JP7368559B1 - Information processing device and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To reduce discomfort while ensuring sufficient volume of notification sound. A first processor operates according to an operating system, and a second processor outputs a first notification sound signal to a speaker via a first output terminal, and connects a second output terminal to a low-pass filter circuit. A second notification sound signal is output to the speaker via the speaker, and the volume of the second notification sound signal is larger than the volume of the first notification sound signal. This embodiment may be realized as an information processing device or as a control method. [Selection diagram] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a control method, for example, output control of notification sound.

Lost notification has been proposed as an application of wireless communication technology. The loss notification system includes a loss notification device and a mobile phone (smartphone). The loss notification device has a fitting that can be attached to an item to be notified, and has dimensions smaller than the item. Lost notification devices may be configured as smart tags, anti-lost tags, tracking devices, etc. The loss notification devices are communicatively interconnected using a mobile phone and a public wireless communication network. The mobile phone is notified from the network of the location of the base station related to the communication area to which the lost notification device belongs.

For example, the tracking device described in Patent Document 1 is a device for accommodating a chip, tile, tag, or circuit, and is attached to a wallet, key, vehicle, or other object to be tracked by a user, or Enclosed. The tracking device may include a speaker for emitting sounds and a transmitter for broadcasting beacons. The tracking device periodically transmits beacon signals, which are detected by nearby mobile devices. The strength of the signal emitted by the tracking device is used to determine its proximity to the mobile device detecting the signal.

Tracking devices are associated with one of three different types of zones. Among them, smart zones are places where users and their belongings are expected to move in a certain way. A smart zone is associated with multiple parameters that control the operation of the tracking device. Multiple parameters may define the volume of the audio alert that the tracking device plays on its internal speaker. The mobile device determines the separation distance between the mobile device and the tracking device based on the intensity received from the tracking device, and if the separation distance exceeds a threshold, the mobile device 102 determines the separation distance between the mobile device and the tracking device when the attached object is left behind by the user. A notification may be provided to the user.

Special Publication No. 2020-531938

However, if the volume of the notification sound is too low, the user may not be able to hear the notification sound. In particular, when the lost notification device is packaged in a package such as a bag, the notification sound is blocked. Therefore, it is necessary to set the volume in advance so that the notification sound can be heard even when the device is packaged. On the other hand, the timing at which the loss notification device emits the notification sound may not be predictable. Therefore, users who are nearby may be surprised by the sudden notification sound. Particularly in a quiet environment, this may cause discomfort not only to the user but also to those around the lost notification device.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first processor and a second processor that operate according to an operating system. The second processor outputs a first notification sound signal to the speaker via a first output terminal, and outputs a second notification sound signal to the speaker via a second output terminal and a low-pass filter circuit. and the volume of the second notification sound signal is larger than the volume of the first notification sound signal.

In the above information processing device, the second processor may output the second notification sound signal when acquiring a notification command that is different from a notification command based on the operating system.

In the above information processing device, the separate notification command may be acquired when establishing or disconnecting a wireless connection with another device.

In the above information processing device, the information may be acquired depending on isolation from or proximity to other devices.

In the information processing device described above, the separate notification command may be obtained from an input device connected to the information processing device.

A control method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a control method for an information processing apparatus including a first processor that operates according to an operating system and a second processor, wherein the second processor has a first output terminal. and outputting a second notification sound signal to the speaker via a second output terminal and a low-pass filter circuit. A control method characterized in that the volume of the notification sound signal is larger than the volume of the first notification sound signal.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce discomfort while ensuring a sufficient volume when emitting sound.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of an acoustic processing circuit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an output signal according to a comparative example. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of an output signal according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing another configuration example of the acoustic processing circuit according to the present embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, an overview of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment will be explained. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 1, the information processing device 1 is configured as a personal computer (PC), and has a function as an audio device that emits a notification sound.

The information processing device 1 includes a CPU 11, a main memory 12, a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) 13, a display 14, a PCH (Platform Controller Hub) 21, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) memory 22, Auxiliary storage device 23, audio system 24, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) card 25, USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 26, EC (Embedded Controller) 31, input section 32, power supply circuit 33, It includes a battery 34, a heat radiation fan 351, a temperature sensor 355, a power button 36, an AC (Alternating Current) adapter 37, an acoustic processing circuit 38, an amplifier 39, and a speaker 40.

The CPU 11 is a processor that forms the core of the system device included in the information processing device 1 . The CPU 11 is a processor that executes various arithmetic operations instructed by instructions written in software (programs). The CPU 11 executes processes instructed by various software such as an operating system (OS), BIOS, firmware, and application programs (referred to as "apps" in this application). Note that executing a process instructed by an instruction (command) written in software is sometimes referred to as "executing software."

The CPU 11 executes the OS and provides functions such as resource management, execution management of various programs, input/output control, file management, etc. in the computer system that is the core of the information processing device 1, that is, the host system. When the CPU 11 detects a predetermined state of the host system, it may output a system notification command to the EC 31 via the PCH 21 to notify the state. The predetermined state includes, for example, startup completion, abnormal heat generation, device connection error with the PCH 21, power supply error from the power supply circuit 33, and the like. When a system notification command is input from the CPU 11, the EC 31 may output a first notification sound signal to the speaker 40 to notify the state.

As described later, the CPU 11 may output a notification command separate from the system notification command, such as a loss notification command, to the EC 31 via the PCH 21. When a loss notification command is input from the CPU 11, the EC 31 may output a second notification sound signal to the speaker 40 to notify the object to be tracked.

The main memory 12 is a writable memory that is used as a reading area for an execution program of the processor or as a work area for writing processing data of the execution program. The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, a plurality of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips. The execution program includes the OS, various drivers for operating hardware such as peripheral devices, various services/utilities, applications, and the like.

The GPU 13 is a processor that mainly executes real-time image processing. The GPU 13 processes drawing commands from the CPU 11 and writes processed drawing information to a video memory (not shown). The GPU 13 reads the drawing information from the video memory and outputs it as display data indicating the drawing information (display information) to the display 14 via the CPU 11 (image processing).
The CPU 11 executes a graphic driver on the OS, controls the operation of the GPU 13, and realizes image processing instructed by the OS, applications, and other programs. The number of GPUs 13 is not limited to one, but may be multiple. The GPU 13 may share some processing with the CPU 11 and execute parallel calculation processing other than image processing.
The CPU 11, the main memory 12, and the GPU 13 function as system devices that form the core computer system of the information processing device 1, that is, the host system. In other words, the computer system of the information processing apparatus 1 is configured to include a system device as hardware, and software such as an OS and scheduled tasks.

The display 14 displays a display screen based on the display data output from the CPU 11. The display 14 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or the like.

The PCH 21 includes one or more controllers and can be connected to a plurality of devices so that various data can be input and output. The controller may be any bus controller such as USB, Serial ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus, PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, PCI-Express bus, and LPC (Low Pin Count). or one or a combination. The plurality of devices to be connected include, for example, a BIOS memory 22, an auxiliary storage device 23, an audio system 24, a WLAN card 25, a USB connector 26, and an EC 31, which will be described later.

The BIOS memory 22 is composed of electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory. Examples of such nonvolatile memory include EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and flash ROM (Read Only Memory). The BIOS memory 22 stores the BIOS, firmware, etc. for controlling the operations of the EC 31 and other devices. BIOS is firmware for performing basic input/output of system devices. In the present application, BIOS may also include firmware defined according to specifications defined in UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).

The auxiliary storage device 23 permanently stores various data. The stored data includes various programs that can be executed by the CPU 11 and the GPU 13, parameters, data used in various processes, and data acquired by the various processes. The auxiliary storage device 23 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The auxiliary storage device 23 is configured to include various types of nonvolatile memory. For example, flash memory is used as the nonvolatile memory. The various programs may include, for example, any one or a combination of an OS, drivers, firmware, applications, and the like.

The audio system 24 is connected to a microphone (not shown) and a speaker 40, and is capable of recording, reproducing, and outputting audio data. Note that the microphone and speaker 40 may be built into the information processing device 1 or may be separate from the information processing device 1, for example.
The WLAN card 25 connects to a wireless LAN or another network via a wireless LAN, and is capable of transmitting and receiving various data to and from connected devices.
The USB connector 26 is a connector for connecting various peripheral devices using USB.

The EC31 is a one-chip microcomputer that monitors and controls the status of various devices (peripheral devices, sensors, etc.) regardless of the operating state of the host system that forms the core of the information processing device 1. The EC31 has a processor separate from the CPU 11, a RAM separate from the main memory 12, a ROM, a multi-channel A/D (Analog-to-Digital) input terminal, and a D/A (Digital-to-Analog) output. It includes a terminal, a timer, and an input/output interface (not shown). The EC 31 executes predetermined firmware to perform its functions.

An input unit 32, a power supply circuit 33, a heat radiation fan 351, an acoustic processing circuit 38, and the like are connected to the input/output interface of the EC 31 by wire. The EC 31 can control the operations of these devices. The input/output interface may be connected to various devices so that data can be transmitted and received wirelessly. The input unit 32 may be wirelessly connected to the EC 31 using an input/output interface. The input/output interface may realize a wireless connection using a short-range wireless communication method defined in IEEE802.15.1, for example.

The EC 31 has a function as a sound source that generates a sound source signal. For example, when a system notification command is input from the CPU 11 via the PCH 21, the EC 31 generates a sound source signal related to notification of the state of the host system as a first notification sound signal (EC_BEEP). The EC 31 outputs the generated first notification sound signal to the amplifier 39. When a loss notification command is input from the CPU 11 via the PCH 21, the EC 31 generates a sound source signal related to the loss notification as a second notification sound signal. The EC 31 outputs the generated sound source signal to the audio processing circuit 38.

The input unit 32 includes an input device that detects a user's operation and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the detected operation to the EC 31. Examples of the input device include a keyboard and a touch pad. The touch sensor forming the input section 32 may be configured as a touch panel by overlapping the display 14 forming the display section.

The power supply circuit 33 converts the voltage of the DC power supplied from the AC adapter 37 or the battery 34 into the voltage required for the operation of each device constituting the information processing apparatus 1, and supplies the power having the converted voltage to the supply destination. devices. The power supply circuit 33 supplies power under the control of the EC 31. The power supply circuit 33 includes a converter that converts the voltage of power supplied to its own device, and a power supply device that supplies the voltage-converted power to the battery 34. When power is being supplied from the AC adapter 37, the power supply supplies the battery 34 with the remaining power that is not supplied to each device. When power is not supplied from the AC adapter 37 or when the power supplied from the AC adapter 37 is insufficient, the power discharged from the battery 34 is supplied to each device as operating power.

A secondary battery is used as the battery 34. A secondary battery is a storage battery that can be charged and discharged. As the secondary battery, for example, a lithium ion battery is applicable.
The heat dissipation fan 351 includes fins (wings) and a motor. The motor rotates the fins under the control of the EC31. As the fins rotate, air flows into the housing of the information processing device 1, exchanges heat with each part, and then discharges the air.
The temperature sensor 355 detects the temperature of the CPU 11 and outputs a temperature signal indicating the detected temperature to the EC 31. The EC 31 controls the operation of the heat dissipation fan based on the temperature notified from the temperature sensor 355.

The power button 36 controls power ON and power OFF of the entire information processing apparatus 1 each time a pressing operation is accepted. The power button 36 outputs a press signal indicating that it has been pressed to the EC 31. When a press signal is input from the power button 36 while the information processing apparatus 1 is powered off, the EC 31 causes the power supply circuit 33 to start supplying power to each device of the information processing apparatus 1 (power on). .

The AC adapter 37 converts AC power supplied from an external power source into DC power with a constant voltage, and supplies the converted power to the power supply circuit 33. The AC adapter 37 includes a mounting tool that can be attached to and detached from the casing of the information processing device 1 including the power supply circuit 33. The appliance includes an interface that can transmit both power and data according to predetermined standards. For example, USB Type-C can be used as the predetermined standard.

The acoustic processing circuit 38 includes a low-pass filter circuit, and has a low frequency that is lower than a predetermined cutoff frequency with respect to the amplitude envelope of the binary signal forming the second notification sound signal as the sound source signal inputted from the EC 31. The output signal obtained by passing the frequency component is output to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39. The acoustic processing circuit 38 is an analog passive circuit including at least a resistive element, a capacitive element, and a switching element. The resistive element and the capacitive element are arranged in series, one end of the resistive element is connected to the EC 31, and the other end of the resistive element is grounded via the switching element. According to the switching element, whether or not the other end of the resistive element is grounded is switched based on the sound source signal input to the base end. An output signal is obtained from the other end of the resistive element. Examples of the configuration, sound source signal, and output signal of the acoustic processing circuit 38 will be described later. As will be described later, due to its low-pass characteristics, the sound processing circuit 38 softens the rapid temporal change in the amplitude of the input sound source signal so that it changes more gently, and outputs it as an output signal.

The amplifier 39 is an amplifier that adjusts the amplitude of the output signal output from the acoustic processing circuit 38 with a predetermined gain. The amplifier 39 outputs an output signal having the adjusted amplitude to the speaker 40. In this application, the output of an acoustic signal to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39 may be simply referred to as "outputting an acoustic signal to the speaker 40" or "outputting an acoustic signal to the speaker 40."
The speaker 40 is a sound emitter that emits sound based on the output signal input from the amplifier 39. The speaker 40 has a vibrator that vibrates according to the voltage of the output signal, and vibrates the air around the vibrator. Air vibrations propagate to the surroundings as sound. When the first notification sound signal is input to the sound processing circuit 38 as a sound source signal, the speaker 40 emits a system notification sound whose amplitude maintains a rapid change over time. When the second notification sound signal is input as the sound source signal to the acoustic processing circuit 38, the speaker 40 emits a loss notification sound whose amplitude has been alleviated from sudden changes over time.

Note that one or both of the acoustic signal output from the audio system 24 and the acoustic signal output from the PCH 21 may be input to the amplifier 39. The sound signal may be a separate sound signal from the first notification sound signal or the second notification sound signal from the EC 31 that is input to the amplifier 39 . The audio signals input from the audio system 24 mainly relate to voices, music, environmental sounds, and other sounds that are instructed to be played by running an application separate from the loss notification. Part or all of the first notification sound signal may be an acoustic signal (for example, PCH BEEP) input from the PCH 21.

Next, a configuration example of the acoustic processing circuit 38 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration example of the acoustic processing circuit 38 according to this embodiment.
EC31 has output terminals Out31-1 and Out31-2. The EC 31 outputs the first notification sound signal from the output terminal Out 31-1 to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39 without passing through the audio processing circuit 38. The EC 31 outputs the second notification sound signal from the output terminal Out 31-2 to the speaker 40 via the audio processing circuit 38 and the amplifier 39.

The second notification sound signal is input to the sound processing circuit 38 as the sound signal from the EC 31 . The input second notification sound signal is a binary signal. A binary signal is an electrical signal that has one voltage value out of two voltage values at every predetermined sampling period. In this application, the higher voltage value and the lower voltage value of the two voltage values may be referred to as a "high voltage value" and a "low voltage value," respectively. High voltage values are sometimes written as "High" or "H". Low voltage values are sometimes written as "Low" or "L." The low voltage value may be set to a reference value (for example, 0V) that is a reference voltage value. The high voltage value may be any voltage value that is significantly higher than the low voltage value. The sampling period may be the reciprocal of a frequency within the audible band (for example, 300 Hz to 1 kHz). Note that in a binary signal, high voltage values and low voltage values may be alternately repeated for each signal sample, or the order of high voltage values and low voltage values may be determined based on a pseudorandom number sequence. The binary signal may be generated using, for example, an M sequence.

Note that the first notification sound signal may be a binary signal having a time series of voltage values different from that of the second notification sound signal or a different sampling frequency. In this case, since the first notification sound and the second notification sound have different acoustic characteristics, the user can easily distinguish between them. The volume (amplitude, intensity) of the second notification sound signal may be larger than the volume of the first notification sound signal.

The acoustic processing circuit 38 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a rectifying element D1, resistive elements R1 to R6, capacitive elements C1 and C2, and a switching element Q1. The rectifying element D1 is, for example, a PN diode. The switching element Q1 is, for example, an NPN transistor. The capacitive elements C1 and C2 are, for example, capacitors.

The input terminal In1 of the acoustic processing circuit 38 is connected to the output terminal Out31-1 of the EC31. The input terminal In1 is branched to a positive terminal of the rectifying element D1 and one end of the resistive element R6. One end of a resistive element R4 is connected to the negative terminal of the rectifying element D1. One end of the capacitive element C1 and one end of the resistive element R2 are connected to the other end of the resistive element R4. The other end of the capacitive element C1 is grounded. The other end of the resistive element R2 is grounded via the switching element Q1 and connected to one end of the resistive element R1 and one end of the capacitive element C2.

The other end of resistance element R6 is connected to one end of resistance element R5 and the base end of switching element Q1. The other end of resistance element R5 is grounded. One end of switching element Q1 is connected to the other end of resistance element R2, one end of resistance element R1, and one end of capacitance element C2. The other end of the switching element Q1 is grounded.
The other ends of resistance elements R1 and R3 are each grounded. The other end of the capacitive element C2 is connected to one end of the resistive element R3 and the output terminal Out1 of the acoustic processing circuit 38. An output terminal Out1 of the acoustic processing circuit 38 is connected to an input terminal of an amplifier 39.

The second notification sound signal input from the input terminal In1 is supplied to the resistive element R4 via the rectifying element D1. Resistive element R4 and capacitive element C1 are connected in series, and the other end of capacitive element C1 passes through a path that is grounded, so the electrical signal output from the other end of resistive element R4 has low-pass characteristics. be done. The voltage value of this electrical signal takes a positive value, a transient phenomenon occurs in the voltage value, and the voltage value changes gently so as to asymptotically approach a constant value. The time constant τ of the voltage value due to the transient phenomenon is given by the product of the resistance value of the resistance element R4 and the capacitance of the capacitance element C1. This time constant τ corresponds to the reciprocal of the cutoff frequency of the low-pass characteristic, and the resistance value of the resistive element R4 and the capacitance of the capacitive element C1 are set in advance so that it is sufficiently larger than the sampling period of the sound source signal. I'll keep it. In addition, so that the AC component of the electrical signal input to the capacitive element C1 is blocked, the capacitance of the capacitive element C1 is determined by the product of the respective resistance values of the resistive elements R2 and R4 and the sampling frequency of the sound source signal. Set it so that it is large enough.

In the example of FIG. 2, the base terminal (B), collector terminal (C), and emitter terminal (E) of an NPN transistor are assigned as the base end, one end, and the other end of the switching element Q1, respectively. Resistance elements R6 and R5 divide the voltage value of the sound source signal input from input terminal In1 to one end of resistance element R5. A high voltage value or a low voltage value after voltage adjustment is applied to the control end of the switching element Q1 as the voltage value of the second notification sound signal adjusted by voltage division. When the voltage value applied to the base end of the switching element Q1 becomes a high voltage value, conduction occurs between one end and the other end of the switching element Q1, so that the other end of the resistance element R2 is grounded. When the voltage value applied to the base end of the switching element Q1 becomes a low voltage value, one end and the other end of the switching element Q1 are cut off, so the voltage value at the other end of the resistance element R2 becomes lower than 0V. also has a significantly high positive voltage value. At this point, the positive voltage value at the other end of resistance element R4 is divided by resistance elements R2 and R1. Therefore, the voltage value at the other end of the resistance element R2 is controlled to be a positive voltage value accompanied by a transient phenomenon or 0V depending on whether the voltage value of the second notification sound signal is a low voltage value. .

The output terminal Out1 of the acoustic processing circuit 38 is connected to the other end of the resistive element R2 via the capacitive element C2, and is grounded via the resistive element R3. The DC component of the electrical signal input from the other end of resistive element R2 to one end of capacitive element C2 does not pass through capacitive element C2. Therefore, the voltage value of the output signal is adjusted so that its time average value becomes 0V. That is, as an output signal, an electrical signal is obtained in which the voltage value for each sample is either a positive value or a negative value. However, so that the alternating current component of the electrical signal input to the capacitive element C2 passes through, the capacitance of the capacitive element C1 is set to a value equal to the resistance value of each of the resistive elements R1 and R3 and the sampling frequency of the second notification sound signal. Set it so that it is sufficiently smaller than the product.

Next, an example of the output signal will be explained. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an output signal according to a comparative example. This comparative example has resistive elements R1, R3, and capacitive element C2, but does not have rectifying element D1, resistive elements R2, R4, R5, R6, capacitive element C1, and switching element Q1. Therefore, the sound processing circuit 38 is not established. However, the second notification sound signal output from the EC 31 is input to the part corresponding to the node O1, and the output signal from the part corresponding to the node O2 is input to the amplifier 39. The lower part of FIG. 3 shows the voltage value of the second notification sound signal observed at a location corresponding to node O1 in FIG. 2. The upper part of FIG. 3 shows the voltage value of the output signal observed at a location corresponding to node O2 in FIG.

As illustrated in the lower part of FIG. 3, the second notification sound signal includes a first period from time t0 to t1, a second period from time t2 to t3, a third period from time t4 to t5, and a time t6. It is supplied from the EC 31 during the fourth period from time t8 to t7 and during the fifth period from time t8 to t9. During these periods, the voltage value on the envelope of the second notification sound signal is a substantially constant positive value (ON), and during other periods, the voltage value is approximately 0V (OFF). In contrast, the amplitude of the output signal takes a positive value significantly higher than 0V or a negative value significantly lower than 0V in each of the first to fifth periods. Since the output signal is applied to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39, the volume of the notification sound from the speaker 40 increases rapidly at each of times t0, t2, t4, t6, and t8. A sudden increase in volume may cause discomfort to those present around the information processing device 1, including the user himself/herself.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an output signal according to this embodiment. In the example of FIG. 4, the information processing device 1 includes an audio processing circuit 38, and the second notification sound signal is inputted to an input terminal In1 of the audio processing circuit 38 as a sound source signal from the EC 31. The second notification sound signal differs from the example shown in FIG. 3 in that it is input to the node O1. The lower part of FIG. 4 shows the voltage value of the electrical signal observed at the node O1 in FIG. The upper part of FIG. 4 shows the voltage value of the output signal observed at node O2 in FIG. In the first period to the fifth period, the voltage value on the envelope of each signal significantly takes a value other than 0V, and in the other periods, the voltage value is approximately 0V.

However, the lower part of FIG. 4 shows that the voltage value on the envelope of the electrical signal increases from time t0 to time t3 so as to asymptotically approach a constant value. The upper part of FIG. 4 shows that the voltage value on the envelope of the output signal increases or decreases from time t0 to time t3 so as to asymptotically approach a constant value. Since the output signal is applied to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39, the volume of the second notification sound from the speaker 40 increases relatively gradually from time t0 to t3 (fade-in). Even if the volume of the second notification sound is higher than that of the first notification sound, a sudden increase in the volume of the second notification sound from the speaker 40 is avoided, thereby reducing discomfort to those around you. .

Next, another example of the configuration of the acoustic processing circuit 38 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing another example of the configuration of the acoustic processing circuit 38 according to this embodiment. In the example of FIG. 2, it is assumed that the amplifier 39 and the speaker 40 are used exclusively for presenting the first notification sound or the second notification sound based on the output signal output from the sound processing circuit 38. In the example, the first notification sound signal output from the EC 31 and the third notification sound signal output from the PCH 21 are each input to one end of the capacitive element C2 via the node O1. An output signal output from the other end of the capacitive element C2 is input to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39. Here, the third notification sound signal may also be a binary signal with a non-negative voltage value.

Since the sound processing circuit 38 is an analog electric circuit, the first notification sound signal and the third notification sound signal, which are electrical signals, are also generated by a member that acts on the second notification sound signal from the EC 31, or those members. may be affected by a combination of electrical characteristics (eg, impedance). These members include the rectifying element D1, the resistive elements R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, the capacitive element C1, and the switching element Q1. Further, the second notification sound signal may also be affected by the electrical characteristics of the EC 31 and PCH 21 that are the input sources of the first notification sound signal and the third notification sound signal.

Therefore, the acoustic processing circuit 38 illustrated in FIG. 5 may include a rectifying element D11 between the other end of the resistive element R2 and the node O1. Further, a rectifying element D11 is provided between the output end Out31-1 for the first notification sound signal from the EC31 and the node O1, and between the output end Out21 for the third notification sound signal from the PCH21 and the node O1, respectively. Equipped with D13. The rectifying elements D11, D12, and D13 can prevent the current from flowing backward from the node O1 to the output terminal Out31-1, from the node O1 to the resistance element R2, and from the node O1 to the output terminal Out21, respectively. Therefore, for each acoustic signal, electrical influence by members on the path of other acoustic signals is avoided.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 5, it is assumed that the first notification sound signal and the third notification sound signal are each non-negative binary signals. , it may be a polarity signal that can take either a positive value or a negative value at once as a voltage value. In that case, the DC component of the voltage value does not necessarily need to be removed. Further, the first notification sound signal and the third notification sound signal may be supplied to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39 without passing through the audio processing circuit 38, respectively. Further, the acoustic signal input from the audio system 24 may also be supplied to the speaker 40 via the amplifier 39.

A system device mainly composed of the CPU 11 may have a function as a notification control unit (not shown) that executes a predetermined application and controls loss notifications. The notification control unit outputs a notification command to the EC 31 and causes the speaker 40 to emit a second notification sound. The EC 31 outputs a second notification sound signal to the audio processing circuit 38 when a notification command is input from the system device. The notification control unit outputs a notification command in the following cases, for example.

When a loss notification request is input from another terminal device (for example, a mobile phone) connected directly or indirectly using the WLAN card 25 or from the input unit 32 wirelessly connected to the EC 31. A loss notification request may be input when another terminal device accepts a user operation. Connecting indirectly includes connecting via a wireless LAN to other networks, such as the Internet, public wireless networks, and the like.

When the strength of a broadcast signal (beacon) received from another terminal device connected using the WLAN card 25 is below a predetermined strength threshold.
When the connection with another terminal device connected using the WLAN card 25 is disconnected.
When a connection with a new terminal device is established using the WLAN card 25.
When the connection with a wirelessly connected peripheral device (for example, any one of the input unit 32, the auxiliary storage device 23, the display 14, etc., or a combination thereof) is disconnected.
When a connection is established with a new peripheral device.

When approaching other terminal devices connected using the WLAN card 25 and the own device so that the distance is smaller than a predetermined reference distance, or separating the device so that the distance is larger than the reference distance. When. The notification control unit determines the distance between another terminal device and the own device, for example, based on a phase difference between a reference signal received from another terminal device and a known reference signal, or based on an intensity difference. be able to.

Note that, in the above description, the information processing device 1 is configured as a PC and mainly has a function as an audio device that emits a notification sound, but the information processing device 1 is not limited to this. The information processing device 1 may be configured as another type of information processing device such as a tablet terminal device or a mobile phone (including a so-called smartphone).

Further, in the above description, the case where the switching element Q1 is an NPN transistor, which is a type of bipolar transistor, is used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The switching element Q1 may be another type of passive element such as an n-type MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor).

As described above, the information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first processor (e.g., CPU 11) and a second processor (e.g., EC31) that operate according to the operating system. , outputs the first notification sound signal to the speaker 40 via the first output terminal (for example, Out31-1), and outputs the first notification sound signal to the speaker 40 via the second output terminal (for example, Out31-2) and the low-pass filter circuit (for example, acoustic processing A second notification sound signal is output to the speaker 40 via the circuit 38), and the volume of the second notification sound signal is larger than the volume of the first notification sound signal.
With this configuration, unlike the first notification sound signal, the amplitude of the second notification sound signal input from the second processor is given a low-pass characteristic and then output to the speaker 40 . Since the volume increases gradually at the start of sound emission, it is possible to reduce the discomfort caused by the sudden start of sound emission while ensuring the volume in a steady state.

Further, the second processor may output the second notification sound signal when acquiring a notification command that is different from the notification command based on the operating system.
With this configuration, the second notification sound signal is output in response to a separate notification command from the first notification sound based on the operating system. Unlike the first notification sound signal, the second notification sound signal whose sound emission is difficult to predict can be made to have a gentle change in volume to reduce discomfort caused by the sudden start of sound emission.

A separate notification command may also be obtained upon establishing or disconnecting a wireless connection with another device (eg, a mobile phone).
With this configuration, the second notification sound signal is output when a wireless connection with another device is established or disconnected. Therefore, when another device enters within the range of radio waves used for communication with the information processing device 1 or leaves the range, a notification sound based on the second notification sound signal is emitted. Therefore, a user who owns another device can notice the location of the information processing device 1 by hearing the notification sound.

Separate notification commands may also be obtained in response to isolation or proximity to other equipment.
With this configuration, the second notification sound signal is output when the device is isolated from other devices or when the device approaches another device, and a notification sound based on the second notification sound signal is emitted. Therefore, a user who owns another device can notice the location of the information processing device 1 by hearing the notification sound.

Further, a separate notification command may be obtained from an input device (eg, input unit 32, mobile phone) connected to the own device (ie, information processing device 1).
With this configuration, when a notification command is acquired in response to a user's operation of the input device, a notification sound based on the second notification sound signal is emitted. Therefore, the location of the information processing device 1 can be noticed by coming into contact with the notification sound emitted in response to the user's operation.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily.

1... Information processing device, 11... CPU, 12... Main memory, 13... GPU, 14... Display, 21... PCH, 22... BIOS memory, 23... Auxiliary storage device, 24... Audio system, 25... WLAN card, 26... USB connector, 31...EC, 32...Input section, 33...Power circuit, 34...Battery, 36...Power button, 37...AC adapter, 38...Acoustic processing circuit, 39...Amplifier, 40...Speaker, D1, D11-D13 ... Rectifying element, R1 to R6... Resistance element, C1, C2... Capacitive element, Q1... Switching element

Claims (6)

a first processor operating in accordance with an operating system;
An information processing device comprising: a second processor;
The second processor is
Outputting the first notification sound signal to the speaker via the first output terminal;
outputting a second notification sound signal to the speaker via a second output terminal and a low-pass filter circuit;
The volume of the second notification sound signal is larger than the volume of the first notification sound signal. The second processor is
when obtaining a notification directive that is separate from the operating system-based notification directive;
The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second notification sound signal is output. Said separate notification directive:
The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the information processing device is acquired when establishing or disconnecting a wireless connection with another device. Said separate notification directive:
The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the information processing device is acquired based on isolation from or proximity to other devices. Said separate notification directive:
The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the information processing device is acquired from an input device connected to the information processing device. a first processor operating in accordance with an operating system;
A control method in an information processing device comprising a second processor,
The second processor is
outputting the first notification sound signal to the speaker via the first output end;
outputting a second notification sound signal to the speaker via a second output terminal and a low-pass filter circuit;
A control method, wherein the volume of the second notification sound signal is larger than the volume of the first notification sound signal.

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