JP2021166040A - Power source device, electronic blackboard, power source system, power source control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To maintain a power saving mode set based on operation of a person.SOLUTION: A power source device includes: a power source part for supplying power to an information processor; a control part for performing control of shift to a power saving mode with less power consumption based on operation of an operator of the information processor; a first determination part for determining whether or not to release the power saving mode based on a detection result by a detection part for detecting a person, included in the information processor, and outputting a first determination result; a second determination part for determining whether or not a first condition that is a condition associated with the operation by the operator is satisfied, and outputting a second determination result; and a determination part for determining whether or not to enable release of the power saving mode by the first determination result based on the second determination result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a power supply device, an electronic blackboard, a power supply system, a power supply control method, and a program.

Conventionally, in a device using electric power, a configuration using a power saving mode for reducing electric power consumption has been known.

For example, the power supply control device first detects a person using a motion sensor. Then, the power supply control device determines whether or not the moving object is detected by the motion sensor. Next, if the judgment is affirmative, there is known a technique of shifting to an awake mode and supplying power to a UI (user interface) touch panel or an IC card reader (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, the conventional technique does not assume a case where a person inputs an operation for shifting to the power saving mode. For example, when the conference is over and the use of the electronic blackboard is finished, an operation for shifting to the power saving mode may be performed. In such a case, after inputting the operation for shifting to the power saving mode, a person who is about to leave the electronic blackboard may be detected, and the power saving mode may be canceled based on the detection result. Therefore, even if the power saving mode is set based on a human operation, the power saving mode may not be maintained.

One aspect of the present invention is to maintain a power saving mode that is set based on human operation.

The power supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention
A power supply unit that supplies power to the information processing device,
A control unit that controls the transition to the power saving mode in which the power consumption is low based on the operation by the operator of the information processing device.
Based on the detection result of the information processing device that detects a person, the first determination unit that determines whether or not to cancel the power saving mode and outputs the first determination result.
A second determination unit that determines whether or not the first condition, which is a condition related to the operation by the operator, is satisfied and outputs a second determination result.
Based on the second determination result, a determination unit for determining whether or not to enable the cancellation of the power saving mode based on the first determination result is provided.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the power saving mode set based on the operation of a person can be maintained.

It is a figure which shows the use example of an electronic blackboard. It is a figure which shows the hardware configuration example of an electronic blackboard. It is a figure which shows the functional structure example. It is a figure which shows the whole processing example. It is a figure which shows the processing result example. It is a figure which shows the transition example of a mode. It is a figure which shows the transition example of the mode in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the comparative example.

Hereinafter, the optimum and minimum form for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, when the same reference numerals are given, it is shown that the same configurations are used, and duplicate description will be omitted. Further, the specific example shown is an example, and a configuration other than that shown may be further included.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, an electronic blackboard having a power supply device will be described as an example.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of using an electronic blackboard. Hereinafter, in order to simplify the description, an example will be described in which two electronic blackboards 2a and 2b, and an electronic pen 4a and an electronic pen 4b attached thereto are used. Therefore, three or more electronic blackboards or electronic pens may be used, or one electronic blackboard may be used.

The image processing system 1 includes a plurality of electronic whiteboards 2a and 2b, a plurality of electronic pens 4a and 4b, a USB memory 5a and 5b, a notebook PC (Personal Computer) 6a and 6b, a video conference terminal 7a and 7b, a PC8, and a server 11. It has an information processing device such as.

Further, the electronic blackboards 2a and 2b, the PC8, and the server 11 are communicably connected via the communication network 9. Further, displays 3a and 3b are provided on the plurality of electronic blackboards 2a and 2b, respectively.

Further, the electronic blackboard 2a is drawn by an event generated by the electronic pen 4a (for example, an operation such as touching the display 3a with the pen tip of the electronic pen 4a or the pen tail of the electronic pen 4a). The image is displayed on the display 3a.

The electronic blackboard 2a is displayed on the display 3a based on not only the electronic pen 4a but also an event (for example, a gesture such as enlargement, reduction, or page turning) caused by the user's hand Ha or the like. Change the image you are using.

Further, a USB memory 5a can be connected to the electronic blackboard 2a. Then, the electronic blackboard 2a can read an electronic file such as a PDF (Portable Document Form) from the USB memory 5a, or store the electronic file in the USB memory 5a.

The electronic blackboard 2a conforms to standards such as DisplayPort, DVI (Digital Visual Interface), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), and VGA (Video Graphics Array). Therefore, the notebook PC 6a is connected to the electronic blackboard 2a via the cable 10a1.

Then, when an event such as contact with the display 3a occurs, the electronic blackboard 2a transmits event information indicating the content of the event to the notebook PC 6a. Similarly, a video conference terminal 7a (sometimes referred to as a "video conference terminal") is connected to the electronic blackboard 2a via a cable 10a2 capable of communicating according to a standard.

The notebook PC 6a and the video conference terminal 7a may communicate with the electronic blackboard 2a by wireless communication conforming to a wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

On the other hand, at other bases where the electronic blackboard 2b is installed, similarly to the electronic blackboard 2a, the electronic blackboard 2b having the display 3b, the electronic pen 4b, the USB memory 5b, the notebook PC 6b, the video conference terminal 7b, the cable 10b1, and the like. Cable 10b2 is used. Further, the electronic blackboard 2b changes the image displayed on the display 3b based on the event generated by the user's hand Hb or the like.

The server 11 manages communication between bases via the communication network 9 as described above. For example, the server 11 manages the connection between the electronic blackboards 2a and 2b via the communication network 9. The management of the connection between the electronic blackboards 2a and 2b may be started in response to a connection request to the server 11 from at least one of the electronic blackboards 2a and 2b. By managing the communication between various devices connected to the communication network 9 by the server 11, for example, the server 11 can be used between the devices or at a base depending on the devices such as a plurality of electronic whiteboards 2 connected to the communication network 9. It is possible to manage communication between each other.

In this way, the image drawn on the display 3a of the electronic blackboard 2a at one base is displayed on the display 3b of the electronic blackboard 2b at another base. On the contrary, the image drawn on the display 3b of the electronic blackboard 2b at another base is displayed on the display 3a of the electronic blackboard 2a at a certain base.

In this way, the image processing system 1 performs remote sharing processing for sharing the same image at a remote location. In this way, it is convenient to use it for meetings in remote areas.

<Terminology>
In the following example, when indicating an arbitrary electronic blackboard among a plurality of electronic blackboards, it is referred to as "electronic blackboard 2".

When indicating an arbitrary display among a plurality of displays, it is referred to as "display 3".

When indicating an arbitrary electronic pen among a plurality of electronic pens, it is referred to as "electronic pen 4".

When indicating an arbitrary USB memory among a plurality of USB memories, it is referred to as "USB memory 5".

When indicating an arbitrary notebook PC among a plurality of notebook PCs, it is referred to as "notebook PC 6".

When indicating an arbitrary video conference terminal among a plurality of video conference terminals, it is referred to as "video conference terminal 7".

When indicating an arbitrary hand among the hands of a plurality of users, it is referred to as "hand H".

When indicating an arbitrary cable among a plurality of cables, it is indicated as "cable 10".

Further, in the following description, an example in which the electronic blackboard has a power supply device will be described. However, the device having the power supply device may be other than the electronic blackboard.

For example, the power supply device may include an electronic signage (digital signage), sports, a telestrator used for weather forecasting, a remote image (video) diagnostic device, or the like.

In the following description, an example in which the information processing terminal is a notebook PC 6 will be described. However, the information processing terminal is not limited to this. For example, the information processing terminal may be a terminal capable of supplying an image frame such as a desktop PC, a tablet PC, a PDA, a digital video camera, a digital camera, or a game machine.

The communication network 9 includes the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a mobile phone communication network, and the like. Then, in order to enhance security, the communication network 9 may be connected to the Internet using a VPN (Visual Private Network).

In the following description, an example in which the recording medium is a USB memory will be described. However, the recording medium is not limited to this. For example, the recording medium may be another type of recording medium such as an SD (registered trademark) card.

An image showing characters, figures, numbers, symbols, lines, or a combination thereof that the user writes by hand on an electronic blackboard is called a "stroke image".

<Hardware configuration example of electronic blackboard>
Hereinafter, a hardware configuration example of the electronic blackboard of the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of an electronic blackboard.

The electronic blackboard 2 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit, hereinafter referred to as “CPU201”) that controls the operation of the entire electronic blackboard 2.

The electronic blackboard 2 has a ROM (Read-Only Memory, hereinafter referred to as “ROM202”) that stores a program used for driving the CPU 201 such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader).

The electronic blackboard 2 has a RAM (Random Access Memory, hereinafter referred to as “RAM 203”) used as a work area of the CPU 201.

The electronic blackboard 2 has an SSD (Solid State Drive, hereinafter referred to as “SSD204”) that stores various data such as a program for the electronic blackboard 2.

The electronic blackboard 2 includes a network interface (hereinafter referred to as “network I / F”) 205 that controls communication using the communication network 9, an external USB memory 5, a microphone 240, a speaker 250, and a camera 260. It has an external device connection interface (hereinafter referred to as "external device connection I / F") 206 that controls communication with an external device such as.

The capture device 211 displays video information as a still image or a moving image on a display or the like of the notebook PC 6.

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit, hereinafter referred to as "GPU212") is a semiconductor chip that specializes in graphics.

The display controller 213 controls and manages the screen display in order to output the output image from the GPU 212 to the display 3.

The contact sensor 214 detects that the electronic pen 4, the hand H, or the like has come into contact with the display 3.

The sensor controller 215 controls the processing of the contact sensor 214. Specifically, the contact sensor 214 inputs and detects the coordinates by the infrared blocking method. In the method of inputting the coordinates and detecting the coordinates, first, two light receiving / receiving devices installed at both upper ends of the display 3 emit a plurality of infrared rays in parallel with the display 3. Then, the emitted infrared rays are reflected by the reflecting members provided around the display 3. After that, the light receiving element receives the light returning on the same optical path as the light path of the emitted light.

The contact sensor 214 outputs an infrared ID emitted by two light emitting / receiving devices blocked by the object to the sensor controller 215, and the sensor controller 215 specifies a coordinate position which is a contact position of the object.

The electronic pen controller 216 determines whether or not there is a touch of the pen tip or a touch of the pen tail on the display 3 by communicating with the electronic pen 4.

The short-range communication circuit 219 is a circuit that uses an antenna 219a to perform communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The power switch 222 is a switch for switching ON / OFF of the power supply.

The selection switches 223 are, for example, a group of switches for adjusting the brightness or hue of the display on the display 3.

Further, the electronic blackboard 2 includes a bus line 210. The bus line 210 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 201.

The contact sensor 214 is not limited to the infrared blocking method. For example, the contact sensor 214 may use a capacitance type touch panel that specifies a contact position by detecting a change in capacitance. Further, the contact sensor 214 may use a resistance film type touch panel that specifies the contact position by changing the voltage of two opposing resistance films. In addition, the contact sensor 214 may use an electromagnetic induction type touch panel or the like that detects electromagnetic induction generated when an object comes into contact with the display unit and specifies the contact position.

Further, the electronic pen controller 216 determines whether or not not only the pen tip and pen tail of the electronic pen 4 but also the portion where the user holds the electronic pen 4 or a portion other than the pen end touches. May be good.

The motion sensor 224 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a person. For example, the motion sensor 224 detects a person using infrared rays. That is, infrared rays are emitted depending on the temperature of a person, an animal, or the like. Therefore, the motion sensor 224 detects a person by sensing infrared rays emitted by a person or the like.

The motion sensor 224 is not limited to the infrared method. For example, the motion sensor 224 may detect whether or not there is a person in the image taken by the camera or the like by face recognition or the like. In addition, the motion sensor 224 may detect a person by sound, temperature, vibration, acquisition of a detection result from an external device, a combination thereof, or the like.

The power supply 225 supplies electric power to each component of the electronic blackboard 2. The power supply 225 changes the power supply destination, the amount of power to be supplied, or the like by the control of switching the mode such as the power saving mode by the CPU 201, for example.

Hereinafter, a device having a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, an SSD 204, a network I / F 205, and a short-range communication circuit 219 will be referred to as a “controller 21”.

The controller 21 may have a removable configuration. Further, the controller 21 may be set so as not to be controlled by a button or the like. For example, the controller 21 is OPS (Open Pluggable Specialization) compliant. Here, OPS is a standard for control modules and slots for digital signage. The configuration of the controller 21 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. The controller 21 may have a CPU, memory, storage, various interfaces, and the like. Then, the CPU realizes various functions of the electronic blackboard 2 by executing the OS (Operating System) and the application program stored in the memory.

Further, the power switch 222 and the selection switches 223 are collectively referred to as a "main body key 22". Hereinafter, when the user presses a button on the main body key 22, the power saving mode is set based on the control by the controller 21.

However, the setting of the power saving mode is not limited to the operation by the main body key 22. That is, the operation in the power saving mode may be an operation using, for example, a remote controller or another external device, regardless of the hardware used for the operation.

<Functional configuration example>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the electronic blackboard 2 shown in FIG. The electronic blackboard 2 has a function of an information processing device that executes information processing and a function of a power supply device 20 that controls power consumption. Then, the electronic blackboard 2 having the information processing device and the power supply device 20 operates as a power supply system. For example, the power supply device 20 has a functional configuration including a power supply unit 301, a control unit 302, a detection unit 303, a first determination unit 304, a second determination unit 305, and a determination unit 306.

The power supply unit 301 is realized by, for example, a power supply 225. Then, the control unit 302, the first determination unit 304, the second determination unit 305, and the determination unit 306 are realized by the controller 21. Further, the detection unit 303 is realized by the motion sensor 224.

Although FIG. 3 shows an example in which the power supply system is composed of an electronic blackboard 2 having a function of an information processing device and a function of a power supply device 20, the power supply system of the present invention is limited to the configuration of FIG. Not done. For example, the power supply system may be composed of an electronic blackboard 2 having a function of an information processing device and a power supply device 20 provided outside the electronic blackboard 2.

In this case, for example, the power supply 255 that realizes the power supply unit 301 is provided outside the electronic blackboard 2, and the known control board mounted on the power supply 255 is the control unit 302, the first determination unit 304, the second determination unit 305, and the like. And, the determination unit 306 is realized. Further, the motion sensor 224 that realizes the detection unit 303 may be provided outside the electronic blackboard 2. The control unit 302, the first determination unit 304, the second determination unit 305, and the determination unit 306 may be divided and mounted on a plurality of control boards.

Then, for example, the electronic blackboard 2 and each part of the power supply device 20 and each part of the power supply device 20 are communicably connected by a known wireless interface or a wired interface. Further, the control unit 302, the first determination unit 304, the second determination unit 305, and the determination unit 306 may be realized by a calculation process executed on the cloud.

<Overall processing example>
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of overall processing. Hereinafter, the state in which the display 3 can be used is referred to as "normal mode". That is, the normal mode is a mode in which more power is consumed than the power saving mode. For example, power is supplied to a device such as a display 3. The power consumption mode and the normal mode are not determined only by the availability of the display 3. That is, the power saving mode may be in a state of consuming less power. Therefore, any device may be used as the device in which the power is cut off or the power supply is reduced in the power saving mode.

(Example of normal mode setting) (Step S1)
The control unit 302 shifts the mode to the normal mode. That is, the normal mode is set while the person is using the electronic blackboard 2 at a meeting or the like.

(Input example of operation to shift to power saving mode) (Step S2)
The control unit 302 inputs an operation for shifting to the power saving mode. For example, when a person (hereinafter, may be referred to as an "operator") operates an interface such as a button or an icon in order to turn the display 3 "OFF", an operation for shifting to the power saving mode is input. NS. That is, the control unit 302 proceeds to step S3 with the operation as a trigger.

(Control example for shifting to the power saving mode) (Step S3)
The control unit 302 controls the shift to the power saving mode by a person. Specifically, the control unit 302 shifts to the power saving mode, and in the power saving mode, the power supply unit 301 reduces the power supplied to the preset device such as the display 3.

(Example of starting measurement of elapsed time) (Step S4)
Hereinafter, the determination result of determining whether or not to switch to the power saving mode based on the detection result of a person is referred to as a "first determination result".

Further, a condition set in advance as a condition for enabling or disabling the cancellation of the power saving mode is referred to as a "first condition". The result of determining whether or not the first condition is satisfied is referred to as a "second determination result".

The first condition is a condition related to the operation by the operator, and it is desirable that the elapsed time from the transition to the power saving mode has elapsed a predetermined time. Hereinafter, a case where the first condition is set in advance as "whether a predetermined time has passed since the transition to the power saving mode" will be described as an example.

The second determination unit 305 starts measuring the elapsed time. That is, the elapsed time is measured by the timer triggered by the execution of step S3.

(Example of Mode Judgment) (Step S5)
The control unit 302 determines the mode. It is desirable that the mode is determined in this way. For example, as shown, the control unit 302 determines whether the current mode is the normal mode. Then, in the normal mode (YES in step S5), the control unit 302 proceeds to step S9. Therefore, for example, if the operation in the normal mode is started again immediately after the operation of shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode is performed, the subsequent steps S6, S7, and S8 are executed. Continues to use in normal mode without doing anything. On the other hand, if it is not in the normal mode (NO in step S5), the control unit 302 proceeds to step S6.

(Example of determining whether or not a person has been detected) (Step S6)
The first determination unit 304 outputs the first determination result of determining whether or not the detection unit 303 has detected a person. Then, when a person is detected based on the detection result (YES in step S6), the first determination unit 304 proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if no person is detected based on the detection result (NO in step S6), the first determination unit 304 proceeds to step S8.

(Example of resetting the elapsed time) (Step S7)
The second determination unit 305 resets the elapsed time.

(Example of determining whether or not the elapsed time has elapsed) (Step S8)
The second determination unit 305 determines whether or not the elapsed time has elapsed and outputs the second determination result.

Next, when the elapsed time from the transition to the power saving mode has elapsed (YES in step S8), the second determination unit 305 proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if the elapsed time from the transition to the power saving mode has not elapsed (NO in step S8), the second determination unit 305 proceeds to step S5.

When a person is detected (YES in step S6), the process proceeds to step S7, and the elapsed time is reset in step S7. The power saving cancellation becomes effective after the elapsed time has elapsed and the elapsed time since the person is no longer detected has passed the predetermined time.

(Decision example for enabling the cancellation of the power saving mode) (Step S9)
The determination unit 306 makes a determination to enable the release of the power saving mode.

When the above-mentioned overall processing is performed, for example, the following processing result is obtained.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing results. The processing result is as shown in the following (Table 1).

図示するタイミングチャートにおいて、上記（表１）における「タイミング」を図では、第１タイミングＴ１乃至第７タイミングＴ７で示す。そして、図示する例は、第１タイミングＴ１乃至第７タイミングＴ７において、上記（表１）における「イベント」が発生する例である。以下、それぞれのタイミングに分けて説明する。

In the illustrated timing chart, the "timing" in the above (Table 1) is shown by the first timing T1 to the seventh timing T7 in the figure. The illustrated example is an example in which the "event" in the above (Table 1) occurs at the first timing T1 to the seventh timing T7. Hereinafter, each timing will be described separately.

Further, in the illustrated example, the mode is switched by switching the mode switching signal SIG1. Hereinafter, when the mode switching signal SIG1 is "High", the "normal mode" is set. On the other hand, when the mode switching signal SIG1 is "Low", the "power saving mode" is set. Then, in the above (Table 1), the "mode switching signal" indicates the mode set by the mode switching signal SIG1.

Further, the detection signal SIG2 is a detection result by the detection unit 303. In this example, when the detection signal SIG2 is "ON", it is the detection result that a person is detected. On the other hand, when the detection signal SIG2 is "OFF", it is a detection result in which no person is detected. Then, in the above (Table 1), the "detection signal" indicates the detection result.

Further, the effective signal SIG3 is a signal indicating whether the switching for canceling the power saving mode is "valid" or "invalid" based on the detection result. In the above (Table 1) and the illustrated timing chart, the "valid" and "invalid" of the valid signal SIG3 are the second determination results of whether or not the first condition is satisfied.

At the first timing T1, the detection signal SIG2 is switched from "OFF" to "ON" based on the user entering the room. That is, the user is detected. Then, at the first timing T1, the effective signal SIG3 is "effective". Therefore, the control unit 302 controls the transition from the power saving mode to the normal mode. Therefore, the user holds a meeting or the like using the electronic blackboard 2 after the first timing T1.

At the second timing T2, the user inputs an operation for shifting to the power saving mode. Therefore, the mode switching signal SIG1 switches from the "normal mode" to the "power saving mode". Specifically, the second timing T2 is the timing at which the meeting ends. Then, at the second timing T2, the effective signal SIG3 is switched from "valid" to "invalid" in conjunction with the switching of the mode switching signal SIG1.

Further, the elapsed time is measured with the second timing T2 as the start point. In this example, the elapsed time between the second timing T2 and the fifth timing T5 is not sufficiently elapsed, that is, the first condition is not satisfied. Therefore, the valid signal SIG3 becomes "invalid" between the second timing T2 and the fifth timing T5. As described above, when the valid signal SIG3 is "invalid", the determination unit 306 determines to invalidate the cancellation of the power saving mode. Therefore, if the valid signal SIG3 is "invalid", the mode switching signal SIG1 does not switch from the "normal mode" to the "power saving mode" as in the first timing T1 even if the user is detected.

At the third timing T3, the detection unit 303 detects the user. The third timing T3 is an example of a time point in which the elapsed time has not passed much from the second timing T2. Therefore, at the third timing T3, the user who performed the operation at the second timing T2 is still nearby. Therefore, in the third timing T3, the user who performed the operation is detected, so that the detection signal SIG2 is “ON”.

On the other hand, at the third timing T3, the valid signal SIG3 is "invalid". Therefore, even if the user is detected, the cancellation of the power saving mode is invalid. Therefore, the power saving mode is maintained.

The user detected at the third timing T3 is not a user who will use the electronic blackboard 2 from now on, but a user who has finished using the electronic blackboard 2. Therefore, if the power saving mode is canceled based on the detection result of detecting such a user, the user has to input the operation to shift to the power saving mode again.

In addition, if the user who has performed the operation to shift to the power saving mode is detected and the power saving mode is canceled, the normal mode is switched to the normal mode again by the time the user leaves the room even if the operation to shift to the power saving mode is performed. In the end, the power saving mode set based on human operation cannot be maintained.

On the other hand, in the configuration using the active signal SIG3, the power saving mode set based on the human operation can be maintained between the second timing T2 and the fifth timing T5. In this way, if the determination is made based on the condition of using the elapsed time or the like, the cancellation of the power saving mode can be invalidated when the user who has performed the operation of shifting to the power saving mode is detected. In this way, it is possible to prevent the power saving mode from being canceled and returning to the normal mode unnecessarily.

In particular, there is an interface (for example, a power switch or a shutdown button) for performing an operation for shifting to the power saving mode within the range where the motion sensor detects a person, or an operation for shifting to the power saving mode is performed. If there is a user on the route leaving the room from the position where the operation is performed, the motion sensor may detect the person. In such a case, even if the user operates to shift to the power saving mode, the power saving mode is canceled by the time the user leaves the room, and the power saving mode cannot be maintained.

In such a case, the user who has operated to shift to the power saving mode cannot leave the electronic blackboard 2 because the power saving mode is maintained after the operation. Therefore, in fact, it may not be possible to manually set the power saving mode. On the other hand, in the configuration using the active signal SIG3, the power saving mode set based on the operation of a person can be maintained.

At the fourth timing T4, the user leaves the room. Therefore, the detection unit 303 does not detect the user from the fourth timing T4. Therefore, the detection signal SIG2 is "OFF" from the fourth timing T4 until the next user is detected (in this example, it is up to the sixth timing T6). Then, while the detection signal SIG2 is “OFF” (in this example, the fourth timing T4 to the sixth timing T6), the power saving mode can be maintained.

The fifth timing T5 is a timing at which the elapsed time has elapsed a predetermined time. That is, at the fifth timing T5, the second determination unit 305 determines that the first condition is satisfied. Therefore, at the fifth timing T5, the valid signal SIG3 is switched from "invalid" to "valid". Therefore, after the fifth timing T5, the determination unit 306 determines that the release of the power saving mode is effective.

At the sixth timing T6, the detection unit 303 detects the user. That is, at the sixth timing T6, it is detected that the user who uses the electronic blackboard 2 next enters the room.

Then, at the sixth timing T6, the effective signal SIG3 is "effective". Therefore, the control unit 302 controls the transition from the power saving mode to the normal mode. Based on such control, in this example, the process of switching the mode from the "power saving mode" to the "normal mode" is performed at the seventh timing T7. In this way, due to the time required for processing, there may be a delay time from the detection of a person (sixth timing T6) to the switching of modes (seventh timing T7).

Therefore, at the seventh timing T7, the mode switching signal SIG1 switches from the "power saving mode" to the "normal mode". In this way, when the user to be used is detected and the power saving mode is released, the user can quickly use the electronic blackboard 2.

When the above-mentioned overall processing is performed, for example, the mode changes as follows.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a mode transition example.

As shown in the figure, in a conference or the like, the electronic blackboard 2 is in the normal mode M1. Then, when the conference or the like is completed, the user UR inputs an operation for shifting to the power saving mode (hereinafter, simply referred to as "operation AC1").

When the operation AC1 is input, the mode shifts from the normal mode M1 to the power saving mode M2. In the power saving mode M2, the power consumed by the electronic blackboard 2 is reduced as compared with the normal mode M1 or the like by turning off the display 3 or the like.

The operation AC1 is performed by the user UR touching the main body key 22 of the electronic blackboard 2 or the icon displayed by the display 3. Therefore, immediately after the operation AC1 is performed, the user UR who has performed the operation AC1 is near the electronic blackboard 2. The user UR at such a position is likely to be detected by the motion sensor 224.

Therefore, in order to maintain the power saving mode M2, the electronic blackboard 2 puts the motion sensor 224 in an invalid state (hereinafter referred to as "invalid state ST") based on a predetermined time.

In the invalid state ST, the power saving mode M2 is maintained regardless of the detection result of the motion sensor 224. Therefore, in the invalid state ST, the mode does not shift to the normal mode M1 and the power saving mode M2 is maintained even when the user UR approaches. If such an invalid state ST cannot be set, the user UR who has performed the operation AC1 detects that the user UR has left the electronic blackboard 2 and shifts to the normal mode M1 again. Therefore, the user UR cannot leave the electronic blackboard 2. On the other hand, in the invalid state ST, the power saving mode M2 can be maintained.

Then, when the elapsed time from the invalid state ST has elapsed, the electronic blackboard 2 is no longer in the invalid state ST. After the invalid state ST disappears, when the user UR approaches (hereinafter referred to as "approaching action AC2"), the user UR is detected and the mode shifts to the normal mode M1. The approaching act AC2 may be an act other than approaching the electronic blackboard 2. In this way, if the power saving mode M2 can be maintained until there is the approaching action AC2, the power consumed during standby can be reduced. Then, when the mode shifts to the normal mode M1 triggered by the approaching action AC2, the next user UR can quickly use the electronic blackboard 2.

In most cases, the user UR is not nearby when sufficient time has elapsed to elapse the predetermined time. If it is possible to set whether or not to set the invalid state ST according to the elapsed time in this way, it is possible to prevent the user UR that has performed the operation AC1 from being detected and the power saving mode M2 being released.

The first condition used for determining whether or not to set the invalid state ST does not have to be the determination based only on a predetermined time. For example, if only the elapsed time is used, if the user UR who has performed the operation AC1 stays near the electronic blackboard 2 for a long time, the mode may shift to the normal mode M1 again. Therefore, if the detection by the motion sensor 224 is continuous even after the operation AC1 is input, it may be estimated that the user UR that has performed the operation AC1 is long and the invalid state ST may be continued.

On the other hand, at the timing when the continuous detection is lost, the electronic blackboard 2 may presume that the user UR who has performed the operation AC1 has left, and cancel the invalid state ST. In this way, the time during which the invalid state ST may be set may be shortened. By shortening the time in which the invalid state ST is set in this way, it is possible to cope with the case where the electronic blackboard 2 is to be used immediately next time.

<Regarding the prescribed time>
The predetermined time is set in advance, for example. Further, the predetermined time is stored in, for example, a storage device included in the electronic blackboard 2.

It is desirable that the predetermined time is set to the time required for the person who has performed the operation to shift to the power saving mode to go out of the detection range of the motion sensor after the operation. Therefore, it is desirable that the predetermined time is set to about 10 seconds or more.

If the setting is a short time of less than 10 seconds, there are many cases where a person who has performed the operation of shifting to the power saving mode is still nearby. Therefore, if the predetermined time is set to 10 seconds or more, it is possible to prevent the person who has performed the operation of shifting to the power saving mode from being detected again after the operation. In this way, it is desirable that the predetermined time is set so that the person who has performed the operation of shifting to the power saving mode can be sufficiently separated.

On the other hand, it is desirable that the predetermined time is not so long. If the predetermined time is too long, the next user may not be able to use it immediately. Therefore, it is desirable that the predetermined time is set to less than about 60 seconds.

Therefore, it is desirable that the predetermined time is set to about 10 to 60 seconds. With such a predetermined time, it is possible to avoid erroneous detection of the person who has performed the operation of shifting to the power saving mode, and to prevent the next user from being hindered from using it immediately.

However, the optimum value of the predetermined time differs depending on the range in which the human sensor detects a person, the position where the electronic blackboard 2 is installed, the size of the room, and the like. Therefore, it is desirable that the predetermined time is set in consideration of the sensor setting, the environment, and the like. The setting of about 10 to 60 seconds illustrated above is a setting assuming a general conference room.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a mode transition example in the second embodiment. Compared with the first embodiment, the second embodiment is different in that the second condition is used. Hereinafter, the points different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described, and duplicate description will be omitted.

As shown in the figure, the determination unit 306 releases the power saving mode M2 when it is determined that the second condition is satisfied even in the invalid state ST.

For example, the second condition is set in advance so that it is determined that the condition is satisfied when there is contact with a predetermined location.

Further, the predetermined location is, for example, a display 3 or the like. Hereinafter, the second condition will be described by taking the case where there is contact with a predetermined location and the predetermined location is the display 3 as an example. Further, the act of the user UR touching the display 3 by hand or device is referred to as "contact act AC3".

In this way, if the second condition can be set, the user UR can cancel the power saving mode M2 and use the electronic blackboard 2 even if the elapsed time is within a predetermined time.

It is desirable that the decision to release the power saving mode M2 based on the determination of the contact act AC3 is forcibly made even in the invalid state ST. That is, it is desirable that the transition to the normal mode M1 based on the determination of the contact action AC3 has priority over the decision to maintain the power saving mode M2 in the invalid state ST.

The second condition is set to forcibly release the power saving mode M2. Therefore, the decision to cancel the power saving mode M2 based on the determination of the contact act AC3 does not match the intention of the user UR unless the decision to maintain the power saving mode M2 has priority.

Specifically, there is a case where the next user UR wants to use the electronic blackboard 2 immediately after the power saving mode M2 is set by the operation AC1. In such a case, the user UR intends to immediately release the power saving mode M2 and immediately use the electronic blackboard 2. In this way, it is desirable that there is a method that can forcibly cancel the power saving mode M2.

It is desirable that the predetermined location and the second condition are the condition and location where the intention to cancel the power saving mode M2 can be clearly grasped. Specifically, first, it is desirable to be able to clearly detect that the user UR who wants to cancel the power saving mode M2 is nearby. Therefore, it is desirable that the predetermined location is a location where the contact action AC3 can be detected by the sensor and is a device possessed by the electronic blackboard 2 so that it is clear that the user UR is nearby.

For example, it is desirable that the act performed by the user UR who performed the operation AC1 is less likely to be erroneously detected as the contact act AC3. Therefore, it is desirable that a device or the like that is not used for the operation AC1 is adopted as the predetermined location and the second condition. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the user UR who has performed the operation AC1 from being erroneously detected and forcibly canceling the power saving mode M2.

Therefore, the predetermined location and the second condition are not limited to the contact with the display 3, and may be other locations and conditions. For example, the second condition may be set so that it is determined that the condition is satisfied when the preset button is pressed a plurality of times.

<Comparison example>
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a comparative example. As shown, in the comparative example, there is no effective signal SIG3. Then, in the configuration of the comparative example, the result is as shown in the following (Table 2). Hereinafter, the same points as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

第１実施形態と同様に、第１タイミングＴ１から電子黒板２が使用され、使用後、第２タイミングＴ２で省電力モードにする操作が入力される。この操作により、第１実施形態と同様に、比較例でも第２タイミングＴ２で「通常モード」から「省電力モード」に移行する。

Similar to the first embodiment, the electronic blackboard 2 is used from the first timing T1, and after use, the operation of switching to the power saving mode at the second timing T2 is input. By this operation, as in the first embodiment, in the comparative example, the transition from the “normal mode” to the “power saving mode” is performed at the second timing T2.

However, at the second timing T2 and the third timing T3, there are still users who have performed the operation. Therefore, in the third timing T3, the user who performed the operation is detected, so that the detection signal SIG2 is “ON”. Therefore, in the third timing T3, the detection signal SIG2 is controlled to shift from the “power saving mode” to the “normal mode” based on the detection result of “ON”.

In the comparative example, unless the detection signal SIG2 is “OFF” as in the fourth timing T4, the transition from the “normal mode” to the “power saving mode” cannot be performed as in the 21st timing T21.

<Modification example of the first condition>
The first condition is not limited to whether or not the elapsed time has elapsed. For example, based on a motion sensor, a sensor other than the motion sensor, or a combination thereof, the second determination unit cannot detect the user who performs the operation for setting the power saving mode after the operation. It may be determined that the first condition is satisfied.

In addition, for example, by using face authentication or the like, the user who performs the operation of setting the power saving mode can be recognized. Therefore, if a user different from the recognized user when the operation is performed is detected, it may be determined that the first condition is satisfied.

The user who performs the operation is the person who ends the use of the electronic blackboard, while the user who is different from the user who performs the operation can be presumed to be the person who will use the electronic blackboard next. Therefore, until such a user can be detected, the user who performs the operation is in the room for cleaning up, etc. Therefore, it is not desirable to cancel the power saving mode based on such detection. There are many. Therefore, the first condition may be to recognize the user and detect the replacement of the user.

The user may be recognized by another method using an ID or the like.

Further, a configuration for determining a user approaching the electronic blackboard and a user moving away from the electronic blackboard may be used. For example, the second determination unit uses a sensor that measures the distance to the user. With such a configuration, the second determination unit determines that there is an approaching user as the first condition. That is, it is presumed that the user who goes away is the user who has finished using the electronic blackboard, and in an environment where such a user is present, the detection by the motion sensor may detect the user who has finished using the electronic blackboard. be. On the other hand, the approaching user is likely to be the user who will use the electronic blackboard from now on. Therefore, in an environment where such a user exists, when the user is detected and the power saving mode is released, the user who intends to use the electronic blackboard can immediately start using the electronic blackboard.

<Other Embodiments>
The power supply device may be applied to a device other than the electronic blackboard. That is, the power supply device may be a device that can be manually operated to shift to the power saving mode. For example, the power supply device may be applied to an electric device such as a video conference system or an image forming device, or a lighting device or the like.

The mode is not limited to the normal mode and the power saving mode. At least, the power supply device may have any other mode as long as the power saving mode can be set. Further, the name of the mode may be other than the normal mode and the power saving mode. For example, the power saving mode may be a mode that consumes less power than when it is used, and may be a "standby mode" or the like.

Each device does not have to be one device. That is, each device may be a combination of a plurality of devices. It should be noted that the configuration may further include devices other than those shown in the figure.

Note that all or part of the overall processing may be realized by a program for causing the computer to execute the power supply control method. That is, the program is a computer program for causing a computer such as a power supply device, an electronic blackboard, a power supply system, etc. to execute each process. Therefore, when the power supply control method is executed based on the program, the arithmetic unit and the control unit of the computer perform the arithmetic and control based on the program in order to execute each process. In addition, the storage device of the computer stores the data used for the processing based on the program in order to execute each processing.

In addition, the program can be recorded and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is a medium such as a magnetic tape, a flash memory, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a magnetic disk. In addition, the program can be distributed over telecommunication lines.

Although an example in the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

1 Image processing system 2 Electronic blackboard 3 Display 4 Electronic pen 5 USB memory 7 Video conference terminal 8 PC
20 Power supply device 21 Controller 22 Main unit key 222 Power supply switch 223 Selection switch 224 Human sensor 225 Power supply 301 Power supply unit 302 Control unit 303 Detection unit 304 1st judgment unit 305 2nd judgment unit 306 Decision unit AC1 Operation AC2 Approaching action AC3 Contact Action M1 Normal mode M2 Power saving mode SIG1 Mode switching signal SIG2 Detection signal SIG3 Valid signal ST Disabled state UR user

Japanese Patent No. 5803470

Claims (10)

A power supply unit that supplies power to the information processing device,
A control unit that controls the transition to the power saving mode in which the power consumption is low based on the operation by the operator of the information processing device.
Based on the detection result of the information processing device that detects a person, the first determination unit that determines whether or not to cancel the power saving mode and outputs the first determination result.
A second determination unit that determines whether or not the first condition, which is a condition related to the operation by the operator, is satisfied and outputs a second determination result.
A power supply device including a determination unit for determining whether or not to enable cancellation of the power saving mode based on the first determination result based on the second determination result. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second determination unit determines that the first condition is satisfied when a predetermined time has elapsed since the transition to the power saving mode. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined time is 10 to 60 seconds. The decision unit
The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein it is determined whether or not the second condition is satisfied, and when it is determined that the second condition is satisfied, the power saving mode is released. The power supply device according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit determines that the second condition is satisfied when there is contact with a predetermined location of the information processing device. The decision unit
The power supply device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein when it is determined that the second condition is satisfied, the first determination result and the transition to the power saving mode based on the second determination result are forcibly released. Power supply unit that supplies power and
A control unit that controls the transition to the power saving mode, which consumes less power, based on an operation by the operator.
Based on the detection result by the detection unit that detects a person, the first determination unit that determines whether or not to cancel the power saving mode and outputs the first determination result,
A second determination unit that determines whether or not the first condition, which is a condition related to the operation by the operator, is satisfied and outputs a second determination result.
An electronic blackboard including a determination unit for determining whether or not to enable the cancellation of the power saving mode based on the first determination result based on the second determination result. A power supply system having a power supply device and an information processing device.
A power supply unit that supplies power to the information processing device,
A control unit that controls the transition to the power saving mode in which the power consumption is low based on the operation by the operator of the information processing device.
Based on the detection result of the information processing device that detects a person, the first determination unit that determines whether or not to cancel the power saving mode and outputs the first determination result.
A second determination unit that determines whether or not the first condition, which is a condition related to the operation by the operator, is satisfied and outputs a second determination result.
A power supply system including a determination unit for determining whether or not to enable cancellation of the power saving mode based on the first determination result based on the second determination result. It is a power supply control method performed by a power supply device having a power supply unit that supplies power to an information processing device.
A control procedure for controlling the power supply device to shift to the power saving mode in which the power consumption is low based on the operation by the operator of the information processing device.
The first determination procedure in which the power supply device determines whether or not to cancel the power saving mode based on the detection result of the detection unit that detects a person of the information processing device and outputs the first determination result. ,
A second determination procedure for determining whether or not the power supply unit satisfies the first condition, which is a condition related to the operation by the operator, and outputting a second determination result.
A power supply control method including a determination procedure for determining whether or not the power supply device enables the cancellation of the power saving mode based on the first determination result based on the second determination result. A program for causing a computer to execute the power supply control method according to claim 9.

Images