JP3777591B2 - Starting up audio / visual equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for starting an audio / visual device, and more particularly to a method for starting a portable audio / visual device equipped with a battery.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Recently, due to miniaturization of electronic components, for example, a portable audio / visual device (hereinafter simply referred to as an audio / visual device) having both a television (TV) reception function and an FM radio reception function has been proposed. Yes.
In such an audio-visual device, when the power is turned on, a selection screen is first displayed on the display unit (liquid crystal screen). Then, the user can select a specific function such as FM radio from this selection screen.
[0003]
In such audio-visual equipment, it is indispensable to install a battery in order to ensure portability.
And in the audio-visual device, immediately after turning on the power, it is confirmed whether or not the battery has enough power to operate these devices. Alternatively, a warning message is displayed on the display unit to notify the user that the battery level is low.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the portable audio / visual device as described above has the following problems.
In other words, in the audio / visual device, the remaining battery level is checked immediately after the power is turned on. This remaining level check is simply to check whether the audio / visual device is fully operational. It was.
[0005]
In audio / visual equipment, the television (television) reception function that operates the display unit and the tuner unit and the FM radio reception function have different power consumption. May be possible. However, even in such a remaining battery state, in the conventional battery remaining amount check, television reception is not possible and activation is not performed, and the user is prompted to replace the battery. For this reason, the battery has to be replaced despite the fact that only television reception is not possible, which is very uneconomical. In addition, the earlier replacement time of the battery also leads to a shorter operating time of the audio / visual device, which causes a problem that portability deteriorates and usability deteriorates.
[0006]
In addition, if the audio / visual device cannot be started frequently due to insufficient battery capacity, or if the power is turned off immediately after starting, there is a possibility that the user may misunderstand that the audio / visual device has failed. .
The present invention pays attention to the above-mentioned conventional problems, and limits the functions in a stepwise manner according to the remaining amount of the battery, thereby extending the usage time of the audio / visual equipment. The purpose is to provide.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention can extend the usage time of an audio-visual device by applying a load to a battery step by step immediately after startup and selecting a function that can be used according to the remaining amount of the battery. It was made based on the knowledge.
[0008]
That is, a method for starting an audio / visual device according to the present invention is a method for starting an audio / visual device equipped with a battery and capable of selecting a plurality of audio / visual functions. The battery remaining state is grasped by adding and the audio / visual function that can cope with this remaining state can be selected.
[0009]
More specifically, a video output unit that can display video, an audio output unit that can output audio, and a battery that supplies power to these output units can be selected, and multiple audio / visual functions can be selected. The audio / visual function is a method for starting an audio / visual device, which is capable of grasping the remaining state of the battery by adding a load to the battery step-by-step after the power is turned on and corresponding to the remaining state. When the operation of the video output unit is not possible, the audio / visual function capable of responding to the remaining state can be notified from the audio output unit.
[0010]
It is preferable to determine the remaining battery level from the voltage drop of the battery by adding the load step by step, or to check the minimum voltage at start-up immediately after turning on the power. The audio / visual function may be notified by an LED provided in the device main body instead of the audio output unit.
[0011]
The audio / visual function includes at least a television reception function and a radio reception function. After the power is turned on, the radio tuner, the television tuner, and the video output unit are sequentially operated to change the remaining battery level. You may make it grasp.
[0012]
In this way, by setting the audio / visual device activation method according to the present invention, the functions that can be used are selected according to the remaining battery level, so the user can use which functions and which functions are used. It is possible to know whether it is impossible, and the device main body can be used within a limited range.
[0013]
When informing the user which function can be used and which function cannot be used, if a video output unit with a large current consumption cannot be used due to the remaining battery level, instead of displaying the image by this video output unit, An audio output unit with low current consumption may be used. In this way, if the function usage state is expressed by the audio output unit, the user can be informed of the state even with a battery that does not have enough remaining capacity to operate the video output unit.
[0014]
If the remaining amount of the battery is low, a load is applied to the battery and the voltage drop becomes significant. If the characteristics of the battery (the degree of voltage drop with time) are used, the remaining amount of the battery can be grasped by adjusting the load on the battery. By the way, there are various types of batteries such as lithium ion, lithium hydrogen, alkali, nicad, and manganese. However, these types of batteries also have a significant voltage drop depending on the remaining amount. Therefore, if the remaining amount of the battery is grasped using this characteristic, the remaining amount of the battery can be correctly grasped even if the type of the battery is changed. It becomes possible.
[0015]
If the minimum voltage at startup is checked immediately after the power is turned on, it is possible to check whether the battery has the minimum voltage required at startup before the load is applied. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the start-up failure of the apparatus main body, and it is possible to prevent in advance a failure that the user feels a failure or the memory contents are destroyed due to unexpected power off.
[0016]
By the way, if the notification of the audio / visual function that can respond to the remaining amount status is performed by the LED provided on the device main body instead of the audio output unit, the user can visually select any function even in a noisy environment. It becomes possible to grasp the use state of. Moreover, the display of the usage status of the function may be selectable by sound output and LED according to the user's selection. Note that the LED, like the audio output unit, consumes less power than the video output unit, and therefore can prevent an excessive burden on the battery.
[0017]
If the audio / visual function has at least a television reception function and a radio reception function, a radio tuner with low current consumption is first operated as a light load on the battery, and it is determined whether the battery can use the radio. When it is determined that the battery can use the radio, the radio tuner is disconnected and this time, the TV tuner which is a medium load is operated. As with the radio tuner, the battery can use the functions of the TV excluding the image display. To figure out.
[0018]
If it is determined that the battery can use the television excluding the image display, the video output unit, which is a heavy load, is activated, and it is confirmed whether the battery can withstand the operation of the video output unit. In this way, if you switch from a small load to a large load and switch to a radio tuner, television tuner, or video output unit, you can figure out which functions can be used in the remaining battery level. it can.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Specific embodiments suitable for an audio / visual device activation method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the audio / visual device according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the audio / visual device 10 (hereinafter referred to as AV device 10) according to the present embodiment is recorded on an FM radio function, a television function, and a memory card 12 serving as an external recording medium. It is equipped with a function that can depict and play back image and audio data.
[0020]
A liquid crystal monitor 14 serving as a video output unit is provided on the front part of the external shape of the AV device 10 (see FIG. 2). The liquid crystal monitor 14 can display a television display or an image recorded on the memory card 12. I have to.
The liquid crystal monitor 14 is provided with a cover 16 that can be opened and closed. The liquid crystal monitor 14 is protected by closing the cover 16, and the liquid crystal monitor 14 is opened and closed by opening and closing a display switch 18 attached to the base of the hinge. Power supply to and cut off from the battery to reduce battery consumption. An LED 20 is provided below the liquid crystal monitor 14 in the front part of the external shape of the AV device 10, and the state of the battery remaining in the AV device 10, which will be described later, can be changed by changing the issue color of the LED 20. It informs the user.
[0021]
A main switch 22 and a jog dial type selection switch 24 are provided on the right side surface of the AV device 10 so that the AV device 10 can be activated and the function of the device body can be selected. In addition, a headphone jack (not shown) and a sound volume (not shown) serving as a sound output unit are provided on the upper side surface of the AV device 10, and the user can listen to music by inserting a headphone plug into the headphone jack. ing. Further, a slot into which the memory card 12 can be inserted is provided on the left side surface of the AV device 10.
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the AV device 10 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, the AV device 10 is provided with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 26 at the center of the circuit so that various functions can be selected and power can be controlled.
That is, the CPU 26 is connected with the FM tuner 28 for configuring the FM radio function, the TV tuner 30 for configuring the television function, and the memory card 12 through the slot as the input side (memory card). 12 is removable. An audio / image decoder 32 is connected to the CPU 26, and the audio or image data recorded on the memory card 12 can be converted into an audio signal or an image signal by transmitting to the audio / image decoder via the CPU 26. ing. If the signal recorded on the memory card 12 is an image signal, the signal is stored in the graphic RAM 34 and displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 14 via the display control unit 36.
[0023]
A work RAM 38 and a flash ROM 40 are connected to the CPU 26, and the work RAM 38 temporarily stores data and instructions in the CPU 26 (so-called registers), and the flash ROM 40 stores an end state of the AV device 10 and the like. Like to do. For this reason, when the main switch 22 is turned on and the AV device 10 is started up, the CPU 26 first reads the activation program from the flash ROM 40, adds a load stepwise, and grasps the battery state (this activation method will be described later). . If there is no problem in the state of the battery, the state at the end is read from the flash ROM 40, and the state immediately before the end is reproduced.
[0024]
Further, the CPU 26 is connected to the FM tuner 28, the TV tuner 30, the LED 20, and the power supply control unit 42 that manages the power supply to the liquid crystal monitor 14, and the power from the battery 44 is timely adjusted according to a command from the CPU 26. Etc. can be supplied.
[0025]
In the AV apparatus 10 configured as described above, a function switching command is issued to the CPU 26 by the selection switch 24, thereby enabling switching between radio and television.
Here, the procedure of the activation method in which the CPU 26 reads the activation program from the flash ROM 40 and adds the load step by step to grasp the battery state will be described.
[0026]
FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an AV device activation method according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, when the main switch 22 of the AV device 10 is turned on (step 100), the CPU 26 first initializes the work RAM (register) 38 (step 110), and then each terminal serving as the power port of the CPU 26. It is checked whether a correct voltage is output from (step 120).
[0027]
If a normal signal is not output from each terminal, it is determined that the AV device 10 cannot be started, the power from the battery 44 is shut off via the power control unit 42, and the AV device 10 is terminated. (Step 130).
On the other hand, when a normal signal is output from each terminal, as a next stage, it is confirmed whether or not the battery 44 has the minimum voltage required to start the AV device 10 (step 140). If not, as described above, it is determined that the AV device 10 cannot be activated, and the AV device 10 is terminated (step 130). If the voltage of the battery 44 exceeds the minimum voltage required for the AV device 10 to start up, it is determined that the voltage of the battery 44 is equal to or higher than the reference value, and the CPU 26 determines whether the voltage of the battery 44 is the next stage. An instruction is given to supply power to the FM tuner 28, and a light load is applied to the battery 44 (step 150).
[0028]
After the FM tuner 28 is thus operated and a light load is applied to the battery 44, the voltage drop of the battery 44 over time is monitored, and the remaining amount of the battery 44 is determined based on the degree of voltage drop (step 160). When a dry cell is used for the battery 44, the dry cell includes a lithium ion, lithium hydrogen, alkali, nicad, manganese, and the like. However, when the remaining amount of these dry batteries also decreases, the voltage drop becomes significant according to the load. For this reason, even if the type of dry battery is changed, the remaining amount can be correctly grasped.
[0029]
If it is determined that the voltage drop of the battery 44 is large and the load of the FM tuner 28 with the smallest current consumption cannot be withstood, the CPU 26 determines that the function of the AV device 10 cannot be used and terminates the AV device 10. (Step 130). When it is determined that the voltage drop of the battery 44 is small and can withstand the load of the FM tuner 28, the CPU 26 stops the power supply to the FM tuner 28 (via the power control unit 42), and this time Power is supplied to the TV tuner 30 and a medium load is applied to the battery 44 (step 170).
[0030]
Then, after the TV tuner 30 is activated and a medium load is applied to the battery 44, the voltage drop of the battery 44 over time is monitored as in step 160, and the remaining amount of the battery 44 is determined based on the voltage drop degree (step). 180).
Here, when the voltage drop of the battery 44 is large and the load by the TV tuner 30 with a medium current consumption cannot be withstood, the CPU 26 determines that only the function of the FM radio in the AV device 10 can be used and the flash ROM 40. Then, the last state at the end is read (step 190), and it is determined whether this end state is a television (step 200).
[0031]
And when the state at the end is not TV (for example, FM radio), it is set at the previous end (step 210), the LED 20 is made to emit red light (step 220), and the liquid crystal monitor 14 is turned off. The function immediately after the previous termination is started (step 230).
[0032]
On the other hand, if the end state is TV in step 200, the remaining capacity of the battery 44 is insufficient, so the mode is forcibly changed to the FM radio mode (step 240), and the LED 20 emits red light. At the same time (step 250), the FM radio function is activated with the liquid crystal monitor 14 turned off (step 260).
[0033]
If it is determined in step 180 that the battery 44 can withstand the load applied by the TV tuner 30, the screen displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 14 at the time of startup is taken into the graphic RAM 34 and screen display preparation is performed (step 270). After the image display preparation is completed, power is supplied to the liquid crystal monitor 14 in addition to the TV tuner 30 (step 280), and the voltage drop with time of the battery 44 is reduced as in steps 160 and 180. Monitoring is performed to determine the remaining amount of the battery 44 based on the degree of voltage drop (step 290).
[0034]
Here, when the voltage drop of the battery 44 is large and cannot withstand the load of the liquid crystal monitor 14 which is a heavy load, the CPU 26 determines that functions other than the use of the liquid crystal monitor 14 can be used. The state at the previous end is read (step 300).
[0035]
Then, the AV device 10 is set to the previous end state (step 310), the LED 20 is caused to emit red light (step 320), and the function immediately after the previous end is started with the liquid crystal monitor 14 turned off (step step). 330).
On the other hand, if it is determined in step 290 that the battery 44 can withstand the use of the liquid crystal monitor 14, the CPU 26 determines that all functions are usable, and reads the state at the previous end from the flash ROM 40 (step 340). ).
[0036]
Then, the AV device 10 is set to the previous end state (step 350), the LED 20 emits green light (step 360), and the function immediately after the previous end is activated with the liquid crystal monitor 14 turned on (step 360). Step 370).
In the present embodiment, the color of the LED 20 is set to green and red, and whether or not the function is limited with respect to the remaining amount of the battery 44 is displayed. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode. The remaining amount may be displayed depending on the number of times, or the remaining amount may be displayed by a beep sound by a built-in buzzer.
[0037]
As described above, since the load is applied to the battery 44 step by step immediately after the activation and the usable functions are selected according to the remaining amount of the battery 44, the remaining amount of the battery 44 can be used effectively. It is possible to extend the usage time of the AV device 10.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for starting an audio-visual device equipped with a battery and capable of selecting a plurality of audio-visual functions, and adding a load to the battery step by step after the power is turned on. By grasping the remaining state of the battery, it is possible to select the audio-visual function that can handle this remaining state,
[0039]
Audio / video equipment that can be selected from multiple audio / visual functions with a video output unit that can display video, an audio output unit that can output audio, and a battery that supplies power to these output units It is a method, grasping the remaining state of the battery by adding a load step by step to the battery after turning on the power, enabling the selection of the audio-visual function that can handle this remaining state, When the operation of the video output unit is not possible, from the audio output unit can be notified of the audio-visual function that can handle this remaining state,
It is possible to limit the function in a stepwise manner according to the remaining battery level and to extend the usage time of the audio / visual device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an AV device activation method according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of AV apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the audio / visual device according to the present embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 ... Audio / visual equipment, 12 ... Memory cards,
14 ......... LCD monitor, 16 ... …… Cover, 18 ... …… Display switch,
20 ... LED, 22 ... Main switch, 24 ... Select switch,
26 ......... CPU, 28 ......... FM tuner, 30 ......... TV tuner,
32 .... Sound / image decoder, 34 .... Graphic RAM,
36 ......... Display control unit, 38 ......... Work RAM,
40 ......... Flash ROM, 42 ......... Power control unit, 44 ......... Battery

Claims (6)

A method for starting an audio-visual device equipped with a battery and capable of selecting a plurality of audio-visual functions, and grasping the remaining state of the battery by adding a load to the battery step by step after the power is turned on. A method for starting an audio-visual device, characterized in that the audio-visual function capable of responding to the remaining state can be selected. Audio / video equipment that can be selected from multiple audio / visual functions with a video output unit that can display video, an audio output unit that can output audio, and a battery that supplies power to these output units It is a method for grasping the remaining state of the battery by adding a load to the battery step by step after the power is turned on, and making it possible to select the audio-visual function that can correspond to the remaining state of the battery. In addition, when the video output unit cannot be operated, the audio output unit can be notified of the audio / visual function that can cope with the remaining state from the audio output unit. 3. The audio / visual device activation method according to claim 1, wherein the remaining state of the battery is determined from a voltage drop of the battery by stepwise application of the load. 4. 3. The method for starting up an audio / visual device according to claim 1, wherein the minimum voltage at startup is checked immediately after the power is turned on. The audio / visual device according to claim 2, wherein notification of the audio / visual function that can cope with the remaining battery level is performed by an LED provided in the device main body instead of the audio output unit. How to start. The audio / visual function includes at least a television reception function and a radio reception function. After the power is turned on, the radio tuner, the television tuner, and the video output unit are sequentially operated to grasp the remaining battery level. The method of activating an audiovisual device according to claim 2, wherein:

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