Communication device, method for determining mobile distance-related value, and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication device, comprising: a wireless communication unit that performs first wireless communication for obtaining first information related to the moving distance of the present device between the present device and an external device, and second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication; and a control unit that determines a moving distance related value related to the moving distance. The control unit obtains the acceleration of the present device, determines the moving distance related value according to the first information obtained by the wireless communication unit from the external device, and in a case where it is determined that it is a first state in which a specified or more interruption caused by the competition may occur in the acquisition of the first information from the external device, determines the moving distance related value according to the acceleration of the present device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a method for determining a value related to a moving distance, and a recording medium. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a communication device (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-125436) that performs wireless communication with an external device holding position information, obtains the position information from the external device, and thereby determines the position of the present device. Such a communication device can continuously obtain information related to the moving distance (for example, moving distance or migration of position, etc., hereinafter referred to as distance information) from an external device that moves together with the present device, and can determine a moving distance related value (for example, moving distance, average pace, etc.) related to the moving distance of the present device in real time.

[0003] However, when the transmission and reception of various information between the communication device and the external device are congested, the acquisition of distance information may be delayed due to competition in wireless communication. In this case, there is a problem that the communication device cannot obtain distance information and cannot determine the moving distance related value in a timely manner.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device, a method for determining a value related to a moving distance, and a recording medium that can stably determine a value related to a moving distance in a timely manner. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect thereof is a communication device, characterized by comprising: a wireless communication unit (receiver) that performs first wireless communication for obtaining first information related to the moving distance of the present device with an external device, and second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication; and a control unit (processor) that determines the moving distance related value related to the moving distance. The control unit obtains the acceleration of the present device, determines the moving distance related value based on the first information obtained by the wireless communication unit from the external device, and in a case where it is determined that it is a first state in which a predetermined or more interruption caused by the competition may occur in the acquisition of the first information from the external device, determines the moving distance related value based on the acceleration of the present device. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the overall structure of a communication system.

[0007] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the functional structure of an electronic clock.

[0008] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the functional structure of a smartphone.

[0009] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the stopwatch mode.

[0010] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the time mode.

[0011] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the control process of the moving distance determination process.

[0012] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing the control process of the sound notification process.

[0013] Figure 8 This is a diagram explaining the transition of the operation mode.

[0014] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the change in the measurement operation in Transitions A to D. Detailed implementation mode

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of a communication device, a method for determining a moving distance-related value, and a recording medium will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] (Structure of the communication system)

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the overall structure of the communication system 1 of the present embodiment.

[0018] The communication system 1 includes an electronic clock 10 (communication device) and a smartphone 20 (external device).

[0019] The electronic clock 10 is mainly carried and used by the user, for example, an electronic watch. The electronic clock 10 has a display screen 131, operation buttons 141, etc. The display screen 131 performs digital display in a dot matrix form. In the display screen 131 of the electronic clock 10, in addition to basic information such as time and date, the elapsed time, moving distance, etc. measured in the stopwatch mode are also displayed.

[0020] The smart phone 20 is a terminal device mainly carried and used by users, having a call function and a data communication function. The smart phone 20 can perform short-range wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark) with the electronic clock 10. In this embodiment, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is used as the Bluetooth communication, but it is not limited thereto. In addition, short-range wireless communication using a method other than Bluetooth can also be used. Hereinafter, the communication connection between the electronic clock 10 and the smart phone 20 through short-range wireless communication is also referred to as pairing. The smart phone 20 of this embodiment performs various cooperative actions by transmitting and receiving data with the paired electronic clock 10, and displays relevant information such as information related to the cooperative actions on the display screen 231. In addition, the smart phone 20 can receive the transmitted radio waves from the positioning satellites of the GPS (Global Positioning System) to calculate the current position and date and time.

[0021] (Structure of the electronic clock)

[0022] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the electronic clock 10.

[0023] The electronic clock 10 includes: a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit), a memory 12 (computer-readable recording medium), a display unit 13, an operation reception unit 14, an oscillation circuit 151, a frequency division circuit 152, a timekeeping circuit 153 (timekeeping unit), a notification sound output unit 16, a wireless communication unit 17, an acceleration sensor 18, and the like.

[0024] The CPU 11 is a processor that performs various arithmetic processes and uniformly controls the operations of each part of the electronic clock 10. The CPU 11 functions as a control unit by reading and executing the program 121 stored in the memory 12 to perform various control actions.

[0025] For example, the CPU 11 determines a moving distance-related value related to the moving distance of the device. The content of the moving distance-related value and its measurement method will be described later.

[0026] In addition, the CPU 11 switches the operation mode of the electronic clock 10 according to the user's instructions. The switching of the operation mode will be described later.

[0027] In addition, the CPU 11 corrects the date and time counted by the timekeeping circuit 153 according to the date and time information obtained from the smart phone 20.

[0028] The memory 12 provides a memory space for operations to the CPU 11 and stores various data. The memory 12 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a non-volatile memory. The RAM is used for the arithmetic processing of the CPU 11 and also stores temporary data. The non-volatile memory is, for example, a flash memory and stores various data in addition to the program 121. As the data stored in the memory 12, there are measured distance data 122, GPS distance data 123, acceleration sensor distance data 124, and setting data 125.

[0029] The measured distance data 122 is data representing the moving distance and average walking speed of the electronic clock 10 at this time point, which are calculated and determined in the stopwatch mode described later. Both the moving distance and average walking speed included in the measured distance data 122 are a form of "moving distance-related value".

[0030] The GPS distance data 123 is sent from the smartphone 20 via wireless communication, obtained by the wireless communication unit 17, and stored in the memory 12. The GPS distance data 123 includes information on the moving distance calculated based on the GPS position information in the smartphone 20. Hereinafter, the moving distance represented by the GPS distance data 123 is referred to as "GPS distance". The GPS distance is a form of "first information" obtained by the electronic clock 10 from the smartphone 20. The GPS distance is used for calculating the moving distance and average walking speed of the electronic clock 10. In other words, the GPS distance is used for generating or updating the measured distance data 122.

[0031] The acceleration sensor distance data 124 includes information on the moving distance of the electronic clock 10 determined based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18. Hereinafter, the moving distance represented by the acceleration sensor distance data 124 is referred to as "acceleration sensor distance". The acceleration sensor distance is used for calculating the moving distance and average walking speed of the electronic clock 10. In other words, the acceleration sensor distance is used for generating or updating the measured distance data 122.

[0032] The setting data 125 is data related to various operation settings of the electronic clock 10. The setting data 125 is generated or updated according to the user's operation of the operation button 141 or the setting instruction data sent from the smartphone 20.

[0033] The display unit 13 has a display screen 131 and performs digital display on the display screen 131 under the control of the CPU 11. Here, the display screen 131 can be displayed in a dot matrix form and is, for example, a liquid crystal display screen.

[0034] The operation reception unit 14 has a plurality of operation buttons 141. The operation reception unit 14 receives an input operation (e.g., a press operation) of the user on the operation buttons 141 and outputs it as an input signal to the CPU 11. The CPU 11 executes processing corresponding to the function of the operation button 141 on which the input operation has been performed. The functions assigned to the respective operation buttons 141 can also be switched according to the operation mode of the electronic clock 10. The crown may also be included in the operation buttons 141. In addition, the operation reception unit 14 may have a touch panel provided overlapping the display screen 131.

[0035] The oscillation circuit 151 generates a clock signal having a predetermined oscillation frequency and outputs it to the frequency division circuit 152. The frequency division circuit 152 divides the clock signal input from the oscillation circuit 151 and outputs it after converting it into a frequency required for the operation of each part of the electronic clock 10. The output destination of the signal divided by the frequency division circuit 152 includes the timekeeping circuit 153.

[0036] The timekeeping circuit 153 counts the signal having a predetermined frequency input from the frequency division circuit 152, counts and holds the current date and time. The format of the date and time held by the timekeeping circuit 153 is not limited to the format represented by year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, and may also be a format suitable for the processing of the CPU 11 and the like. As described above, the date and time counted by the timekeeping circuit 153 are corrected by the CPU 11.

[0037] The notification sound output unit 16 outputs a predetermined beep sound or the like as a notification sound according to a control signal from the CPU 11.

[0038] The wireless communication unit 17 performs wireless communication with an external device, that is, transmits and receives data using radio waves. In the present embodiment, the wireless communication unit 17 performs short-range wireless communication based on BLE with the paired smartphone 20.

[0039] The acceleration sensor 18 detects the acceleration of the electronic clock 10 generated according to the user's movement or the like, and outputs the detection result to the CPU 11. Based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18, for example, the number of steps of a walking user can be determined.

[0040] (Structure of the smartphone)

[0041] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the smartphone 20.

[0042] The smartphone 20 includes: a CPU 21, a memory 22, a display unit 23, an operation reception unit 24, a wireless communication unit 25, a telephone communication unit 26, a satellite radio wave reception processing unit 27, a speaker 28, and the like.

[0043] The CPU 21 is a processor that performs various arithmetic processes and uniformly controls the operations of each part of the smartphone 20. The CPU 21 performs various control operations by reading and executing the program 221 stored in the memory 22. In addition, the CPU 21 calculates the moving distance (GPS distance) based on the migration of the current position calculated by the satellite radio wave reception processing unit 27, and sends the GPS distance data 123 containing the information of the GPS distance to the electronic clock 10. In addition, the CPU 21 corrects the system date and time of the smartphone 20 based on the date and time calculated by the satellite radio wave reception processing unit 27.

[0044] The memory 22 provides a memory space for operations to the CPU 21 and stores various data. The memory 22 includes, for example, a RAM and a non-volatile memory. The RAM is used for the arithmetic processing of the CPU 21 and also stores temporary data. The non-volatile memory is, for example, a flash memory, and stores various data in addition to the program 221. The program 221 includes an OS and various application programs (hereinafter also referred to as "applications"). In the smartphone 20 of the present embodiment, a clock cooperation application for performing cooperation operations with the electronic clock 10 is installed. The smartphone 20 during the execution of the clock cooperation application, for example, accepts a change in the operation setting of the electronic clock 10 and sends the above-mentioned setting instruction data to the electronic clock 10, or sends various notifications related to incoming calls, mail reception, and alarms to the electronic clock 10.

[0045] The display unit 23 has a display screen 231 and performs digital display on the display screen 231 under the control of the CPU 21. Here, the display screen 231 can be displayed in a dot matrix form and is, for example, a liquid crystal display screen.

[0046] The operation reception unit 24 accepts the input operations of the user and outputs them as input signals to the CPU 21. The operation reception unit 24 has a touch panel 241 overlapped with the display screen 231, and detects the contact of the user's finger or the like through the touch panel 241 as an input operation. In addition, the operation reception unit 24 may also have hardware buttons.

[0047] The wireless communication unit 25 performs short-range wireless communication based on BLE with the paired electronic clock 10. In addition, the wireless communication unit 25 performs data communication with an external server via an access point of a wireless LAN.

[0048] The telephone communication unit 26 communicates with a mobile phone base station or the like, and transmits and receives voice data for telephone communication, packet data related to Internet connection, and the like.

[0049] The satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 27 is a module that receives the transmitted radio waves from the positioning satellites of GPS to obtain GPS data, and calculates the current position and date and time based on this GPS data. Under the control of the CPU 21, the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 27 calculates the current position and date and time, and outputs the results to the CPU 21.

[0050] The speaker 28 outputs various sounds such as a prescribed notification sound according to the control signal from the CPU 21.

[0051] (Operation of the communication system)

[0052] Next, the operation of the communication system 1 will be described centering on the operation related to the determination of the value related to the moving distance in the electronic clock 10.

[0053] First, the method for determining the value related to the moving distance by the CPU 11 as the control unit will be described. The CPU 11 determines the value related to the moving distance, and reflects the determination result in the measured distance data 122. The value related to the moving distance is a value related to the moving distance of the electronic clock 10. For example, in addition to the moving distance of the device itself from the specified position, it can also include various numerical values related to the moving distance such as the average walking speed. When determining any value related to the moving distance, it is also necessary to determine the moving distance. The CPU 11 of the present embodiment can determine the moving distance by the following two methods.

[0054] The first method is a method for determining the moving distance based on the GPS distance included in the GPS distance data 123 received from the smartphone 20. The GPS distance represents the moving distance of the smartphone 20 during a certain period. Since the smartphone 20 and the electronic clock 10 are carried and used by the user together, this GPS distance can be directly used as the moving distance of the electronic clock 10.

[0055] Based on the migration of the current position calculated by the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 27 of the smartphone 20, the CPU 21 of the smartphone 20 calculates the GPS distance. The GPS distance data 123 including the GPS distance is continuously and repeatedly transmitted from the smartphone 20 to the electronic clock 10. Each GPS distance data 123 includes information on the moving distance of the smartphone 20 since the transmission completion time point of the previous GPS distance data 123. In other words, the GPS distance calculated in the smartphone 20 is reset each time the GPS distance data 123 is transmitted. More specifically, when the GPS distance data 123 is transmitted and the smartphone 20 receives the packet data of the reception confirmation from the electronic clock 10, it is reset. When the GPS distance data 123 is transmitted but the packet data of the reception confirmation is not received, it is regarded that the GPS distance data 123 is not received by the electronic clock 10, and the calculated GPS distance is not reset.

[0056] In the electronic clock 10, each time GPS distance data 123 is received, the GPS distance represented by the GPS distance data 123 is added to the moving distance represented by the measured distance data 122. Thus, the measured distance data 122 representing the cumulative moving distance of the electronic clock 10 from the start time of measurement is obtained. In addition, each time the moving distance is updated, the average walking speed is calculated, and the data of the average walking speed in the measured distance data 122 is updated.

[0057] However, in this first method, there is the following problem: when the reception (acquisition of the GPS distance) of the GPS distance data 123 in the electronic clock 10 is interrupted, the moving distance cannot be updated during the interruption period. One of the main reasons for the interruption of the reception of the GPS distance data 123 is wireless communication contention. For example, when other data other than the GPS distance data 123 is transmitted from the smartphone 20 and the electronic clock 10 performs the reception process, even if the GPS distance data 123 is transmitted from the smartphone 20 during the execution of the reception process, it cannot be received and the reception fails. In this case, the wireless communication for receiving the GPS distance data 123 corresponds to the "first wireless communication", and the wireless communication for receiving other data (second information) corresponds to the "second wireless communication" that competes with the first wireless communication.

[0058] Therefore, the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 can also calculate the moving distance by a second method that does not use the GPS distance data 123, and can switch between the first method and the second method according to the wireless communication contention state.

[0059] The second method is a method of calculating the acceleration sensor distance based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18 and using the acceleration sensor distance to determine and update the moving distance of the measured distance data 122. Specifically, the CPU 11 determines the number of steps of the user based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18, and multiplies the number of steps by a predetermined distance per step to calculate the acceleration sensor distance. The calculated acceleration sensor distance is recorded in the acceleration sensor distance data 124. The acceleration sensor distance in the acceleration sensor distance data 124 is added to the measured distance data 122 at a predetermined timing, and thus, the measured distance data 122 representing the cumulative moving distance of the electronic clock 10 is obtained. The distance per step can also be determined based on the height data of the user registered in the setting data 125, etc. In addition, the motion state of the user (for example, walking, running, etc.) can be determined based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18, and the distance per step can be adjusted according to the determined motion state.

[0060] Generally, the second method has a lower accuracy in determining the moving distance than the first method, but has the advantage of being able to determine the moving distance without using the GPS distance data 123. Therefore, by switching between the first method and the second method according to the contention state of wireless communication, the moving distance can be stably determined in a timely manner and the measured distance data 122 can be updated.

[0061] The following describes the control related to the switching between the first method and the second method. An overview of the control is as follows. That is, usually, the moving distance is determined by the first method using the GPS distance, and when it is determined that an interruption of a specified value or more due to competition for wireless communication may occur in the acquisition of the GPS distance from the smartphone 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "first state"), the second method using the acceleration sensor distance is switched. Here, "an interruption of a specified value or more" refers to, for example, a specified time having passed without obtaining the GPS distance, or the electronic watch 10 moving a specified distance or more without obtaining the GPS distance. The switching between the first method and the second method is performed, for example, in conjunction with the switching of the operation mode of the electronic watch 10.

[0062] The electronic timepiece 10 operates in one of the plurality of operation modes specified by the user, and the operation mode is switched according to the user's operation. Among the plurality of operation modes, there are a time mode for displaying basic information such as date, time and day of the week, a stopwatch mode for measuring and displaying elapsed time and travel distance, a recall mode for calling up and displaying the measured data in the stopwatch mode, an alarm mode for setting an alarm, and a timer mode. The following is an example of switching the operation mode between the time mode and the stopwatch mode for explanation.

[0063] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen 131 in the stopwatch mode.

[0064] In the stopwatch mode, when the operation button 141 assigned with the start / stop function is pressed, the elapsed time 31 from the time of pressing is measured, and the moving distance 32 and the average pace 33 of the electronic timepiece 10 from that time are calculated and displayed on the display screen 131 .

[0065] In the stopwatch mode, when the operation button 141 to which the mode switching function is assigned is pressed, the operation mode is switched to the timekeeping mode while the elapsed time 31 , the moving distance 32 , and the average pace 33 are continuously measured.

[0066] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen 131 in the time mode.

[0067] In the display screen 131 in the time mode, basic information 34 including time, date, day of the week, etc. is displayed prominently. Additionally, when there is a measured moving distance 32 and an average walking speed 33, they are incidentally displayed less prominently. Instead of (or in addition to) the moving distance 32 and the average walking speed 33, the elapsed time 31 can also be displayed.

[0068] In the time mode, various data are transmitted and received with the paired smartphone 20.

[0069] For example, in order to synchronize the date and time with the smartphone 20, date and time information (second information) is sent from the smartphone 20. Based on this date and time information, the CPU 11 corrects the date and time counted by the timing circuit 153.

[0070] In addition, when an operation to change the settings of the electronic clock 10 is performed on the clock collaboration application of the smartphone 20, setting instruction data (second information) indicating the setting change is sent to the electronic clock 10. The CPU 11 changes the content of the setting data 125 based on this setting instruction data and changes the operation settings of the electronic clock 10.

[0071] The wireless communication for receiving these date and time data and setting instruction data may become a second wireless communication that competes with the first wireless communication for receiving GPS distance data 123. That is, in the time mode, if GPS distance data 123 is sent from the smartphone 20 during the reception process of date and time data and setting instruction data, there may be a problem that the reception of GPS distance data 123 fails and the moving distance is not updated. In other words, the time mode is a state (first state) in which a specified or more interruption may occur in the acquisition of GPS distance due to wireless communication competition. Therefore, when the electronic clock 10 operates in the time mode, the CPU 11 determines that it is the first state and determines the moving distance by using the second method of the acceleration sensor distance.

[0072] In contrast, Figure 4 The stopwatch mode shown is a mode specifically for measuring and displaying the elapsed time 31, the moving distance 32, and the average walking speed 33, and basically no wireless communication for transmitting and receiving data other than GPS distance data 123 with the smartphone 20 occurs. Therefore, the CPU 11 determines that no specified or more interruption has occurred in the acquisition of GPS distance due to wireless communication competition (i.e., it is not the first state), and determines the moving distance by using the first method of GPS distance.

[0073] In addition, in the stopwatch mode, a second wireless communication is sometimes generated for a specific purpose. For example, when the auto lap function is valid, a second wireless communication is sometimes generated for sound notification linkage. Here, the auto lap function is a function that automatically records the lap time each time the moving distance of the electronic clock 10 increases by a specified lap distance. In addition, sound notification linkage means that a notification sound is output in the smartphone 20 in linkage with the recording of the lap time. To perform this sound notification linkage, a request for output of the notification sound is sent from the electronic clock 10 to the smartphone 20. The wireless communication for sending the output request for the sound notification is a second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication for receiving the GPS distance data 123. However, if the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is below the upper limit frequency (hereinafter referred to as the "reference frequency") at which no specified or more interruptions occur in the reception of the GPS distance data 123, the moving distance can also be calculated by the first method using the GPS distance. Here, the reference frequency can be set to a frequency of once when the moving distance of the electronic clock 10 increases by a specified reference distance (for example, the above-mentioned lap distance). In the case where the reference frequency is thus determined, the stopwatch mode in which the sound notification linkage is set corresponds to the first operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is below the reference frequency. In contrast, the time mode corresponds to the second operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is higher than the reference frequency. When the electronic clock 10 operates in the first operation mode, the CPU 11 determines that it is not in the first state and determines the moving distance by the first method using the GPS distance. In addition, when the electronic clock 10 operates in the second operation mode, the CPU 11 determines that it is in the first state and determines the moving distance by the second method using the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18.

[0074] In addition, the reference frequency is not limited to the above. For example, it can also be set to "0". That is, the operation mode in which no second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication is generated can be set as the first operation mode, and the other operation modes can be set as the second operation mode. In this case, for example, the stopwatch mode in which the above-mentioned sound notification linkage is not set corresponds to the first operation mode.

[0075] In the above, an example of switching the method for determining the moving distance in conjunction with the switching of the action mode is described, but in addition to this, it is also possible to switch to the second method using the acceleration sensor distance in a state where a specified interruption or more occurs in the acquisition of the current GPS distance (hereinafter referred to as the "second state"). For example, regardless of the action mode of the electronic timepiece 10, when the reception of the GPS distance data 123 has not been performed for a specified time (for example, 30 seconds), it is determined to be the second state and switched to the second method. Thus, even in the case where the acquisition of the GPS distance is interrupted due to major reasons other than competition in wireless communication, the determination of the moving distance can be stably continued using the acceleration sensor distance. As major reasons other than competition in wireless communication, positioning failure in the smartphone 20 and poor conditions in the short-range wireless communication between the smartphone 20 and the electronic timepiece 10 are listed.

[0076] Next, the moving distance determination process executed to determine the moving distance by the above-mentioned method will be described.

[0077] Figure 6 : is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the moving distance determination processing performed by the CPU 11.

[0078] The moving distance determination process starts when the user instructs transition to the stopwatch mode.

[0079] When the moving distance determination process starts, the CPU 11 switches the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 10 to the stopwatch mode (step S101). Figure 4 When the stopwatch mode is switched to the stopwatch mode, the elapsed time 31, the travel distance 32, and the average pace 33 are all "0" in the "reset state".

[0080] CPU 11 determines whether a measurement start instruction has been given, i.e., whether an operation button 141 to which a start / stop function is assigned (hereinafter referred to as “start / stop button”) has been pressed (step S102). If it is determined that a measurement start instruction has not been given (step S102: No), the processing of step S102 is executed again.

[0081] When it is determined that a measurement start instruction has been given (Yes in step S102), the CPU 11 sends a measurement start request for the GPS distance to the smartphone 20 (step S103). The smartphone 20 that has received this measurement start request starts positioning by the satellite radio wave reception unit 27 and calculation of the GPS distance using the positioning result. As described above, the GPS distance data 123 is continuously and repeatedly sent. The CPU 11 measures the elapsed time 31, moving distance 32, and average walking speed 33 from the moment when the measurement start instruction has been given and displays them on the display screen 131. The display of the moving distance 32 and average walking speed 33 among them is based on the measured distance data 122. The state of measuring the elapsed time 31, moving distance 32, and average walking speed 33 is also referred to as the "run state". Here, the measurement of the moving distance starts by the first method using the GPS distance.

[0082] In addition, the CPU 11 starts measuring the moving distance (acceleration sensor distance) based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18 and holds the acceleration sensor distance as the acceleration sensor distance data 124 (step S104). At this stage, the acceleration sensor distance is not reflected in the measured distance data 122.

[0083] The CPU 11 determines whether the GPS distance data 123 has been received from the smartphone 20 (step S105). When it is determined that the GPS distance data 123 has been received (Yes in step S105), the CPU 11 sends the received confirmation packet data to the smartphone 20 (step S106).

[0084] The CPU 11 adds the obtained GPS distance to the moving distance indicated by the measured distance data 122 (step S107). In addition, the average walking speed is calculated based on the moving distance added with the GPS distance and the elapsed time during the measurement, and the data of the average walking speed included in the measured distance data 122 is updated. In addition, the latest moving distance 32 and average walking speed 33 are displayed on the display screen 131.

[0085] The CPU 11 determines whether the user has instructed a migration to the time mode (step S108). When it is determined that the instruction to migrate to the time mode has not been given (No in step S108), the CPU 11 determines whether an instruction to end the measurement has been given (step S120). Here, for example, in a state where the measurement is temporarily stopped by pressing the start / stop button, an instruction to end the measurement is given by operating the operation button 141 (hereinafter referred to as the "reset button") assigned with the reset function. When it is determined that the instruction to end the measurement has not been given (No in step S120), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S105 and continues to determine the moving distance using the GPS distance.

[0086] When it is determined in step S108 that a transition to the time mode is indicated (step S108 is YES), the CPU 11 switches the operation mode of the electronic clock 10 to the time mode (step S109). That is, the CPU 11 causes the display unit 13 to perform Figure 5 the display in the time mode shown. Here, the moving distance 32 being measured and the average walking speed 33 are displayed together with the basic information 34. When migrating to the time mode, the CPU 11 determines that it is the first state in which an interruption of more than a specified level may occur during the acquisition of the GPS distance, and executes the following steps S110 and S111 to switch the method for determining the moving distance from the first method to the second method.

[0087] The CPU 11 sends a request to stop the measurement of the GPS distance (step S110). The smartphone 20 that has received this measurement stop request stops the calculation of the GPS distance and the transmission of the GPS distance data 123.

[0088] In addition, the CPU 11 starts reflecting the acceleration sensor distance in the moving distance (step S111). That is, instead of the GPS distance, the acceleration sensor distance being measured is added to the moving distance of the measurement distance data 122, and the average walking speed is calculated, and the moving distance 32 and the average walking speed 33 are displayed based on the measurement distance data 122.

[0089] The CPU 11 determines whether a transition to the stopwatch mode is indicated (step S112). When it is determined that a transition to the stopwatch mode is not indicated (step S112 is NO), the CPU 11 executes the process of step S112 again.

[0090] When it is determined that a transition to the stopwatch mode is indicated (step S112 is YES), the CPU 11 switches the operation mode of the electronic clock 10 to the stopwatch mode (step S113). When migrating to the stopwatch mode, the CPU 11 determines that it is not the first state, and executes the following steps S114 and S115 to switch the method for determining the moving distance from the second method to the first method. That is, the CPU 11 sends a request to start the measurement of the GPS distance (step S114). The process of step S114 is the same as the process of step S103. In addition, the CPU 11 stops reflecting the acceleration sensor distance in the moving distance, and switches the value added to the measurement distance data 122 to the GPS distance (step S115). After that, the CPU 11 transfers the process to step S105.

[0091] On the other hand, in the process of step S105, when it is determined that the GPS distance data 123 has not been received (No in step S105), the CPU 11 determines whether 30 seconds (prescribed time) have elapsed since the last reception of the GPS distance data 123 (step S116). When it is determined that 30 seconds have not elapsed since the last reception (No in step S116), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S105.

[0092] When it is determined that 30 seconds have elapsed since the last reception of the GPS distance data 123 (Yes in step S116), the CPU 11 determines that it is in the second state where an interruption equal to or greater than the prescribed level has occurred in the acquisition of the GPS distance, and starts reflecting the acceleration sensor distance as the moving distance (step S117). The process of step S117 is the same as the process of step S111. Through the process of this step S117, the method for determining the moving distance is switched from the first method to the second method.

[0093] The CPU 11 determines whether the GPS distance data 123 has been received (step S118). When it is determined that the GPS distance data 123 has not been received (No in step S118), the process of step S118 is executed again. When it is determined that the GPS distance data 123 has been received (Yes in step S118), the CPU 11 stops reflecting the acceleration sensor distance as the moving distance, and switches the value to be added to the measured distance data 122 to the GPS distance (step S119). The process of step S119 is the same as the process of step S115. Through the process of this step S119, the method for determining the moving distance is switched from the second method to the first method. After executing step S119, the CPU 11 transfers the process to step S106.

[0094] In the process of step S120, when it is determined that an instruction to end the measurement has been given (No in step S120), the CPU 11 resets the measured values of the elapsed time 31, the moving distance 32, and the average walking speed 33 to "0" to set the reset state, and ends the moving distance determination process.

[0095] In Figure 6 the moving distance determination process, the following sound notification process can also be executed in parallel in the running state.

[0096] Figure 7 It is a flowchart showing the control process performed by the CPU 11 for the sound notification process.

[0097] The sound notification process is executed when the measurement is started in the stopwatch mode with the automatic loop function enabled.

[0098] In sound notification processing, the CPU 11 determines whether the moving distance represented by the measured distance data 122 has increased by a specified loop distance since the last recorded loop time (or since the start of measurement if the loop time has not been recorded) (step S201). The loop distance is, for example, preset by the user. When it is determined that the moving distance has increased by the loop distance (step S201: YES), the CPU 11 records the loop time in the memory 12 and causes the notification sound output unit 16 to output a specified notification sound (step S202). In addition, the CPU 11 sends a sound notification request (sound notification request) for the notification sound to the smartphone 20 (step S203). The smartphone 20 that has received this sound notification request outputs a specified notification sound from the speaker 28. At the end of step S203, the CPU 11 returns the process to step S201.

[0099] In step S201, when it is determined that the increase in the moving distance is less than the loop distance (step S201: NO), the CPU 11 determines whether an instruction to end the measurement has been given (step S204). When the CPU 11 determines that no instruction to end the measurement has been given (step S204: NO), it returns the process to step S201. When it determines that an instruction to end the measurement has been given (step S204: YES), it ends the sound notification processing.

[0100] In addition, in Figure 6 the exemplified moving distance determination process, when operating in the stopwatch mode, the start or temporary stop of measurement by the start / stop button and the end (reset) of measurement by the reset button are accepted, but it is not limited to this. That is, as Figure 8 shown, it is also possible to directly migrate from other operation modes to any of the reset state, running state, and temporary stop state of the stopwatch mode. Here, the other operation modes are not limited to the time mode and can also be the above-mentioned call mode, alarm mode, or timer mode, etc. In addition, these other operation modes are all second operation modes that generate a second wireless communication frequency higher than the above-mentioned reference frequency.

[0101] In Figure 8 the "other mode" shown on the left side of the stopwatch mode represents other operation modes in a state where the elapsed time 31, moving distance 32, and average walking speed 33 are not measured. In addition, the "other mode" shown on the right side of the stopwatch mode represents other operation modes when migrating the elapsed time 31, moving distance 32, and average walking speed 33 to measurement. The arrows between the connection modes or states represent the migration between the modes or states.

[0102] In Figure 8Among them, the transition from other modes before the start of measurement to the running state or the temporary stop state, and the transition from the self-reset state in the stopwatch mode to the running state are set as "Transition A".

[0103] In addition, the transition from the running state or the temporary stop state to continue measurement and switch to other action modes is set as "Transition B".

[0104] In addition, the transition from other action modes during measurement to the running state or the temporary stop state is set as "Transition C".

[0105] In addition, the transition from the self-temporary stop state in the stopwatch mode to the reset state is set as "Transition D".

[0106] In Transitions A to D, at the time of this transition, the measurement operation of the GPS distance and the measurement operation of the acceleration sensor distance change.

[0107] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing the change in the measurement operation in Transitions A to D.

[0108] In Transition A, the acquisition of the GPS distance (i.e., the reception of the GPS distance data 123) is started and reflected in the moving distance, and the measurement of the acceleration sensor distance is started and held in the memory 12 (acceleration sensor distance data 124).

[0109] In Transition B, the acquisition of the GPS distance is stopped, and the reflection of the acceleration sensor distance in the moving distance is started. That is, the method for determining the moving distance is switched from the first method using the GPS distance to the second method using the acceleration sensor distance.

[0110] In Transition C, the acquisition of the GPS distance is started again, and the reflection of the acceleration sensor distance in the moving distance is stopped. That is, the method for determining the moving distance is switched from the second method to the first method.

[0111] In Transition D, the acquisition of the GPS distance is stopped, and the measurement of the acceleration sensor distance is stopped for reset. In addition, the measured values of the moving distance 32 and the average pace 33 are reset.

[0112] By making the transition accompanied by such a change in the measurement operation, it is possible to perform the transition between the states and action modes in the stopwatch mode while continuing to stably determine the moving distance.

[0113] In addition, in a case where there is a first operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is lower than the reference frequency among a plurality of other operation modes, the method of determining the moving distance may not be switched during the transition between the stopwatch mode and the first operation mode. In other words, in this first operation mode, like the stopwatch mode, the moving distance can be determined by the first method using the GPS distance data 123.

[0114] (Effect)

[0115] As described above, the electronic clock 10 as a communication device according to the present embodiment includes: a wireless communication unit 17 that performs a first wireless communication for obtaining a GPS distance as a first piece of information related to the moving distance of the present device and a second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication between the present device and a smartphone 20 as an external device; and a CPU 11 as a control unit that determines a moving distance-related value related to the moving distance of the present device. The CPU 11 as a control unit obtains the acceleration of the present device, determines the moving distance-related value based on the GPS distance obtained by the wireless communication unit 17 from the smartphone 20, and determines the moving distance-related value based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18 in a case where it is determined that the first state in which a specified or more interruption may occur due to the above-described competition occurs during the acquisition of the GPS distance from the smartphone 20.

[0116] Thereby, in a case where the GPS distance can be continuously acquired, the moving distance-related value can be accurately determined by the first method using the GPS distance, and in a case where a specified or more interruption may occur during the acquisition of the GPS distance, the second method using the acceleration sensor distance can be switched to continuously determine the moving distance-related value. Therefore, regardless of the state of the wireless communication with the smartphone 20, the moving distance-related value can be stably determined in a timely manner. Therefore, it is possible to hardly cause a defect of a delay in updating the display of the moving distance-related value, and thus, user convenience can be improved.

[0117] In addition, the CPU 11 as a control unit switches the operation mode of the present device between a stopwatch mode as a first operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is lower than a specified reference frequency and a time mode as a second operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is higher than the reference frequency, and determines that it is the first state when the present device operates in the time mode.

[0118] Thus, it is possible to switch to a determination method capable of stably determining the value related to the moving distance by simple control triggered by the switching of the operation mode. In addition, even in the operation mode where the second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication occurs, when the frequency thereof is equal to or lower than the reference frequency, it is possible to continue to use the determination of the value related to the moving distance by the first method. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the defect of the update lag in the display of the value related to the moving distance, and to improve the determination accuracy of the value related to the moving distance.

[0119] In addition, the reference frequency is the frequency of once when the moving distance of this device increases by a prescribed reference distance each time.

[0120] By determining the reference frequency in this way, it is possible to suppress the number of acquisition failures of the GPS distance to 1 time or less each time the electronic clock 10 moves the reference distance. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the acquisition of the GPS distance from being continuously interrupted over a long moving distance. Thus, for example, even in the case where the second wireless communication is generated for the sound notification linkage at the time of automatic loop recording, etc., it is also possible to accurately determine the value related to the moving distance by the first method.

[0121] In addition, the CPU 11 serving as the control unit switches the operation mode of this device between the stopwatch mode as the first operation mode where the second wireless communication does not occur and the time mode as the second operation mode where the second wireless communication may occur, and determines that it is the first state when this device operates in the time mode.

[0122] Thus, it is possible to switch to a determination method capable of stably determining the value related to the moving distance by simple control triggered by the switching of the operation mode. In addition, by using the first method only in the operation mode where the second wireless communication does not occur, it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of the defect of the update lag in the display of the value related to the moving distance.

[0123] In addition, the electronic clock 10 has a timekeeping circuit 153 that counts the date and time, and the CPU 11 serving as the control unit corrects the date and time counted by the timekeeping circuit 153 according to the date and time information (second information) related to the date and time acquired by the wireless communication unit 17 from the smartphone 20, and the wireless communication unit 17 acquires the date and time information through the second wireless communication.

[0124] Thus, even in the case where the first wireless communication for acquiring the GPS distance and the second wireless communication for acquiring the date and time information may compete, it is possible to stably determine the value related to the moving distance in a timely manner.

[0125] In addition, the first operation mode is the time mode that measures and displays the elapsed time.

[0126] Thus, even when an interruption equal to or greater than a specified level may occur during the acquisition of the GPS distance in the time mode, the operation mode can be switched to the time mode and the determination of the moving distance-related value can be continued.

[0127] In addition, when the CPU 11 serving as the control unit determines that it is in the second state where an interruption equal to or greater than a specified level has occurred during the acquisition of the GPS distance, the moving distance-related value is determined based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18.

[0128] Thus, when an interruption equal to or greater than a specified level has occurred during the acquisition of the current GPS distance, the second method can be switched to continue the determination of the moving distance-related value. Therefore, even when the positioning in the smartphone 20 is not properly performed or when there is a problem with the short-range wireless communication between the smartphone 20 and the electronic clock 10, the moving distance-related value can be stably determined.

[0129] In addition, when the acquisition of the GPS distance from the smartphone 20 has not been performed for a specified time, the CPU 11 serving as the control unit determines that it is in the second state.

[0130] Thus, the second method using the acceleration sensor distance can be appropriately switched by a simple determination method.

[0131] In addition, the method for determining the moving distance-related value in the above-described embodiment is a method for determining the moving distance-related value related to the movement of the present device in the electronic clock 10 serving as a communication device. In this method for determining the moving distance-related value, the acceleration of the present device is acquired, and the moving distance-related value is determined based on the GPS distance as the first information acquired by the wireless communication unit 17 from the smartphone 20. When it is determined that it is in the first state where an interruption equal to or greater than a specified level due to wireless communication competition may occur during the acquisition of the GPS distance from the smartphone 20, the moving distance-related value is determined based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18.

[0132] Thus, the moving distance-related value can be stably determined in a timely manner. Therefore, it is difficult to cause a problem of a delay in updating the display of the moving distance-related value, and thus, user convenience can be improved.

[0133] In addition, the memory 12, which is a computer-readable recording medium involved in the above-described embodiment, records a program 121 that can be executed by the CPU 11, which is a computer, provided in the electronic clock 10 that is a communication device. The program 121 causes the CPU 11 to function as a control unit that determines a movement distance-related value related to the movement distance of the device. The control unit acquires the acceleration of the device and determines the movement distance-related value based on the GPS distance, which is the first information, obtained from the smartphone 20 by the wireless communication unit 17. In the case where it is determined that it is in the first state in which a specified or greater interruption due to wireless communication competition may occur in the acquisition of the GPS distance from the smartphone 20, the movement distance-related value is determined based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 18.

[0134] By operating the electronic clock 10 using such a program 121, it is possible to stably determine the movement distance-related value in a timely manner. Therefore, it is possible to hardly cause a bad situation of a delay in updating the display of the movement distance-related value, and thus, user convenience can be improved.

[0135] (Other)

[0136] In addition, the description in the above-described embodiment is an example of the communication device, the method for determining the movement distance-related value, and the recording medium of the present invention, and is not limited thereto.

[0137] For example, as the electronic clock 10, an electronic clock that performs digital display in a dot matrix form is exemplified, but it is not limited thereto, and an analog electronic clock that displays time, measures time, and at least a part of information such as movement distance by a pointer may also be used.

[0138] In addition, the communication device is not limited to the electronic clock 10, and may be various devices mainly carried and used by users, such as tablet terminals, notebook PCs, and various wearable devices worn by users on their bodies.

[0139] In addition, the smartphone 20 is exemplified as an external device, but it is not limited thereto, and terminal devices such as tablet terminals or notebook PCs may also be used as the external device.

[0140] In addition, an example in which the CPU 21 of the smartphone 20 calculates the GPS distance based on the position information and the electronic clock 10 receives the GPS distance data 123 including the GPS distance has been described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it may also be that the electronic clock 10 acquires the position information from the smartphone 20, and the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 calculates the GPS distance (movement distance-related value) based on the migration of the position information. Calculating the movement distance-related value based on the position information in this way is also a way of "determining the movement distance-related value".

[0141] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a method for determining whether it is the first state based on which operation mode the electronic clock 10 operates is illustrated, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be that in any operation mode, first, the determination of the moving distance is started by the first method. When it is detected that the acquisition of the GPS distance fails due to competition in wireless communication, it is determined that it is the first state, and the method for determining the moving distance is switched to the second method while maintaining the above operation mode.

[0142] Alternatively, the first method and the second method may be switched only based on the determination result of whether it is the first state, without using the determination result of whether it is the second state. In this case, steps S116 to S119 in the moving distance determination process of Figure 6 can be omitted.

[0143] In addition, as the reference frequency, the frequency of once when the moving distance of the electronic clock 10 increases by a prescribed reference distance (for example, the loop distance) is illustrated, but it is not limited thereto. The reference frequency can also be determined, for example, as the average number of times the second wireless communication occurs per unit time, or the average number of times the second wireless communication occurs per unit moving distance.

[0144] In addition, in the above description, an example of a computer-readable medium using the non-volatile memory of the memory 12 as the program of the present invention is disclosed, but it is not limited to this example. As other computer-readable media, information recording media such as HDD, SSD, flash memory, and CD-ROM can be applied. In addition, as a medium for providing the data of the program of the present invention via a communication line, a carrier wave (transmission wave) is also applied to the present invention.

[0145] In addition, regarding the detailed structures and detailed operations of the respective components of the electronic clock 10 as the communication device and the smartphone 20 as the external device in the above-described embodiment, of course, they can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0146] The embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Claims

1. A communication device, characterized in that, it has: a wireless communication unit that performs first wireless communication for obtaining first information related to the moving distance of this device with an external device and second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication; and a control unit that determines a moving distance related value related to the moving distance, the control unit obtains the acceleration of this device, the control unit can switch the operation mode of this device between a first operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is below a specified reference frequency and a second operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is higher than the reference frequency, when this device operates in the first operation mode, the control unit determines the moving distance related value based on the first information obtained by the wireless communication unit from the external device, when this device operates in the second operation mode, the control unit determines the moving distance related value based on the acceleration of this device.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the reference frequency is the frequency of once when the moving distance of this device increases by a specified reference distance each time.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first operation mode is a mode in which the second wireless communication is not generated, the second operation mode is a mode in which the second wireless communication can be generated.

4. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the communication device has: a timing unit that counts the date and time, the control unit corrects the date and time counted by the timing unit based on second information related to the date and time obtained by the wireless communication unit from the external device, the wireless communication unit obtains the second information through the second wireless communication.

5. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the first operation mode is a mode of measuring and displaying the elapsed time.

6. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, when the control unit determines that it is in a second state in which an interruption occurs in the acquisition of the first information, the control unit determines the moving distance related value based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, characterized in that, when the acquisition of the first information from the external device has not been performed for a specified time, the control unit determines that it is the second state.

8. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, when switching the operation mode of this device from the first operation mode to the second operation mode, the control unit sends a signal for stopping the transmission of the first information to this device to the external device.

9. A method for determining a movement distance-related value in a communication device, where the movement distance-related value is a value related to the movement distance of the device. The communication device has a wireless communication unit that performs first wireless communication with an external device for obtaining first information related to the movement distance of the device itself and second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication. Characterized in that, obtain the acceleration of the device itself, be able to switch the operation mode of the device between a first operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is below a specified reference frequency and a second operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is higher than the reference frequency, when the device operates in the first operation mode, determine the movement distance-related value according to the first information obtained by the wireless communication unit from the external device, when the device operates in the second operation mode, determine the movement distance-related value according to the acceleration of the device itself.

10. A computer-readable recording medium that records a program executable by a computer provided in a communication device. The communication device has a wireless communication unit that performs first wireless communication with an external device for obtaining first information related to the movement distance of the device itself and second wireless communication that may compete with the first wireless communication. Characterized in that, the program causes the computer to function as a control unit for determining the movement distance-related value related to the movement distance, the control unit obtains the acceleration of the device itself, the control unit is able to switch the operation mode of the device between a first operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is below a specified reference frequency and a second operation mode in which the frequency of generating the second wireless communication is higher than the reference frequency, when the device operates in the first operation mode, the control unit determines the movement distance-related value according to the first information obtained by the wireless communication unit from the external device, when the device operates in the second operation mode, the control unit determines the movement distance-related value according to the acceleration of the device itself.

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