JP2018006962A - Communication equipment, control method for communication equipment, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve user's convenience by notifying external equipment that it is predicted that a service of communication equipment becomes operable in the near feature.SOLUTION: Communication equipment 100 configured as communication equipment 100 capable of communicating with external equipment 200 comprises: communication means 112 capable of being activated when a voltage value of a battery 108 is not less than a first threshold; service means 111 capable of being activated when the voltage value of the battery 108 is not less than a second threshold larger than the first threshold, which executes a predetermined service; and notification means which notifies the external equipment 200 that the battery 108 is being charged via the communication means 112 when the communication means receives a predetermined request from the external equipment 200, and the voltage value of the battery 108 is not less than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, and the battery 108 is being charged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication device control method, and a program.

There is known a technology in which a data processing apparatus such as a digital camera is equipped with a wireless communication function, and is connected wirelessly to a smart device such as a smartphone. As a wireless standard that provides a wireless communication function, information devices equipped with a low-power-consumption wireless communication function represented by Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (hereinafter abbreviated as BLE) are increasing.
SOC (System On Chip) and communication modules equipped with a low-power-consumption wireless communication function generally operate independently and are provided in consideration of long-term operation with low voltage and low power consumption. .
As an example of a method of using a low-power-consumption wireless communication function, there is a method of starting a functional operation (service) of a peripheral device (also referred to as a slave device) triggered by an instruction from a central device (also referred to as a host device). is there. In this case, even when the service of the peripheral device is stopped, the low power consumption wireless communication function provided in the peripheral device is activated. The peripheral device activates the service of the peripheral device when the low-power-consumption wireless communication function receives a communication instruction from the central device.
In such a usage method, when the battery voltage of the peripheral device is insufficient, the wireless communication function with low power consumption can operate independently, so the wireless communication function with low power consumption operates. Peripheral device services may not be activated.

As a first countermeasure for such a case, it is conceivable to operate the low power consumption wireless communication function only when the main control unit of the peripheral device that controls the service of the peripheral device can be activated. However, since this measure starts the main control unit of the peripheral device and the main control unit monitors the battery voltage, the power of the battery is consumed by this monitoring. Therefore, it is not efficient.
As a second countermeasure, it is conceivable to operate the low power consumption communication function of the peripheral device only when the battery voltage of the peripheral device is equal to or higher than a voltage threshold that can guarantee that the service of the peripheral device can be used. However, with this measure, it is necessary to set a battery voltage threshold that guarantees the use of the peripheral device service. Therefore, in consideration of a voltage threshold detection error or the like, there are cases where the service cannot be used even though the service of the peripheral device is a usable battery voltage.
For this reason, there is a demand for measures to achieve compatibility between the peripheral device and the low power consumption communication function, to enable the service of the peripheral device as much as possible, and to suppress battery consumption.

  On the other hand, data processing apparatuses such as digital cameras that support USB (Universal Serial Bus) as an interface with external devices are increasing. In addition to performing data communication with external devices, USB can receive power supply from external devices and use the supplied power to operate devices and charge batteries in devices. Is possible. As connection partner devices for performing power supply by USB (hereinafter referred to as USB charging), there are AC host dedicated to charging, and USB host devices such as a PC that can simultaneously perform data communication and USB charging.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless card having a built-in storage battery. The wireless card disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects the voltage of the storage battery when the CPU of the wireless card receives an activation signal from the card reader / writer, and when the detected voltage of the storage battery is equal to or lower than a predetermined value set in advance, Display that the storage battery needs to be charged.

JP-A-7-154288

As described above, when the battery voltage of the peripheral device is insufficient, it is possible to operate the wireless communication function by operating the SOC that can operate with low power consumption, but it is possible to operate the service of the peripheral device It can happen that you can't. At that time, the SOC or the like can process the activation instruction from the central device, but cannot activate the main control unit to start the service of the peripheral device.
Even if the battery voltage is insufficient in this way, if the battery is being charged, it is predicted that the battery voltage will soon be able to operate the service of the peripheral device. It is beneficial to notify the central unit.
Note that the wireless card of Patent Document 1 displays that the storage battery needs to be charged on the display unit when the detected voltage of the storage battery is equal to or lower than a predetermined value set in advance. It does not notify whether charging is in progress.

  The present invention has been made in view of the situation as described above, and when it is predicted that the service of the communication device can be operated in the near future, the fact is notified to the external device and the user's The purpose is to improve convenience.

  The communication device according to the present invention is a communication device capable of communicating with an external device, wherein communication means that can be activated when the voltage value of the battery is equal to or higher than a first threshold value, and the voltage value of the battery is the first value. And a service unit that executes a predetermined service, the communication unit receives a predetermined request from the external device, and the voltage value of the battery is When it is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold and the battery is being charged, the external device is notified that the battery is being charged via the communication means. Notification means.

  According to the present invention, when it is predicted that the service of the communication device can be operated, the fact is notified to the external device, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

It is a hardware block diagram of a digital camera. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the battery voltage of a digital camera. It is a hardware block diagram of a smart device. It is a block diagram of a communication system. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen of a smart device. It is a sequence diagram of a communication system. It is a flowchart of the remote starting process of the digital camera in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the battery check process of the digital camera in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the application menu screen of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the remote starting process of the digital camera in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart of a digital camera start enable notification process in the second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the application menu screen of 2nd Embodiment.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated in detail using attached drawing. The embodiment described below is an example as means for realizing the present invention, and may be appropriately modified or changed depending on the configuration of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied and various conditions. Moreover, it is also possible to combine each embodiment suitably.

<First Embodiment>
[Digital camera configuration]
First, a configuration of a digital camera 100 that is an example of a communication device will be described with reference to FIG. 1A. FIG. 1A is a hardware configuration diagram of the digital camera 100. Here, the digital camera 100 is described as an example of the communication device, but the communication device is not limited to the digital camera 100. For example, the communication device may be an information processing device such as a portable media player or a smartphone, a so-called smart device, a personal computer, or the like.
The main control unit 101 controls each unit of the digital camera 100 according to an input signal and a program described later. Note that instead of the main control unit 101 controlling the entire digital camera 100, the entire digital camera 100 may be controlled by a plurality of pieces of hardware sharing the processing. The main control unit 101 includes a CPU, for example, and the processing of the digital camera 100 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is realized by the CPU executing processing based on a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 103.

The imaging unit 102 performs imaging and outputs image data. More specifically, the imaging unit 102 converts subject light imaged by a lens included in the imaging unit 102 into an electrical signal, performs noise reduction processing, etc., and generates and outputs image data that is digital data. To do. Image data captured by the image capturing unit 102 is stored in a buffer memory, and then a predetermined calculation is performed by the main control unit 101 and recorded in the recording medium 107.
The non-volatile memory 103 is an electrically erasable and recordable non-volatile memory, and stores a program to be described later executed by the main control unit 101.
The work memory 104 is used as a buffer memory that temporarily holds image data picked up by the image pickup unit 102, an image display memory of the display unit 106, a work area of the main control unit 101, and the like.

  The operation unit 105 is used to receive an instruction for the digital camera 100 from a user. The operation unit 105 includes, for example, a power button for instructing the user to turn on / off the digital camera 100, a release switch for instructing photographing, a zoom lever for instructing a zoom operation, and reproduction of image data. Includes a play button to indicate. Furthermore, the operation unit 105 includes an operation member such as a mode dial that instructs the activation mode of the digital camera 100 and a dedicated connection button for starting communication with an external device via the wireless communication unit 111 described later. Furthermore, the operation unit 105 includes a touch panel formed on the display unit 106 described later. The release switch has SW1 and SW2. When the release switch is in a so-called half-pressed state, SW1 is turned on. As a result, the main control unit 101 receives an instruction for making preparations for shooting such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-flash) processing. These processes are executed. Further, when the release switch is in a fully-pressed state, SW2 is turned on. As a result, the main control unit 101 receives an instruction to perform shooting and executes a shooting process.

The display unit 106 displays a viewfinder image at the time of shooting, displays shot image data, displays characters for interactive operation, and the like. Note that the display unit 106 is not necessarily built in the digital camera 100. The digital camera 100 only needs to have a display control function that can be connected to at least the internal or external display unit 106 and controls the display of the display unit 106.
The recording medium 107 can record the image data output from the imaging unit 102. The recording medium 107 may be configured to be detachable from the digital camera 100 or may be built in the digital camera 100. That is, the digital camera 100 only needs to have at least means for accessing the recording medium 107.
The battery 108 supplies power necessary for operating the digital camera 100. The battery 108 may be configured to be detachable from the digital camera 100 or may be built in the digital camera 100. That is, the battery 108 only needs to have at least means for supplying power to the digital camera 100. Further, the battery 108 is configured to be able to be charged by receiving external power from a connection unit 110 described later via the charging control unit 109.

The charging control unit 109 is an example of a charging unit of the present invention, and supplies the external power received from the connection unit 110 to the entire digital camera 100 via the main control unit 101. At the same time, the charging control unit 109 supplies the external power received from the connection unit 110 to the battery 108 and charges the battery 108.
The connection unit 110 is an interface for connecting to an external device. The digital camera 100 of this embodiment can exchange data with an external device via the connection unit 110. In addition, the digital camera 100 can be supplied with external power from an external device via the connection unit 110. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the digital camera 100 operates as a USB device device. The connection unit 110 includes an interface connector for communicating with an external device via a USB that is an external bus, and a USB device controller. The main control unit 101 realizes USB communication with an external device and USB charging by controlling the connection unit 110.
The wireless communication unit 111 is an example of a second communication unit of the present invention, and is an interface for connecting to an external device. The digital camera 100 of the present embodiment can exchange data with an external device via the wireless communication unit 111. For example, the wireless communication unit 111 can transmit the image data generated by the imaging unit 102 to an external device via the wireless communication unit 111. In the present embodiment, the wireless communication unit 111 includes an interface for communicating with an external device via a so-called wireless LAN in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. The main control unit 101 realizes wireless communication with an external device by controlling the wireless communication unit 111.

  The short-range wireless communication unit 112 is an example of a communication unit of the present invention, and includes, for example, an antenna for wireless communication, a modulation / demodulation circuit and a communication controller for processing a wireless signal. The short-range wireless communication unit 112 outputs a modulated wireless signal from the antenna, and demodulates the wireless signal received by the antenna, thereby short-range wireless communication according to the IEEE 802.15 standard (so-called Bluetooth (registered trademark)). Is realized. This Bluetooth communication has a narrower communicable range than wireless LAN communication (that is, a communicable distance is short). In addition, Bluetooth communication has a lower communication speed than wireless LAN communication. On the other hand, Bluetooth communication consumes less power than wireless LAN communication. In this embodiment, Bluetooth communication employs version 4.0, which is low power consumption, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The digital camera 100 of this embodiment can exchange data with an external device via the short-range wireless communication unit 112. For example, when receiving a shooting command from an external device via the short-range wireless communication unit 112, the main control unit 101 controls the imaging unit 102 to perform a shooting operation. When the main control unit 101 receives a command for exchanging data by wireless LAN communication via the short-range wireless communication unit 112, the main control unit 101 controls the wireless communication unit 111 to start wireless LAN communication.

  The sub-control unit 113 is a control unit including a CPU that performs partial control of the digital camera 100, a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores processing procedures. is there. The sub control unit 113 can operate with lower power consumption than the main control unit 101, and can control the short-range wireless communication unit 112 to communicate with an external device. The sub-control unit 113 is configured to be able to detect the voltage of the battery 108 and to be capable of data communication with the main control unit 101.

Next, the voltage of the battery 108 will be described with reference to FIG. 1B. FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram illustrating the voltage of the battery 108 of the digital camera 100.
As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the digital camera 100 has a first threshold value and a second threshold value for the voltage value of the battery 108.
The first threshold value of the voltage value of the battery 108 is a threshold value of the voltage of the battery 108 in which the sub control unit 113 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112 can operate. When the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the sub-control unit 113 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112 are operable. During operation, the sub-control unit 113 periodically detects the voltage value of the battery 108 and determines whether or not the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.
The second threshold value of the voltage value of the battery 108 is a voltage at which the main control unit 101 is activated and the service of the digital camera 100 can be performed. During operation, the main control unit 101 periodically detects the voltage value of the battery 108 and determines whether or not the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or greater than a second threshold value.

  The first threshold is assumed to be lower than the second threshold. When the voltage value of the battery 108 is included in the voltage value region 120 between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, the sub-control unit 113 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112 are operable, but the digital camera 100 This service cannot be implemented. At this time, if the digital camera 100 receives an activation instruction from a smart device 200 described later, which is the opposite device, the sub-control unit 113 can operate, but the service of the digital camera 100 cannot be activated.

  The services of the digital camera 100 include data communication and imaging with a wireless LAN. The service of the digital camera 100 is executed by operating peripheral circuits of the main control unit 101 based on the control of the main control unit 101. For example, data communication over a wireless LAN is executed by the operation of the wireless communication unit 111, and imaging is executed by the operation of the imaging unit 102. The wireless communication unit 111 and the imaging unit 102 that execute the service of the digital camera 100 are examples of service means of the present invention. The service of the digital camera 100 is executed when the main control unit 101 and peripheral circuits of the main control unit 101 are activated. The activation of a circuit necessary for executing the service of the digital camera 100 is also simply referred to as activation of the service of the digital camera 100.

The state in which the power of the digital camera 100 is turned off is a state in which the power of the battery 108 is not supplied to a circuit for executing services of the digital camera 100 such as the main control unit 101 and peripheral circuits. However, even when the power of the digital camera 100 is turned off, if the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the power of the battery 108 is sent to the sub-control unit 113 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112. Is supplied. Therefore, when the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the sub control unit 113 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112 are activated even when the digital camera 100 is turned off. .
The state where the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on is a state where the power of the battery 108 is supplied to a circuit for executing the service of the digital camera 100.

[Smart device configuration]
Next, a smart device 200 that is an example of an information processing apparatus that is an external apparatus when viewed from the digital camera 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the smart device 200. Smart devices include mobile phones such as smartphones and so-called tablet devices. Here, the smart device 200 is described as an example of an information processing apparatus that is an external device, but the information processing apparatus that is an external device is not limited to the smart device 200. For example, the information processing apparatus as an external apparatus may be a digital camera with a wireless function, a printer, a television, a personal computer, or the like.

The control unit 201 controls each unit of the smart device 200 according to an input signal and a program described later. Note that instead of the control unit 201 controlling the entire smart device 200, the entire smart device 200 may be controlled by a plurality of pieces of hardware sharing the processing. The control unit 201 includes a CPU, for example, and the functions of the smart device 200 and the like are realized by the CPU executing processing based on a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 203.
The imaging unit 202 performs imaging and outputs image data. More specifically, the imaging unit 202 converts subject light imaged by a lens included in the imaging unit 202 into an electrical signal, performs noise reduction processing, etc., and generates and outputs image data that is digital data To do. Image data captured by the imaging unit 202 is stored in a buffer memory, and then a predetermined calculation is performed by the control unit 201 and recorded in the recording medium 210.
The nonvolatile memory 203 is an electrically erasable / recordable nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory 203 stores an OS (operating system) that is basic software executed by the control unit 201 and an application that realizes an applied function in cooperation with the OS. Applications stored in the non-volatile memory 203 include applications for communicating with the digital camera 100.
The work memory 204 is used as an image display memory of the display unit 206, a work area of the control unit 201, and the like.

The operation unit 205 is used to receive an instruction for the smart device 200 from a user. The operation unit 205 includes, for example, an operation member such as a power button for instructing the user to turn on / off the power of the smart device 200 and a touch panel formed on the display unit 206 described later.
The display unit 206 performs display of image data, character display for interactive operation, and the like. Note that the display unit 206 is not necessarily provided in the smart device 200. The smart device 200 only needs to have at least a display control function that can be connected to the display unit 206 and controls the display of the display unit 206.
The recording medium 210 can record the image data output from the imaging unit 202. The recording medium 210 may be configured to be detachable from the smart device 200 or may be built in the smart device 200. That is, the smart device 200 only needs to have at least means for accessing the recording medium 210.

The communication unit 211 is an interface for connecting to an external device. The smart device 200 according to the present embodiment can exchange data with the digital camera 100 via the communication unit 211. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 211 is an antenna, and the main control unit 101 can be connected to the digital camera 100 via the antenna. The digital camera 100 may be connected directly or via an access point. As a protocol for communicating data, for example, PTP / IP (Picture Transfer Protocol over Internet Protocol) through a wireless LAN can be used. Note that communication with the digital camera 100 is not limited to this.
The short-range wireless communication unit 212 includes, for example, an antenna for wireless communication, and a modulation / demodulation circuit and a communication controller for processing a wireless signal. Similar to the short-range wireless communication unit 112 of the digital camera 100 described above, the short-range wireless communication unit 212 uses Bluetooth 4.0, which is low power consumption, and Bluetooth Low Energy.

In short-range wireless communication between the smart device 200 and the digital camera 100, it is necessary to first connect the short-range wireless communication unit 212 of the smart device 200 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112 of the digital camera 100 by an operation called pairing. There is. Pairing is an operation for a one-to-one connection in short-range wireless communication. In pairing, for example, the digital camera 100 becomes Peripheral, and an operation called Advertise is performed using the short-range wireless communication unit 112 to inform the surroundings of the presence of itself. Then, the smart device 200 operates as a central, performs a scan operation using the short-range wireless communication unit 212, discovers the digital camera 100, and requests participation through an initiate operation, thereby establishing a short-range wireless communication connection. Is called.
Note that the term “pairing” may be used only for Bluetooth connection with encryption, but in this embodiment, one-to-one connection using short-range wireless communication is used regardless of whether encryption is used. This operation is called pairing.

  The public network connection unit 213 is an interface used when performing public wireless communication. The smart device 200 can make a call with another device via the public network connection unit 213. At this time, the control unit 201 inputs and outputs an audio signal via the microphone 214 and the speaker 215, thereby realizing a call function. In the present embodiment, the public network connection unit 213 is an antenna, and the main control unit 101 can be connected to the public network via the antenna. Note that the communication unit 211, the short-range wireless communication unit 212, and the public network connection unit 213 can be shared by a single antenna.

[Communication system and use case]
Next, the communication system 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 3A. FIG. 3A is a configuration diagram of the communication system 300. The communication system 300 includes a digital camera 100 and a smart device 200. The example illustrated in FIG. 3A illustrates a state in which the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200 are connected by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that is short-range wireless communication. Since BLE has lower power consumption than a wireless LAN, in the communication system 300, the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200 are generally always connected by BLE. However, when the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200 are connected by a wireless LAN, the connection by BLE may be interrupted.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3B, a use case in which the user operates the smart device 200 to control the digital camera 100 in the communication system 300 in the state of FIG. 3A will be described. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed by the display unit 206 of the smart device 200.
First, it is assumed that the display unit 206 of the smart device 200 displays the main menu screen 301. The main menu screen 301 is a screen for allowing the user of the smart device 200 to select an application to be executed by the smart device 200, and displays a camera control icon 302 and the like. The camera control icon 302 is an icon representing a camera control application that is an application that performs communication with the digital camera 100 to control the digital camera 100 from the smart device 200.
It is assumed that the user selects the camera control icon 302 by operating a touch panel that is the operation unit 205 of the smart device 200.

Then, the camera control application is activated under the control of the control unit 201, and the display unit 206 displays the application menu screen 303. The application menu screen 303 displays a wireless LAN connection icon 304, a reproduction remote control icon 305, and a shooting remote control icon 306. When the user operates the operation unit 205 to select the reproduction remote control icon 305, the reproduction remote control application is activated under the control of the control unit 201. When the user operates the operation unit 205 to select the photographing remote control icon 306, the photographing remote control application is activated under the control of the control unit 201. The reproduction remote control application is an application that causes the display unit 106 of the digital camera 100 to reproduce an image. The photographing remote control application is an application that controls the digital camera 100 to cause the digital camera 100 to photograph. Details of the reproduction remote control application and the photographing remote control application are omitted.
It is assumed that the user selects the wireless LAN connection icon 304 by operating a touch panel that is the operation unit 205 of the smart device 200.

  Then, under the control of the control unit 201, the smart device 200 starts a wireless LAN connection with the digital camera 100, and the display unit 206 displays a connecting screen 307. The connecting screen 307 displays a message indicating that the smart device 200 is being connected to the digital camera 100. At this time, if the digital camera 100 is not turned on, the control unit 201 performs control to turn on the digital camera 100 via the short-range wireless communication unit 212, and then turns on the digital camera 100. The wireless LAN connection is started. Details of this process will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B.

When the wireless LAN connection between the smart device 200 and the digital camera 100 is completed, the display unit 206 displays an image selection screen 308 under the control of the control unit 201. The image selection screen 308 displays a list of image data stored in the digital camera 100. When displaying the image selection screen 308, the smart device 200 receives and displays thumbnails of the image data in the digital camera 100, thereby reducing the amount of data communication and increasing the display speed.
It is assumed that the user operates the touch panel which is the operation unit 205 of the smart device 200, selects arbitrary image data displayed on the image selection screen 308, and presses the reception start button 309.

Then, under the control of the control unit 201, the smart device 200 starts receiving image data selected by the user from the digital camera 100 via the wireless LAN. Here, the main image is received instead of the thumbnail. Further, the display unit 206 displays a receiving screen 310 under the control of the control unit 201. The receiving screen 310 is a screen indicating that image data is being received from the digital camera 100.
When the reception of the image data is completed, the display unit 206 displays a reception completion screen 311 under the control of the control unit 201.
The above is an example of processing in which the smart device 200 performs wireless LAN connection with the digital camera 100 and receives image data from the digital camera 100.

[Wireless LAN connection sequence]
Next, a processing sequence of the communication system 300 in the use case shown in FIG. 3B will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of the communication system 300.
As described with reference to FIG. 1, the digital camera 100 includes a main control unit 101 and a sub control unit 113 as control units, and the sub control unit 113 can operate with lower power consumption than the main control unit 101. . Accordingly, the sub control unit 113 is configured to continue to operate even when the main control unit 101 is not operating.
The sub control unit 113 manages the activation state of the main control unit 101. When the main control unit 101 is activated, in step S401, the main control unit 101 notifies the sub-control unit 113 that it has been activated.

In step S <b> 402, the sub control unit 113 updates the state of the main control unit 101 stored in the RAM in the sub control unit 113 to information indicating that it is being activated.
When the main control unit 101 stops, in step S403, the main control unit 101 notifies the sub control unit 113 that the main control unit 101 stops. The state where the main control unit 101 is stopped is a state where the power of the digital camera 100 is not turned on, and the service of the digital camera 100 is stopped. Therefore, power is not supplied to peripheral circuits such as the imaging unit 102, the operation unit 105, the display unit 106, and the wireless communication unit 111. However, if the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value in FIG. 1B, power is supplied from the battery 108 to the sub-control unit 113 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112, and the sub-control unit 113 and the short-range wireless communication unit 112 The communication unit 112 is activated.
In step S <b> 404, the sub control unit 113 updates the state of the main control unit 101 stored in the RAM in the sub control unit 113 to information indicating that it is stopped.

In step S <b> 405, the control unit 201 of the smart device 200 transmits a wireless LAN connection request to the digital camera 100 through the short-range wireless communication unit 212 by short-range wireless communication (BLE). The sub control unit 113 of the digital camera 100 receives the wireless LAN connection request via the short-range wireless communication unit 112.
When the sub-control unit 113 of the digital camera 100 receives a wireless LAN connection request by BLE via the short-range wireless communication unit 112, the sub-control unit 113 determines whether or not the main control unit 101 is activated. If not activated, in step S406, the sub-control unit 113 notifies the main control unit 101 of an activation request.
In step S <b> 407, the main control unit 101 is activated by receiving an activation request from the sub-control unit 113.
In step S408, the main control unit 101 notifies the sub control unit 113 that the main control unit 101 has been activated.

In step S409, the sub control unit 113 notifies the main control unit 101 of a wireless LAN connection request.
When the main control unit 101 receives the wireless LAN connection request, in step S410, the main control unit 101 activates the wireless communication unit 111 by controlling the wireless communication unit 111 to enable the wireless communication unit 111.
In step S411, the main control unit 101 notifies the sub-control unit 113 that the wireless communication unit 111 has been activated.
Upon receipt of the activation of the wireless communication unit 111, the sub-control unit 113 transmits a result of the wireless LAN connection request to the smart device 200 by the BLE via the short-range wireless communication unit 112 in step S412. In this sequence, the result for the wireless LAN connection request indicates success. The control unit 201 of the smart device 200 receives a result for the wireless LAN connection request via the short-range wireless communication unit 212.
In step S413, the control unit 201 of the smart device 200 controls the short-range wireless communication unit 212 to disconnect BLE between the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200.
In step S <b> 414, the control unit 201 of the smart device 200 controls the communication unit 211 to establish a wireless LAN connection with the digital camera 100.
In this sequence, the control unit 201 performs an exclusive process so that the wireless LAN connection with the digital camera 100 is performed after disconnecting the BLE, but the digital camera is maintained while maintaining the BLE connection with the digital camera 100. Wireless LAN connection with 100 may be performed.

The main control unit 101 of the digital camera 100 controls the wireless communication unit 111 to establish a wireless LAN connection with the smart device 200. In step S415, the main control unit 101 of the digital camera 100 transmits this result to the smart device 200 via the wireless communication unit 111 by wireless LAN.
In step S416, the control unit 201 of the smart device 200 transmits an image acquisition request to the digital camera 100 via the communication unit 211 by wireless LAN. The main control unit 101 of the digital camera 100 receives an image acquisition request via the wireless communication unit 111.
In step S417, the main control unit 101 of the digital camera 100 transmits image data to the smart device 200 via the wireless communication unit 111. The control unit 201 of the smart device 200 receives image data via the communication unit 211.

[Remote start processing]
Next, the remote activation process of the digital camera 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 5A. The remote activation process is a process of the digital camera 100 when the digital camera 100 is remotely activated from the smart device 200. FIG. 5A is a flowchart of the remote activation process of the digital camera 100. The remote activation process has been described in steps S405, S406, S407, etc. in FIG. 4, and the details of the remote activation process will be described here.
5A is realized by the main control unit 101 and the sub control unit 113 of the digital camera 100 controlling each unit of the digital camera 100 in accordance with an input signal and a program. The same applies to the processing of other flowcharts showing processing of the digital camera 100 unless otherwise specified. 5A is started in response to the user of the smart device 200 operating the operation unit 205 and instructing a wireless LAN connection with the digital camera 100.

In step S <b> 501, the sub-control unit 113 determines whether a wireless LAN connection request is received from the smart device 200 via the short-range wireless communication unit 112 by BLE. If the sub-control unit 113 determines that a wireless LAN connection request has been received, the process proceeds to step S502. If the sub-control unit 113 determines that no wireless LAN connection request has been received, step S501 is executed again.
In step S502, the sub control unit 113 determines whether or not the main control unit 101 is stopped. The operating state of the main control unit 101 can be determined from the information stored in the RAM in the sub control unit 113 as described in steps S401 to S404 in FIG. When the sub control unit 113 determines that the main control unit 101 is stopped, the process proceeds to step S503. When the sub control unit 113 determines that the main control unit 101 is not stopped, the sub control unit 113 ends the remote activation process illustrated in FIG. 5A, and the main control unit 101 is based on a request from the smart device 200. Run the service. If the sub-control unit 113 determines that the main control unit 101 is not stopped, the sub-control unit 113 indicates that the result of the wireless LAN connection request is successful by BLE by using the short-range wireless communication unit 112. Is used to notify the smart device 200.

In step S503, the sub control unit 113 performs a battery check process. The battery check process is a process of determining whether or not the battery 108 is being charged based on whether or not the voltage value of the battery 108 is increasing. Here, the battery check process will be described with reference to FIG. 5B. FIG. 5B is a flowchart of the battery check process. The battery check process is an example of a process performed by the determination unit of the present invention.
In step S520, the sub control unit 113 acquires the voltage value of the battery 108 and stores it in the RAM in the sub control unit 113, and then the process proceeds to step S521. It is assumed that the sub-control unit 113 periodically acquires the voltage value of the battery 108 other than the process of step S520 and stores the acquired voltage value in the RAM.
In step S521, the sub-control unit 113 compares the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired this time with the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired last time stored in the RAM. The voltage value of the battery 108 acquired this time is the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired by the sub-control unit 113 in the most recent step S520. The voltage value of the battery 108 acquired last time is the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired by the sub control unit 113 one time before the latest step S520. If the sub-control unit 113 determines that the current voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or lower than the previous voltage value, the process proceeds to step S523. If the sub-control unit 113 determines that the current voltage value of the battery 108 is greater than the previous voltage value, the process proceeds to step S522.

In step S <b> 522, the sub control unit 113 stores information indicating that the battery 108 is being charged in the RAM of the sub control unit 113. When the process of step S522 is performed, since the current voltage value of the battery 108 is larger than the previous voltage value, the sub-control unit 113 can determine that the battery 108 is being charged.
In step S523, the sub-control unit 113 stores information indicating that the battery 108 is not being charged in the RAM of the sub-control unit 113. When the process of step S523 is performed, since the current voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or lower than the previous voltage value, the sub-control unit 113 can determine that the battery 108 is not being charged.
The sub-control unit 113 ends the battery check process after the process of step S522 or S523 ends, and the process proceeds to step S504 in FIG. 5A.

  As described with reference to FIG. 1A, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can receive power supply from a USB host device by connecting the connection unit 110 to an external device. The charging control unit 109 can charge the battery 108 using power supplied from the USB host device. The sub-control unit 113 can determine whether or not the battery 108 is being charged when performing the remote activation process of FIG. 5A by the battery check process of FIG. 5B.

Returning to FIG. 5A, the description of the remote activation process will be continued.
In step S504, the sub control unit 113 activates the main control unit 101.
In step S <b> 505, the main control unit 101 performs a load test on the battery 108. The load test in step S505 is for determining whether the main control unit 101 can activate the peripheral circuit and activate the digital camera 100 service. The main control unit 101 sends a small amount of current to the load test circuit included in the digital camera 100, and observes a drop in the voltage value of the battery 108 due to this current flow, thereby obtaining a more accurate voltage value of the battery 108. To do. Step S505 is an example of processing by the acquisition unit of the present invention.
In step S503, the sub-control unit 113 acquires the voltage value of the battery 108. However, there is an error in the voltage value of the battery 108 that can be acquired by the sub-control unit 113. Therefore, the main control unit 101 performs a battery load test and acquires a detailed voltage value of the battery 108.
In step S506, the main control unit 101 determines whether the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated. The main control unit 101 determines that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated when the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired in step S505 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value illustrated in FIG. 1B. When the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired in step S505 is less than the second threshold, the main control unit 101 determines that the service of the digital camera 100 cannot be activated. Even if the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired in step S505 is less than the second threshold value, the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or higher than the first threshold value because the sub-control unit 113 is activated in the remote activation process. You can say that.
If the main control unit 101 determines that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated, the process proceeds to step S507. If the main control unit 101 determines that the service cannot be activated, the process proceeds to step S508.
When the main control unit 101 determines that the service of the digital camera 100 cannot be activated, the main control unit 101 shifts to a stopped state. Thus, in the digital camera 100, only the sub control unit 113 operates as a control unit.

In step S507, the main control unit 101 activates the peripheral circuit to activate the service of the digital camera 100, and ends the remote activation process of FIG. 5A. Step S507 is an example of processing by the activation unit of the present invention. After the main control unit 101 activates the service of the digital camera 100, the sub-control unit 113 uses the short-range wireless communication unit 112 by BLE to confirm that the result of the wireless LAN connection request is successful. Notify the smart device 200.
In step S508, the sub control unit 113 refers to the information recorded in the RAM in the sub control unit 113 and determines whether or not the battery 108 is being charged. If the sub-control unit 113 determines that the battery 108 is being charged, the process proceeds to step S509. When the sub control unit 113 determines that the battery 108 is not being charged, the sub control unit 113 ends the remote activation process shown in FIG. 5A. When the sub control unit 113 determines that the battery 108 is not being charged, the sub control unit 113 may perform the following process. That is, the sub-control unit 113 may notify the smart device 200 by the BLE using the short-range wireless communication unit 112 that the battery 108 is not being charged and the service of the digital camera 100 cannot be activated.

In step S509, the sub-control unit 113 notifies the smart device 200 that the battery 108 is being charged using the short-range wireless communication unit 112 by BLE, and ends the remote activation process illustrated in FIG. 5A. To do. Step S509 is an example of processing by the notification means of the present invention. When the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or higher than the second threshold and the voltage of the battery 108 is not insufficient, it is not notified that the battery 108 is being charged. Therefore, the notification that the battery 108 is being charged also indicates that the voltage of the battery 108 is insufficient.
When the control unit 201 of the smart device 200 receives that the battery 108 is being charged from the digital camera 100 via the short-range wireless communication unit 212, the control unit 201 displays the screen illustrated in FIG. The screen shown in FIG. 6 is an application menu screen 303. Unlike the application menu screen 303 in FIG. 3B, a notification 601 is displayed. A notification 601 is a message indicating that the digital camera 100 is being charged. However, the notification 601 may be an image such as an icon or the like as long as it indicates that the digital camera 100 is being charged.

[effect]
As described above, the digital camera 100 receives a predetermined service provision request from the smart device 200, and the voltage value of the battery 108 is not less than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, and When the battery 108 is being charged, the following notification is given. That is, the digital camera 100 notifies the smart device 200 that the battery 108 is being charged via the short-range wireless communication unit 112. This notification also indicates that the voltage of the battery 108 is insufficient as described above.
Therefore, the digital camera 100 can notify that the voltage of the battery 108 is insufficient at present and that the service of the digital camera 100 can be started soon because the voltage of the battery 108 is being charged. Therefore, user convenience can be improved.

  Further, the digital camera 100 periodically detects the voltage value of the battery 108, and determines whether or not the battery 108 is being charged based on whether or not the voltage value of the battery 108 is increasing in the battery check process. Judging. Therefore, it can be easily determined whether or not the battery 108 is being charged. Further, since this determination is performed by the sub-control unit 113, power consumption can be suppressed as compared with the case where the main control unit 101 performs the determination.

  The digital camera 100 performs a load test and acquires a detailed voltage value of the battery 108. Then, the digital camera 100 determines whether or not the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated based on whether or not the acquired voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value. That is, since the digital camera 100 determines whether or not the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated based on the voltage value of the battery 108 with a small error, it is possible to suppress the possibility of making an erroneous determination.

  In addition, when the digital camera 100 receives a request for provision of a predetermined service from the smart device 200, the service of the digital camera 100 is stopped, and the voltage value of the battery 108 is equal to or higher than the second threshold, the digital camera 100 Start the service. Therefore, the user can start the service of the digital camera 100 even if the service of the digital camera 100 is stopped by simply requesting the service from the smart device 200 to the digital camera 100 without directly operating the digital camera 100.

Second Embodiment
Next, the communication system 300 of this embodiment will be described. Similar to the communication system 300 of the first embodiment, the communication system 300 of the present embodiment includes the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200. The configurations of the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200 of the present embodiment are the same as those of the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200 of the first embodiment.
In the first embodiment, the digital camera 100 that has received a wireless LAN connection request from the smart device 200 cannot start the service of the digital camera 100 due to a shortage of the remaining battery power, and the battery 108 is being charged. Make a notification. That is, the digital camera 100 notifies the smart device 200 that the battery 108 is being charged.
In this embodiment, the digital camera 100 continues to check the power value of the battery 108 after notifying the smart device 200 that charging is in progress. Then, the digital camera 100 updates the notification to the smart device 200 when the power value of the battery 108 becomes equal to or higher than the second threshold that can activate the service of the digital camera 100.
In the following description, the description of the same points as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

First, with reference to FIG. 7A, the remote start process of this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 7A is a flowchart of the remote activation process. The remote activation process of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, which has been described in steps S405, S406, S407, and the like in FIG. 4. Here, the details of the remote activation process of this embodiment will be described.
7A is started in response to the user of the smart device 200 operating the operation unit 205 and instructing a wireless LAN connection with the digital camera 100.

Steps S701 to S709 are the same as steps S501 to S509 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, and description thereof is omitted here.
In step S710, the sub-control unit 113 performs a startable notification process. Here, the startable notification process will be described with reference to FIG. 7B. FIG. 7B is a flowchart of startable notification processing.
In step S720, the sub control unit 113 acquires the voltage value of the battery 108 and stores it in the RAM in the sub control unit 113. In step S720, as in steps S704 and S705 of FIG. 7A, the main control unit 101 may be activated and the main control unit 101 may perform a load test to obtain a detailed voltage value of the battery 108. At this time, after the main control unit 101 or the sub control unit 113 stores the voltage value of the battery 108 acquired by the main control unit 101 in, for example, the RAM in the sub control unit 113, the main control unit 101 is stopped. You may move to the state.

In step S721, the sub-control unit 113 determines whether or not the acquired voltage value of the battery 108 is greater than or equal to the second threshold value. If the sub-control unit 113 determines that the voltage value of the battery 108 is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the process proceeds to step S722. When the sub control unit 113 determines that the voltage value of the battery 108 is less than the second threshold value, the sub control unit 113 ends the startable notification process shown in FIG. 7B, and the process proceeds to step S711 in FIG. 7A. . The second threshold is a voltage value at which the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated. In step S721, the sub-control unit 113 determines whether or not the voltage of the battery 108 has recovered to a voltage value at which the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated by charging the battery 108.
In step S722, the sub-control unit 113 notifies the smart device 200 that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated using the short-range wireless communication unit 112 by BLE. The process of step S722 is an example of a process by the second notification unit of the present invention.
When the control unit 201 of the smart device 200 receives that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated via the short-range wireless communication unit 212, the control unit 201 displays the screen illustrated in FIG. The screen shown in FIG. 8 is an application menu screen 303. However, unlike the application menu screen 303 in FIG. 3B, a notification 801 is displayed. A notification 801 is a message indicating that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated. However, the notification 801 may be an image or the like as long as it represents that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated.

Returning to FIG. 7A, the description of the remote activation process will be continued.
In step S711, the sub-control unit 113 determines whether or not it is notified in step S710 that the service can be started. When the sub-control unit 113 notifies that the service can be activated in step S710, the remote activation process illustrated in FIG. 7A ends. If the sub-control unit 113 has not notified that the service can be started in step S710, the process returns to step S710.

As described above, the digital camera 100 receives a predetermined service provision request from the smart device 200, and the voltage value of the battery 108 is not less than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, and When the battery 108 is being charged, the following notification is given. That is, the digital camera 100 notifies the smart device 200 that the battery 108 is being charged via the short-range wireless communication unit 112. This notification also means that the voltage of the battery 108 is currently insufficient.
Therefore, the digital camera 100 can notify that the voltage of the battery 108 is insufficient at present and that the service of the digital camera 100 can be started soon because the battery 108 is being charged. Therefore, user convenience can be improved.

  The digital camera 100 continues to check the voltage value of the battery 108 even after notifying that the battery 108 is being charged. When the voltage value of the battery 108 becomes equal to or higher than the second threshold value, the smart device 200 is notified that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated. Therefore, since the user or the smart device 200 can grasp that the service of the digital camera 100 can be activated without making an inquiry to the digital camera 100, the convenience of the user is improved.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program This process can be realized. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.
Although the present invention has been described together with the embodiments, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of implementation in carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is interpreted in a limited manner by these. It must not be. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the technical idea or the main features thereof.
Each of the digital camera 100 and the smart device 200 is an example of a computer.

  100 digital camera, 200 smart device, 300 communication system

Claims (16)

A communication device capable of communicating with an external device,
Communication means that can be activated when the voltage value of the battery is equal to or greater than a first threshold;
Service means that can be activated when a voltage value of the battery is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value;
When the communication means receives a predetermined request from the external device, the voltage value of the battery is not less than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value, and the battery is being charged. A communication device comprising: notification means for notifying that the battery is being charged via the communication means to the external device. A judgment unit for judging whether or not the battery is being charged based on whether or not the voltage value of the battery tends to increase;
The notification means receives the predetermined request from the external device, and the battery voltage is not less than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, and the determination 2. The communication according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is determined to be charged by means, the external device is notified via the communication means that the battery is being charged. apparatus. Further comprising an acquisition means for acquiring a voltage value of the battery by performing a load test on the battery,
The notifying unit receives the predetermined request from the external device, and the battery voltage value acquired by the acquiring unit is not less than the first threshold value and the second threshold value. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is being charged and the battery is being charged, the external device is notified that the battery is being charged via the communication unit. Communication device.   The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the acquisition unit acquires a voltage value of the battery by flowing a current from the battery to a load test circuit and detecting a voltage drop of the battery.   After the notification means that the battery is being charged, when the voltage value of the battery becomes equal to or higher than the second threshold value, the service means is connected to the external device via the communication means. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising second notification means for notifying that activation is possible.   The notifying means receives the predetermined request from the external device, the voltage value of the battery is less than the second threshold, and the battery is not charging. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an external apparatus is notified that the service unit cannot be activated via the communication unit. The service means executes the predetermined service when the communication means receives the predetermined request from the external device and the service means is activated,
The notification means includes the communication means receiving the predetermined request from the external device, the service means being stopped, and a voltage value of the battery being equal to or greater than the first threshold value. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is less than a second threshold and the battery is being charged, the external device is notified that the battery is being charged via the communication unit. 6. The communication device according to any one of 6.   The service means is activated when the communication means receives the predetermined request from the external device, the service means is stopped, and the voltage value of the battery is equal to or greater than the second threshold value. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an activation unit.   9. The service device according to claim 1, wherein the service unit is at least one of a second communication unit that consumes more power than the communication unit, and an imaging unit that generates image data. The communication device described. The service means includes the second communication means,
The predetermined service is a communication connection in the second communication means;
The communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined request is a request for communication connection using the second communication unit.   The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a charging unit that charges the battery with electric power supplied from an external bus.   The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the external bus is a USB.   The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit communicates with the external device by BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). A main control unit that operates at a predetermined power consumption and controls the service unit;
Sub-control means that operates with power consumption lower than the predetermined power consumption, and that can be activated when the voltage value of the battery is equal to or higher than the first threshold, and
14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit is realized by an operation of the sub-control unit. A communication means that can be activated when the voltage value of the battery is greater than or equal to a first threshold; and a communication means that can be activated when the voltage value of the battery is greater than or equal to a second threshold greater than the first threshold; A communication device control method comprising:
When the communication means receives a predetermined request from an external device, and the voltage value of the battery is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, and the battery is being charged, A communication device control method comprising: a notification step of notifying the external device via the communication means that the battery is being charged.   The program for functioning a computer as each means of the communication apparatus of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 14.

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