JP2018018385A - Electronic instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cut down power consumption without impairing usability.SOLUTION: A portable terminal 1 is an electronic instrument that is operative in a normal mode for displaying a screen with a first luminance and a sleep mode for displaying the screen with a second luminance lower than the first luminance. The electronic instrument comprises: an operation unit 2 that receives an operation; an operation mode control unit 51 that, when a set sleep-in time 31 elapses by without receiving the operation from the operation unit 2 in the normal mode, shifts from the normal mode to the sleep mode; an operation interval storage unit 521 that stores a time to be taken from the reception of the operation by the operation unit 2 in the normal mode to the next reception of the operation in the normal mode as an operation interval time; and a sleep-in time change unit 522 that changes the sleep-in time 31 on the basis of the stored operation interval time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device having a sleep mode that reduces power consumption.

  In recent years, electronic books, newspapers, and the like have been read using mobile terminals such as mobile phones, smartphones, and tablet terminals. Since the portable terminal uses a battery as a power source, it is necessary to reduce power consumption. Therefore, portable terminals equipped with a sleep mode that operates with reduced power consumption in addition to a normal mode that operates with normal power are widely used (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In such a mobile terminal, if there is no operation for a certain period of time in the normal mode, it is determined that the user is not using the mobile terminal, the sleep mode is entered, and power consumption is reduced by turning off the screen. Yes. In this case, when the user touches the screen, the sleep mode is canceled, the normal mode is restored, and the screen display is performed again.

JP 2013-246726 A JP 2014-29719 A

  However, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, when reading a digital book using a mobile terminal, there is no operation on the mobile terminal even though the user is reading text on the screen. In some cases, the mobile terminal shifts to the sleep mode and the screen is turned off. Therefore, the user has to touch the screen every time the screen is turned off, and there is a problem that the operation is troublesome.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device capable of reducing power consumption without impairing usability.

The electronic device of the present invention is an electronic device that operates in a normal mode for displaying a screen at a first luminance and a sleep mode for displaying the screen at a second luminance lower than the first luminance, An operation unit that receives an operation; an operation mode control unit that shifts from the normal mode to the sleep mode when a set sleep on-time elapses without the operation being received by the operation unit in the normal mode; and the normal mode An operation interval storage unit that stores, as an operation interval time, a time from when the operation is received by the operation unit in a mode until the next operation is received in the normal mode, and based on the stored operation interval time A sleep on time changing unit for changing the sleep on time.
Further, the sleep on-time changing unit may acquire the number of characters displayed on the screen and change the sleep on-time according to the number of characters.
In addition, the operation interval storage unit receives, as the operation interval time, from the time when the operation for updating the display characters on the screen is received until the time when the operation for updating the display characters on the screen is received. May be stored.
The operation interval storage unit displays the number of characters on the screen updated from the time when the operation is received by the operation unit in the normal mode to the time when the operation is received next in the normal mode, together with the operation interval time. The sleep entering time changing unit weights the operation interval time stored by the operation interval storage unit with the number of characters stored together, and changes the sleep entering time based on the weighted operation interval time. May be.

  According to the present invention, power consumption can be reduced without impairing usability.

It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the portable terminal of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the operation mode control process of the operation mode control part shown in FIG. It is an example of a display screen of the operation unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a setting example of an initial sleep entering time corresponding to the number of characters on the display screen shown in FIG. 3. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which adjusts the sleep entering time by the sleep control part shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that, in the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to configurations showing similar functions.

  A portable terminal 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a portable device such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and includes an operation unit 2, a storage unit 3, a communication unit 4, and a control unit 5. I have.

  The operation unit 2 includes a hard key, a touch panel provided on a display panel of a display unit that displays various information, and the like. In addition, the operation unit 2 has a function of detecting a flick operation on the touch panel and updating display characters by line feed or page feed on the screen.

  The storage unit 3 is a storage unit such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores a sleep onset time 31 and a sleep control application 32.

  The sleep entering time 31 is a set time until the operation mode of the mobile terminal 1 enters the sleep mode from the normal mode by the operation mode control unit 51 described later, and is initially set.

  The sleep control application 32 is an application program for controlling the timing at which the operation mode of the mobile terminal 1 becomes the sleep mode by the operation mode control unit 51 by adjusting the sleep on time 31. The user can download the sleep control application 32 from the Internet or the like via the communication unit 4 and install it on the mobile terminal 1.

  The communication unit 4 has a function of transmitting and receiving various data by connecting to the Internet or the like via a wireless network.

  The control unit 5 is connected to the operation unit 2, the storage unit 3, and the communication unit 4, and executes operation control of the entire mobile terminal 1 according to predetermined instruction information input from the operation unit 2. The control unit 5 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer including a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The ROM stores a control program for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 1. The control unit 5 reads out a control program stored in the ROM and develops the control program in the RAM, thereby controlling the entire terminal in accordance with predetermined instruction information input from the operation unit 2.

  The control unit 5 functions as an operation mode control unit 51 that controls the operation mode of the mobile terminal 1. The operation mode control unit 51 controls the mobile terminal 1 to operate in either the normal mode or the sleep mode. The normal mode is a mode in which the screen is displayed with the first luminance. The sleep mode is a mode in which the backlight of the screen is controlled to display at a second luminance lower than the first luminance, and the power consumption is suppressed from the normal mode.

  The operation mode control unit 51 shifts the operation mode of the mobile terminal 1 from the normal mode to the sleep mode when the sleep entering time 31 elapses without an operation being accepted by the operation unit 2. Specifically, the operation mode control unit 51 has a timer 511, and measures the time during which no operation is accepted by the operation unit 2 (no operation time) by the timer 511 in the normal mode. . When the measurement time by the timer 511 exceeds the sleep entering time 31, the operation mode control unit 51 controls the operation mode of the mobile terminal 1 to shift from the normal mode to the sleep mode.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when the mobile terminal 1 is set to the normal mode (step s11), the operation mode control unit 51 starts a timer 511 (step s12). Subsequently, the operation mode control unit 51 determines whether or not an operation is accepted by the operation unit 2 (step s13). When the operation is accepted by the operation unit 2 (Yes in step s13), the timer 511 Is reset (step s14), and the process returns to step s12. On the other hand, when the operation is not accepted by the operation unit 2 (No in step s13), the operation mode control unit 51 sets the timer value (no operation time) of the timer 511 and the sleep on-time stored in the storage unit 3. 31 to determine whether or not the timer value has exceeded the sleep entering time 31 (step s15).

  If the timer value does not exceed the sleep entry time 31 (No in step s15), the process returns to step s13. On the other hand, when the timer value exceeds the sleep on-time 31 (Yes in Step s15), the operation mode control unit 51 shifts the operation mode of the mobile terminal 1 from the normal mode to the sleep mode (Step s16). This process ends. When the operation unit 2 receives an operation during the sleep mode, the operation mode control unit 51 controls the mobile terminal 1 to return from the sleep mode to the normal mode.

  Further, when the activation operation of the sleep control application 32 is performed via the operation unit 2, the control unit 5 reads the sleep control application 32 stored in the storage unit 3, expands it in the RAM, and sleep control application 32. Start up. Thereby, the control unit 5 functions as a sleep control unit 52 that realizes the function of the sleep control application 32.

  The sleep control unit 52 functions as an operation interval storage unit 521 and a sleep on-time change unit 522. By changing the sleep on-time 31, the operation mode of the mobile terminal 1 is set to the sleep mode by the operation mode control unit 51. Control when it comes to.

  The operation interval storage unit 521 has a function of storing, as an operation interval time, a time from when an operation is received by the operation unit 2 in the normal mode until the next operation is received in the normal mode. The operation interval storage unit 521 is updated so as to always store the latest predetermined number of operation interval times by storing, for example, a predetermined number of times such as five in the RAM (not shown) as the operation interval time. The operation interval storage unit 521 may acquire the operation interval time via the timer 511.

  When the non-operation time of the operation unit 2 exceeds the sleep entering time 31 and the portable terminal 1 is changed from the normal mode to the sleep mode, the operation interval storage unit 521 detects immediately before shifting to the sleep mode. The operation interval time from the operation in the normal mode to the operation detected for the first time after entering the normal mode is acquired. In this case, since the operation for returning the mobile terminal 1 from the sleep mode is an operation in the sleep mode, the operation interval time is not started or ended. Thereby, even if the mobile terminal 1 shifts to the sleep mode because the user's reading speed (screen update speed) is slower than the set sleep on-time 31, for example, the normal mode immediately before entering the sleep mode The operation interval from the last operation to the first operation in the normal mode after returning from the sleep mode can be stored as the operation interval time. At this time, the operation interval storage unit 521 determines that the user is not reading if the return operation from the sleep mode is not performed within a preset time after the transition to the sleep mode. The last operation detected in the normal mode immediately before shifting to the sleep mode may not be set as the operation interval time start target. Needless to say, when the user's reading speed is earlier than the set sleep entering time 31, the operation interval time is acquired based on the operation interval in the same normal mode without shifting to the sleep mode. .

  The sleep on time changing unit 522 has a function of changing the sleep on time 31. Specifically, when the sleep control application 32 is activated, the sleep on-time changing unit 522 acquires the number of characters (for example, see FIG. 3) displayed on the screen of the display unit as an initial setting, and sets the number of characters. Correspondingly, the sleep entering time 31 is changed to a preset initial sleep entering time. FIG. 4 is an example of the first sleep entry time set corresponding to the number of characters. The first sleep entering time is included in the sleep control application 32 and is set to be longer as the number of characters increases. Note that the sleep on-time changing unit 522 does not acquire the number of all characters displayed on the screen, but may acquire only the number of characters included in the screen center column 21 as shown in FIG. Good. According to this, since the sleep on-time changing unit 522 does not have to acquire the entire number of displayed characters, the time for acquiring the number of characters can be shortened, and the initial setting can be completed quickly. In this case, the first sleep entering time shown in FIG. 4 is set corresponding to the number of characters in the center column of the screen.

  Subsequently, when the operation interval time is stored in the operation interval storage unit 521, the sleep on-time changing unit 522 calculates an average time of the plurality of stored operation interval times, and calculates a predetermined time ( The sleep entry time 31 is changed to the time when the buffer time is added. As a result, the sleep on-time 31 is updated in accordance with the operation interval time during which the user performs line feed or page feed.

  Specifically, with reference to FIG. 5, the flow of the changing process of the sleep entering time 31 by the sleep control unit 52 will be described.

  First, when the sleep control application 32 is activated by the control unit 5 (step s31), the control unit 5 functions as the sleep control unit 52. Subsequently, the sleep on time changing unit 522 of the sleep control unit 52 acquires the number of characters on the current display screen (step s32), and sets the initial sleep on time corresponding to the number of characters to the sleep on time 31 (step s33). ).

  Subsequently, the operation interval storage unit 521 monitors the operation unit 2 (step s34), detects the operation interval time when the operation is accepted by the operation unit 2 in the normal mode (step s35), and stores it (step s35). s36). Subsequently, the sleep on-time changing unit 522 calculates an average value of the plurality of stored operation interval times (step s37), and sets a time obtained by adding the predetermined time α to the calculated average value as the sleep on-time 31. (Step s38), and this process is terminated.

  As described above, the mobile terminal 1 according to the present embodiment is an electronic device that operates in the normal mode in which the screen is displayed with the first luminance and the sleep mode in which the screen is displayed with the second luminance lower than the first luminance. An operation unit 2 that receives an operation, and an operation mode control unit 51 that shifts from the normal mode to the sleep mode when the set sleep on-time 31 elapses without the operation being received by the operation unit 2 in the normal mode. , An operation interval storage unit 521 that stores the time from when an operation is accepted by the operation unit 2 in the normal mode until the next operation is accepted in the normal mode as an operation interval time, and sleep based on the stored operation interval time A sleep on-time changing unit 522 that changes the on-time 31. As a result, when the user proceeds to read while performing an operation for updating the display character, the sleep entering time 31 is changed to a time according to the reading speed of the user. Then, when the sleep time 31 is reached without the user performing an operation for updating the display character, the operation mode control unit 51 causes the portable terminal 1 to shift from the normal mode to the sleep mode. In addition, when the user has been reading but has shifted to the sleep mode, the normal operation after returning from the sleep mode from the last operation in the normal mode immediately before shifting to the sleep mode is performed. The time until the first operation is stored as the operation interval time, and is added to the change of the sleep entering time 31. Therefore, since it can shift to sleep mode according to the user's reading speed, power consumption can be reduced without impairing usability.

  In addition, for the first activation when the operation interval time for updating the display characters by the user cannot be acquired, the sleep entering time 31 can be changed according to the number of display characters on the screen.

  The operation interval storage unit 521 uses the operation unit 2 to perform an operation for updating the display character on the screen after an operation for updating the display character on the screen is received by the operation unit 2 as the operation interval time. You may make it memorize | store the time until it receives. The operation for updating the display character may include a flick operation and an operation of pressing an icon for instructing page feed or line feed. This is because the portable terminal 1 often enters the sleep mode against the user's will when reading is performed using the portable terminal 1.

  The operation interval storage unit 521 acquires not only the operation interval time but also the number of characters displayed on the screen updated from when the operation is received by the operation unit 2 in the normal mode until the next operation is received in the normal mode. The number of displayed characters may be stored together with the operation interval time. In this case, the sleep on-time changing unit 522 weights the operation interval time stored in the operation interval storage unit 521 according to the number of display characters, and sleeps the time obtained by adding the predetermined time α to the average value of the weighted operation interval times. The entry time 31 may be set. According to this, the sleep on-time changing unit 522 can set the sleep on-time 31 not only according to the user operation interval time but also according to the content content displayed on the screen.

  Note that the sleep on-time changing unit 522 not only changes the sleep on-time 31 to the time obtained by adding the predetermined time α to the average value of the operation interval time, but also, for example, a time obtained by multiplying the latest operation interval time by 1.5. The sleep on-time 31 may be changed, the sleep on-time 31 may be changed to a time obtained by simply adding the operation interval time, or the calculation method of the sleep on-time 31 may be changed as appropriate.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the portable terminal 1 to the example, it should just be an electronic device provided with not only the portable terminal 1 but normal mode and sleep mode of lower power consumption than normal mode, for example, The present embodiment may be applied to an image forming apparatus.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable terminal 2 Operation part 3 Memory | storage part 4 Communication part 5 Control part 21 Central part row | line | column 31 Sleep entering time 32 Sleep control application 51 Operation mode control part 52 Sleep control part 511 Timer 521 Operation interval memory | storage part 522 Sleep entering time change part

Claims (4)

An electronic device that operates in a normal mode in which a screen is displayed with a first brightness and a sleep mode in which the screen is displayed with a second brightness lower than the first brightness,
An operation unit for receiving an operation;
An operation mode control unit that shifts from the normal mode to the sleep mode when a set sleep time has elapsed without the operation being accepted by the operation unit in the normal mode;
An operation interval storage unit that stores, as an operation interval time, a time from when the operation unit is received in the normal mode until the operation is received next in the normal mode;
An electronic device comprising: a sleep on-time changing unit configured to change the sleep on-time based on the stored operation interval time. The sleep time changing unit is
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the number of characters displayed on the screen is acquired, and the sleep entering time is changed according to the number of characters. The operation interval storage unit is
As the operation interval time, a time from when the operation for updating the display character of the screen is accepted until the operation for updating the display character of the screen is accepted next is stored. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2. The operation interval storage unit is
Storing the number of characters of the screen updated from the time when the operation is received by the operation unit in the normal mode to the time when the operation is received next in the normal mode, together with the operation interval time;
The sleep time changing unit is
The operation interval time stored by the operation interval storage unit is weighted by the number of characters stored together, and the sleep entering time is changed based on the weighted operation interval time. The electronic device according to any one of the above.

Images