Electronic device, control method, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device, a control method, and a computer-readable storage medium. The electronic device includes: a first voltage conversion unit, a second voltage conversion unit, and a control unit. The first voltage conversion unit generates a first voltage from the power supplied from a first power source or a second power source. The second voltage conversion unit generates a second voltage lower than the first voltage from the power supplied from the first power source or the second power source. The control unit controls the process of supplying the power supplied from the first power source to the first voltage conversion unit and the process of supplying the power supplied from the second power source to the second voltage conversion unit when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to an electronic device that generates different voltages and a control method for the electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-134145 discloses an electronic device that generates two different voltages from power supplied from one power source.

[0003] In the electronic device according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-134145, two different voltages are generated from power supplied from one power source. Therefore, if the voltage difference between the low-voltage power and the high-voltage power is large, the power conversion efficiency (the ratio of output power to input power) decreases. If the power conversion efficiency decreases, the power consumption increases and heat prevention measures are required. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to various embodiments, there is provided an electronic device that generates two different voltages and can improve power conversion efficiency.

[0005] According to various embodiments, there is provided an electronic device including: a first voltage conversion unit that generates a first voltage from power supplied from a first power source or a second power source; a second voltage conversion unit that generates a second voltage lower than the first voltage from power supplied from the first power source or the second power source; and a control unit that controls a process of supplying power supplied from the first power source to the first voltage conversion unit and a process of supplying power supplied from the second power source to the second voltage conversion unit when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0006] According to various embodiments, there is provided a method including: causing a first voltage conversion unit to generate a first voltage from power supplied from a first power source or a second power source; causing a second voltage conversion unit to generate a second voltage lower than the first voltage from power supplied from the first power source or the second power source; and controlling a process of supplying power supplied from the first power source to the first voltage conversion unit and a process of supplying power supplied from the second power source to the second voltage conversion unit when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0007] Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1A and Figure 1B are diagrams showing components of an electronic device 100 according to a first embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2A and Figure 2BThis is a diagram showing the external view of the electronic device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0010] Figures 3A to 3D This is a diagram showing a display example of the LCD 160 according to the first embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the power control process according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is a diagram showing the flow of power according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 6A and Figure 6B This is a diagram showing the flow of power according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the components of the electronic device 500 according to the second embodiment.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the power control process according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0017] [First Embodiment] The electronic device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. The electronic device 100 can be connected to a battery 140 that supplies high-voltage power and a power supply 150 that supplies low-voltage power. In a predetermined situation, the electronic device 100 supplies power from the battery 140 to a boost conversion unit 103a that generates high-voltage power, and supplies power from the power supply 150 to a buck conversion unit 104. As a result, the difference between the input voltage and the output voltage can be reduced in the boost conversion unit 103a and the buck conversion unit 104, and thus the power conversion efficiency (the ratio of the output power to the input power) can be improved.

[0018] Next, the components of the electronic device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1A The electronic device 100 can operate as a camera device (e.g., a digital camera). The electronic device 100 can operate as a PC, a smart phone, or a tablet terminal. The electronic device 100 includes a connector 101, a voltage circuit 102, a boost conversion unit 103a, a buck conversion unit 104, a high-voltage circuit 105, a low-voltage circuit 106, a charge control unit 110, a control unit 130, a battery 140, and power switches 120 to 125. The electronic device 100 is connected to the power supply 150 via a cable to obtain power from the power supply 150.

[0019] The connector 101 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector for connecting to a power supply 150 as an external device. The electronic device 100 can receive power supplied from the power supply 150 via the connector 101. When power is supplied from the power supply 150 to the electronic device 100, the battery 140 can be charged and the entire electronic device 100 can operate. Hereinafter, operating the entire electronic device 100 with the power supplied from the power supply 150 is referred to as a "power supply operation".

[0020] The voltage circuit 102 is a power supply circuit that changes the voltage of the power supplied from the power supply 150. The voltage circuit 102 includes, for example, a switched-mode power supply circuit. The power supplied to the voltage circuit 102 is used to charge the battery 140.

[0021] The boost conversion unit 103a is a power supply circuit (voltage conversion unit) that increases the voltage of the supplied power to generate power to be output to the high-voltage circuit 105. The boost conversion unit 103a includes, for example, a switched-mode power supply circuit. When the power switches 120 and 121 are turned on, the power supplied from the battery 140 is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a. When the power switches 122 and 125 are turned on, the power supplied from the power supply 150 is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a. The boost conversion unit 103a has output terminals for outputting power of various voltages and can output power of an optimal voltage to the high-voltage circuit 105.

[0022] The buck conversion unit 104 is a power supply circuit (voltage conversion unit) that decreases the voltage of the supplied power to generate power to be output to the low-voltage circuit 106. The buck conversion unit 104 outputs power having a voltage lower than the voltage of the power output by the boost conversion unit 103a. The buck conversion unit 104 includes a switched-mode power supply circuit. When the power switches 120 and 123 are turned on, the power supplied from the battery 140 is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104. When the power switches 124 and 125 are turned on, the power supplied from the power supply 150 is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104. The buck conversion unit 104 has output terminals for outputting power of various voltages and can output power of an optimal voltage to the low-voltage circuit 106.

[0023] The high-voltage circuit 105 is a load circuit that requires power having a voltage equivalent to the voltage of the battery 140 or a voltage higher than the voltage of the battery 140. The high-voltage circuit 105 is, for example, a motor circuit for driving a shutter of the electronic device 100, a motor circuit for driving a lens, or a backlight of the LCD 160 (see Figure 2B ).

[0024] The low-voltage circuit 106 is a load circuit that requires power at a voltage lower than the voltage of the battery 140. The low-voltage circuit 106 is, for example, an imaging sensor (not shown) of the electronic device 100 or a control unit (not shown) that performs imaging processing.

[0025] The charge control unit 110 detects the voltage of the battery 140 (battery voltage) and controls the voltage circuit 102 and the power switch 120 based on the detected voltage. Thereby, constant-current charging or constant-voltage charging of the battery 140 is achieved.

[0026] The control unit 130 can control the respective components of the electronic device 100 by executing a program stored in the memory. The control unit 130 communicates with the power supply 150 and changes the supply voltage from the power supply 150. The control unit 130 turns on / off the power switches 120 to 125 by controlling the charge control unit 110 or by itself.

[0027] The battery 140 is a rechargeable and dischargeable power supply. The battery 140 is a battery that the user can remove from the electronic device 100. The battery 140 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery including two battery cells. The voltage range of the power of the battery 140 is, for example, 6.0V to 8.4V.

[0028] The power switches 120 to 125 each include a field effect transistor (FET) or the like.

[0029] The power switch 120 is a power switch for electrically connecting the battery 140 to other components. The power switches 121 to 124 are power switches for supplying the power from the battery 140 and the power supply 150 to the boost conversion unit 103a or the buck conversion unit 104.

[0030] The electronic device 100 supplies the power from the power supply 150 to the respective components via the power switch 125. When an abnormal state such as overcurrent or overvoltage is detected, the control unit 130 turns off the power switch 125. When the power switch 125 is turned off, the power supply from the power supply 150 to the respective components of the electronic device 100 stops, thereby being able to protect the respective components (each circuit) of the electronic device 100.

[0031] The power supply 150 supplies power to the electronic device 100. Preferably, the power supply 150 is a device compliant with the USB Power Delivery (PD) standard. More preferably, the power supply 150 is a programmable power supply (PPS) compliant with the USB PD standard. If the power supply 150 is a programmable power supply (PPS) compliant with the USB PD standard, the power supply 150 can change the voltage (power supply) of the power supplied to the electronic device 100 with a narrow voltage width according to the control of the control unit 130.

[0032] In the first embodiment, for simplicity of description, it is assumed that the power supply 150 is a USB power supply. However, the power supply 150 can be any device that can supply power (e.g., a mobile battery, a personal computer (PC), etc.).

[0033] Figure 1B is a diagram showing the electronic device 100, in which a voltage circuit 103b is used instead of Figure 1A the shown boost conversion unit 103a.

[0034] The voltage circuit 103b generates not only power at a higher voltage but also power at a lower voltage. The voltage circuit 103b can increase the voltage of the supplied power and output the power with the increased voltage to the high-voltage circuit 105, and can decrease the voltage of the supplied power and output the power with the decreased voltage to the buck conversion unit 104. If the voltage of the power supplied from the battery 140 or the power supply 150 is reduced in two stages through the voltage circuit 103b and the buck conversion unit 104, the efficiency of power conversion (the ratio of output power to input power) is improved.

[0035] When operating the high-voltage circuit 105 and the low-voltage circuit 106 with the power supplied from the battery 140 or the power supply 150, compared with using the configuration in Figure 1A the power conversion efficiency in the electronic device 100 is generally improved more using the configuration in Figure 1B .

[0036] Generally, if the difference between the input voltage and the output voltage is large, the efficiency of power conversion tends to decrease. In recent years, most of the internal circuits of electronic devices (such as digital cameras) are low-voltage circuits. The low-voltage circuit 106 often requires more power compared to the power required by the high-voltage circuit 105. However, the high-voltage circuit 105 is an essential circuit for the configuration. Therefore, it is required that the electronic device 100 operate the low-voltage circuit 106 with high efficiency while also supplying power to the high-voltage circuit 105.

[0037] In the first embodiment, when the battery 140 and the power supply 150 can be used as sources for supplying power to the high-voltage circuit 105 and the low-voltage circuit 106 and meet a predetermined condition, the power supplied from the battery 140 is used for the high-voltage circuit 105 that requires a high voltage. If the battery 140 uses two 8.4V batteries with high-voltage power, the boost conversion unit 103a and the voltage circuit 103b can efficiently generate the power to be output to the high-voltage circuit 105.

[0038] On the other hand, the power supplied from the power supply 150 is used to supply power to the low-voltage circuit 106 that requires a low voltage. The power supply 150 is, for example, a PPS power supply compliant with the USB PD standard. Complying with PPS allows the power supply 150 to change the voltage of the power to be supplied to the electronic device 100 in steps of 20 mV within the range of 3 V to 20 V. Here, if the control unit 130 requests the power supply 150 to supply power with a voltage close to the voltage required by the low-voltage circuit 106 (e.g., 3.0 V), the voltage conversion efficiency of the buck conversion unit 104 for voltage can be further improved.

[0039] In this case, even when the electronic device 100 operates in an operation mode with generally high power consumption (e.g., a mode of recording high-quality moving images or high-frame-rate moving images), an increase in power consumption due to voltage conversion can be suppressed. In addition, heat generation of the electronic device 100 can be controlled by suppressing an increase in power consumption due to voltage conversion. For example, when the temperature of the electronic device 100 exceeds a predetermined temperature, heat generation of the electronic device 100 is controlled by stopping the recording of moving images (shooting moving images), and then the duration of recording moving images by the electronic device 100 can be increased.

[0040] Figure 2A And Figure 2B are diagrams showing the external views of the electronic device 100. These external views indicate that the electronic device 100 includes a connector 101, an LCD 160, an operation unit 200, and a battery cover 201.

[0041] The connector 101 is connected to the power supply 150. By the power supplied from the power supply 150 connected to the connector 101, the battery 140 can be charged, and the power supply operation of the electronic device 100 can be performed.

[0042] The liquid crystal display (LCD) 160 is a display unit that displays images. The LCD 160 is provided on the back surface of the electronic device 100.

[0043] The operation unit 200 receives operations from the user. The operation of the electronic device 100 is self-controlled according to the operations received by the operation unit 200.

[0044] The battery cover 201 can be opened / closed. The battery cover 201 covers the battery 140 in the closed state. The control unit 130 can detect the opening / closing of the battery cover 201 based on whether a physical switch in contact with the battery cover 201 is pressed. The control unit 130 can perform processing (e.g., display a message indicating that the battery cover 201 is open on the LCD 160) according to the open / closed state of the battery cover 201.

[0045] Figures 3A to 3D is a diagram for describing a display example of the LCD 160.Figure 3A is an example of a menu screen and represents a screen for setting the enable / disable of "battery power saving setting" for suppressing the power consumption of the battery 140. The enable / disable of the "battery power saving setting" can be freely set by the user operating the operation unit 200.

[0046] Even in a state where it is connected to the power supply 150, the electronic device 100 according to the first embodiment can use the power supplied from the battery 140 for the high-voltage circuit 105. If the high-voltage power 140 supplied from the battery 140 is used for the high-voltage circuit 105 that requires high-voltage power, the heat generation of the electronic device 100 can be reduced. However, in some cases, the user may reduce the power consumption of the battery 140 rather than extending the moving image recording time. In the first embodiment, when the user Figure 3A sets (enables) the "battery power saving setting" in the menu screen shown, if the power supply 150 is connected to the electronic device 100, the electronic device 100 preferentially uses the power of the power supply 150 over the battery 140 for the high-voltage circuit 105 and the low-voltage circuit 106. Therefore, the power consumption of the battery 140 can be reduced.

[0047] Figures 3B to 3D is a diagram for describing a display example of the LCD 160 indicating the power supply source used by the electronic device 100. Figure 3B represents a display example of the LCD 160 when the power supply source used by the electronic device 100 is the battery 140. Figure 3C represents a display example of the LCD 160 when the power supply source used by the electronic device 100 is the battery 140 and the power supply 150. Figure 3D represents a display example of the LCD 160 when the power supply 150 is being used as the power supply source to charge the battery 140.

[0048] The battery mark 301 is a display item for indicating that the electronic device 100 is using the power supplied from the battery 140, and the remaining battery level of the battery 140 is indicated as a scale. The power supply mark 302 is a display item for indicating that the electronic device 100 is using the power supplied from the power supply 150. The charging mark 303 is a display item for indicating that the battery 140 is being charged by the power supplied from the power supply 150.

[0049] Through the above display (display items), the user can identify whether the power supply is from the battery 140 or from the power supply 150. Figures 3B to 3D is an example of a display, and any display indicating the power supply source used by the electronic device 100 can be used as long as the user can identify the power supply.

[0050] will be referred to Figure 4 for description Figure 1APower control process (control method) of the electronic device 100 shown. Figure 4 It is a flowchart showing the power control process of the electronic device 100. The process of this flowchart is controlled by the control unit 130 executing a program. Figure 1B The electronic device 100 shown can execute the same process as this flowchart, where the process performed by the "boost conversion unit 103a" in this flowchart is performed by the "voltage circuit 103b".

[0051] In step S400, the control unit 130 determines whether the battery 140 is connected to the electronic device 100. If the battery 140 is connected to the electronic device 100, the process proceeds to S401. On the other hand, if the battery 140 is not connected to the electronic device 100, the process proceeds to step S420.

[0052] In step S401, the control unit 130 determines whether the power supply 150 is connected to the electronic device 100 via a USB connection (connection using USB). If the power supply 150 is connected via USB, the process proceeds to step S402. On the other hand, if the power supply 150 is not connected via USB, the process proceeds to step S418.

[0053] In step S402, the control unit 130 determines whether the power supply 150 complies with the USB PD standard. In the case where the power supply 150 complies with the USB PD standard, power can be supplied from the power supply 150 to the electronic device 100 via a cable. If the power supply 150 complies with the USB PD standard, the process proceeds to step S403. On the other hand, if the power supply 150 does not comply with the USB PD standard, the process proceeds to step S414.

[0054] In step S403, the control unit 130 determines whether the power supply 150 complies with the PPS of the USB PD standard. In the case where the power supply 150 complies with the PPS of the USB PD standard, the control unit 130 can finely control the voltage of the power supplied from the power supply 150 to the electronic device 100. If the power supply 150 complies with the PPS of the USB PD standard, the process proceeds to step S404. On the other hand, if the power supply 150 does not comply with the PPS of the USB PD standard, the process proceeds to step S411.

[0055] In step S404, the control unit 130 determines whether the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is an operation mode with power consumption equal to or greater than a predetermined value (high power mode). For example, in the moving image mode of shooting moving images with a large data size, such as in the case of high image quality moving images or high frame rate moving images, the power consumption of the electronic device 100 is large and the heat generation is also large. In such a moving image mode, it is desirable to reduce the power consumption of the electronic device 100 and suppress heat generation. Here, an example of the high power mode is the moving image mode, but the high power mode is not limited thereto, and can be any mode in which power consumption efficiency must be improved. If the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the high power mode, the process proceeds to step S405. On the other hand, if the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is not the high power mode, the process proceeds to step S411.

[0056] In step S404, the control unit 130 determines whether the electronic device 100 is in the high power mode, but it can also determine whether the temperature of the electronic device 100 is a predetermined temperature or higher. In this case, if the temperature of the electronic device 100 is a predetermined temperature or higher, the process proceeds to step S405. On the other hand, if the temperature of the electronic device 100 is lower than the predetermined temperature, the process proceeds to step S411.

[0057] In step S405, the control unit 130 determines whether the electronic device 100 is set to "battery saving setting" (determines whether "battery saving setting" is enabled). If the electronic device 100 is set to "battery saving setting", the process proceeds to step S411. On the other hand, if the electronic device 100 is not set to "battery saving setting", the process proceeds to step S406.

[0058] In the first embodiment, if the conditions that the power supply 150 conforms to PPS of the USB PD standard, the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the high power mode, and the electronic device 100 is not set to "battery saving setting" are satisfied, the process proceeds to step S406. However, the first embodiment is not limited thereto, and if one or two of the conditions (1) the power supply 150 conforms to PPS of the USB PD standard, (2) the operation mode is the high power mode, and (3) the electronic device 100 is not set to "battery saving setting" are satisfied, the process may proceed to step S406.

[0059] In step S406, the control unit 130 performs PD communication with the power supply 150 and requests the power supply 150 to output power suitable for the voltage (e.g., 3V) of the buck conversion unit 104. In this specification, it is assumed that the voltage suitable for the buck conversion unit 104 is 3V, but 3V is only an example, and the suitable voltage is not limited to 3V.

[0060] In step S407, the control unit 130 implements control such that the power supplied from the battery 140 is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a, and the power supplied from the power source 150 is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104. Thus, the control unit 130 can perform control such that high-voltage power is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a, and power at a voltage lower than this voltage is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104. In step S407, the control unit 130 and the charge control unit 110 control the state of the voltage circuit 102 and the states of the power switches 120 to 125. Through this control, the power supply path is determined. In step S407, the control unit 130 disconnects the voltage circuit 102, turns on the power switches 120, 121, 124, and 125, and turns off the power switches 122 and 123.

[0061] Figure 5A is a diagram for describing the states (ON state or OFF state) of the voltage circuit 102 and the power switches 120 to 125 after the processing in step S407 is completed. The power supplied from the battery 140 is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a, and the power supplied from the power source 150 is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104. Since high-voltage power is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a and low-voltage power is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104, the voltage conversion efficiency in the electronic device 100 can be improved. As a result, heat generation in the electronic device 100 can be suppressed even in the high-power mode. By suppressing heat generation in the electronic device 100, the moving image recording time can be further increased.

[0062] In step S408, the control unit 130 displays a power supply mark 302 and a battery mark 301 on the LCD 160.

[0063] In step S409, the control unit 130 enables a shooting operation, a playback operation, etc. Thus, the control unit 130 can cause the electronic device 100 to perform a shooting operation, a playback operation, etc. according to a user's instruction. For example, the control unit 130 causes the electronic device 100 to capture a still image or a moving image, or to play back the recorded still image or moving image according to the user's instruction.

[0064] In step S410, the control unit 130 determines whether the battery cover 201 is open and determines whether the USB (USB connection; connection via USB) is disconnected. The control unit 130 can monitor the state of the battery cover 201 by interruption or polling. For example, the control unit 130 detects whether the battery cover 201 is open based on whether a physical switch pressed by the battery cover 201 when the battery cover 201 is in the closed state is pressed. If the battery cover 201 is open or the USB is disconnected, the process returns to step S400. If the battery cover 201 is closed and the USB is connected, the process returns to step S409.

[0065] In step S411, the control unit 130 performs PD communication with the power supply 150 and requests the power supply 150 to output power with a voltage (e.g., 9V) suitable for the electronic device 100 that requires both high-voltage power and low-voltage power. Here, the voltage value suitable for the electronic device 100 is 9V, but it is not limited to this voltage value.

[0066] The voltage of the power requested by the control unit 130 from the power supply 150 in step S406 is lower than the voltage of the power requested by the control unit 130 from the power supply 150 in step S411. This is because, in step S407 after step S406, the power of the power supply 150 is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104 and not to the boost conversion unit 103a. Therefore, the control unit 130 can request low-voltage power suitable for the buck conversion unit 104 without considering the boost conversion unit 103a. By the control unit 130 requesting the power supply 150 to supply power with a lower voltage in step S406 than in step S411, a large voltage difference is not generated between before and after the voltage conversion of the buck conversion unit 104.

[0067] In step S412, the control unit 130 implements control such that the power supplied from the power supply 150 is supplied to both the boost conversion unit 103a and the buck conversion unit 104. Here, the control unit 130 disconnects the voltage circuit 102, disconnects the power switches 120, 121, and 123, and turns on the power switches 122, 124, and 125.

[0068] Figure 5B Indicates the state of the voltage circuit 102 and the states (ON state or OFF state) of the power switches 120 to 125. The power supplied from the power supply 150 is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a and the buck conversion unit 104 via the power switch 125. Since the power of the battery 140 is not supplied to the high-voltage circuit 105 and the low-voltage circuit 106 in step S412, the power consumption of the battery 140 can be suppressed.

[0069] In step S413, the control unit 130 displays a power supply mark 302 on the LCD 160.

[0070] In step S414, the control unit 130 supplies the power supplied from the power supply 150 to the battery 140. The control unit 130 turns on the voltage circuit 102, turns on the power switches 120 and 125, and disconnects the power switches 121, 122, 123, and 124. Figure 6AIndicates the state of the voltage circuit 102 and the states (ON state or OFF state) of the power switches 120 to 125. In step S414, power supply from the power source 150 to the high-voltage circuit 105 and the low-voltage circuit 106 is not performed, while power supply from the power source 150 to the battery 140 is performed.

[0071] In step S415, the control unit 130 displays a power supply mark 302 and a charging mark 303 on the LCD 160. In step S414, the control unit 130 controls the flow of power such that power supply from the power source 150 to the battery 140 is performed without operating the high-voltage circuit 105 and the low-voltage circuit 106. However, it is assumed that power for driving the LCD 160 (display member) is supplied from the battery 140 via the power supply path.

[0072] In step S416, the control unit 130 charges the battery 140 using the power supplied from the power source 150.

[0073] In step S417, the control unit 130 determines whether the battery cover 201 is open and whether the USB is disconnected, as in step S410. If the battery cover 201 is open or the USB is disconnected, the process returns to step S400. If the battery cover 201 is closed and the USB is connected, the process returns to step S416.

[0074] In step S418, the control unit 130 implements control such that the power supplied from the battery 140 is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a and the buck conversion unit 104. The control unit 130 disconnects the voltage circuit 102, turns on the power switches 120, 121, and 123, and turns off the power switches 122, 124, and 125.

[0075] Figure 6B Indicates the state of the voltage circuit 102 and the states (ON state or OFF state) of the power switches 120 to 125. The power supplied from the battery 140 is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a and the buck conversion unit 104 via the power switches 120, 121, and 123. Therefore, the power source 150 is not connected to the electronic device 100 via the USB, and in the case where the battery 140 is connected to the electronic device 100, the electronic device 100 can operate using the power supplied from the battery 140.

[0076] In step S419, the control unit 130 displays a battery mark 301 on the LCD 160.

[0077] In step S420, the control unit 130 stops a predetermined operation. In the state of step S400, the battery 140 is not connected to the electronic device 100, so the electronic device 100 receives power from the power supply 150. In this example, the electronic device 100 stops the predetermined operation in the state where the battery 140 is not connected to the electronic device 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the electronic device 100 is connected to the power supply 150, the electronic device 100 can perform a power supply operation using the power supplied from the power supply 150 even if the battery 140 is not connected to the electronic device 100.

[0078] In step S421, the control unit 130 determines whether the battery cover 201 is open and whether the USB is disconnected, as in steps S410 and S417. If the battery cover 201 is open or the USB is disconnected, the process returns to step S400. If the battery cover 201 is closed and the USB is connected, the process returns to step S420.

[0079] When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the electronic device 100 supplies high-voltage power to the boost conversion unit 103a and supplies low-voltage power to the buck conversion unit 104. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, the width of the conversion voltage can be reduced, and the electronic device 100 with improved power conversion efficiency can be provided. Even in an operation mode with generally high power consumption (such as a moving image mode for recording high-image-quality or high-frame-rate moving images (moving image shooting)), an increase in the power consumption of the electronic device 100 due to voltage conversion loss (power consumption generated by voltage conversion) can be suppressed. For example, if the heat generation of the electronic device 100 can be suppressed by controlling the voltage conversion loss, the moving image recording time of the electronic device 100 can be further increased.

[0080] [Second Embodiment] Next, the electronic device 500 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7 and Figure 8 FIGs. Figure 7 is a diagram showing components of the electronic device 500 according to the second embodiment. In Figure 7 FIGs., each component element denoted by the same reference numeral as in the first embodiment is the same, so its description is omitted. In addition to the components of the electronic device 100 according to the first embodiment, the electronic device 500 further includes a capacitor circuit 501. Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the voltage circuit 103b can be used instead of the boost conversion unit 103a. In this case, the power whose voltage has been reduced by the voltage circuit 103b can be supplied to the capacitor circuit 501.

[0081] The capacitor circuit 501 is a circuit that converts (reduces) the voltage (input voltage) of the power supplied from the power supply 150 to 1 / (an integer) of the voltage. The capacitor circuit 501 is a switched-capacitor circuit (switched-capacitor power supply circuit) including a capacitor element and a switching element. Generally, compared with a switching regulator circuit (switching regulator power supply circuit), a switched-capacitor circuit can convert voltage more efficiently. In the second embodiment, the capacitor circuit 501 can output power of a voltage that is 1 / 2 times or 1 / 3 times the input voltage. In this case, the capacitor circuit 501 can output power of a current that is 2 times or 3 times the input current.

[0082] In the USB standard, the amount of current that can be supplied is determined according to the voltage. For example, according to the USB standard, when the voltage is 20V, the maximum current is 5A, and when the voltage is less than 20V, the maximum current is 3A. In terms of safety, the smaller the current flowing through the cable connecting the electronic device 500 and the power supply 150, the better. Therefore, the control unit 130 requests the power supply 150 to output power of a voltage that is an integer multiple of the voltage requested by the buck conversion unit 104, and the capacitor circuit 501 sets 1 / (an integer) of the voltage of the supplied power to increase the current of the supplied power. Thus, the amount of current flowing through the cable and the connector 101 can be reduced.

[0083] Figure 8 It is a flowchart showing the power control process of the electronic device 500 according to the second embodiment. The description of the steps for performing the same processing as in the first embodiment is omitted. However, in the second embodiment, if the electronic device 100 is set to "battery saving setting" in step S405, the process proceeds to step S601 instead of step S406. In the second embodiment, when the processing in step S411 is completed, the control unit 130 causes the process to proceed to step S603.

[0084] In step S601, the control unit 130 performs PD communication with the power supply 150 as in step S411, and requests the power supply 150 to output power of a voltage (e.g., 9V) suitable for the electronic device 500 that requires both high-voltage power and low-voltage power.

[0085] In step S602, the control unit 130 sets the capacitor circuit 501 to output power of a voltage that is 1 / 3 times the input voltage. Then, the control unit 130 causes the process to proceed from step S602 to step S407.

[0086] In step S603, the control unit 130 sets the capacitor circuit 501 to output power of a voltage that is 1 / 3 times the input voltage as in step S602. Then, the control unit 130 causes the process to proceed from step S603 to step S412.

[0087] Thereby, power of 3V is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104 in the same manner as the requested voltage in step S406 in the first embodiment. If a 3A current flows through the USB connector 101 at a 9V voltage, 9A power can be supplied to the buck conversion unit 104 at 3V through the power conversion by the capacitor circuit 501. In this way, even if the low-voltage circuit 106 requires a higher current (a large amount of power), power with a higher current can be supplied. In this specification, the electronic device 500 requests a 9V voltage from the power supply 150 and converts this voltage to 1 / 3 times the internal voltage of the electronic device 500, but this is only an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0088] In step S604, the control unit 130 sets the capacitor circuit 501 to output power with a voltage that is 1 / 2 times the input voltage. In the second embodiment, the voltage range of the battery 140 is 6.0V to 8.4V. Therefore, by setting the capacitor circuit 501 to output a voltage that is 1 / 2 times the output voltage, the voltage of the power supplied to the buck conversion unit 104 can be approximately 3.0V to 4.2V.

[0089] Also in the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, high-voltage power is supplied to the boost conversion unit 103a, and low-voltage power is supplied to the buck conversion unit 104. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the width of the conversion voltage can be reduced, and the electronic device 500 with improved power conversion efficiency can be provided. Even in an operation mode with high power consumption (for example, a moving image mode for recording high-image-quality or high-frame-rate moving images (moving image shooting)), an increase in the power consumption of the electronic device 500 due to voltage conversion loss can be suppressed. For example, if the heat generation of the electronic device 500 can be suppressed by controlling the voltage conversion loss, the moving image recording time of the electronic device 500 can be further increased. In addition, by using the capacitor circuit 501, power with a low voltage and a high current can be supplied to the buck conversion unit 104. Therefore, even if the maximum current amount between the power supply 150 and the electronic device 500 is limited, high-current power can be supplied to the buck conversion unit 104 and the low-voltage circuit 106. If the capacitor circuit 501 is used, the voltage supplied from the battery 140 to the buck conversion unit 104 can be reduced in advance, so the voltage conversion efficiency of the power can be improved.

[0090] [Third Embodiment] The various functions, processes, and methods already described in the above embodiments can also be implemented by a personal computer, a microcomputer, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. using a program. In the third embodiment, a personal computer, a microcomputer, a CPU, etc. are hereinafter referred to as "computer X". In the third embodiment, the program for controlling the computer X and for implementing the various functions, processes, and methods described in the above embodiments is referred to as "program Y".

[0091] In the above embodiments, the various functions, processes, and methods described are implemented by computer X executing program Y. In this case, program Y is supplied to computer X via a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium in the third embodiment includes at least one of a hard disk device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, a magneto-optical storage device, a memory card, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and the like. The computer-readable storage medium in the third embodiment is a non-transitory storage medium.

[0092] Although aspects of the present disclosure have been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to these exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims should be given the broadest interpretation so as to cover all such variations and equivalent structures.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: A first voltage conversion unit that generates a first voltage from power supplied from a first power source or a second power source; A second voltage conversion unit that generates a second voltage lower than the first voltage from power supplied from the first power source or the second power source; And A control unit that controls, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the process of supplying power supplied from the first power source to the first voltage conversion unit and the process of supplying power supplied from the second power source to the second voltage conversion unit, wherein the control unit controls such that when the second power source conforms to the USB power delivery standard and the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the power supplied from the second power source is supplied to the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit controls such that when the predetermined condition is satisfied, a third voltage is supplied to the first voltage conversion unit, and a fourth voltage lower than the third voltage is supplied to the second voltage conversion unit.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The predetermined condition includes the condition that the second power source conforms to the programmable power source of the USB power delivery standard.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The electronic device has a high power mode, which is an operation mode with a power consumption of a predetermined value or more, and wherein the predetermined condition includes the condition that the operation mode of the electronic device is the high power mode.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein, The high power mode is a moving image shooting mode with a power consumption of the predetermined value or more.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The first power source is a rechargeable battery, wherein a predetermined setting for reducing the power consumption of the battery can be performed in the electronic device, and wherein the predetermined condition includes the condition that the predetermined setting has not been performed.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit controls such that when the second power source is not connected to the electronic device via USB, the power supplied from the first power source is supplied to the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The first power source is a rechargeable battery, and wherein the control unit controls such that when the second power source is connected to the electronic device via USB and the second power source does not conform to the USB power delivery standard, the power supplied from the second power source is supplied to the battery.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The first voltage conversion unit is further capable of generating a fifth voltage lower than the voltage supplied to the first voltage conversion unit, and wherein, in cases other than when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the first voltage conversion unit generates the fifth voltage from the power supplied to the first voltage conversion unit and outputs the fifth voltage to the second voltage conversion unit.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a switched-capacitor circuit, the switched-capacitor circuit comprising a capacitive element and a switching element, Among them, The switched-capacitor circuit reduces the voltage of the power supplied from the first power source or the second power source to the second voltage conversion unit.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a display unit for displaying an image, Among them, When the predetermined conditions are satisfied, the display unit displays a display item indicating that the electronic device is using power supplied from the first power source and a display item indicating that the electronic device is using power supplied from the second power source.

12. A control method for an electronic device, the control method comprising: causing a first voltage conversion unit to generate a first voltage from power supplied from a first power source or a second power source; causing a second voltage conversion unit to generate a second voltage lower than the first voltage from power supplied from the first power source or the second power source; when the predetermined conditions are satisfied, controlling the process of supplying power supplied from the first power source to the first voltage conversion unit and the process of supplying power supplied from the second power source to the second voltage conversion unit; and performing control such that when the second power source complies with the USB power delivery standard and the predetermined conditions are not satisfied, power supplied from the second power source is supplied to the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a method, the method comprising: causing a first voltage conversion unit to generate a first voltage from power supplied from a first power source or a second power source; causing a second voltage conversion unit to generate a second voltage lower than the first voltage from power supplied from the first power source or the second power source; when the predetermined conditions are satisfied, controlling the process of supplying power supplied from the first power source to the first voltage conversion unit and the process of supplying power supplied from the second power source to the second voltage conversion unit; performing control such that when the second power source complies with the USB power delivery standard and the predetermined conditions are not satisfied, power supplied from the second power source is supplied to the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit.

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