ACCESSORY FOR PORTABLE TERMINAL

Abstract

The present invention includes: a connecting plug configured to be connected to the quadripolar input/output interface of a portable terminal, and to transmit or receive output or input signals; and a function unit configured to be supplied with operating power from the portable terminal via the connecting plug, and to perform an intrinsic function; wherein the connecting plug includes a first pole configured to come into contact with the first output terminal of the portable terminal; a second pole configured to come into contact with the second output terminal of the portable terminal; a third pole configured to come into contact with the microphone terminal of the portable terminal; and a fourth pole configured to come into contact with the ground terminal of the portable terminal; and wherein the function unit is supplied with operating power via any one of the first pole, the second pole, and the third pole.

Claims

1. An accessory for a portable terminal, the accessory comprising: a connecting plug configured to be connected to a quadripolar input/output interface of a portable terminal, and to transmit or receive output or input signals via the portable terminal; and a function unit configured to receive operating power from the portable terminal via the connecting plug, and to perform an intrinsic function; wherein the connecting plug comprises a first pole configured to come into contact with a first output terminal of the portable terminal; a second pole configured to come into contact with a second output terminal of the portable terminal; a third pole configured to come into contact with a microphone terminal of the portable terminal; and a fourth pole configured to come into contact with a ground terminal of the portable terminal; and wherein the function unit receives operating power from the portable terminal via any one of the first pole, the second pole, and the third pole.

2. The accessory for a portable terminal of claim 1, further comprising: a first switching unit configured to selectively open or close a path through which operating power is supplied from the first pole to the function unit; a second switching unit configured to selectively open or close a path through which operating power is supplied from the second pole to the function unit; and a third switching unit configured to selectively open or close a path through which operating power is supplied from the third pole to the function unit.

3. The accessory for a portable terminal of claim 2, wherein each of the switching units is turned on in response to operating power provided by the portable terminal.

4. The accessory for a portable terminal of claim 1, further comprising: a first speaker configured to output a sound signal applied from the first pole; a second speaker configured to output a sound signal applied from the second pole; and a microphone configured to apply an input voice signal to the third pole.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 shows the connection manner of an accessory for a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 shows the quadripolar configuration of a connecting plug according to an embodiment of the present invention as an example; and

[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of an accessory for a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

MODE FOR INVENTION

[0018] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Descriptions of well-known technical parts will be omitted or abridged for brevity of description.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, components according to an embodiment of an accessory 100 for a portable terminal of the present invention are now described. The accessory 100 for a portable terminal of the present invention includes: a connecting plug 110; and a function unit 120.

[0020] The connecting plug 110 is connected to the quadripolar input/output interface 220 of the portable terminal 200, and transmits and receives input and output signals via the portable terminal 200.

[0021] In this case, the portable terminal 200 includes the quadripolar input/output interface 220 so that devices having a quadripolar plug, such as earphones, can be connected thereto and then function. As shown in FIG. 1, the accessory 100 for a portable terminal may be provided in the form of a quadripolar plug to be connected to the quadripolar input/output interface 220 via the connecting plug 110 and to transmit or receive output or input signals.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting plug 110 includes a first pole 111, a second pole 112, a third pole 113, and a fourth pole 114, and the quadripolar input/output interface 220 includes a first output terminal 221, a second output terminal 222, a microphone terminal 223, and a ground terminal 224.

[0023] The connecting plug 110 configured as described above is inserted into the quadripolar input/output interface 220, and thus the first pole 111 is connected to the first output terminal 221, the second pole 112 is connected to the second output terminal 222, the third pole 113 is connected to the microphone terminal 223, and the fourth pole 114 is connected to the ground terminal 224, thereby enabling the transmission and reception of the input and output signals of the portable terminal 200 and the accessory 100 for a portable terminal.

[0024] The function unit 120 receives operating power from the portable terminal 200, and performs an intrinsic function that is possessed by the accessory 100 for a portable terminal. In this case, the function unit 120 may vary according to the type of accessory 100 for a portable terminal in various manners.

[0025] For example, the function unit 120 may perform a function of Active Noise Control (ANC) via an operation of amplifying and converting a voice signal, an operation of outputting a cancellation sound so as to remove noise, or the like, or may perform a multimedia playback operation in the case of a media player. Furthermore, the function unit 120 may be a device, such as a lighting device, a sensor, or the like, in which case the function unit 120 may perform an operation, such as an operation of emitting light, the sensing function of the sensor, or the like.

[0026] In this case, the function unit 120 requires operating power used to perform a function varying according to the type of accessory 100 for a portable terminal. The operating power is transferred from the power supply 210 of the portable terminal 100 through a conducting line, formed by contact between the quadripolar input/output interface 220 and the connecting plug 110, to the function unit 120 of the accessory 100 for a portable terminal.

[0027] In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, a path for operating power extending from the power supply 210 to the function unit 120 is implemented as any one of a signal line formed by contact between the first pole 111 and the first output terminal 221, a signal line formed by contact between the second pole 112 and the second output terminal 222, and a signal line formed by contact between the third pole 113 and the microphone terminal 223.

[0028] Furthermore, the accessory 100 for a portable terminal further includes switching units 131, 132 and 133 configured to maintain connection to the function unit 220 in a turned-off state so that input signals received by the individual poles 111, 112 and 113 of the connecting plug 110 can be prevented from being transferred to the function unit 220 before operating power is applied from the power supply 210 of the portable terminal 200.

[0029] That is to say, the individual switching units 131, 132 and 133 function to selectively open or dose paths through which operating power is supplied from the individual pones 111, 112 and 113 to the function unit 120.

[0030] The switching units 131, 132 and 133 include: a first switching unit 131 configured to connect the function unit 120 and the first pole 111; a second switching unit 132 configured to connect the function unit 120 and the second pole 112; and a third switching unit 133 configured to connect the function unit 120 and the third pole 113.

[0031] In this case, the individual switching units 131, 132 and 133 are turned on in response to the operating power provided by the portable terminal 200.

[0032] Furthermore, the portable terminal 200 provides a power supply line configured to transfer operating power from the power supply 210 so that the power supply line can be connected and transfer the operating power to one of the first output terminal 221, the second output terminal 222, and the microphone terminal 223. Power switches 230 are provided at connection points each adapted to connect each of the terminals 221, 222 and 223 inside the portable terminal 200 to the power supply 210, and thus the switches are each turned on only when operating power is applied and only one of the three terminals 221, 222 and 223 is connected to the power supply 210.

[0033] That is to say, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply 210 turns on the power switch 230 for any one of the first output terminal 221, second output terminal 222 and microphone terminal 223 of the quadripolar input/output interface 220, is connected thereto, and supplies operating power. The transferred operating power is applied to the accessory 100 for a portable terminal via a part of the first pole 111, second pole 112 and third pole 113 of the connecting plug 110 that comes into contact with the quadripolar input/output interface 220 to which the power supply 210 is connected. Thereafter, the pole 111, 112 or 113 of the connecting plug 110 having received the operating power forms a signal line, adapted to supply the operating power to the function unit 120, by turning on the switching unit 131, 132 or 133 connected thereto.

[0034] In this case, the remaining signal lines not having received the operating power receive input signals adapted to perform basic functions exclusive of the transfer of the operating power.

[0035] Accordingly, the accessory 100 for a portable terminal of the present invention further includes: a first speaker 140 configured to output a sound signal applied by the first pole 111; a second speaker 150 configured to output a sound signal applied by the second pole 112; and a microphone 160 configured to apply a voice signal input via the third pole 113.

[0036] That is to say, the individual switching units 131, 132 and 133 normally maintain a state of being turned off because operating power is not applied. In this case, the sound signal output from the first output terminal 221 and applied to the first pole 111 is not transferred to the function unit 120 and is output to the first speaker 140 by the turned-off first switching unit 131. Furthermore, the sound signal output from the second output terminal 222 and applied to the second pole 112 is not transferred to the function unit 120 and is output to the second speaker 150 by the turned-off second switching unit 132.

[0037] Furthermore, the voice signal input via the microphone 160 is not transferred to the function unit 120 and is applied to the third pole 113 and output to the microphone terminal 223 by the turned-off third switching unit 133, thereby being transferred into the portable terminal 200.

[0038] As a result, the function unit 120 having received the operating power functions to perform the intrinsic function of the accessory 100 for a portable terminal provided in a specific form. Accordingly, the accessory 100 for a portable terminal can be supplied with power without a need for the provision of its own power supply provided inside the accessory 100 or a need for the additional design of a separate power supply line.

[0039] The embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but are intended to illustrate the technical spirit of the present invention. The scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments. The range of protection should be interpreted based on the attached claims. All technical spirits that fall within a range equivalent to the former range should be construed as pertaining to the range of the rights of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0040] 100: accessory for a portable terminal

[0041] 110: connecting plug

[0042] 111: first pole

[0043] 112: second pole

[0044] 113: third pole

[0045] 114: fourth pole

[0046] 120: function unit

[0047] 131: first switching unit

[0048] 132: second switching unit

[0049] 133: third switching unit

[0050] 140: first speaker

[0051] 150: second speaker

[0052] 160: microphone

[0053] 200: portable terminal

[0054] 210: power supply

[0055] 220: quadripolar input/output interface

[0056] 221: first output terminal

[0057] 222: second output terminal

[0058] 223: microphone terminal

[0059] 224: ground terminal

[0060] 230: power switch