 is converted into data that can be processed by the portable telephone, and the processed data is output to the signal processing section 22 or output from the signal processing section 22. The digital data is converted into data that can be processed by the digital camera 1, and the processed data is output to the digital camera 1 through the earphone jack 11.

The signal processing section 22 is a circuit that specializes in high speed processing of digitized data, such as audio data and image data, and may be comprised of, for example, a digital signal processor (DSP).

The liquid crystal display section 24 displays various menus as well as various settings of the telephone function of the portable telephone and various information related to various external devices (such as earphones and stereo headphones) when the external devices are connected through the earphone jack.

In addition, the ROM is part of the memory and stores various programs, control programs and various fixed data for executing phone functions, and the CPU 26 controls various sections of the portable telephone 13 by executing such programs. In addition, the RAM (not shown) temporarily stores data processed by the signal processing section 22, data processed by the CPU 26, and various external input data.

The switching section 25 identifies the device when it is connected to the earphone jack 11 and switches to an interface suitable for the device to which it is connected.

In particular, when the switching section 25 detects that the plug is connected to the earphone jack 11, the device type is determined by detecting a resistance value between the second and third contacts at the connected plug end, Determine the device type based on the value.

In the following, the process of identifying the external connection device by the switching section 22 will be described using a specific example of connecting the digital camera 1, the earphone microphone and the stereo headphones to the earphone jack 11.

Fig. 7 shows an example of connecting the earphone microphone plug, and Fig. 8 shows an example of connecting the stereo headphones. The earphone plug shown in FIG. 7 includes a power source contact 71, a ground contact 72, a voice data reception contact (earphone contact) 73, and a voice data transmission contact (microphone contact) 74. It has four contacts, and among these four contacts, the resistance value between the ground contact 72 and the voice data receiving contact 73 is the resistance between the ground contact 72 and the voice data transmission contact 74. It is different from the value. In contrast, the stereo headphones shown in FIG. 8 include a vacant contact 81, a ground contact 82, a contact for receiving stereo (L) voice data 83, and a contact for receiving stereo (R) voice data 84. (4), and among these four contacts, a resistance value between the ground contact 82 and the stereo (L) voice data receiving contact 83 and the ground contact 82 and the stereo R The resistance value between the voice data receiving contacts 84 is approximately the same. Note that in the plugs of earphone microphones and stereo headphones, the terminals are not isolated from each other.

In addition, in the case of the plug 10 of the digital camera 1 shown in Fig. 2, the ground section 11b is insulated from the contact 11c for clock signal transmission, so that the resistance value between these terminals becomes infinite.

Thus, the switching section 25 detects a resistance value between the contact-2 and the contact-3, and if this value is infinite, the digital camera 1 is connected, and if it is not infinite, earphone microphone or stereo headphone It is determined that this is connected, and further detects the resistance value between the two terminals described above for comparison. As a result of the detection, if the resistance value is shown to be the same, the connected device is determined to be stereo headphones, and if the detected resistance value is different, the connected device is determined to be an earphone microphone.

As described above, when the switching section 25 determines that the connected device is the digital camera 1, the I / F section 19 selects the image interface to correspond to the image data, thereby selecting the image interface 19b. Communication between the digital camera 1 and the portable telephone 13 is enabled. In addition, when the picture interface 19b is selected, an operation key (not shown) provided on the operation section 23 of the portable telephone 13 functions as a predetermined function key for the digital camera 1. Here, image data is processed serially.

Furthermore, in addition to the automatic function of detecting the connection by the digital camera 1 and selecting the image interface, the above-described switching section 25 is used when the user performs a predetermined operation (eg, mode switching). Can be made to identify that it is a digital camera 1. Also, in this embodiment, the switching section 25 can be provided on the digital camera 1 side.

Fig. 5 shows a flowchart of the process from preparing image recording to transmitting image information.

In Fig. 5A, the portable telephone 13 is in a normal operating state (S501). In this state, the plug 10 of the digital camera 1 is inserted and connected to the earphone jack 11 (S502). The current state is set to the camera mode (S503). The CPU 26 of the portable telephone determines whether the telephone operation is enabled, and if the telephone operation is enabled, the flow returns to S501 (S504). If the phone operation is not enabled, it is determined whether the digital camera 1 is enabled (S505). If it is not enabled, the flow returns to S504. If the digital camera 1 is ready to receive the image data, the image data is read in (S506).

On the other hand, in Fig. 5B, when the digital camera 1 connected to the portable telephone performs initialization (S512), the recorded image is processed and the image data is output to the portable telephone 13 via the plug 10 ( S513, S514). The flow then determines whether the camera mode is in the off-state (S515), and if it is off, the process ends. In S507 of FIG. 5A, the image output from the digital camera 1 is displayed on the liquid crystal screen of the liquid crystal display section 24. Thereafter, the flow determines whether the user has performed an operation of storing an image (S508), and if the storing operation is instructed, the image data is transferred from the digital camera 1, the plug 10, and the earphone jack 11 And via the I / F section 19, is transmitted to the portable telephone 13 (S509), and image data is stored in the RAM of the memory section 20 (S510). Then, it is determined whether the flow is an operation for transmitting the recorded image data (S511), and if a transfer operation is instructed, the process enters the telephone operation in S504 and transmits the image data. If no transmission operation is indicated, the flow returns to normal terminal operation in S501.

Next, an example of attaching the digital camera 1 to the portable telephone 13 and using the digital camera 1 will be described. FIG. 6A shows the lens window 2c of the digital camera 1 facing the recording object 27 on the opposite side of the user, while the user views the image displayed on the liquid crystal display section 24 of the portable telephone 13. It shows the case of recording. In this case, the digital camera 520 is mechanically supported as a terminal by the portable telephone 13, and it becomes possible to operate with one hand.

In addition, FIG. 6B shows the lens window 2c of the digital camera 1 facing the user holding the portable terminal device attached to the digital camera so that the user can view his image displayed on the liquid crystal display section 24. The case where one's own image is recorded as a recording target while viewing is shown.

As described above, according to the portable terminal device of the present invention for connecting a digital camera, by rotating the digital camera about the plug axis, the direction for image recording can be easily changed.

In addition, the plug 10 of the digital camera 1 is connected to the dedicated extension cable by using the dedicated extension cable 50 having the earphone jack 11 'on one end and the plug 10' on the other end. By connecting to the earphone jack 11 'of 50 and inserting the plug 10' of the dedicated extension cable 50 into the earphone jack 11 of the portable information terminal, the digital camera 1 can be adjusted completely freely. have. Further, a holder 31 is provided on the digital camera 1, and a dedicated extension cable 50 is provided through a strap hole 40 originally provided on the portable information terminal and the holder of the digital camera 1. By inserting through the 31 and inserting the plug 10 'of the dedicated extension cable 50 into the earphone jack 11', the digital camera 1 can be attached to the portable information terminal for easy transportation. The shape of the holder 31 is not particularly limited as long as the openings are large enough for the strap to pass through, and such holder may be located at any suitable place.

Also, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the knob 32 connected to the plug 10 and the handle 32 along the central axis 10b of the plug 10 can be freely moved. By providing a supporting guide 33, the plug 10 can be held together with the camera body. Furthermore, by providing a cover protecting the lens window 2c, and connecting the lens cover to the handle 32, the lens cover can be separated by moving the handle 32. Such a configuration not only positions the cover over the lens window 2c, but also makes it possible to hold the plug 10 together with the camera body.

It is also possible to provide a detector for detecting that the digital camera 1 is reversed, and to reverse the image recorded on the digital camera or on the portable information terminal.

In addition, the portable information terminal receives the positional information from the base station, so that the positional information can be attached to the recorded image, so that the position of the recorded image can be identified later.

Next, the portable information terminal of Example 1-2 will be described.

In the example shown in the embodiment 1-1, the plug 10 of the digital camera 1 is connected to the earphone jack 11, but in this embodiment, the earphone jack 11 is a connector of a universal serial bus (USB). It is connected to the to enable high-speed data transfer to a personal computer or the like.

12 shows a USB cable 100 to be used in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the connector 101 of the USB cable 100 has a shape that can be connected to the earphone jack (11). The connector 101 has four contacts arranged from the end of the first data transmission / reception contact 174, the second data transmission / reception contact 173, the ground contact 172, and the power contact 171. . The USB cable is electrically connected to the portable telephone 13 by inserting the connector into the earphone jack 11 provided on the right surface 13c (see FIG. 3) of the portable telephone from the direction shown in FIG. Is fixed. Further, by the circular cross-sectional shape for the interposer 101, the interposer 101 can be rotated 360 ^o with respect to the center line (101b) of the rotation axis as the connector 100. The

Here, the other connector 102 at the opposite end of the USB cable 100 is connected to an upstream device, such as a personal computer, so that various data exchanged between the external device and the portable information terminal are converted into voice data, image data, and the like. Text data and the like.

In addition, among the contacts provided on the connector 101, the ground contact 172 and the power contact 173 may be left empty when no power is supplied from an external device.

Next, the internal circuit of the portable information terminal of this embodiment is shown in FIG. As in the embodiment 1-1, a portable telephone (including a PHS) is used as the portable information terminal.

As shown in the figure, the portable telephone 13 has a structure similar to that of the portable telephone 13 shown in FIG. 4, but the internal configuration of the interface section 119 is different.

In this embodiment, the connector 101 of the USB cable 100 is connected to the earphone jack 11, so that an interface for matching the data output from the USB cable 100 with the data processed by the portable telephone is required. For this reason, instead of the image interface 19b used in the embodiment 1-1, the USB interface 19c for converting data output from the USB cable 100 and data processed by the portable telephone 13 is interfaced. Provided in section 119. And, when the USB cable 100 is connected to the earphone jack 11, the switching section 125 connects the output of the earphone jack 11 to the USB interface 19c, and when the earphone microphone or stereo headphones are connected The output of the earphone jack 11 is directed to the voice interface 19a.

Here, the switching section 125 is a device connected to the earphone jack 11, i.e. in this case, when the user detects that the user has operated a predetermined function of the operation section 123, for example, mode switching. The process of identifying the USB cable 100 is performed. By inputting a specific signal output from an external device via the USB cable 100 and providing another function to the switching section 125 to recognize a predetermined signal indicating that the USB cable 100 is connected, the external device is automatically Can be recognized. In such a case, the particular signal should be a predetermined signal for portable telephones and external devices.

Next, the operation of the portable telephone 113 will be described.

First, with the mobile phone 113 in the normal enabled state, the user inserts the USB connector 101 into the earphone jack 11 of the mobile phone 113 to obtain an electrical and mechanical connection, and the current state is Set to USB mode.

By doing so, a signal is reported to the CPU 126 of the portable telephone 113 that reports that the mode setting has been changed to the USB mode. Recognizing that the mode setting has been changed to the USB mode, the CPU 126 determines whether or not the USB cable is connected to the earphone jack 11. If such a connection has been made, the CPU 126 outputs a signal to the switching section 126 notifying that the USB mode is set, and the switching section 125 then uses the USB as an output interface for the earphone jack 11. Select interface 19c. When the actual data transmission is started, the data input from the earphone jack 11 is output to the signal processing section 122 via the USB interface 19c, and the signal processing section 122 processes the input data, and processed Data is stored in RAM in memory section 120 as needed.

On the other hand, from the operating section 123 of the portable telephone 113, when an instruction to transmit data is given by the user, the signal processing section 122 reads specific data from the RAM or ROM of the memory section 120, The read data is output via a USB cable via the USB interface 19c and the earphone jack 11. By doing so, the required data can be transferred to the external device via the USB cable.

Next, the portable information terminal of Examples 1-3 will be described. The portable information terminal of this embodiment has a function provided for the portable telephone 13 described in the embodiment 1-1 as well as the function provided for the portable telephone 113 described in the embodiment 1-2. That is, the portable information terminal can be connected to the earphone microphone, the stereo headphones, the digital camera 1 and the USB cable as an external device through the earphone jack 11. Therefore, the portable information terminal of the present embodiment has a voice interface 19a, a picture interface 19b, and a USB interface 19c in the interface section 219, as shown in Fig. 14, and these interfaces include an earphone jack ( 11) is switched according to the type of external device connected. Therefore, a more convenient portable information terminal can be provided.

Next, the digital camera and portable information terminal of Embodiment 2 will be described. Here, a portable telephone (including a PHS) represents a portable information terminal.

15 shows an example of the portable information terminal and the digital camera of the second embodiment. In this example, reference numeral 510 relates to a portable telephone and reference numeral 520 relates to a digital camera.

The digital camera 520 has a lens window 522 at the center of the camera body 521, and the plug 523 has a lower surface intersecting with the optical axis of a lens (not shown), for example, inside the lens window 522. It protrudes from 521a. The plug 523 has two contacts, namely a clock signal transmission contact 525a and a data transmission contact 525b, or in addition to these two contacts, a third contact, namely a data reception contact 525c, Is provided.

The portable telephone 510 has a display section 510, such as a liquid crystal display on the telephone body 511, an antenna 513, and a jack 514 on the side 511a. Jack 514 has two contacts, one for data reception, the other for two contacts for clock signal transmission to correspond to plug 523 of digital camera 520 described above, or these two contacts. In addition to the three contacts, a third contact, ie a contact for data transmission, is provided. Here, it is preferable to use an earphone microphone jack provided on an existing portable telephone for the jack.

When the plug 523 of the digital camera 520 is inserted into the earphone jack 514 of the portable telephone 510, the contacts of the plug 523 and the jack 414 contact other contacts of the same kind at specific insertion positions. To enable signal transmission. Thus, a portable combination digital camera / information terminal system is provided that is composed of a portable telephone 510 and a mechanical and electrically connected digital camera 520.

Next, a circuit configuration of the portable digital camera connection device will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16, the portable telephone 510 processes an I / F interface section 510a for data transmission with an external device, a memory section 510b for storing various data, and data through an antenna. An RF processing section 510c, a signal processing section 510d for processing the transmission / reception signal, an operation section 510e consisting of a keyboard, function keys and other keys to be operated by the user, and a liquid crystal display section 510f. A display section 512 serviced by the control unit, a control section 510g for controlling the various sections of the portable telephone 510, a clock signal transmission contact 527a for transmitting various data with an external device, and receiving data. And a jack having a data receiving contact 527b. Furthermore, by providing a data transmission contact 527c for transmitting data, data can be transmitted to an external device as required.

The control section 510 is configured as a logic circuit basically operated by a microcomputer and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The CPU performs a predetermined calculation according to a predetermined program. The ROM stores the control program, and control data required by the CPU to execute various programs, and likewise RAM is used to temporarily store and output the various data required for the CPU to execute various calculations.

The digital camera 520 includes an image section 520a having an image element such as a charge coupled device (CCD), an AD conversion section 520b for converting image data generated by an analog signal into a digital signal, and a digital camera 520. Control section 520c for processing the image data, controlling the various sections of the < RTI ID = 0.0 > I / F < / RTI > 520e, a clock signal transmission contact 525a, and a data transmission contact 525b. The buffer memory 520d has a capacity for storing one sheet of image, and the memory section 510b includes a semiconductor memory, a card, and the like.

The control section 520c is configured as a logic circuit basically operated by a microcomputer and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The CPU performs a predetermined calculation according to a predetermined program. The ROM stores the control program, and control data required by the CPU to execute various programs, and likewise RAM is used to temporarily store and output the various data required for the CPU to execute various calculations.

In addition, corresponding to the earphone jack 514 of the portable telephone, the plug 523 is composed of two contacts, that is, a clock signal transmission contact 525a and a data transmission contact 525b, but the data reception contact 525c. ), It is possible to receive data transmitted from an external device.

Next, when the plug of the digital camera 520 is inserted into the jack of the portable information terminal 510 and the two are electrically connected, processing is performed by both the portable information terminal 510 and the digital camera 520, which This will be described with reference to FIGS. 17-21.

First, when there are two contacts between the portable telephone and the digital camera 520, that is, the portable telephone 510 has a contact 527a for clock signal transmission and a contact 527b for data reception, and the digital camera 520 Will be described with reference to Figs. 17 and 18 for the case of having the clock signal transmission contact 525a and the data transmission contact 525b. In this case, there are two possibilities, one to supply the clock signal from the digital camera 520 and the other to supply the clock signal from the portable telephone 510.

<Digital camera supplies clock signal>

First, FIG. 17 shows the clock signal and corresponding output data when the portable telephone 510 and the digital camera 520 are electrically connected and a clock signal is supplied from the digital camera 520 side to the portable telephone 510 side. The timing diagram for the figure is shown.

As shown in these figures, the plug 523 of the digital camera 520 is connected to the earphone jack 514 of the portable telephone 510 at time t0, so that when the two are electrically connected, the digital camera 520 The control section 520c therein outputs a clock signal from the clock signal transmission contact 525a (see FIG. 17A), and arbitrary data is output from the data transmission contact 525b (see FIG. 17B).

According to such processing, a clock signal is inputted to the control section 510g of the portable telephone 510 via the clock signal transmission contact 527 and the I / F section 510a, and the data receiving contact 527b and I. Arbitrary data is entered via the / F section 510a. In this case, the arbitrary data means predetermined random data, and does not mean data specifically prearranged between the digital camera and the portable telephone.

Then, upon detecting the clock signal and data, the control section 510g determines whether the external device connected at this time is the digital camera 520, and the control section 510g stores the image data output from the digital camera and And input into the memory section 510b in the portable telephone 510 via data transmission contacts 525b and 527b, and display the received data on the liquid crystal display section 510f.

Here, the image data after being stored in the memory section 510f of the portable telephone 510 is freely displayed on the liquid crystal display section 510f or by a user who performs a predetermined operation using the operation section 510e. Can be deleted.

<Mobile phone 510 supplies clock signal>

18 shows the clock signal and corresponding output data when the portable telephone 510 and the digital camera 520 are electrically connected and a clock signal is supplied from the portable telephone 510 side to the digital camera 520 side. The timing diagram for the figure is shown.

As shown in these figures, the plug 523 of the digital camera 520 is connected to the earphone jack 514 of the portable telephone 510 at time t0, so that when the two are electrically connected, the digital camera 520 The control section 520c therein receives the clock signal through the clock signal transmission contact 527a of the portable telephone 510 and the clock signal transmission contact 525a and the I / F section 520e of the digital camera (Fig. 18a).

Upon receiving the clock signal, the control section 520c in the digital camera 520 outputs data in a predetermined format from the data line section 525a. For example, if " AA55 " is set as data in such a format, the digital camera 520 outputs the signal shown in Fig. 21 to the portable telephone 510 through the data transmission contact 525a. Specifically, the control section 520c outputs predetermined data of the "AA55" format to the portable telephone 510 in synchronization with the input clock signal. Thus, data of a particular format is input to the portable telephone 510 through data line section 527b and I / F section 510a.

In the above description, the predetermined data is not limited to the above-mentioned 8-bit data, and may include any type of data as long as the data can be matched between the portable telephone 510 and the digital camera 520. .

If the data acquired by the control section 510g is predetermined data, it is determined that the external device connected at this time is the digital camera 520, and the image data transmitted from the digital camera 520 is the data line section 525b. 527b is stored in the memory section 510b of the portable telephone 510, and the received image data is displayed on the liquid crystal display section 510f.

Here, the data after being stored in the memory section 510b of the portable telephone 510 is freely displayed on the liquid crystal display section 510f or deleted by a user who performs a predetermined operation using the operation section 510e. Can be.

On the other hand, when data different from the predetermined format is input or no data is input, it is determined that the external device connected at this time is not a digital camera.

In the following case, the portable telephone 510 and the digital camera 520 are connected via three contacts. That is, the portable telephone 510 has a clock signal transmission contact 527a, a data reception contact 527b, and a data transmission contact 527c, and the digital camera 520 has a clock signal transmission contact 525a, And a data transmission contact 525b and a data reception contact 525c.

In this case, there are also two methods of supplying the clock signal, that is, the digital camera 520 side supplies the clock signal, or the portable telephone 510 side supplies the clock signal.

<Digital camera supplies clock signal>

Fig. 19 shows a timing diagram for a clock signal and corresponding output data when a portable telephone and a digital camera are electrically connected and a clock signal is supplied from the digital camera to the portable telephone.

As shown in these figures, the earphone jack 514 of the portable telephone 510 is connected to the plug 523 of the digital camera 520 at time t0, so that when the two are electrically connected, the digital camera 520 The clock signal transmission contact 520c therein outputs a clock signal from the clock signal transmission contact 525a (see FIG. 19A), and arbitrary data is output from the data transmission contact 525b (see FIG. 19B).

According to such processing, a clock signal is inputted to the control section 510g of the portable telephone 510 via the clock signal transmission contact 527 and the I / F section 510a, and the data receiving contact 527b and I. Arbitrary data is entered via the / F section 510a. In this case, the arbitrary data means predetermined random data and is not prearranged data between the digital camera and the portable telephone.

Then, when the control section 510g detects the clock signal and data, the control section 510g determines that the external device connected at this time is the digital camera 520, and the I / F section to correspond to the image signal. A circuit in 510a is selected and the circuit is switched.

When the image circuit is selected, an operation key or the like provided on the operation section 510e of the portable telephone 510 functions as a predetermined function key for the digital camera 520.

Then, when the user operates the operation section 510e as a key for the digital camera, the control section 510g transmits a signal corresponding to the operation to the digital camera 520 through the data transmission contact 527c. (See FIG. 19C). Thereafter, the control section 520c in the digital camera 520 may perform various processes corresponding to the operation data, so as to execute a process designated by the portable telephone 510 of the digital camera 520.

<Mobile phone 510 supplies clock signal>

Next, Fig. 20 shows a timing diagram for the clock signal and the corresponding output data when the portable telephone and the digital camera are electrically connected and a clock signal is supplied from the portable telephone to the digital camera.

As shown in these figures, the plug 523 of the digital camera 520 is connected to the earphone jack 514 of the portable telephone 510 at time t0, so that when the two are electrically connected, the digital camera 520 The control section 520c therein receives the clock signal through the clock signal transmission contact 527a of the portable telephone 510 and the clock signal transmission contact 525a and the I / F section 520e of the digital camera (Fig. 20a).

Upon receiving the clock signal, the control section 520c in the digital camera 520 outputs data in a predetermined format from the data line section 525a (see FIG. 20B). For example, if "AA55" is selected as the data of such a format, the digital camera 520 outputs the signal shown in Fig. 21 to the portable telephone 510 through the data transmission contact 525a. Thus, data of a particular format is input to the portable telephone 510 through data line section 527b and I / F section 510a.

Then, the control section 510g determines the data, and if the data matches the predetermined data, it is determined that the external device connected at this time is the digital camera 520, and the I / F to correspond to the image signal. Select the circuit in section 510a and switch the circuit.

When the image circuit is selected, an operation key or the like provided on the operation section 510e of the portable telephone 510 functions as a predetermined function key for the digital camera 520.

Then, when the user operates the operation section 510e as a key for the digital camera, the control section 510g transmits a signal corresponding to the operation to the digital camera 520 through the data transmission contact 527c. (See FIG. 20C). Thereafter, the control section 520c in the digital camera 520 may perform various processes corresponding to the operation data, so as to execute a process designated by the portable telephone 510 of the digital camera 520.

On the other hand, when data different from the predetermined format is input or no data is input, it is determined that the external device connected at this time is not a digital camera, so that the control section 510g does not perform any specific processing.

Next, the portable information terminal and the digital camera for connecting to the portable information terminal of Embodiment 3 will be described. This embodiment will be illustrated using a portable telephone (including a PHS) as a portable information terminal.

Fig. 22 shows a block diagram of a portable information terminal and a digital camera for connecting to the portable information terminal.

In this figure, the portable telephone 630 stores or displays image data received from the digital camera 650 through a specific signal line as needed. On the other hand, the digital camera 650 is operated by the power supplied from the portable telephone 630, and transmits the recorded image data to the portable telephone 630 through a specific signal line. The portable telephone 630 and the digital camera 650, the power line L1a for supplying power from the portable telephone 630 to the digital camera 650, requests for image data from the portable telephone 630 to the digital camera 650. Connected by signal line L1a-L1c, which is a data request signal line L1b for outputting a signal and a data output signal line L1c for outputting (transmitting) a transmission ready signal and image data from the digital camera 650 to the portable telephone 630. . Here, the signal lines L1a-L1c are connected to the earphone jack 11 of the portable telephone 630.

Next, the structure of the portable telephone 630 will be described.

The telephone control section 602 has a function of detecting a transmission ready signal indicating that the (terminal detection section) is ready for transmitting image data output from the digital camera 650 via the data output line L1c, and L1b ( Terminal output section) outputs the transmission request signal to the digital camera 650 via the data request signal line, and (receive section) the image data transmitted from the digital camera 650 via the data output signal line L1c. Has the function of receiving. The telephone control section 602 also controls the on / off of the power supplied to the digital camera 650 via the power line L1a. Moreover, telephone control section 602 controls various sections of portable telephone 630. The telephone control section 602 is configured by, for example, a CPU, and performs its function by executing various programs for realizing a function previously stored in a memory section including a ROM and the like.

The memory section 604 is a memory that stores information related to various functions of the portable telephone 630, and under the control of the telephone control section 602, a telephone number according to the telephone book or image data received from the digital camera 650 Save it.

Display section 606 displays the operational status of various functions of portable telephone 630 and displays information such as the sender's telephone number and reception status at the reception time, remaining battery power, and received from digital camera 650. Image data is displayed for viewing as needed.

The power section 608 powers various sections of the digital camera 650, and the power on / off function is controlled by the operation of the telephone control section 602.

The operation section 610 is used to perform various functions when using a telephone or receiving image data from the digital camera 650, and includes alphanumeric keys for entering numbers and characters, and various functions. A menu key (not shown) for selection. It also provides a telephony function to the portable telephone 630 using a radio section 670 and includes a wireless section 670a, a speaker 670b and a microphone 670c that process the wireless signal. The structure of the wireless section 670 is the same as that of a conventional portable telephone, and detailed description is omitted.

Next, the structure of the digital camera 650 will be described.

The camera control section 622 has a function of transmitting a transmission ready signal indicating that the image data is ready to be transmitted to the portable telephone 630 via the data output signal line L1c (the camera side output section), and the (camera side). The detection section has a function of detecting a transmission request signal for requesting image data to be transmitted from the portable telephone 630 via the data request signal line L1b, and the portable telephone 630 via the data output signal line L1c. Has a function of transmitting image data. The control section 622 also controls various sections of the portable telephone 630. The camera control section 622 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and performs its function by executing various programs pre-stored in a ROM or the like to realize the function of the camera control section 622.

The memory 624 continuously stores, for example, image data recorded by the digital camera 650, and the image data is continuously stored as a picture. The image section 626 also includes an image function of the digital camera 650, includes a lens, a CCD (not shown), and the like, and records an image of a recording object under the instruction of the camera control section 622. The image recorded by the image section 626 is processed by the camera control section 622 and stored in the memory 624 as image data. Further, the digital camera 650 automatically records images at predetermined intervals, for example, under the instruction of the camera control section 622, stores image data in the memory 624, and refreshes image data at predetermined intervals. Can be.

Next, a process of transferring image data from the digital camera 650 to the portable telephone 630 will be described. FIG. 23 shows a timing diagram for transferring image data from the digital camera 650 to the portable telephone 630. As shown in FIG. The image data S1 is composed of bulk image data corresponding to one picture of the digital camera, a header, and an end marker. In this figure, when the specified source voltage P [V] is supplied from the portable telephone 630 to the digital camera 650 via the power line L1a (at time t0), the digital camera 650 starts its operation, The camera control section 622 changes the state of the output signal line L1c from the high impedance state Hiz to the H state H (igh) -state. By doing so, the digital camera 650 informs the portable telephone 630 that it is preparing to transmit image data. At this time, the camera control section 622 initializes each section of the digital camera 650, and then processes the first picture recorded by the image section 626 (process of recording the image data in the memory 624). (Interval M0). During the interval M0, the data output signal line L1c (1) is kept in the H state. When the processing ends, the camera control section 622 changes the data output signal line L1c to the L state (L (ow) -state) (here, the L section signal transmission ready signal) (time t1). By doing so, the portable telephone 630 is notified that the image data transfer preparation is completed.

The telephone control section 620 detects the L state of the data output signal line L1c and continuously outputs the designated signal to the digital camera 650 via the data request signal line L1b (time t2). Such a signal may be a clock signal (transmission request signal) C1 corresponding to the bit count of the image data S1. When the clock signal C1 is not output, the data request signal line L1b is typically set to the L state by the telephone control section 602.

In response to the clock signal C1, the camera control section 622 continuously reads the image data S1 stored in the memory 624, and outputs them to the data output signal line L1c. When the image data S1 corresponding to one picture is output, the camera control section 622 returns the data output signal line L1c to the H state (time t3), and the portable telephone 630 indicates that it is in the image data transmission ready state. Notify At this time, the camera control section 622 performs image processing of the second picture recorded by the image section 622 (including recording image data for one picture in the memory 624) (interval M1 ). When the processing ends, the camera control section 622 changes the data output signal line L1c to the L state (time t4). By doing so, the portable telephone 630 is notified that the image data transfer preparation is completed. From now on, the process between t1 and t4 is repeated, and image data is transferred as necessary. Accordingly, the camera control section 622 transmits image data to the picture terminal, and in response to the clock signal from the telephone control section 602, after the transmission ready signal (L state for the data output signal line L1c) is sent out. Image data is output.

The telephone control section 602 continuously receives the image data output for the data output signal line L1c, records the data in the memory 604, and when the image data corresponding to one picture is recorded in the memory 604, Display data on the display section 606 for viewing. In addition, if the image data from the digital camera 650 is stopped, the telephone control section 602 stops supplying the digital camera 650 with the specified source voltage P [V] (time tx), so that the digital camera 650 ) Operation so that it no longer receives the predetermined image data. By doing so, the portable telephone 630 does not supply power to the digital camera, so that battery consumption of the portable telephone 630 can be prevented.

On the other hand, if the portable telephone 630 receives a mail, for example, during image data reception, the telephone control section gives priority to the mail reception, so that the transmission of the clock signal C2 is temporarily stopped (ΔMa, ΔMb), and the clock signal C2 is divided into clock signals C2a-C2c to be output. In response to the blocking of the clock signal C2, the camera control section 622 cuts off the output of the image data S2 (ΔMa, ΔMb). And, when the output of the clock signal C2 resumes with the clock signal C2b and then C2c subsequent to the clock signal C2a transmitted just before the interruption, in response, the camera control section 622 immediately returns the interruption. Image data S2b and S2c subsequent to the previously transmitted data S2a are continuously output. According to this procedure, even when the telephone control section 602 temporarily cuts off the output of the clock signal C2 to perform a task other than image data acquisition, the blocked image data S2 continues to resume outputting the clock signal C2. Can be received.

Further, when the camera control section 622 updates (overwrites) the image data stored in the memory 624 with the latest image data at a predetermined interval (for example, 0.2 seconds), the cutoff intervals ΔMa and ΔMb become images. If it becomes longer than the update interval of data, during this interval, the image data in the memory 624 is updated by the latest image data. In such a case, as the output of the clock signal C2 is re-started by the telephone control section 602, there is a problem that the image data output from the camera control section 622 differs from the image before the clock signal blocking. Is generated. Therefore, in such a case, the camera control section 622 changes the data output signal line L1c to the H state, and notifies the portable telephone 630 that it is in an image data transmission ready state. On the other hand, the telephone control section 602 detects a transmission ready signal and interrupts the processing of restarting reception of the blocked image data S2 (restarting the clock signal C2 output). Then, when detecting a signal indicating the transmission permission state (L state of the data output line L1c), the telephone control section 602 is allowed to perform normal image data reception processing executed during the interval t1-t4. By employing such a procedure, when the clock signal from the digital camera 650 is blocked longer than the image update interval of the digital camera 650, image data reception can be resumed without any difficulty.

Referring to Fig. 24, the structure (frame) of the image data will be described. In this figure, the image data S1 includes the bulk image data 400b corresponding to one picture recorded by the digital camera 650, a header 400a including an attribute for one picture, and the image data S1. End marker 400c representing the trailing end of the.

Referring to Fig. 25, the relationship between clock signal output and output timing of image data will be described. In this figure, each bit data constituting the image data S1, i.e., S1 [0], S1 [1], ... S1 [n], where n is an integer, is the instant t2 [of the rising edge of the clock signal C1. It is output in response to 0] (t2 [0] = t2), t2 [1], ... t2 [n]. Incidentally, the interval M2 is a time interval between the instantaneous time t2 [n] of the clock signal C1 and the output time of each bit data S1 [n] of the image data S1, and the interval M3 is the width of the clock signal C1 in the H state, The interval M4 (M5) is a period (frequency) of one cycle of the clock signal C1. In addition, the clock signal C1 is output at regular intervals, but depending on the processing status of the telephone control section 602, the period may sometimes vary between M4-M5. In such a case, the output timing of the bit data S1 [n] of the image data S1 also changes accordingly (S1 [1] -S1 [2]).

Here, the structure of the header 400a is as shown in FIG. For example, the header 400a may include bulk image data such as [dummy], [image data start approval], [image width], [image height], etc. for abnormal detection in the received data to be described later. It consists of 32 bytes representing the same item as the attribute.

Here, as long as the clock signal from the telephone control section 602 is not blocked, the camera control section 622 transmits data for each item of the header 400a as image data S1 as a whole (FIG. 24). By doing so, the handshake operation previously required for each item in the header (exchanging commands to ensure that both the transmitter and receiver are in a state of initiating a transmit / receive operation) is now performed in one step. Thus, the time required for the handshake operation can be shortened.

Further, the telephone control section 602 checks an item in the header 400a of the image data S1, such as [dummy] data and [image data start approval] data having a predetermined value, thereby causing an abnormality in the received image data. Can be detected. For example, if the [dummy] data of the received image data is "552A" (hexadecimal), it is different from the fixed value "AA55" (hexadecimal) which is to be detected as normal.

27 shows an example of the data value of the 2-byte end marker 400c. In this figure, the end marker has data value as " FFD9 " (hexadecimal), and is data indicating the trailing end of the image data S1.

28 shows an example of an output sequence of image data S1. In this figure, after the header 400c, the bulk image data 400b is transmitted continuously, and the end marker 400c is finally transmitted.

Here, the digital camera 650 of this embodiment can be mounted directly on the portable telephone 630 to terminate two terminals. In such a case, there is no need to connect a cable, which provides the advantage of ease of use.

Further, the above embodiment shows an example of using a clock signal to request image data to be transmitted from the portable information terminal to the digital camera, but the data transmission technique is not limited to this case. For example, after notifying the portable information terminal that it is ready to transmit image data from the digital camera, the image data can be transmitted from the digital camera at an appropriate time. By doing so, the data request signal line between the portable information terminal and the digital camera becomes unnecessary, the interconnectivity becomes easy, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced by reducing the signal line for the connector and the cable. In addition, the contents of the header and the end marker including the image data (frame) may be appropriately changed depending on the type, function and portability of the digital camera and the portable information terminal.

Next, the portable information terminal of Embodiment 4 will be described. Here, a portable telephone (including a PHS) is used as an example of a portable information terminal.

29 shows an electrical configuration of the portable information terminal of this embodiment. In this figure, portable telephone 700 includes an antenna (not shown), an RF processing section 701, a signal processing section 702, and a 10 key section for processing corresponding terminals, voice signals, and the like through a base station; An operation section 704 with various keys, a display section 706 for displaying various data, a ROM 708 for storing various programs and fixed data, a RAM 716, an external memory interface section ( 710, a CPU 712 for overall control of the various sections, and a portable terminal interface section 714.

Signal processing section 702 encodes and decodes a voice signal, modulates a received signal decoded in RF processing section 701, outputs to a speaker (not shown), and voice input from a microphone (not shown). Circuitry that performs functions such as encoding the voice signal for the call and outputting to the RF processing section 701.

As shown in Fig. 30, the operation section 704 provided in the portable telephone body 700A includes a start key for receiving a call, an end key for ending a call, a numeric key (also for alphabetical characters), 10-key section 704A, which includes, # key, * key and other code keys, F key to turn on function, power key to turn on / off power, clear key to clear setting, mailing Various keys are provided, such as mail-dispatch keys for requests and the like.

Display section 706 displays setting and menu information for providing the telephone function of portable information terminal 700 and image information such as recording parameters to be used when camera 800 is connected to the portable information terminal.

ROM 708 stores various programs, control programs, and various fixed data for providing telephony functions.

The RAM 716 stores temporary data processed by the CPU 712 and various data input externally through the external memory interface section 710.

The camera 800 consists of a digital camera 801 and a digital camera interface section 802 and can be connected to the portable telephone 700 using an earphone jack typically provided for the portable telephone 700. FIG. 29 shows a block diagram of the portable telephone 700 connected to the camera 800, from which the clock signal is supplied from the camera 800 to the portable telephone 700 side via the control line 730, and the control line 731. Transmits the control data from the portable telephone 700 side to the camera 800, and the signal line 732 transmits the image data recorded by the digital camera 801.

The control operation for switching the operation mode is provided by the CPU 712, and this processing will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figs. The portable telephone 700 has two operating modes, a voice mode and a recording mode. The voice mode is an operation mode used when the mobile phone 700 operates as a telephone, and the recording mode operates a key of an operation section 704 of the mobile telephone 700 so that the camera can be connected to the mobile telephone 700. Enable image recording.

When the power key of the operation section 704 is operated, in Figs. 31 and 32, the operation mode of the portable telephone 700 is set to the voice mode, and the telephone function is enabled (step S300). Next, in step S301, it is determined whether the camera 800 is connected to the portable telephone 700. The identification process for the connection of the camera 800 can be performed by providing a detection device for detecting the connection of the connector to the earphone jack of the portable telephone 700, and the detection signal is accessed and used for the determination. Alternatively, such determination may be performed depending on whether a signal to be output from the digital camera 801 of the camera 800 to the portable telephone 700 side through the digital camera interface section 802 is output. Of course, other methods are also acceptable.

If it is determined in step S301 that the camera 800 is not connected to the portable telephone 700, the flow advances to step S312, and the process ends, leaving the setting in the voice mode.

Further, if it is determined in step S301 that the camera 800 is connected to the portable telephone 700, then in step S302, the communication function of the portable telephone 700 (telephone function in this embodiment) is normally used. It is determined whether the key in the designated operation section 740 has been operated. In this embodiment, it is assumed that this key is, for example, an F key.

Generally, the F key is used in combination with the numeric keys for certain functions of the telephone function, but in this case the F key is assigned to switch the voice mode to the recording mode when the camera 800 is connected to the portable telephone 700. do. If it is determined in step S302 that the F key as the mode switching key has been operated, and also in step S303, the F key is pressed during a long-press requiring that the key be pressed for a certain duration. It is determined whether or not you lose. If in step S302 the F key has not been operated and in step S303 it is determined that the F key has been pressed during a short-press requiring the key to be pressed for a duration shorter than a certain duration, , The flow advances to step S312, and the processing ends with the setting maintained in the voice mode.

In step S303, if the F key is determined to have been pressed during a long press that requires the key to be pressed for a particular duration, the flow is determined by the key in the operating section 704 of the portable telephone 700 by the camera 800. Is changed to the recording mode which allows the operation to be performed (step S304). At this point, the light reflected from the recording object is received by a recording section (not shown) of the digital camera 801, converted into image data in the recording section to correspond to the brightness of the recording object, and the image data of the recording object. Is output from the signal line 732 to the portable telephone 700 side in synchronism with the clock signal output from the control line 730 via the digital camera interface section 802. The CPU 712 accesses the image data via the portable terminal interface section 714 and then transmits the image data to the display section 706.

As a result, an image based on the image data output from the digital camera 801 is displayed on the display section 706 of the portable telephone 700 (step S305). Subsequently, in step S306, it is determined whether the F key has been pressed for mode change. If it is determined in step S306 that the F key has been operated, then in step S307 it is determined whether the F key has been pressed during the short press. If it is determined that the F key is pressed during the short press, this key functions as a shutter key, and the digital camera 801 records the image of the recording object (step S308), and the recorded still image is displayed in the display section 706. (Step S309).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S307 that the F key is pressed during the long press, the mode is shifted from the recording mode to the audio mode (step S313), and the processing ends. The state of the portable telephone 700 in the voice mode corresponds to the predetermined state required by the state of the input key. Here, the predetermined state is the state enabled by the input of a call operation, parameter setting for a telephone function or a data communication function, and input keys such as mail and telephone number entry creation.

After the still image recorded in step S309 is displayed on the display section 706, it is determined whether or not the recording process is finished (step S310). This determination may be based on assigning the end key of the operation section 704 as an end-recording key when the recording mode is activated, which determination is performed depending on whether the end key has been operated.

If it is determined in step S310 that the recording process is finished, the flow changes to the voice mode (step S311), and this processing ends. Or, if it is determined in step S310 that the recording process is not finished, the flow returns to step S306, and the above-described processing is repeated.

Here, the portable information terminal of this embodiment can be operated in a manner in which the mode is changed to the mail reception mode when the mail is received while the terminal is in the recording mode.

Also, in the present embodiment, when the camera 800 is connected to the portable telephone 700, a predetermined key in the operation section 704 normally assigned to the telephone function prevents switching between the voice mode and the recording mode. Is used as a mode switching key, and moreover, when the terminal is in a recording mode, this key can be used as a function key providing a function related to a recording operation, for example, a shutter key, but only one key for a function related to a recording operation. Instead of allocating only several different keys can be assigned to the functions related to image recording.

Further, in this embodiment, the shutter key is selected to represent a function related to an image recording operation, but is not limited to such a selection, and the key can be assigned to perform another function such as a zoom operation or setting a recording condition. have.

Moreover, before or after the change to the recording mode, the switching from the voice mode to the recording mode, or the switching from the recording mode to the voice mode, is a short press method or a long press method as long as such operation can be distinguished from other operations. Can be done by

Although the present invention has been implemented through the examples shown above with reference to the drawings, the specific structure is not limited to these examples and includes designs that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in Examples 1-1 to 1-4, although a preferred portable terminal device is shown using a portable telephone (including a PHS), the terminal is not limited to this case, so that the terminal is connected to a portable personal computer, an electronic notebook and a digital camera. Any terminal can be accommodated as long as it can be connected.

According to the first feature of the portable information terminal, since two contact points are provided for data transmission and reception, the connector of the USP cable having the same structure can be connected. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to carry the PC card normally required, and it is possible to provide a useful portable information terminal. Moreover, since data communication between the portable information terminal and the personal computer is possible without using the insertion slot for the PC card, other peripheral devices can be operated in parallel on the personal computer side.

According to the second aspect of the portable information terminal, since a power supply contact and a ground contact are provided, an external power supply is possible. As a result, the electricity consumption of the portable telephone can be reduced.

According to the third aspect of the portable information terminal, the contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of data transmission-reception contacts, other data transmission-reception contacts, ground contacts, and power contacts from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Even when the case section having the is rotated completely to function as the voltage portion, the problem of poor contact can be avoided. In addition, since there are no contacts in the vicinity, a short circuit of power can be avoided even during partial insertion. In particular, since the arrangement of the power supply contact and the ground contact coincides with the arrangement of the earphone jack contact, there is an advantage of preventing the problem on the terminal side.

According to the fourth feature of the portable information terminal, it is not necessary to provide a new connector for connecting the USB cable since the earphone jack provided on a certain existing portable information terminal can be used as the data communication terminal. As a result, the miniaturization, weight reduction and cost reduction of the portable communication terminal can be realized, and at the same time, a useful portable information terminal can be provided. In addition, since the earphone jack can be rotated 360 ^° , it is not necessary to match the direction of insertion when the USB connector is inserted, which is useful. Moreover, since no lock mechanism is provided, the lock can be released without worry.

According to a fifth aspect of the portable information terminal, at the jack terminal, a first data transmission contact, that is, a data transmission and reception contact, is used as a data line contact, and a second data transmission contact, namely, a data transmission and reception contact, is used as a clock line contact. As such, using an earphone microphone, it is possible to transfer image data generated by a digital camera, which contributes to enabling a multi-purpose portable information terminal. Therefore, the effect of providing a portable information terminal with high usability in response to diversification of user demands is achieved.

According to a sixth aspect of the portable information terminal, a circuit switching section for connecting a jack to a voice circuit or a data processing section is provided, so that the circuit for processing input and output data is switched according to an external device connected to the jack, Data processing suitable for the device can be performed. Therefore, even in the case of an external device that processes different data, the connection can be performed using one jack.

According to the seventh aspect of the portable information terminal, when the connection of the USB cable is detected, the switching destination automatically switches the contact destination of the earphone jack according to the connected device, so that processing according to various data output from the earphone jack is performed. Can be.

According to the eighth aspect of the portable information terminal, a jack having four contacts for power supply, grounding, clock signal transmission, and data transmission is provided, so that the direct connection of the digital and mechanical cameras can be achieved by inserting the plug of the digital camera into the jack. Can be installed by. Thus, power can be received from the portable information terminal, image recording is performed, and the recorded image can be transmitted to the portable information terminal.

According to the ninth aspect of the portable information terminal, the contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of data transmission contacts, clock signal transmission contacts, grounding contacts, and power supply contacts from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Even when the case section having is completely rotated to function as a voltage portion, the problem of poor contact can be avoided. In addition, since there are no contacts in the vicinity, a short circuit of power can be avoided even during partial insertion. In the case of earphone microphones, since the grounding contact is second from the base section, problems at the terminals can be prevented.

According to the tenth feature of the portable information terminal, since the jack can be used as an earphone jack, an earphone jack on a predetermined existing portable information terminal can be used as a terminal for data communication, thereby providing a new jack for connecting a digital camera. There is no need to do it. As a result, the miniaturization, weight reduction and cost reduction of the portable communication device can be realized, and at the same time, the effect of providing a useful portable information terminal can be achieved.

According to the eleventh aspect of the portable information apparatus, switching selection for connecting the selected circuit to the jack after selecting the audio circuit or the image circuit according to the signal input to the jack is provided, so that image recording is simplified by connecting the digital camera. May be initiated.

According to a twelfth feature of the portable information terminal, when the plug is electrically connected to the jack, the circuit switching section measures the resistance between the predetermined terminals of the plug, thereby identifying the connected device. Therefore, the connected device can be identified using a simple circuit structure.

According to a thirteenth feature of a digital camera for a portable information terminal, in a digital camera connected to a portable information terminal providing a jack for audio input and output, a digital camera body is provided, a plug is provided, and an optical of the digital camera lens. Arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the axis, the digital camera body has a structure that rotates on the axis of the plug when the plug is inserted into the jack of the portable information terminal. Further, when the digital camera according to the present invention is connected to a portable information terminal, the direction of the image recording can be freely adjusted, so that a digital camera that is easy to operate can be realized. Moreover, since the connection can be made using a predetermined jack already installed on the portable information terminal, it is not necessary to provide a separate method for accommodating the connection terminal, and the effect of providing a low cost product is achieved. . In addition, since the digital camera body is integrated with the portable information terminal, image recording can be performed with one hand, thereby improving convenience.

Moreover, according to this structure, the connection angle of the plug can be arbitrarily selected over 360 ^o by the axial cross section of the plug made circular, and furthermore, the angle can be adjusted by rotating the axis of the plug on the center in the connected state. Effect is achieved.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, since a plug is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the digital camera lens, a jack provided on the side of the portable information terminal generally can be connected to the plug. When the effect is achieved, the optimum camera position can be easily set to record an image while observing the display section of the portable information terminal.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, a switching section is provided in the digital camera body or the portable information terminal to provide switching between an audio circuit and an image circuit, and when the jack and plug are electrically connected, Since data is transmitted from the digital camera side to the portable information terminal via plugs and jacks, complicated initial setting operation is unnecessary. As a result, by simply connecting the digital camera, the effect that image recording can be started immediately is achieved.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, a mound section is provided near the plug periphery of the digital camera body such that when the plug is inserted into the jack, the mound section is adjacent to the periphery of the jack, When rotated, the surface of the mound section is made to slide about the periphery of the jack, whereby the digital camera can be easily rotated by sliding against the portable information terminal.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, a plug is formed to provide four contacts for power, ground, clock signal transmission, and data transmission, thereby using the power supplied from the portable information terminal. The digital camera can be operated to transmit the recorded image to the portable information terminal. As a result, there is no need for a device for powering the digital camera body, whereby the cost can be reduced, the weight can be reduced, and the miniaturization can be realized.

According to an eighteenth feature of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, starting from the base section of the digital camera main body side, four contacts are arranged in the order of a power supply contact, a ground contact, a clock signal transmission contact, and a data transmission contact. Thus, even when a case section having a large contact area functions as a power contact, the problem of inadequate contact when it is completely rotated can be avoided. In addition, when the plug is only partially inserted, the effect of avoiding a short circuit is achieved because there is no terminal nearby. Moreover, in the case of the earphone microphone, since the grounding contact is second from the base section, problems on the terminal side can be prevented.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, the grounding contact of the plug and the clock signal transmission contact are electrically separated. According to this structure, by detecting the resistance between the contacts, the portable information terminal as the connection destination is notified that the digital camera is connected. As a result, the portable information terminal can be easily notified by the simple circuit structure when the other plug is connected and when the digital camera is connected, so that the cost can be reduced and the miniaturization can be implemented.

According to a twentieth feature of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, an insertion section is provided, so that after inserting a string into the strap hole provided before the portable information terminal, the digital camera and the portable information terminal are combined, The joining of the ends of the strings facilitates transportation.

According to a twenty-first feature of a digital camera for a portable information device, there is provided a movable member supporting a plug to be movable with the plug, supporting the movable member freely available along the longitudinal axis of the plug, Since a guide section is provided for allowing the plug to be housed in the digital camera body, the plug can be accommodated in the body to facilitate portability.

According to a twenty-second feature of a digital camera for a portable information device, there is provided a lens cover for protecting a digital camera lens, the lens cover being detachable from the lens by moving with the movable member, whereby the plug is connected to the digital camera. It can be housed in the body, and at the same time, the lens can be covered with a cover to protect it from dust and impact.

According to a twenty-third feature of the digital camera connected to the portable information device, the type of external device such as a digital camera connected to the portable information terminal is determined by connecting the digital camera and the portable information terminal having mutually corresponding connection points. In addition, there is an effect that any image can be displayed on the display section of the portable information terminal by transmitting the image data to the portable information terminal. In addition, since the digital camera for the portable information terminal is mounted directly on the portable information terminal, the connection cable becomes unnecessary, and the effect of facilitating the operation of the digital camera is achieved. In addition, since the earphone jack on the existing portable information terminal can be used as it is as a jack connected to the digital camera, a dedicated terminal does not need to be provided in particular, and the cost can be reduced.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of a portable information terminal, there is provided an image data transmission contact of a plug of a digital camera electrically connected to a data receiving contact and a clock signal transmission contact of a plug of a digital camera connected to a clock signal transmission contact. Therefore, the image data from the digital camera can be simply input into the portable telephone, and furthermore, the data receiving contact and the clock signal transmitting contact can use the earphone jack provided in any conventional portable telephone, and thus the new dedicated Since there is no need to provide a terminal, the device can be miniaturized and the cost can be reduced.

According to a twenty-fifth feature of the portable information terminal, a contact for data transmission is further provided, thereby enabling bi-directional data communication with the connected device, and making it possible to enrich the functionality of the portable information device, thereby adding value. It has an effect. In addition, since the earphone jack provided on a predetermined conventional portable information terminal has four channels, as described above, even if the data transmission contact has three contacts, it is sufficient to use such earphone jack in common. Thus, data can be transmitted and received, for example, without using a high cost interface. Thereby, miniaturization and cost reduction of the apparatus can be realized.

According to a twenty sixth aspect of the portable information terminal, when a clock signal is input as a transmission contact, a first digital camera connection recognizing apparatus is provided to recognize that a digital camera is connected. Therefore, during input from an external device, when a clock is input, the determination as to whether or not the external device is a digital camera can be easily performed, and generally by using a connection terminal provided on a portable information terminal, the digital camera There is an effect that can be easily connected.

According to a twenty-seventh feature of the portable information terminal, the control section initiates the generation of the clock signal for the external device via the clock signal transmission contact of the terminal when the external device is connected, and subsequently, the first data line section is pre-set. When receiving the determined data, a second digital camera connection recognizing apparatus for recognizing that the digital camera is connected is provided, so that an external device can be easily identified, and a portable information terminal can be formed by a simple circuit.

According to a twenty-eighth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, since only two contacts are provided including a data transmission contact and a clock signal transmission contact, data transmission becomes possible as long as the connected device is two contacts. Therefore, image data can be transmitted to the connected apparatus in a simple manner without using a complicated interface or the like. As a result, expensive interfaces and the like do not have to be provided, and miniaturization and cost reduction can be realized.

According to the twenty-ninth aspect of the digital information camera for portable information terminal, since a data receiving contact is further provided, it is possible to receive data, for example, to operate the digital camera from a device connected to the connection destination. Thereby, a digital camera having high added value can be realized.

According to a thirtieth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, when the external device is connected, the control section starts generating the clock signal and outputs the clock signal to the external device. Whether the camera is connected or not is easily determined, and thus can be made by a simple circuit structure without using an expensive interface.

According to a thirty first aspect of the digital camera for a portable information device, when the control section receives a clock signal through the clock signal transmission contact, the control section outputs predetermined data through the data transmission contact, and thus, at the connection destination. Whether or not a digital camera is connected to the apparatus of the can be easily recognized, and can be made by a simple circuit structure without using an expensive interface.

According to the thirty-second feature of the portable information device connected to the digital camera, since the above-mentioned portable information terminal is connected to the digital camera, it is simply possible to identify the type of external device such as a digital camera connected to the portable information terminal. Can be. Also, when unidirectional communication is performed, the number of terminals is two, and when bidirectional communication is performed, the number of terminals is three. However, in both cases, since the earphone jack provided on the existing portable information terminal can be used, a low cost connection can be realized between the portable information terminal and the digital camera, and at the same time, the design cycle can be shortened. . In addition, since it is possible to transmit and receive data using an earphone jack, there will be no complexity related to directionality and cables, as compared to the case of transmitting and receiving data using, for example, infrared light and ES-232. It is easy to use the environment for the user.

According to the thirty-third feature of the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal (mobile phone) detects the ready state of transmission of the image data transmitted from the digital camera and receives the image data transmitted from the digital camera based on such transmission. It is unnecessary to perform confirmation of the transmission start (handshake) by transmitting and receiving predetermined commands from each other as is done, so that image data can be quickly transmitted to the portable information terminal.

According to a thirty-fourth aspect of the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal detects an abnormality during image data reception based on the received abnormal identification signal (information in the header) included in the received image data, so that abnormally received image data Errors entered and displayed in the portable information terminal can be prevented.

According to a thirty-fifth feature of the portable information terminal, by using the transmission ready signal, the portable information terminal notifies the digital camera that the image data is ready for transmission, so that the image data is not satisfied when the condition is good for the operation state of the portable information terminal. Can be entered.

According to a thirty sixth feature of the portable information terminal, all the image data from the digital camera can be received at once, so that all the image data can be transmitted, so that small data (in units of one byte) is conventionally performed. It is not divided into packets, so that the portable information terminal can receive data quickly and efficiently.

According to a thirty-seventh feature of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, since the conventional handshake operation can be performed all at once, the effect that the time for the handshake operation can be reduced is achieved. In addition, since the image data is appropriately transmitted by the digital camera after the portable information terminal is notified that the image data from the digital camera is ready for transmission, the data request signal line between the portable information terminal and the digital camera is unnecessary. The interconnection becomes simpler, and at the same time, the number of signal lines of these connecting contacts and cables is reduced, thereby reducing the production cost.

According to a thirty eighth aspect of the digital camera for a portable information terminal, a camera side detection means for detecting a transfer request signal for requesting the transfer of image data by notification by the digital camera is provided, and the camera side output means outputs a transfer ready signal. After that, when the camera-side detecting means detects the transmission request signal, the transmitting means transmits the image data to the portable information terminal, so that the effect of transmitting the image data when the conditions are good for the operating state of the portable information terminal is achieved. do.

According to the thirty-ninth feature of the portable information terminal connected to the digital camera, the digital camera for the portable information terminal is mounted directly on the portable information terminal, so that a connection cable is unnecessary, and an advantage of easy operation is achieved.

According to a fortyth feature of the control method for a portable information terminal, it becomes unnecessary to provide a key dedicated to the image recording function, so that a small number of keys necessary for the operation during image recording are sufficient, There is no need to perform the checking operation on the screen of the display device one by one in order to perform the switching and image recording operations. Therefore, since the key dedicated to the image recording function becomes unnecessary, the portable information terminal can be compactly formed. In addition, since a small number of keys necessary for the operation during image recording are sufficient, errors in the key operation are eliminated, and the operation is simplified. Furthermore, the operation of checking on the screen of the display section one by one is unnecessary to perform the switching to the image recording ready state and the image recording operation, so that the setting state is checked while watching the screen of the display section, and at the same time, the key is operated. This complexity is eliminated.

According to a forty-first aspect of the control method for a portable information terminal, the camera is set to an image recording ready state, in which state any one of the plurality of keys in the operation section is lowered for a time shorter than the above-described constant time. An operation corresponding to the image recording function of the camera assigned to a key operated by being pressed and operated under an image recording ready state is executed, and any of the plurality of keys in the operation section is pressed for a long time. When operated, control is performed to shift the predetermined key input state of the portable information terminal, so that switching between the transmission preparation operation mode (communication mode) and the image recording preparation operation mode (image recording mode) is facilitated, making the user comfortable. Can be used.

According to a forty-second aspect of the control method for a portable information terminal, an operation of continuously pressing a specific key among a plurality of keys in an operation section of the portable information terminal while the camera is connected to the portable information terminal. When this is performed, the camera switches to the image recording ready state, and in this state, and also when a specific key is operated, an operation corresponding to the image recording function of the camera assigned to the key is executed, thereby operating one key. By making it possible, switching between a communication mode and an image recording mode is possible, the error in key operation is eliminated, and operation is simplified.

In addition, since the switching to the image recording ready state and the image recording operation can be performed using one key, it becomes unnecessary to perform the operation while checking one on the screen of the display section, and the setting state while observing the screen of the display section. The complexity of key operation by checking is eliminated.

According to a forty-third aspect of the portable information terminal, an operation means having a plurality of keys is provided, and under a condition that a camera is connected to the portable information terminal, a specific key of the plurality of keys in the operation section is continuously pressed for a predetermined time. When the losing operation is performed, the camera switches to the image recording ready state, and under this state, an operation corresponding to the image recording operation assigned to the key, when one or a plurality of keys in the operation section are operated, respectively. Since the control means to be executed is provided, it is not necessary to provide a key dedicated to the image recording function, only a small number of keys necessary for the operation during image recording are sufficient, and switching to the image recording ready state and the image recording operation It is unnecessary to perform an operation of checking one by one on the screen of the display device to perform the operation. In addition, since only a small number of keys are required for the operation during image recording, an error in the key operation is eliminated and the operation is simplified. Moreover, since the operation of checking on the screen of the display section one by one is unnecessary for switching to the image recording ready state and performing the image recording operation, the complexity of the operation of confirming the setting state while watching the screen of the display section is eliminated. .

According to a forty-fourth aspect of the portable information terminal, when the control section sets the camera to an image recording ready state, and under this state, an operation of pressing one of the plurality of keys of the operation section for a time shorter than a predetermined time is performed. A predetermined key input state of the portable information terminal when an operation corresponding to the image recording function of the camera assigned to the operation key is executed and an operation in which one of the plurality of keys in the operation section is pressed for a long time is performed; Since the control is shifted, the switching between the communication ready operation state (communication mode) and the image recording ready operation state (image recording mode) becomes easy, and the user can use it comfortably.

According to a forty-fifth aspect of the portable information terminal, in a state in which an operation section having a plurality of keys is provided, and the camera is connected to the portable information terminal, a specific key of the plurality of keys in the operation section of the portable information terminal is less than a predetermined time. When the long and continuously pressed operation is performed, the camera switches to the image recording ready mode, and under this state, when a specific key is operated, the control in which the operation corresponding to the image recording operation of the camera assigned to the key is executed. Since the section is provided, switching between the communication mode and the image recording mode can be performed by operating one key, thereby eliminating an error in key operation and simplifying the operation. In addition, since the switching to the image recording ready state and the image recording operation can be performed by one key, there is no need to operate while checking on the screen of the display section one by one, so as to check the setting state while watching the screen on the display section. This eliminates the complexity of key operation.

Claims (27)

In a portable information terminal, Terminal body, A jack having a first data transfer contact for data transmission, a second data transfer contact for data reception, a power contact and a ground contact Provided with The jack can be used as an earphone jack, The contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of the first data transmission contact, the second data transmission contact, the ground contact, and the power contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Portable information terminal. The method of claim 1, And a circuit switching section for connecting the jack to a voice circuit or a data processing circuit. The method of claim 2, And the circuit switching section connects the jack to the data processing circuit when information related to the start of data transmission is input to the circuit switching section. In a portable information terminal, A jack having a first data transmission contact, a second data transmission contact, a power contact, and a ground contact, The jack can be used as an earphone jack, The contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of the first data transmission contact, the second data transmission contact, the ground contact, and the power supply contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Portable information terminal. The method of claim 3, wherein And a circuit switching section for selecting a voice circuit or an imaging circuit in accordance with an input signal to the jack and then connecting the selected circuit to the jack. The method of claim 5, And when a plug of an external device is connected to the jack, the circuit switching section measures the electrical resistance between predetermined contacts of the plug, thereby identifying the connected external device. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete In a portable information terminal, A terminal side detection section for detecting a transmit-ready signal indicative of a data transmit-able state transmitted from the digital camera; A receiving section for receiving image data transmitted from the digital camera; Earphone jack to which camera with plug for data transmission and reception can be connected Provided with The receiving section receives image data after the terminal-side detection section detects a transmission ready signal; The jack can be used as an earphone jack, The contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of the first data transmission contact, the second data transmission contact, the ground contact, and the power contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Portable information terminal. The method of claim 18, And the reception section detects an abnormality in accordance with a reception abnormality discrimination signal included in the received image data when the reception section receives image data. The method of claim 18, Further comprising a terminal side output section for outputting a transmit-request signal requesting to transmit the image data, When the terminal side detection section detects the transmission ready signal, the terminal side output section outputs the transmission request signal to the digital camera, and the reception section is transmitted from the digital camera in response to the transmission request signal. To receive image data Portable information terminal. The method of claim 20, And the receiving section receives image data in one block when the transmission request signal is not blocked. A method of controlling a portable information terminal to which a digital camera can be connected, the method comprising: A camera having a plug for transmitting and receiving data can be connected to the earphone jack of the portable information terminal main body, and the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal main body, and a predetermined key provided in an operation section of the portable information terminal is predetermined. When pressed, the digital camera is placed in a recording state, in which state an operation corresponding to a recording function assigned to the key when one key or a plurality of keys in the operation section is operated. Will run, The jack can be used as an earphone jack, The contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of the first data transmission contact, the second data transmission contact, the ground contact, and the power contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Control method of a portable information terminal. The method of claim 22, The digital camera is placed and held in the recording state, and corresponds to the recording function of the digital camera under the recording state when one of the plurality of keys in the operation section is pressed for a period shorter than the predetermined period. The operation assigned to the pressed key is executed, and in such a state, when one of the keys of the operation section has been pressed for the predetermined period, the portable information terminal enters a predetermined key input enable state (key control method of a portable information terminal which is placed in an input enabled state. A method of controlling a portable information terminal to which a digital camera can be connected, the method comprising: A camera having a plug for data transmission and reception may be connected to the earphone jack of the portable information terminal main body, wherein the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal main body, and a predetermined key provided in an operation section of the portable information terminal is predetermined. Is pressed, the digital camera is placed in a recording state, and in such a state, when a predetermined key in the operation section is operated, an operation corresponding to the recording function assigned to the predetermined key is executed, The jack can be used as an earphone jack, The contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of the first data transmission contact, the second data transmission contact, the ground contact, and the power contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Control method of a portable information terminal. In a portable information terminal to which a digital camera can be connected, An action section having a plurality of keys, If the digital camera is connected to the portable information terminal body and the predetermined key provided in the operation section of the portable information terminal is pressed for a predetermined period, the digital camera is placed in a recording state, and in such a state, in the operation section A control section for controlling the portable information terminal in such a manner that when one key of is operated, an operation corresponding to a recording function assigned to the key is executed; Earphone jack to which camera with plug for data transmission and reception can be connected Provided with The jack can be used as an earphone jack, The contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of the first data transmission contact, the second data transmission contact, the ground contact, and the power contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Portable information terminal. The method of claim 25, The control section is configured to hold the digital camera under the recording state when the digital camera is placed and maintained in the recording state and one of the plurality of keys in the operation section is pressed for a period shorter than the predetermined period. The operation assigned to the pressed key corresponding to the recording function of is executed, and in such a state, when one of the keys in the operation section is pressed for the predetermined period, the portable information terminal inputs a predetermined key. And a portable information terminal for controlling the portable information terminal in a manner of being in an enabled state. In a portable information terminal to which a digital camera can be connected, An action section having a plurality of keys, When the camera is connected to the portable information terminal body and the predetermined key provided in the operation section of the portable information terminal is pressed for a predetermined period of time, the digital camera is placed in a recording state, and in such a state, in the operation section A control section for controlling the portable information terminal when a predetermined key is operated in such a manner that an operation corresponding to a recording function assigned to the predetermined key is executed; Earphone jack to which camera with plug for data transmission and reception can be connected Provided with The jack can be used as an earphone jack, The contacts of the jack are arranged in the order of the first data transmission contact, the second data transmission contact, the ground contact, and the power contact from the inside of the terminal body to the outside. Portable information terminal.

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