JP2013135242A - Portable terminal, application software control method, application software control program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable terminal capable of preventing electric power of a battery from being wastefully consumed against user's recognition.SOLUTION: The portable terminal comprises an application start limit processing section 103 that performs start limit for reducing power consumption by at least one application software among a plurality of running application software, in accordance with a signal from a charge state detection section 16 under state where the plurality of application software are running.

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal driven by a battery (secondary battery) such as a mobile phone and an application software control method.

  As mobile phones, which are a type of mobile terminal, have improved information processing capabilities, they have various functions such as sending and receiving e-mails, browsing the web, taking pictures with cameras, and playing games in addition to the conventional call functions. It was.

  On the other hand, mobile phones cannot be used while being connected to an external power source due to the characteristics of being a mobile terminal. Therefore, a battery (secondary battery) is installed inside the mobile phone. Driven by charged power. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient duration of the charged battery. As a technique for that purpose, for example, there is a technique as disclosed in Patent Document 1 in addition to the high performance of the battery itself.

  In Patent Document 1, the backlight is lit at a lower brightness than when the user is operating when the charger is connected. However, when the charger is not connected, the backlight of the display is turned on unless the user operates. Techniques have been disclosed for extending the battery life by turning off the light.

JP 2007-243962 A (published on September 20, 2007)

  By the way, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is an effective technique in a conventional mobile phone (feature phone).

  In other words, in a conventional mobile phone (feature phone), only one application software (hereinafter abbreviated as an application) can be activated at the same time (two for some high-functional models), and a certain application is used. Sometimes, if you want to use another app, you have to start it after closing the app that was started first. Controlling the backlight, which is a relatively large number of devices, was enough to save power.

  However, recent mobile phones called smartphones use a platform based on technology cultivated in personal computers, and as with personal computers, as long as the performance of CPU and memory allows, multiple applications can be launched in multitasking, and foreground / It can be executed simultaneously in the background. Therefore, the operation rate of the CPU and the memory is higher than that of the feature phone, and the power consumption of the CPU and the memory tends to be relatively increased.

  Furthermore, especially in Japan, there is a strong demand to use various functions that have been installed in conventional mobile phones called feature phones even on smartphones. High-functional smartphones are popular.

  In such a high-functional smartphone, hardware sensors (for example, cameras, one-segment TV antennas, Felica for electronic money, GPS reception functions for positioning, acceleration sensors used for pedometers, etc.) Of course, a plurality of applications that require driving of the above can be activated by the multitask function.

  Therefore, in a high-functional smartphone, power is consumed by the above-described hardware device in addition to the CPU and memory, and there is a problem that the duration of the battery becomes shorter and shorter.

  By the way, multi-task program execution itself in battery-powered devices is a technology that has been implemented in conventional laptop computers. However, when a laptop computer is driven by a battery without being connected to a power source, the user can operate for a certain period of time. When it is not directly operated as described above (for example, when it is carried), it is almost the case that the power is turned off by the user himself or the sleep mode is set.

  On the other hand, in the case of a battery-powered smartphone, power is saved by turning off the backlight even in the sleep state, but at least power for waiting for the telephone function and mail function is consumed.

  In addition, since the display area of a smartphone is smaller than that of a notebook computer, a display screen related to a background application often does not appear on the display even when a plurality of applications are activated.

  For this reason, when the user launches and uses the next app while using a certain app, the app that was launched first is left running without being aware that it continues to drive in the background. There arises a problem that battery power is consumed unnecessarily.

  In this way, with conventional smartphones, the user's own usage wastes battery power and shortens the duration of the battery, causing the battery to run out in a short time against the user's perception. Problems began to occur frequently.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to allow a multi-task function to freely start an app when a charger is connected to a mobile phone and power is supplied. If a mobile information terminal has a multitasking function that starts multiple applications at the same time by ending apps running in the background when the is removed, battery power is consumed wastefully against user recognition An object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal and an application software control method that can prevent the battery duration from being shortened.

  In order to solve the above problems, the portable terminal of the present invention includes a secondary battery that supplies power, and a charge signal detection unit that detects a charge signal indicating that the secondary battery is being charged. A storage unit for storing a plurality of application software, and an application software control unit that reads the application software from the storage unit and controls the application software, and the application software control unit receives a plurality of applications from the storage unit. In order to reduce power consumption by at least one application software among the plurality of activated application software after the charge signal is not detected by the charge signal detection unit in a state where the software is read and activated at the same time It is characterized by performing start-up restrictions.

  In general, in a portable terminal that can be driven by a secondary battery and has a multitasking function for simultaneously starting a plurality of application software, the user cannot always recognize the application software started in the background. Alternatively, the user may forget that the application software is running. In such a case, and when the portable terminal is driven using a secondary battery, power may be consumed by application software that is not recognized by the user. That is, the battery power is consumed unnecessarily against the user's perception.

  However, according to the above configuration, when the charging signal is not detected by the charging signal detection unit in a state where a plurality of application software is read out and activated at the same time, at least one of the activated plurality of application softwares is detected. By restricting activation to reduce power consumption by one application software, it is possible to suppress power consumption due to unnecessary activation of application software when using a secondary battery.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery duration from being shortened due to the wasteful consumption of the battery power against the user's recognition. As a result, the battery duration can be increased.

  The application software control unit is configured to determine whether or not application software is activated in the background in the mobile terminal after the charging signal is not detected by the charging signal detection unit; When the background activation determination unit determines that the application software is activated in the background, it is preferable to include an application activation restriction processing unit that restricts activation of the application software activated in the background.

  Generally, a plurality of application softwares that are activated simultaneously are divided into application software that is activated in the foreground and application software that is activated in the background.

  Usually, it is difficult for the user to recognize application software running in the background. For this reason, in order to save power on the mobile phone, the user must check the application software that is intentionally running in the background, and terminate the application software that is running in the background if there is any. There is.

  However, according to the above configuration, when the background activation determination unit does not detect the charging signal by the charging signal detection unit, when it is determined that the application software is activated in the background in the mobile terminal, By restricting the start of application software running in the background by the application launch restriction processing unit, the start restriction of application software running in the background that is difficult for the user to recognize has been switched to driving by secondary batteries. Since this process is automatically performed, it is possible to suppress power consumption due to activation of application software activated in the background when the secondary battery is used without the user's intention.

  Thereby, it is possible to reliably suppress the wasteful consumption of the battery power against the user's recognition.

  When the background activation determination unit determines that the application software is activated in the background, the application activation restriction processing unit may subject all application software activated in the background to activation restrictions. preferable.

  As described above, when it is determined by the background activation determination unit that the application software is activated in the background, all the application software activated in the background are subject to activation restriction, so that the secondary battery It is possible to reliably suppress power consumption due to activation of application software activated in the background at the time of use.

  When the background activation determining unit determines that the application software is activated in the background, the application activation restriction processing unit may restrict some application software activated in the background. Is preferred.

As described above, from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption, it is preferable to make all application software running in the background subject to launch restriction, but as in the above configuration,
Some application software running in the background may be subject to launch restrictions.

  In this case, it is possible to remove the application software from the activation restriction target by designating application software that the user always wants to activate, so that convenience for the user is improved.

  Specifically, the processing may be performed as follows.

  The application activation restriction processing unit is registered in advance among the application software activated in the determined background when the background activation determining unit determines that the application software is activated in the background. It is preferable that application software other than the application software is subject to activation restriction.

  The application software activation restriction process by the application activation restriction processing unit is preferably a process for terminating the application software that is the object of activation restriction.

  In this case, by ending the application software that is subject to activation restriction, it is possible to reliably reduce the power consumed by the activation of the terminated application software.

  The application software activation restriction process by the application activation restriction processing unit is preferably a process for restricting the execution function of the application software that is the object of activation restriction.

  Here, the restriction of the execution function of the application software indicates, for example, increasing the access interval in the case of application software that accesses the server at regular intervals.

  When the power saving mode implemented in the portable terminal is executed after the background activation determination unit stops detecting the charging signal from the charging signal detection unit, the background activation determining unit performs application software in the background in the portable terminal. It is preferable to determine whether or not is activated.

  According to the above configuration, in conjunction with the mobile terminal entering the power saving mode, the mobile terminal determines whether application software is running in the background. After the detection unit no longer detects the charging signal, the application software running in the background will not be restricted immediately, so the user should check the application software running in the background. Is possible.

  For example, the user can be notified in advance that activation of application software activated in the background is to be restricted.

  As a result, the user can replace the application software running in the foreground with the application software running in the background before application startup running in the background is restricted. It is possible to change the setting of the user and improve the convenience for the user.

  In addition, as described above, the activation restriction timing of the application software activated in the background may be after a predetermined time, as described below, instead of at the time of shifting to the power saving mode.

The background activation determination unit may not detect the charging signal from the charging signal detection unit, and may determine whether application software is activated in the background in the mobile terminal after a predetermined time has elapsed. preferable.
It is preferable to further include an activation restriction releasing unit that releases the activation restriction of the application software during the activation restriction process when the charging signal is detected by the charging signal detection unit.

  In this way, application software that has been activated in the background before activation restriction can be restored by releasing the activation restriction at the timing of detection of the charge signal for application software that has been activated once. It is said.

  As a result, the user does not need to perform a restoration process on the application software for which the activation restriction process is executed, so that the convenience for the user is improved.

  The application software control method of the present invention is a method for controlling application software in a mobile terminal that can be driven by a secondary battery and can simultaneously start a plurality of application software. In the foreground, the first application software is started. A first step to be executed, a second step to start the second application software and execute it in the background, and a third step to confirm whether or not electric power for charging the secondary battery is supplied from the outside. In the third step, when it is confirmed that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside, at least of the second application software executed in the background Reduced power consumption with one application software Is characterized in that it comprises a fourth step of performing because the activation limit, the.

  According to the above configuration, when it is confirmed that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside in a state where a plurality of application softwares are read out and started simultaneously, it is executed in the background. Of the second application software that is being used, by restricting activation to reduce power consumption by at least one application software, power consumption due to activation of unnecessary application software when using a secondary battery is suppressed. be able to.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery duration from being shortened due to the wasteful consumption of the battery power against the user's recognition. As a result, the battery duration can be increased.

  In the fourth step, after it is confirmed in the third step that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside, whether application software is activated in the background in the portable terminal. A fifth step for determining whether or not the application software is activated in the background in the fifth step, and a sixth step for restricting activation of the application software activated in the background. It is preferable to include.

  According to the above configuration, after confirming that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside in the fourth step, the application software is activated in the background in the portable terminal. When it is determined that the application software that is running in the background is restricted by the fifth step, the activation restriction of the application software that is activated in the background that is difficult for the user to recognize is limited to the secondary battery. Since it is automatically performed when the drive is switched to, power consumption due to activation of application software activated in the background when the secondary battery is used can be suppressed without the user's intention.

  Thereby, it is possible to reliably suppress the wasteful consumption of the battery power against the user's recognition.

  In the sixth step, when it is determined in the fifth step that application software is activated in the background, it is preferable that all application software activated in the background are subject to activation restriction.

  As described above, in the sixth step, when it is determined that the application software is activated in the background by the fifth step, all application software activated in the background are subject to activation restriction. When the secondary battery is used, power consumption due to activation of application software activated in the background can be reliably suppressed.

  In the sixth step, when it is determined in the fifth step that application software is activated in the background, it is preferable that some application software activated in the background is subject to activation restriction.

  In this case, it is possible to remove the application software from the activation restriction target by designating application software that the user always wants to activate, so that convenience for the user is improved.

  Specifically, the processing may be performed as follows.

  In the sixth step, when it is determined in the fifth step that the application software is activated in the background, among the application software activated in the determined background, applications other than pre-registered application software It is preferable that the application software is subject to activation restriction.

  In the fifth step, after confirming that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside in the third step, the power saving mode is further executed in the portable terminal. When the power saving mode signal shown is detected, it is preferable to determine whether or not application software is activated in the background in the portable terminal.

  According to the above configuration, in conjunction with the mobile terminal entering the power saving mode, the mobile terminal determines whether or not application software is running in the background. In the step, since it is confirmed that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside, the application software that is activated in the background is not immediately restricted from being activated. It is possible to check the application software running in the background.

  As a result, the user can replace the application software running in the foreground with the application software running in the background before application startup running in the background is restricted. It is possible to change the setting of the user and improve the convenience for the user.

  In addition, as described above, the activation restriction timing of the application software activated in the background may be after a predetermined time, as described below, instead of at the time of shifting to the power saving mode.

  In the fifth step, after confirming that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside in the third step, and after a predetermined time has passed, It is preferable to determine whether the application software is activated.

  During the execution of the sixth step, when it is confirmed in the third step that the power for charging the secondary battery is supplied from the outside, the activation restriction of the application software during the activation restriction process is canceled. It is preferable to do.

  In this way, the application software for which the start restriction process has been executed once is released from the start restriction because the power for charging the secondary battery is supplied from the outside, so that the background before the start restriction It is possible to restore application software that is running on.

  As a result, the user does not need to perform a restoration process on the application software for which the activation restriction process is executed, so that the convenience for the user is improved.

  By using an application software control program in a portable terminal that causes a computer to execute each step of the application software control method described above, application software control can be executed by a general-purpose computer.

  Furthermore, in order to improve versatility, the program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

  The portable terminal of the present invention stores a secondary battery that supplies power, a charging signal detection unit that detects a charging signal indicating that the secondary battery is charged, and a plurality of application software. A storage unit, and an application software control unit that reads application software from the storage unit and controls the application software, and the application software control unit reads a plurality of application software from the storage unit and activates them simultaneously Thus, when the charging signal is not detected by the charging signal detection unit, the user can recognize by performing activation restriction for reducing power consumption by at least one application software among the plurality of activated application software. The effect of preventing the battery from running out To.

It is a schematic block diagram of the application software control part which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the mobile telephone provided with the application software control part shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control in the application software control part shown in FIG. It is a subroutine which shows the flow of the application software control process in the control shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the application software control part which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control in the application software control part shown in FIG.

<Embodiment 1>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described as follows. In the present embodiment, a mobile phone will be described as an example of the mobile terminal of the present invention.

(Mobile phone) ... Fig. 2 (Function block diagram)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the mobile phone 1 and the charger 2 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone 1 has a battery (secondary battery) 20 mounted therein, and a charging terminal 1 a for charging the battery 20 and a charging control circuit for preventing overcharging (not shown). Z).

  On the other hand, the charger 2 includes a plug and a cord for acquiring power from a commercial power source, a transformer, a rectifier, and a stabilization circuit for converting the acquired power into power suitable for supplying to the charging terminal 1a on the mobile phone side. A power supply unit (AC / DC adapter) 21 including a cord and a charging terminal (output terminal) 2a for connecting to the charging terminal 1a on the mobile phone 1 side are provided.

  The charger 2 may be a charging stand (cradle) that can hold the mobile phone 1 and may be sold as a set with the mobile phone 1 so that it can be connected to the charging terminal 1a on the mobile phone 1 side. In many cases, however, the charging terminal 1a on the mobile phone 1 side has a shape conforming to a general-purpose standard such as Micro USB and can be used in common with other mobile phones 1 in many cases.

  The charger 2 may be anything as long as it can supply power for charging the battery 20 of the mobile phone 1. For example, when the terminal on the mobile phone 1 side is Micro USB as described above, the dedicated charger 2 is used. Instead of using it, it can also be charged by connecting to a general USB device (such as a personal computer). In this case, the personal computer that supplies power and the USB cable can be regarded as the charger 2. In addition, when the mobile phone 1 is compatible, the charging may be performed using a contactless charging technique.

  The mobile phone 1 is connected to the charger 2 and has a function of detecting whether or not electric power is supplied (a charging state detection unit (charge signal detection unit 16) in FIG. 1). For example, it is possible to perform control such as changing the brightness of the backlight used in the display device 13 depending on whether or not power is supplied. This control is performed by the CPU 10 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone 1 includes a communication unit 12, a display device 13, an input device 14, various functional devices 15, and a charging status detection unit 16 connected to the CPU 10 via a bus 11. , A storage device (storage unit) 17, an operation memory 18, a storage device 17, and an operation memory 18 are mounted, an antenna 19 connected to the communication unit 12, and a battery connected to the charging state detection unit 16. 20 is implemented.

  The CPU 10 is a control unit that controls all functions of the mobile phone 1, and also exchanges data with various devices connected via the bus 11.

  The communication unit 12 realizes a basic communication function as a mobile phone such as a telephone and a mail, and also realizes a communication function such as a one-segment TV.

  The display device 13 is a small display device constituted by a flat display panel such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device. In the case of a liquid crystal display device, a backlight is provided.

  The input device 14 includes a user interface such as a keyboard and a touch panel.

  The various function devices 15 have functions such as a camera, a reception function for one-segment television, Felica for electronic money, a GPS reception function for positioning, an acceleration sensor used for a pedometer, and the like.

  The charging status detection unit 16 detects whether or not the battery 20 is charged. This detection result is sent to the CPU 10.

  The storage device 17 is a recording medium such as an internal memory of the mobile phone 1 or an SD memory card that can be attached to and detached from the mobile phone 1. The storage device 17 stores programs and data, but the basic functions of the mobile phone (functions that are always active when the power is turned on, such as the telephone function itself, e-mail, etc.) Application programs (applications) that can be activated / terminated by the user's intention, such as editing files, playing games, watching TV, etc. Software) (hereinafter abbreviated as application).

  The operation memory 18 temporarily stores a program (application software) read from the storage device 17 and is used as a working memory used when an application is executed.

  Here, when the user instructs to start an appropriate application by operating a numeric keypad or a touch panel as the input device 14, the instructed application is started. Each of these applications has a function, and each component mounted on the mobile phone 1 is driven to perform an operation requested by the user. When the user finishes using the app, the app is terminated based on the user's instruction.

  In the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment in which the multitask function is implemented, even when an application is activated, the user can (as long as the speed of the CPU 10 and the capacity of the operation memory 18 allow). ) Different applications can be started, and in this case, the application started later is generally controlled in the foreground. That is, the display device 3 of the mobile phone 1 displays a screen related to the application started later. Then, the user can input an instruction to the application that is activated later from the numeric keypad or the touch panel.

  On the other hand, the previously activated application shifts to processing in the background, and the control screen is not displayed on the display device 13 (in the case of a multi-window system, an application that is displayed but is operating in the foreground). The user cannot issue an instruction to the application unless the application is set to the foreground again, but the application continues to operate on the CPU 10. For this reason, for example, after instructing recording with an application of the 1Seg TV, the browser can be activated while recording and a net search can be performed.

  However, in the mobile phone 1 in which the multitask function as described above is implemented, power consumption increases because a plurality of applications are activated simultaneously. For this reason, in the present invention, it is possible to suppress power consumption by controlling the activation of application software. That is, the control of the application software of the present invention is realized by the application software control unit 100 (FIG. 1) included in the CPU 10.

(Application software control unit) ... Fig. 1 (Functional block diagram)
FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of the application software control unit 100.

  The application software control unit 100 reads out programs corresponding to a plurality of applications from the operation memory 18 and activates them simultaneously, and the battery 20 is charged with a detection signal from the charging status detection unit 16. In the case of a signal indicating that the application software has not been activated, activation restriction for reducing power consumption by at least one application software among the plurality of activated application software is performed. In order to realize this activation restriction, the application software control unit 100 includes an application activation processing unit 101, a background activation determination unit 102, an application activation restriction processing unit 103, and an application restoration processing unit 104, as shown in FIG. Contains.

  When receiving the application activation instruction from the input device 14, the application activation processing unit 101 reads the application program instructed from the operation memory 18 and activates the instructed application.

  In the application activation processing unit 101, when a new application is activated, if there is an application already activated in the foreground, the application activation processing unit 101 distributes the newly activated application in the foreground. Sort to start in the ground.

  When the background activation determination unit 102 receives a detection signal from the charging state detection unit 16, that is, a detection signal indicating that power is not being supplied from the charger 2 to the battery 20, the application is activated in the background. It is determined whether or not.

  When the application activation restriction processing unit 103 receives a signal indicating that the background activation determination unit 102 determines that the application is activated in the background, the application activation restriction processing unit 103 restricts activation of the application activated in the background. .

  In this case, the activation restriction of the application is performed in order to eliminate power consumption by an application activated in the background or to reduce power consumption as much as possible.

Accordingly, the application activation restriction includes at least one of the following processes.
(1) Terminate all apps running in the background.
(2) The application is terminated until the preset number of applications running in the background is reached.
(3) Decreasing the performance of apps running in the background.

  Here, what can be said in common to the above processes (1) to (3) is that a call incoming function, a mail receiving function, a clock, which are indispensable functions of the cellular phone 1, regardless of which process is performed. There are no restrictions on functions.

  Further, in the process (2), for example, it may be implemented that a predetermined number of applications such as up to two applications can be activated. Here, the priority for ending the application may be determined in advance between the applications, may be determined in the order of shifting to the background, or the user may select at that time. .

  In addition, it is desirable that a new application can be additionally started up to the number that can be simultaneously started as a limit.

  Also, in the process (3) above, reducing the performance of an application running in the background means, for example, in the case of an application that accesses the server at regular intervals, the access interval to the server is increased. It is possible.

  The application restoration processing unit (startup restriction release unit) 104 is a signal (charging) indicating that the battery 20 is being charged from the charging state detection unit 16 during the application start restriction process by the application start restriction processing unit 103. When the signal is detected, the activation restriction of the application that is being activated is canceled.

  For example, the terminated application is restarted, and the application whose function is lost is processed to return to the original function.

  Actually, a signal instructing restoration from the application restoration processing unit 104 is sent to the application activation processing unit 101, and the application distributed to the background is restored by the application activation processing unit 101. .

(Power consumption control processing) ... Fig. 3 (flow chart)
Here, the power consumption control process of the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the power consumption control process.

  First, an application activation instruction is performed by the user (step S11). In this case, the user instructs the input device 14 to activate the application.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not power is being supplied from the charger (step S12). Here, the state of whether or not the battery 20 is being charged from the charger 2 is detected by the charging state detector 16. Judge with.

  If it is determined in step S12 that power is being supplied from the charger, the multitask function is enabled (step S13). Here, the specifications of the mobile phone 1 (for example, CPU speed, memory capacity, current capacity for safety, etc.) and restrictions of the application itself (for example, when a specific application is activated, another specific application cannot be activated) Unless it is restricted by practical conditions such as, etc., it is possible to simultaneously start up an application without any limitation.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the main body power is off (step S15). If the main body power is off, the process is terminated. If the main body power is not off, the process proceeds to step S11 again to continue the process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that power is not supplied from the charger, the process proceeds to step S14 to perform application software control processing.

  That is, when it is determined in step S12 that power is not supplied from the charger, power is supplied from the charger 2 even if the charger 2 is disconnected from the mobile phone 1 or connected. Say the situation disappears. In the application software control process, application activation restriction on the mobile phone 1 is performed.

  Details of the application software control process will be described later.

  When the application software control process is completed, the process proceeds to step S15, and it is determined whether the main body power is off. If the main body power is off, the process is terminated. If the main body power is not off, the process proceeds to step S11 again to continue the process.

(Application software control processing) .... Fig. 4 (flow chart)
Here, the flow of the application software control process will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The application software control process is realized by the application software control unit 100.

  First, it is determined whether application software is activated in the background (step S21). Here, when the background activation determination unit 102 of the application software control unit 100 receives a detection signal from the charging state detection unit 16, that is, a detection signal indicating that power is not being supplied from the charger 2 to the battery 20, Determine whether the app is running in the background.

  If it is determined in step S21 that the application software has not been activated in the background, the process proceeds to step S23 to determine whether power is supplied from the charger.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that application software is activated in the background, application activation is restricted (step S22).

  Specifically, if a plurality of applications are already activated, the application activated in the background is terminated. Here, when ending, for example, if it is an editing application such as text or image, the file edited by the application is saved, and if it is a game application, the progress of the game at that time is saved. It may be. Alternatively, it is possible to implement such that the user is inquired whether or not to perform such “save”.

  Next, in step S23, it is determined whether power is supplied from the charger. If a signal indicating that power is being supplied to the battery 20 from the charger 2 is received, the multitask function is validated (step S24), and application restoration is performed (step S25). At this time, if the file or game progress that was edited when the application was terminated in step S22 was saved, the saved information is used to return to the state when the application was terminated. May be.

  In addition, when application activation restriction is being executed, until the user terminates the application currently activated in the foreground or until the mobile phone detects that the charger is connected and power is supplied again, It is desirable that the user cannot start a new application.

  By performing the above-described application software control process, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the battery continues to run in the background and battery power is wasted, and the standby time is shortened against the user's will.

  In the present embodiment, the application that is subject to activation restriction performed when the battery 20 of the mobile phone 1 is not charged has been described without any particular limitation. You may make it identify the application which continues and starts even if it removes and it starts in the background. In the following second embodiment, an example in which a user specifies an application that is not subject to activation restriction will be described.

<Embodiment 2>
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described as follows. Note that the configuration of the mobile phone 1 described in the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Application software control unit) .... Fig. 5 (Function block diagram)
FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of the internal configuration of the CPU 10 provided in the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 10 includes an exception application determination unit 200 in addition to the application software control unit 100.

  The exceptional application determination unit 200 determines whether or not the application is an application (exception application) that is specified in advance by the user and is not subject to activation restriction.

  Here, the user designates an application that is not subject to activation restriction in advance and forms a list. This list is stored in the storage device 17 and is read by the exception application determination unit 200 as necessary.

  Here, applications that are not subject to activation restriction will be described.

  Among the apps on the mobile phone 1, for example, an app that achieves the user's purpose by moving in the background when the user is carrying the mobile phone 1, such as a pedometer or navigation, or a one-segment recording There are applications such as a function and an alarm clock function that monitor a clock and start another application when a specific time comes. Since these applications are applications that the user intentionally operates in the background, it is desirable that the applications be operated in the background as they are even when the battery power is consumed.

(Power consumption control processing) ... Fig. 6 (flow chart)
Here, the power consumption control process of the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the power consumption control process.

  First, even if the mobile phone 1 is driven by the battery 20, a list of applications that are exceptions that continue to run in the background is prepared.

  First, it is determined whether or not exception application registration is performed (step S31). Here, whether or not to register the exception application is displayed on the display device 13 of the mobile phone 1 to make the user determine.

  When performing exception application registration, the user registers an application that the user wishes to continue to run in the background as an exception application even when the mobile phone 1 is driven by the battery 20 (step S32). The process proceeds to S33.

  On the other hand, when the exception application registration is not performed, the process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S33, an application activation instruction is issued by the user.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not power is being supplied from the charger (step S34). Here, the state of whether or not the battery 20 is being charged from the charger 2 is detected by the charging state detector 16. Judge with.

  If it is determined in step S34 that power is being supplied from the charger, the multitask function is enabled (step S35). Here, the specifications of the mobile phone 1 (for example, CPU speed, memory capacity, current capacity for safety, etc.) and restrictions of the application itself (for example, when a specific application is activated, another specific application cannot be activated) Unless it is restricted by practical conditions such as, etc., it is possible to simultaneously start up an application without any limitation.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the main body power is off (step S38). If the main body power is off, the process is terminated. If the main body power is not off, the process proceeds to step S31 again to continue the process.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S34 that power is not supplied from the charger,
It is determined whether or not the application to be activated is registered in the above list (step S36). Here, the exception application determination unit 200 refers to the list registered in the storage device 17 and determines whether it is registered in the list.

  If it is determined in step S36 that the application is registered in the list, the process proceeds to step S35ni, and the application continues to move in the background as being not subject to activation restriction. In this case, it is desirable that an application registered in the list can be newly activated even when another application is activated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S36 that it is not registered in the list, the process proceeds to step S37 to perform application software control processing.

  The application software control process is the same as the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  That is, also in the above processing, as in the first embodiment, when it is detected that the charger 2 is connected and power is supplied to the battery 20, the application is not limited unless otherwise restricted. Can be activated at the same time, but if the charger 2 is disconnected or no power is supplied from the charger 2 even if it is connected, the mobile phone 1 performs application activation restriction, If the application software is activated, the activation of the application activated in the background is restricted. When the application activation restriction is performed, the above list is referred to, and the application registered in the list is excluded from the activation restriction target and continues to operate in the background. In addition, even when other apps are activated, it is desirable to be able to newly activate apps registered in the list.

  For example, the following method can be considered as a method for registering and deleting the exception application in the list.

  As a first method, there is a method of registering an application in advance. For example, applications that are basically assumed to be used in the background, such as the 1Seg recording function and alarm clock function, and even if operated in the background, such as the Felica payment function, the operation time is extremely short and easy to use. This method is desirable for apps that require. For these apps, for example, the user can be asked to register the list when starting up for the first time, and the list can be automatically registered.

  As a second method, there is a method of registering a list of applications that the user wants to keep running in the background each time. Normally, there is no need to keep running in the background, but this method is desirable for an application that wants to keep running in the background for the user's own convenience. In this case, the list itself may be provided with an editing function, or the application itself may be registered in the list by the function of the application. Also, in this case, it is desirable to have an automatic deletion function from the list because it will be the same as unlimited activation when it is registered in the list. As for automatic deletion, for example, it is deleted from the list after a certain time (for example, one day), it is deleted from the list when the user ends the application, and it is connected to the charger again and power is supplied. It may be deleted from the list.

  By mounting the above functions on the mobile phone 1, only applications that the user recognizes are operating in the background, and apps that are not intended by the user are restricted from operating in the background. Can do.

  In the first and second embodiments, an example is described in which the activation of an application is restricted at a timing when power is not supplied from the charger 2 even if the charger 2 is disconnected from the mobile phone 1 or connected. However, it is not limited to this.

  For example, after the charger 2 is disconnected from the mobile phone 1 or connected to the power supply from the charger 2 even after being connected, a predetermined time elapses or when the mobile phone 1 shifts to the power saving mode. The activation of the application may be restricted.

  When application activation is restricted after a predetermined time has elapsed, for example, a step for determining whether the predetermined time has elapsed may be added between step S12 and step S14 in the flowchart shown in FIG. As this additional step, “Warning to perform“ restriction ”after a predetermined time” “Waiting for the start time of restriction (during this time, the user switches the foreground application and the background application, or changes the setting. Is possible). For example, on the display device 13, a warning message such as “restriction will start after another ○ seconds” is displayed, and the restriction is started when the restriction start time comes.

  Further, when the activation of the application is restricted when the mobile phone 1 shifts to the power saving mode, for example, as in the case where the predetermined time has elapsed, for example, steps S12 and S14 in the flowchart shown in FIG. In the meantime, a step for determining whether or not the power saving mode is executed may be added. In this case, instead of measuring a predetermined time from the time when the power supply is stopped, after the power supply from the outside is stopped, the “restriction” is started in conjunction with the power saving mode of the mobile phone 1 itself. . In this case, a power saving mode signal detection unit (not shown) that detects a power saving mode signal indicating that the power saving mode has been executed may be provided.

  The mobile phone 1 generally adopts a specification that turns off the backlight or darkens or locks the key operation when the user does not operate anything for a certain period of time. Therefore, it is possible to implement a warning such as “Restrict background apps when key is locked,” and start limiting as soon as key lock is activated.

  If such a function is implemented, the restriction does not start while the user switches the foreground application and the background application or changes the settings, so that a mobile phone that is easier to use for the user can be realized. become.

  In addition, as a timing for performing application activation restriction, after the charger 2 is disconnected from the mobile phone 1 or the power is not supplied from the charger 2 even if it is connected, the remaining amount of the secondary battery is predetermined. It may be when the value falls below.

  In each of the first and second embodiments, the example in which the application running in the background is stopped as an application activation restriction has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as described above. The performance of the application to be restricted may be reduced.

  Specifically, for example, in the case of an application that accesses the server at regular time intervals, the application performance is reduced. An application that is assumed to have a power mode may be automatically controlled to operate in the power saving mode, or may be implemented so that the restriction method is changed depending on the application.

  Such processing for degrading the performance of the application is realized by the application activation restriction in step S22 of the application software control processing shown in FIG. 4 described in the first and second embodiments.

  As described above, the present invention is an invention suitable for a mobile phone (especially a smartphone) as a mobile terminal having a multitask function that is driven by a secondary battery and simultaneously activates a plurality of applications. In addition, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), electronic books, and the like are suitable examples of portable terminals to which the present invention can be applied.

  However, as a portable terminal to which the present invention can be applied, in theory, it can be applied to any information communication device driven by using a battery. However, in view of an information communication device having a high effect of applying the present invention, charging is considered. It is normal for the device to remain on and perform some action even when the device is removed and the user is not operating (for example, carrying it) Suitable for information communication equipment.

<Program and recording medium>
Each processing unit in the application software control unit 100 of the present invention may be configured by hardware logic. Alternatively, it may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as follows.

  That is, each processing unit of the application software control unit 100 expands into a CPU such as an MPU that executes instructions of a program that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the program, and a format that can execute the program. And a storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing the program and various data.

  The object of the present invention is not limited to the case where the application software control program for realizing each processing unit of the application software control unit 100 is fixedly carried in the program memory, but the program code (execution of the program) A recording medium in which a format program, an intermediate code program, or a source program) is recorded is supplied to each processing unit of the application software control unit 100, and the program code recorded in the recording medium is read and executed. Can also be achieved.

  The recording medium is not limited to a specific structure or type. That is, the recording medium includes, for example, a tape system such as a magnetic tape and a cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk / hard disk, and an optical disk such as a CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. System, a card system such as an IC card (including a memory card) / optical card, or a semiconductor memory system such as a mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM.

  Further, even if each processing unit of the application software control unit 100 is configured to be connectable to a communication network, the object of the present invention can be achieved. In this case, the program code is supplied via a communication network. This communication network is not limited to a specific type or form as long as it can supply a program code to each processing unit of the application software control unit 100. For example, the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication network, etc. may be used.

  The transmission medium constituting the communication network may be any medium that can transmit the program code, and is not limited to a specific configuration or type. For example, even with wired lines such as IEEE1394, USB, power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line, infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth (registered trademark), 802.11 wireless, HDR, mobile phone It can also be used by radio such as a telephone network, a satellite line, and a terrestrial digital network. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a computer data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program code is embodied by electronic transmission.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be used for a mobile phone, a PDA, an electronic book terminal, or the like that has a multitask function that is driven by a secondary battery and simultaneously activates a plurality of applications.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile phone 1a Charging terminal 2 Charger 2a Charging terminal 3 Display apparatus 10 CPU
11 Bus 12 Communication Unit 13 Display Device 14 Input Device 15 Type Function Device 16 Charging Status Detection Unit 17 Storage Device 18 Operation Memory 19 Antenna 20 Battery 21 Power Supply Unit 100 Application Software Control Unit 101 Application Activation Processing Unit 102 Background Activation Determination Unit 103 application activation restriction processing unit 104 application restoration processing unit 200 exception application determination unit

Claims (20)

A secondary battery for supplying power;
A charge signal detection unit for detecting a charge signal indicating that the secondary battery is being charged;
A storage unit for storing a plurality of application software;
An application software control unit that reads the application software from the storage unit and controls the application software;
Application software control unit
In a state where a plurality of application software is read from the storage unit and started simultaneously,
When the charging signal is not detected by the charging signal detection unit,
A portable terminal characterized by performing activation restriction for reducing power consumption by at least one application software among the plurality of activated application software. The application software control unit
When the charging signal is not detected by the charging signal detection unit, in the mobile terminal, a background activation determination unit that determines whether application software is activated in the background, and
An application activation restriction processing unit that restricts activation of application software activated in the background when the background activation determination unit determines that application software is activated in the background. The mobile terminal according to claim 1. The application activation restriction processing unit
3. The application control unit according to claim 2, wherein when the background activation determination unit determines that application software is activated in the background, all application software activated in the background are subject to activation restriction. Mobile devices. The application activation restriction processing unit
3. The application restriction program according to claim 2, wherein when the background activation determination unit determines that the application software is activated in the background, a part of the application software activated in the background is subject to activation restriction. The portable terminal described. The application activation restriction processing unit
When the background activation determination unit determines that the application software is activated in the background, among the application software activated in the determined background, activate application software other than pre-registered application software The portable terminal according to claim 4, which is a restriction target.   The portable terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the application software activation restriction process by the application activation restriction processing unit is a process of ending application software that is the object of activation restriction.   The portable terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the application software activation restriction process by the application activation restriction processing unit is a process of dropping an execution function of an application that is subject to activation restriction. The application software control unit
A power saving mode signal detecting unit for detecting a power saving mode signal indicating that the power saving mode is executed in the portable terminal;
The background activation determination unit detects the power saving mode signal when the power saving mode signal detection unit detects the power saving mode signal after the charging signal detection unit no longer detects the charging signal. The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein it is determined whether or not software is activated.   The background activation determination unit does not detect the charging signal by the charging signal detection unit, and further determines whether application software is activated in the background in the portable terminal after a predetermined time has elapsed. The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that   A start restriction release unit for releasing the start restriction of the application software during the start restriction process when a charge signal is detected by the charge signal detection unit during the application start restriction process by the application start restriction processing unit; The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein In a method for controlling application software in a portable terminal that can be driven by a secondary battery and can simultaneously start a plurality of application software,
Starting the first application software and executing it in the foreground;
A second step of starting the second application software and executing it in the background;
A third step of confirming whether or not electric power for charging the secondary battery is supplied from the outside;
In the third step, when it is confirmed that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside, at least one of the second application software executed in the background A fourth step to limit activation to reduce power consumption by application software;
A method for controlling application software in a mobile terminal. The fourth step is
In the third step, after confirming that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside, the mobile terminal determines whether the application software is activated in the background. With five steps,
12. A sixth step of restricting activation of application software activated in the background when it is determined in the fifth step that application software is activated in the background. The application software control method in the portable terminal as described. The sixth step is
13. The mobile phone according to claim 12, wherein when it is determined in the fifth step that application software is activated in the background, all application software activated in the background are subject to activation restriction. Application software control method in terminal. The sixth step is
13. When it is determined in the fifth step that application software is activated in the background, a part of application software activated in the background is subject to activation restriction. Application software control method in a portable terminal. The sixth step is
When it is determined in the fifth step that application software is running in the background, among application software running in the determined background, application software other than pre-registered application software is subject to launch restriction The application software control method for a mobile terminal according to claim 14, wherein: The fifth step is
In the third step, after it is confirmed that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside, a power saving mode signal indicating that the power saving mode has been executed in the portable terminal is further generated. 16. The application software control method for a mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein when the application software is detected, it is determined whether or not the application software is activated in the background in the mobile terminal. The fifth step is
In the third step, after it is confirmed that the power for charging the secondary battery is not supplied from the outside, the application software is started in the background on the portable terminal after a predetermined time has passed. 16. The application software control method in a portable terminal according to claim 12, wherein it is determined whether or not there is any. During the execution of the sixth step above,
13. In the third step, when it is confirmed that the power for charging the secondary battery is supplied from the outside, the activation restriction of the application software during the activation restriction process is canceled. The application software control method in the portable terminal of any one of -17.   The application software control program in the portable terminal which makes a computer perform each step of any one of Claims 11-18.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the application software control program according to claim 19 is recorded.

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