JP2015177671A - Router device and router control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently control the charging processing of a battery on the router side, which is loaded on the self-router, while monitoring the charge state of a battery 210 on a connected electronic apparatus.SOLUTION: A USB control unit 120 judges whether or not a connection is made to an electronic apparatus 200 which includes a secondary battery 210 on the electronic apparatus side. A charge control unit 140 acquires a residual time on the router side and controls the charging of a secondary battery 130 on the router side. When the electronic apparatus 200 is judged to be connected by the USB control unit 120, a usage state acquisition unit 161 of the secondary battery on the electronic apparatus side acquires secondary battery use information on the electronic apparatus side and the residual time on the electronic apparatus side. A residual time comparison unit 162 compares the residual time information on the router side and the residual time information on the electronic apparatus side. Based on the secondary battery use information on the electronic apparatus side and the comparison result of the residual time comparison unit 162, the charge control unit 140 charges the secondary battery on the router side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a router device and the like, for example, to a device connected to an electronic device such as a notebook PC (personal computer) and receiving power supply from a battery mounted on the electronic device.

  In recent years, with the spread of mobile routers (mobile router devices) and portable information terminals (smartphones), the environment in which the Internet or the like can be easily browsed outdoors has increased. In particular, in business, a user can carry a laptop computer (electronic device) and a mobile router as a set, and perform data communication such as the Internet and mail even when away from home. In addition, by connecting the notebook PC and mobile router with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector, EoU (Ethernet (registered trademark) over USB) communication becomes possible, and the secondary battery in the mobile router body can be charged. it can.

  In relation to this technique, for example, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.

JP 2008-167543 A

  However, when the notebook PC and the mobile router are used outdoors, neither the notebook PC nor the mobile router is connected to the outlet. In this case, the mobile router is operated by a power source of a battery mounted on the notebook PC or the mobile router. Therefore, if power is supplied from the notebook PC to the mobile router more than necessary, the notebook PC battery will run out even when the mobile router can be used, and the notebook PC will not be able to communicate via the Internet or email. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to monitor the state of charge of the battery on the electronic device mounted on the electronic device to be connected and mount the router mounted on itself. An object of the present invention is to provide a router device or the like that can efficiently control the charging process of the side battery.

  The router device of the present invention includes a connection control unit that determines whether or not an electronic device having a secondary battery on the electronic device side is connected, and a router that is operable based on the remaining amount of power stored in the secondary battery on the router side And when the connection control unit determines that the electronic device is connected, the electronic device is connected to the electronic device side two times. The secondary battery usage information on the electronic device side, which is information on whether or not the electric charge stored in the secondary battery is used, and the remaining storage power of the secondary battery on the electronic device side of the electronic device connected to the connection control unit An electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit that acquires the remaining usage time that the electronic device can operate based on the amount, the router side remaining time information, and the electronic device side remaining time Affection The remaining time comparison unit and the charging control unit are used to compare the electronic device side secondary battery usage information acquired by the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit and the comparison result of the remaining time comparison unit. Based on this, the router side secondary battery is charged.

  The router control method of the present invention is a connection control step for determining whether or not an electronic device having an electronic device-side secondary battery is connected, and a remaining time in which the operation can be performed based on the remaining charge of the router-side secondary battery. When it is determined that the electronic device is connected in the charging control step for controlling the charging of the router side secondary battery and the connection control step, the electronic device is connected to the electronic device side. Electronic device side secondary battery usage information, which is information on whether or not the electric charge stored in the secondary battery is used, and the electronic device side secondary of the electronic device determined to be connected in the connection control step An electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition step for acquiring an electronic device side remaining time that is a remaining usage time during which the electronic device can operate based on a remaining amount of storage of the battery, and the router side The electronic device side secondary battery obtained in the electronic device side secondary battery use state obtaining step in the charge control step. The router side secondary battery is charged based on the usage information and the comparison result of the remaining time comparison step.

  According to the router device and the like according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently control the charging process of the router-side battery mounted on itself while monitoring the charging state of the battery on the electronic device mounted on the connected electronic device. it can.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure containing the router apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows simply the structure containing the router apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the router apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure containing the router apparatus in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the router apparatus in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure containing the router apparatus in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the router apparatus in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

<First Embodiment>
A configuration including the router device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration including the router device 100. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a configuration including the router device 200.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the router device 100 is connected to the electronic device 200 via a USB cable 300. Here, the router device 100 is, for example, a mobile router. The electronic device 200 is, for example, a notebook PC. In addition, an AC adapter 400 is connected to the electronic device 200. AC adapter 400 is connected to an outlet 500.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the router device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a USB control unit 120, a router-side secondary battery 130, a charge control unit 140, a power control unit 150, a control unit 160, a memory 171, a storage unit 172, an input unit 173, and an output unit 174. Note that the communication unit 110, the USB control unit 120, the router side secondary battery 130, the charging control unit 140, the power supply control unit 150, the control unit 160, the memory 171, the storage unit 172, and the input unit 173. The output units 174 are connected to each other via the HAB.

  The communication unit 110 is connected to the HAB. The communication unit 110 performs data communication with an external communication device (not shown). The communication unit 110 includes an LTE (Long Term Evolution) / 3G control unit 111 and a wireless LAN / BT (Bluetooth (registered trademark)) control unit 112.

  The LTE / 3G control unit 111 is provided in the communication unit 110. The LTE / 3G control unit 111 communicates with a WAN (Wide Area Network) side network via an LTE line or a 3G (for example, W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access)) line, and communicates with other communication devices. Data communication between the two. At this time, the LTE / 3G control unit 111 reads out the data written in the memory 171 and outputs it to the WAN side network. Further, the LTE / 3G control unit 111 writes the data input by the WAN side network in the memory 171. LTE is one of the communication standards for mobile phones, and was created by the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), which is a standardization organization.

  The wireless LAN / BT control unit 112 is provided in the communication unit 110. The wireless LAN / BT control unit 112 performs communication with a LAN using a wireless LAN or Bluetooth, and performs data communication with other communication devices. At this time, the wireless LAN / BT control unit 112 writes data input from the electronic device 200 or the like in the memory 171. In addition, the wireless LAN / BT control unit 112 reads out data from the WAN side network (data acquired by the LTE / 3G control unit 111) acquired by the LTE / 3G control unit 111 from the memory 171 and transmits the data to the electronic device 200. Output.

  The USB control unit 120 is connected to the HAB. The USB control unit 120 is connected to the electronic device 200 via the USB connector cable 300. The USB control unit 120 performs data communication with the electronic device 200 via the USB connector cable 300. Further, the USB control unit 120 determines whether or not the electronic device 200 is connected. In addition, the USB control unit 120 supplies power for the router device 200 to the power control unit 150 when connected to the electronic device 200 via the USB connector cable 300. Similarly, the USB control unit 120 supplies power for the router device 200 to the power control unit 150 when connected to the AC adapter for the router device 200. In addition, the USB control unit 120 writes data input from the electronic device 200 or the like in the memory 171 when connected to the electronic device 200 via the USB connector cable 300. Similarly, when the USB control unit 120 is connected to the electronic device 200 via the USB connector cable 300, the data from the WAN side network acquired by the LTE / 3G control unit 111 (by the LTE / 3G control unit 111). Acquired data) is read from the memory 171 and output to the electronic device 200. The USB control unit 120 corresponds to the connection control unit of the present invention.

  The router side secondary battery 130 is connected to the charge control unit 140. The router side secondary battery 130 stores the electric charge for the operation of the router device 100 under the control of the charging control unit 140.

  The charging control unit 140 is connected to the HAB, the router side secondary battery 130, and the power supply control unit 150. The charging control unit 140 controls charging of the router side secondary battery 130. That is, the charging control unit 140 controls charging of the router-side secondary battery 130 in accordance with a charging command from the control unit 160. In addition, the charging control unit 140 monitors the remaining power level (remaining battery level) of the router-side secondary battery 130 and outputs this to the control unit 160. That is, the charging control unit 140 acquires the router-side remaining time that is the remaining time during which the router device 100 can operate based on the remaining amount of power stored in the router-side secondary battery 130, and outputs this to the control unit 160.

  The power supply control unit 150 is connected to the HAB and charging control unit 140. The power supply control unit 150 controls the power supply of the entire router device 100. When the control unit 160 issues a charge stop command to the router-side secondary battery 130, the power control unit 150 cuts off the power supplied from the USB control unit 120 (for example, 5V power).

  The control unit 160 is connected to the HAB. The control unit 160 controls the entire router device 160. The control unit 160 outputs a command related to communication to the communication unit 110 and the USB control unit 120. In addition, the control unit 160 outputs a command number for charging the router-side secondary battery 130 and a command for stopping charging to the charging control unit 140. Further, the control unit 160 outputs a command for controlling the power supply of the entire router device 100 to the power supply control unit 150. In addition, the control unit 160 outputs a command for processing information input from the input unit 173 to the input unit 173. Further, the control unit 160 outputs a command for displaying information to be provided to the user to the output unit 174.

  The control unit 160 includes an electronic device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 161 and a remaining time comparison unit 162.

  The electronic device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 161 is provided in the control unit 160. When the USB control unit 120 determines that the electronic device 200 is connected, the electronic device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 161 acquires the electronic device side secondary battery usage information and the electronic device side remaining time. Here, the electronic device side secondary battery usage information is information indicating whether or not the electronic device 200 is using the charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210. The remaining time on the electronic device side is the remaining usage time during which the electronic device 200 can operate based on the remaining amount of power stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 connected to the USB control unit 120.

  The remaining time comparison unit 162 is provided in the control unit 160. The remaining time comparison unit 162 compares the router side remaining time information and the electronic device side remaining time information.

  The memory 171 is connected to the HAB. The memory 171 manages data and nonvolatile values. Specifically, the memory 171 stores non-volatile data and communication data of the router device 100, and reads / writes data according to instructions from other blocks such as the control unit 160.

  The storage unit 172 is connected to the HAB. The storage unit 172 has an external storage function. That is, when the router device 200 operates as an access point (AP), the storage unit 172 is used as an external storage function.

  The input unit 173 is connected to the HAB. The input unit 173 is provided for the user to make settings and the like. The input unit 173 notifies the control unit 160 of a control signal such as a setting change performed by a user interface (not shown).

  The output unit 174 is connected to the HAB. The output unit 174 provides various information to the user. The output unit 174 receives display data from the control unit 160 and displays it on the screen. As the output unit 174, for example, a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display device, or the like is used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 200 includes an electronic device side secondary battery 210. The electronic device 200 is connected to the USB control unit of the router device 100 via the USB cable 300. The electronic device 200 performs data communication with the router device 100 via the USB cable 300.

  The electronic device side secondary battery 210 stores electric charges for the operation of the electronic device 200.

  The configuration of the router device 100 and the electronic device 200 has been described above.

  Next, the operation of the router device 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the router device 100.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the USB control unit 120 of the router device 200 confirms the USB cable connection (S101). When the USB cable 300 is connected to the router device 200 and the electronic device 200 or the AC adapter is connected to the router device 100, the USB control unit 120 is supplied with a predetermined power (for example, a maximum of 5V / 500mA). . At this time, the USB control unit 120 notifies the control unit 160 that the USB cable 300 is connected to the router device 200. Further, the USB control unit 120 supplies power to the power control unit 150.

  Next, the USB control unit 120 confirms the connection destination (S102). That is, the USB control unit 120 acquires information indicating whether the connection destination is the electronic device 200 or the AC adapter from the USB (D + / D−) terminal, and notifies the control unit 160 of this information.

  As described above, the USB control unit 120 determines whether or not the router device 200 is connected to the electronic device 200 through the processes of S101 and S102.

  Next, when the connection destination is the electronic device 200 (S103, YES), the control unit 160 performs the process of S104. That is, the electronic device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 161 of the control unit 160 uses the USB interrupt transfer as the information regarding the operation state of the electronic device 200 via the USB control unit 120. Next battery usage information and electronic device side remaining time are acquired (S104). That is, when it is determined by the USB control unit 120 that the electronic device 200 is connected, the electronic device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 161 acquires the electronic device side secondary battery usage information and the electronic device side remaining time. Here, the electronic device side secondary battery usage information is information indicating whether or not the electronic device 200 is using the charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210. That is, it can be said that the electronic device side secondary battery usage information is information based on whether the electronic device 200 is in an operation state by power supply from the electronic device side secondary battery 210 or in an operation state by power supply from the AC adapter. The remaining time on the electronic device side is the remaining usage time during which the electronic device 200 can operate based on the remaining amount of power stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 connected to the USB control unit 120.

  On the other hand, when the connection destination is not the electronic device 200 (S103, NO), the control unit 160 performs the process of S109. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns on the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S109). Specifically, the control unit 160 first outputs a command for charging the router-side secondary battery 130 to the charge control unit 140. Then, the charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery 130 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 160.

  Next, the control unit 160 determines whether or not the electronic device 200 is driven by the electronic device-side secondary battery 210 based on the electronic device-side secondary battery usage information acquired in the process of S104 ( S105). That is, the control unit 160 determines whether or not the electronic device 200 uses the electric charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210. In other words, the control unit 160 determines whether the operation state is due to the power supply from the electronic device side secondary battery 210 or the operation state due to the power supply from the AC adapter. At this time, when the electronic device 200 uses the electric charge stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery 210, the control unit 160 also recognizes that the electronic device 200 and the router device 100 are connected.

  The control unit 160 determines that the electronic device 200 is being driven by the electronic device-side secondary battery 210 (the electronic device 200 is using the charge stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery 210). If (S105, YES), the process proceeds to S106.

  That is, the remaining time comparison unit 162 of the control unit 160 compares the router side remaining time information and the electronic device side remaining time information (S106). Here, as described above, the router-side remaining time information is the remaining usage time during which the router device 100 can operate based on the remaining amount of power stored in the router-side secondary battery 130. Further, the electronic device side remaining time is a remaining usage time during which the electronic device 200 can operate based on the remaining amount of power stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 connected to the USB control unit 120. The remaining time on the electronic device side is acquired in the process of S104. The remaining time on the router side is acquired by the charging control unit 140 during the processing of S106.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 160 determines that the electronic device 200 is not driven by the electronic device-side secondary battery 210 (an operation state by power supply from the AC adapter) (S105, NO), the process of S108 Transition to. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns on the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S108). Specifically, the control unit 160 first outputs a command for charging the router-side secondary battery 130 to the charge control unit 140. Then, the charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery 130 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 160. Then, after the processing of S108, the router device 100 returns to S104 and repeats the same processing after S104.

  When the remaining time on the router side is longer than the remaining time on the electronic device side, if the remaining time comparison unit 162 determines (S106, YES), the process proceeds to S107.

  That is, the charging control unit 140 turns off the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S107). Specifically, first, control unit 160 outputs a command to stop charging of router side secondary battery 130 to charge control unit 140. Then, the charging control unit 140 stops the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 according to the instruction of the control unit 160. Further, the power control unit 150 cuts off the power supply input by the USB control unit 120. Specifically, first, control unit 160 outputs a command to stop power supply to power supply control unit 150. Then, the power control unit 150 cuts off the power supply input by the USB control unit 120 in accordance with the command from the control unit 160. Then, after the processing of S107, the router device 100 returns to S104 and repeats the same processing after S104.

  On the other hand, when the remaining time on the router side is not longer than the remaining time on the electronic device side, if the remaining time comparison unit 162 determines (S106, NO), the process proceeds to S108. The process of S108 is as described above. Then, after the processing of S108, the router device 100 returns to S104 and repeats the same processing after S104.

  The operation of the router device 100 has been described above.

  As described above, the router device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the USB control unit 120 (connection control unit), the charging control unit 140, the electronic device-side secondary battery use state acquisition unit 161, and the rest. And a time comparison unit 162. The USB control unit 120 determines whether or not the electronic device 200 having the electronic device side secondary battery 210 is connected. The charging control unit 140 acquires the remaining time on the router side, which is the remaining time that can be operated based on the remaining amount of power stored in the router side secondary battery 130, and controls the charging of the router side secondary battery 130. If the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit 161 determines that the electronic device 200 is connected by the USB control unit 120, the electronic device side secondary battery usage information and the electronic device side remaining time which is the remaining usage time And get. The electronic device side secondary battery usage information is information indicating whether or not the electronic device 200 is using the charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210. The remaining time on the electronic device side is the remaining usage time during which the electronic device 200 can operate based on the remaining amount of power stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 connected to the USB control unit 120. The remaining time comparison unit 162 compares the router side remaining time information and the electronic device side remaining time information. The charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery based on the electronic device side secondary battery usage information acquired by the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit 161 and the comparison result of the remaining time comparison unit 162. To do.

  As described above, when the electronic device-side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit 161 determines that the electronic device 200 is connected by the USB control unit 120, the electronic device-side secondary battery usage information and the remaining usage time electronic Get the device side remaining time. Thereby, the router apparatus 100 can monitor the charge state of the electronic device side battery mounted in the electronic device connected.

Further, the remaining time comparison unit 162 compares the router-side remaining time information and the electronic device-side remaining time information. Then, the charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery based on the electronic device side secondary battery usage information and the comparison result of the remaining time comparison unit 162. Thereby, the router device 100 can efficiently control the charging process of the router-side battery mounted on the router device 100. Therefore, according to the router device 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention, the connected electronic device While monitoring the charging state of the electronic device side battery 210 mounted on the device 200, the charging process of the router side battery 130 mounted on the device 200 can be efficiently controlled.

  In the router device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device-side secondary battery use state acquisition unit 161 uses the electric charge stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery 210 by the electronic device 200. If the remaining time comparison unit 162 determines that the remaining time on the router side is longer than the remaining time on the electronic device side, the charging control unit 140 Charging of the secondary battery 130 is stopped.

  As described above, when the electronic device 200 uses the electric charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210 and the remaining time on the router side is longer than the remaining time on the electronic device side, the charging control unit 140 Charging of the secondary battery 130 is stopped. Thereby, it can suppress that the electric power of the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 is consumed wastefully. As a result, the usage time of the electronic device 200 can be extended efficiently.

  In the router device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device-side secondary battery use state acquisition unit 161 uses the electric charge stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery 210 by the electronic device 200. If the remaining time comparison unit 162 determines that the remaining time on the router side is not longer than the remaining time on the electronic device side, the charging control unit 140 The side secondary battery 130 is charged.

  As described above, when the electronic device 200 does not use the electric charge stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery 210 and the remaining time on the router side is not longer than the remaining time on the electronic device side, the charging control unit 140 The secondary battery 130 is charged. Thereby, the electric charge of the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 can be efficiently supplied to the router side secondary battery 130. As a result, the usage time of the router device 100 can be effectively extended.

  The router control method according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a connection control step, a charge control step, an electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition step, and a remaining time comparison step. In the connection control step, it is determined whether or not the electronic device 200 having the electronic device side secondary battery 210 is connected. In the charge control step, the remaining time on the router side, which is the remaining time that can be operated based on the remaining amount of electricity stored in the router side secondary battery 130, is acquired, and the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 is controlled. In the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition step, electronic device side secondary battery usage information and electronic device side remaining time are acquired. The electronic device side secondary battery usage information is whether or not the electronic device 200 is using the charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210 when it is determined in the connection control step that the electronic device 200 is connected. Information. The electronic device side remaining time is the remaining usage time during which the electronic device 200 can operate based on the remaining amount of power stored in the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 determined to be connected in the connection control step. In the remaining time comparison step, the router-side remaining time information and the electronic device-side remaining time information are compared. In the charge control step, the router side secondary battery is charged based on the electronic device side secondary battery usage information acquired in the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition step and the comparison result in the remaining time comparison step. . This control method also has the same effect as the router device 100 described above.

<Second Embodiment>
A configuration including the router device 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration including the router device 100A. In FIG. 4, constituent elements that are equivalent to the constituent elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are given the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the router device 100 </ b> A is connected to the electronic device 200 via the USB cable 300. Here, the router device 100A is, for example, a mobile router.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the router device 100A includes a communication unit 110, a USB control unit 120, a router side secondary battery 130, a charge control unit 140, a power control unit 150, a control unit 160A, a memory 171, a storage unit 172, an input unit 173, and an output unit 174. The communication unit 110, the USB control unit 120, the router-side secondary battery 130, the charging control unit 140, the power supply control unit 150, the control unit 160A, the memory 171, the storage unit 172, and the input unit 173. The output units 174 are connected to each other via the HAB.

  The control unit 160A is connected to the HAB. The control unit 160A controls the entire router device 160. The control unit 160A outputs a command related to communication to the communication unit 110 and the USB control unit 120. In addition, the control unit 160A outputs a command for causing the router-side secondary battery 130 to charge the charging control unit 140. Further, the control unit 160A outputs a command for controlling the power supply of the entire router device 100 to the power supply control unit 150. In addition, the control unit A160 outputs a command for processing the information input from the input unit 173 to the input unit 173. Furthermore, the control unit 160A outputs a command to display information to be provided to the user to the output unit 174.

  The control unit 160A includes a transmission output acquisition unit 163.

  Here, FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 are compared. In FIG. 1, the control unit 160 includes an electronic device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 161 and a remaining time comparison unit 162. On the other hand, the control unit 160A includes only the transmission output acquisition unit 163. In this respect, FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 are different from each other.

  The transmission output acquisition unit 163 acquires a transmission output when the communication unit 110 transmits data. For example, when the electronic device 200 is connected to the router device 100A via the USB cable 300 and an external electronic device (not shown) performs data communication (for example, EoU communication), the transmission output acquisition unit 163 performs the LTE / 3G control. The transmission output (transmission power) of the unit 140 is acquired.

  Further, as will be described later, the charging control unit 140 charges the router-side secondary battery 130 based on the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163. At this time, for example, the charging control unit 140 compares a preset threshold value (for example, 0 dBm or a power mode switching value of PowerAmplifier) with the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163. Then, the charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery 130 according to the comparison result.

  For example, when the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163 is smaller than a preset threshold, the power consumption of the router device 200 is small. In this case, the charging control unit 140 stops charging the secondary battery 130.

  Next, the operation of the router device 100A will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the router device 100A. In FIG. 5, constituent elements that are equivalent to the constituent elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are given the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the USB control unit 120 of the router device 100A confirms the USB cable connection (S101).

  Next, the USB control unit 120 confirms the connection destination (S102).

  As described above, the USB control unit 120 determines whether or not the router device 200 is connected to the electronic device 200 through the processes of S101 and S102.

  Next, when the connection destination is the electronic device 200 (S103, YES), the control unit 160A performs the process of S204. That is, the transmission output acquisition unit 163 of the control unit 160A acquires the transmission output when the communication unit 110 transmits data (S204). More specifically, when the electronic device 200 is connected to the router device 100A via the USB cable 300 and an external electronic device (not shown) is performing data communication (for example, EoU communication), the transmission output acquisition unit 163 includes: The transmission output of the LTE / 3G control unit 140 is acquired. Then, control unit 160A outputs the transmission output acquired by transmission output acquisition unit 163 to charging control unit 140. In addition, control unit 160 </ b> A acquires a transmission output threshold value stored in advance in memory 171, and outputs this to charging control unit 140.

  On the other hand, when the connection destination is not the electronic device 200 (S103, NO), the control unit 160 performs the process of S109. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns on the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S109). The specific processing content of S109 is as described in the first embodiment.

  Next, the charging control unit 140 compares the preset threshold value with the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163 (S205).

  When the charging control unit 140 determines that the transmission output is smaller than the threshold value (S205, YES), the process proceeds to S107. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns off the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S107). The specific processing content of S107 is as described in the first embodiment. Then, after the processing of S107, the router device 100 returns to S104 and repeats the same processing after S104.

  On the other hand, when the charging control unit 140 determines that the transmission output is not smaller than the threshold (S205, NO), the process proceeds to S108. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns on the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S108). The specific processing contents of S108 are as described in the first embodiment. Then, the charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery 130 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 160. Then, after the processing of S108, the router device 100 returns to S104 and repeats the same processing after S104.

  The operation of the router device 100A has been described above.

  As described above, in the router device 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device side secondary battery use state acquisition unit 161 and the remaining time comparison unit 162 of the router device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Instead, a communication unit 110 (more specifically, an LTE / 3G control unit 111) and a transmission output acquisition unit 163 are provided. The communication unit 110 (LTE / 3G control unit 111) communicates data with an external communication device (not shown). The transmission output acquisition unit 163 acquires a transmission output when the communication unit 110 (LTE / 3G control unit 111) transmits data. The charging control unit 140 charges the router-side secondary battery 130 based on the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163.

  In this way, the transmission output acquisition unit 163 acquires the transmission output when the communication unit 110 (LTE / 3G control unit 111) transmits data. Thus, the router device 100A can acquire power consumption during data transmission. The charging control unit 140 charges the router-side secondary battery 130 based on the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163. Thus, the router device 100 can efficiently control the charging process of the router-side battery mounted on the router device 100 according to the power consumption of the router device 100.

  In the router device 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163 is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the charging control unit 140 determines whether the router-side secondary battery 130 Stop charging. Thereby, it can suppress that the electric power of the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 is consumed wastefully. As a result, the usage time of the electronic device 200 can be extended efficiently.

  In the router device 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit 163 is larger than a predetermined threshold, the charging control unit 140 determines whether the router-side secondary battery 130 Charge the battery. Thereby, the electric charge of the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 can be efficiently supplied to the router side secondary battery 130. As a result, the usage time of the router device 100 can be effectively extended.

<Third Embodiment>
A configuration including the router device 100B according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration including the router device 100B. In FIG. 6, constituent elements that are equivalent to the constituent elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are assigned the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the router device 100 </ b> B is connected to the electronic device 200 via the USB cable 300. Here, the router device 100B is, for example, a mobile router.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the router device 100B includes a communication unit 110, a USB control unit 120, a router side secondary battery 130, a charge control unit 140, a power control unit 150, a control unit 160B, a memory 171, a storage unit 172, an input unit 173, and an output unit 174. The communication unit 110, the USB control unit 120, the router-side secondary battery 130, the charging control unit 140, the power control unit 150, the control unit 160B, the memory 171, the storage unit 172, and the input unit 173. The output units 174 are connected to each other via the HAB.

  The control unit 160B is connected to the HAB. The control unit 160AB controls the entire router device 160. The control unit 160B outputs a command related to communication to the communication unit 110 and the USB control unit 120. In addition, the control unit 160B outputs a command for causing the router-side secondary battery 130 to charge the charging control unit 140. Further, the control unit 160B outputs a command for controlling the power supply of the entire router device 100 to the power supply control unit 150. In addition, the control unit 160B outputs a command for processing the information input from the input unit 173 to the input unit 173. Further, the control unit 160B outputs a command for displaying information to be provided to the user to the output unit 174.

  The control unit 160A includes a mode setting unit 164.

  Here, FIG. 1 and FIG. 6 are compared. In FIG. 1, the control unit 160 includes an electronic device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 161 and a remaining time comparison unit 162. In contrast, the control unit 160B includes only the mode setting unit 164. In this respect, FIG. 1 and FIG. 6 are different from each other.

  The mode setting unit 164 sets the long-lasting mode. Here, the long-lasting mode is a case where the USB control unit 120 determines that the electronic device 200 is connected, and the communication unit 110 performs data communication (for example, EoU) with an external communication device (not shown). During the communication), the charging control unit 140 causes the router-side secondary battery to remain until the remaining power of the router-side secondary battery 130 reaches a predetermined threshold value (the charging start threshold value for the router-side secondary battery 130). In this mode, 130 is not charged. Note that the long-lasting mode is not affected by the operation state of the electronic device 200 (operation upon receiving power supply from an outlet or operation by the electronic device-side secondary battery 210). Further, the long-lasting mode and the predetermined threshold (charging start threshold of the router side secondary battery 130) can be set by the user.

  Further, the charging control unit 140 charges the router-side secondary battery 130 based on the setting state of the mode setting unit 164 and the remaining amount of power stored in the router-side secondary battery 130.

  Next, the operation of the router device 100B will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the router device 100B. In FIG. 7, constituent elements that are equivalent to the constituent elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 are assigned the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the USB control unit 120 of the router apparatus 100A confirms the USB cable connection (S101).

  Next, the USB control unit 120 confirms the connection destination (S102).

  As described above, the USB control unit 120 determines whether or not the router device 200 is connected to the electronic device 200 through the processes of S101 and S102.

  Next, when the connection destination is the electronic device 200 (S103, YES), the control unit 160B performs the process of S304. That is, the control unit 160B determines whether or not the setting state of the mode setting unit 164 is the long-lasting mode ON (S304). The setting state of the long-lasting mode may be stored in the memory 171. In this case, the control unit 160B acquires the setting state of the mode setting unit 164 stored in the memory 171 and determines whether the setting state is the long-lasting mode ON or OFF. Then, control unit 160B outputs the determination result of the setting state of mode setting unit 164 to charging control unit 140.

  On the other hand, when the connection destination is not the electronic device 200 (S103, NO), the control unit 160 performs the process of S109. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns on the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S109). The specific processing content of S109 is as described in the first embodiment.

  Next, the charging control unit 140 acquires a preset threshold value (charging start threshold value of the router-side secondary battery 130) from the memory 171 (S305).

  Next, the charging control unit 140 compares a preset threshold value (charging start threshold value of the router-side secondary battery 130) with the remaining power storage amount of the router-side secondary battery 130 (S306).

  When the charge control unit 140 determines that the remaining amount of power stored in the router side secondary battery 130 is greater than the charging start threshold of the router side secondary battery 130 (S306, YES), the process proceeds to S107. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns off the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S107). The specific processing content of S107 is as described in the first embodiment. Then, after the processing of S107, the router device 100 returns to S104 and repeats the same processing after S104.

  On the other hand, when the charge control unit 140 determines that the remaining power of the router-side secondary battery 130 is not greater than the charging start threshold of the router-side secondary battery 130 (S306, NO), the process proceeds to S108. That is, the charging control unit 140 turns on the charging of the router side secondary battery 130 of the router device 200 (S108). The specific processing contents of S108 are as described in the first embodiment. Then, the charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery 130 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 160. Then, after the processing of S108, the router device 100 returns to S104 and repeats the same processing after S104.

  The operation of the router device 100B has been described above.

  As described above, the router device 100B according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes the electronic device side secondary battery use state acquisition unit 161 and the remaining time comparison unit 162 of the router device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Instead, a communication unit 110 and a mode setting unit 164 are provided. The communication unit 110 communicates data with an external communication device (not shown). The mode setting unit 164 sets the long-lasting mode. The long-lasting mode is a case where the USB control unit 120 determines that the electronic device 200 is connected, and the communication unit 110 performs data communication (for example, EoU communication) with an external communication device (not shown). During the operation, the charging control unit 140 charges the router-side secondary battery 130 until the remaining power level of the router-side secondary battery 130 reaches a predetermined threshold value (charging start threshold value for the router-side secondary battery 130). This mode is not performed. The charging control unit 140 charges the router side secondary battery 130 based on the setting state of the mode setting unit 164 and the remaining amount of power stored in the router side secondary battery 130.

  As described above, the charging control unit 140 charges the router-side secondary battery 130 based on the setting state of the mode setting unit 164 and the remaining amount of power stored in the router-side secondary battery 130. Thus, the router device 100 can efficiently control the charging process of the router-side battery mounted on the router device 100 according to the power consumption of the router device 100.

  Further, in the router device 100B according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the charging control unit 140 is a case where the mode setting unit 164 is set to the long-lasting mode, and the remaining amount of power stored in the router-side secondary battery 130 is When it is larger than the predetermined threshold value (charging start threshold value of the router side secondary battery 130), charging of the router side secondary battery 130 is stopped. Thereby, it can suppress that the electric power of the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 is consumed wastefully. As a result, the usage time of the electronic device 200 can be extended efficiently.

  Further, in the router device 100B according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the charging control unit 140 determines that the remaining charge of the router side secondary battery 130 is low when the mode setting unit 164 is not set to the long-lasting mode. If it is smaller than the predetermined threshold (the charging start threshold of the router side secondary battery 130), the router side secondary battery 130 is charged. Thereby, the electric charge of the electronic device side secondary battery 210 of the electronic device 200 can be efficiently supplied to the router side secondary battery 130. As a result, the usage time of the router device 100B can be extended efficiently.

  The present invention has been described above based on the embodiment. The embodiment is an exemplification, and various modifications, increases / decreases, and combinations may be added to the above-described embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications to which these changes, increases / decreases, and combinations are also within the scope of the present invention.

100, 100A, 100B Router device 110 Communication unit 111 LTE / 3G control unit 112 Wireless LAN / BT control unit 120 USB control unit 130 Secondary battery on router side 140 Charge control unit 150 Power source control unit 160, 160A, 160B Control unit 161 Electronic Device side secondary electron usage state acquisition unit 162 Remaining time comparison unit 163 Transmission output acquisition unit 164 Mode setting unit 171 Memory 172 Storage unit 173 Input unit 174 Output unit 200 Electronic device 210 Electronic device side secondary battery

Claims (10)

A connection control unit for determining whether or not the electronic device has an electronic device-side secondary battery;
A router-side remaining time that is a remaining time that can be operated based on the remaining amount of electricity stored in the router-side secondary battery, and a charge control unit that controls charging of the router-side secondary battery;
When it is determined by the connection control unit that the electronic device is connected, the electronic device-side secondary battery is information indicating whether the electronic device uses the charge stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery. Obtain usage information and electronic device side remaining time, which is the remaining usage time in which the electronic device can operate based on the remaining amount of charge of the electronic device side secondary battery of the electronic device connected to the connection control unit Electronic device side secondary battery usage status acquisition unit,
A remaining time comparison unit for comparing the router side remaining time information and the electronic device side remaining time information;
The charging control unit is configured to use the router side secondary battery based on the electronic device side secondary battery usage information acquired by the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit and a comparison result of the remaining time comparison unit. To charge the router device. The electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit receives the electronic device side secondary battery usage information that the electronic device is using the charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery, and When the remaining time comparison unit determines that the router side remaining time is longer than the electronic device side remaining time,
The router device according to claim 1, wherein the charging control unit stops charging the router-side secondary battery. The electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit receives the electronic device side secondary battery usage information that the electronic device is not using the charge stored in the electronic device side secondary battery, or When the remaining time comparison unit determines that the remaining time on the router side is not longer than the remaining time on the electronic device side,
The router device according to claim 1, wherein the charging control unit charges the router-side secondary battery. Instead of the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit and the remaining time comparison unit,
A communication unit for communicating data with an external communication device;
A transmission output acquisition unit that acquires a transmission output when the communication unit transmits the data;
The router device according to claim 1, wherein the charging control unit charges the router-side secondary battery based on the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit.   5. The router device according to claim 4, wherein when the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the charging control unit stops charging the router-side secondary battery.   The router device according to claim 4, wherein when the transmission output acquired by the transmission output acquisition unit is larger than a predetermined threshold, the charging control unit charges the router-side secondary battery. Instead of the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition unit and the remaining time comparison unit,
A communication unit for communicating data with an external communication device;
When the connection control unit determines that the electronic device is connected, and while the communication unit is performing data communication with the external communication device, the charge control unit A mode setting unit that sets a long-lasting mode, which is a mode in which charging of the router-side secondary battery is not performed until the remaining charge of the side secondary battery reaches a predetermined threshold,
2. The router device according to claim 1, wherein the charging control unit charges the router-side secondary battery based on a setting state of the mode setting unit and a remaining power level of the router-side secondary battery.   The charging control unit is configured to charge the router-side secondary battery when the mode setting unit is set to the long-lasting mode and the remaining power of the router-side secondary battery is greater than the predetermined threshold. The router device according to claim 7, which stops.   The charging control unit charges the router-side secondary battery when the mode setting unit is set to the long-lasting mode, or when the remaining power of the router-side secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined threshold value. The router device according to claim 7. A connection control step for determining whether or not the electronic device has a secondary battery connected to the electronic device;
A charge control step for obtaining the remaining time on the router side, which is the remaining time that can be operated based on the remaining amount of electricity stored in the secondary battery on the router side, and controlling charging of the secondary battery on the router side;
When it is determined in the connection control step that the electronic device is connected, the electronic device-side secondary battery is information indicating whether the electronic device is using a charge stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery. Electronic device-side remaining time that is the remaining usage time during which the electronic device can operate based on usage information and the remaining amount of power stored in the electronic device-side secondary battery of the electronic device determined to be connected in the connection control step The electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition step to acquire,
A remaining time comparison step of comparing the router side remaining time information and the electronic device side remaining time information,
In the charge control step, based on the electronic device side secondary battery usage information acquired in the electronic device side secondary battery usage state acquisition step and the comparison result of the remaining time comparison step, the router side secondary battery To charge the router control method.

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