Electronic apparatus and control method

Abstract

To generalize the configuration of a violet light source control function.SOLUTION: A light source is capable of emitting violet light, the controller controls the emission of the violet light, and a host system controls processing based on an application program and causes the controller to control the emission of light in response to a blinking instruction on the basis of firmware. This embodiment can be realized by any of an electronic apparatus including a light source, a controller, and a host system, and a control method for the electronic apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to an electronic device and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Violet light is light that has components in the wavelength band of 360 nm or more and 400 nm or less. It is known that irradiating the eyeball with components in this wavelength band can have effects such as suppressing the onset and progression of myopia. Components in this wavelength band are contained in sunlight, but are generally not contained in general lighting. Therefore, in recent years, electronic devices equipped with a light source that irradiates violet light have been developed.

[0003] For example, the electronic device described in Patent Document 1 includes a light source that irradiates violet light, a light source control unit that controls the on / off of the light source, a calculation unit that calculates an accumulated radiation amount of the violet light irradiated from the light source based on the irradiance illuminance and irradiation time of the violet light irradiated from the light source, an estimation unit that calculates an outdoor accumulated amount by estimating an accumulated amount of violet light that a user is exposed to outdoors using a detection value of an illuminance sensor, an evaluation value calculation unit that calculates a light amount evaluation value for evaluating the accumulated amount of violet light that a user is exposed to indoors and outdoors using the accumulated radiation amount and the outdoor accumulated amount, and a determination unit that determines whether or not a preset irradiation condition is satisfied. The light source control unit turns on the light source when the light amount evaluation value is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value and the irradiation condition is satisfied. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-70998 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The violet light source may be connected to the host system of the electronic device using GPIO (General-Purpose Input / Output) and EC (Embedded Controller). It was necessary to design and develop an EC access module in the host system to control the on / off of the light source and obtain its operating status. The EC access module depends on the platform of the electronic device, that is, the specifications of the various hardware and EC that make up the electronic device. Since specifications that depend on the host system hardware and EC are required, development labor is required for each model, which is a factor in increasing product costs. In addition, since maintenance is performed after shipment for each model, the maintenance labor increases in proportion to the number of models.

[0006] In addition, there is a possibility that the independence of the EC access module and the design of the host application executed in the host system cannot be guaranteed. This is because the host application is also developed depending on the platform and cannot be versatile. In addition, in the development of the host application, it may become necessary to track the development status of the platform to check the impact on the EC access.

[0007] In addition, the host application must periodically poll the EC to check the availability of the light source, which can result in increased power consumption and reduced performance due to the system load caused by polling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present application has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an electronic device according to one aspect of the present application includes a light source capable of emitting violet light, a controller that controls the emission of the violet light, and a host system, the host system including an application execution unit that controls processing based on an application program, and a device object unit that, based on firmware, causes the controller to control the emission of the violet light in response to a blinking instruction from the application execution unit.

[0009] In the above electronic device, the controller may manage an emission state of the violet light, and the device object unit may notify the application execution unit of the emission state in response to an inquiry about the emission state from the application execution unit.

[0010] In the above electronic device, a shutter capable of blocking the light source may be provided, the controller may manage the blocking state of the light source, and the device object unit may notify the application execution unit of the blocking state in response to a blocking state inquiry from the application execution unit.

[0011] In the electronic device described above, the controller may control light emission of the light source based on the blocking state.

[0012] In the electronic device described above, the application execution unit may output the blinking instruction to the device object unit when a predetermined key operation is detected.

[0013] In the electronic device described above, when the application execution unit detects that the electronic device has not been used for a predetermined period of time or more, the application execution unit may output a blinking instruction to the device object unit, which is to turn off the violet light.

[0014] The above electronic device may include a first housing, a second housing, an engagement mechanism that engages one of the first housing and the second housing so that one can rotate relative to the other, and a sensor that detects a positional relationship between the first housing and the second housing, and the controller may determine an open / closed state of the first housing and the second housing based on the positional relationship, and control the light emission of the light source based on the open / closed state.

[0015] A control method according to a second aspect of the present application is a control method for an electronic device comprising a light source capable of emitting violet light and a controller that controls the emission of the violet light, wherein the electronic device controls processing based on an application program and, based on firmware, causes the controller to control the emission of the violet light in response to a blinking instruction issued by the processing based on the application program. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the above-described aspect of the present application, the configuration of the violet light source control function can be generalized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the electronic device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is a table illustrating an example of the relationship between the open / closed state of the shutter and the light emission state of the light source according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 11 is a state transition diagram illustrating a change in the light emission state of a light source by a hot key operation. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a table illustrating an example of a relationship between an open / closed state of a housing and a light emission state of a light source according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 11 is a table illustrating an example of a relationship between a usage state of a host system and a light emission state of a light source according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment is mainly a clamshell type personal computer (PC). A clamshell type PC is also called a notebook type PC or a notebook PC. However, the electronic device 1 may be realized as a PC having another form (e.g., a desktop type, a slide type, etc.) or as another type of electronic device (e.g., a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, etc.).

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of an electronic device 1 according to this embodiment. The electronic device 1 includes a first housing 62 and a second housing 64. The first housing 62, which is one of these two housings, is engaged with the second housing 64, which is the other, so as to be relatively rotatable. That is, the angle between the surface of the first housing 62 and the surface of the second housing 64 (sometimes referred to as the "opening and closing angle" in this application) is variable. One side of each of the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 is connected using fasteners 68a and 68b. The fasteners 68a and 68b enable these two housings to be opened and closed around a rotation axis ax parallel to each of the long sides of the first housing 62 and the second housing 64. The fasteners 68a and 68b include, for example, hinges. The fasteners 68a and 68b can maintain a constant opening and closing angle θ even when some torque is applied.

[0020] The first housing 62 includes a display 14, a camera 24, a light source 36, a shutter 38, and a permanent magnet 54. The display area of ​​the display 14 covers most of the surface area of ​​the first housing 62. The permanent magnet 54, the shutter 38, the light source 36, and the camera 24 are arranged in this order in a portion of the periphery of the surface of the first housing 62 close to one side opposite the other side. A keyboard 32k and a touch pad 32t are arranged on the surface of the second housing 64. A magnetic sensor 52 is arranged in a portion of the second housing 64 close to one side opposite the other side.

[0021] When the first housing 62 is open relative to the second housing 64, a user facing the front of the first housing 62 can see the display information displayed on the display 14 and can perform input operations on the keyboard 32k and the touch pad 32t. At this time, the camera 24 can capture an image of the user's head, and the light source 36 can irradiate the user's head with violet light. When the first housing 62 is closed relative to the second housing 64, the display 14 is shielded by the second housing 64, and the keyboard 32k and the touch pad 32t are shielded by the first housing 62. In this state, use by the user is not assumed. When the first housing 62 is closed relative to the second housing 64, the magnetic sensor 52 faces and approaches the permanent magnet 54 and can detect the magnetic field around the permanent magnet 54. The open / closed state of the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 can be detected based on the strength of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor 52. It should be noted that, when the first housing 62 is closed relative to the second housing 64, light emission from the light source 36 may be restricted.

[0022] Next, a hardware configuration example of the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment. The electronic device 1 includes a CPU 11, a main memory 12, a video subsystem 13, a display 14, a chipset 21, a BIOS memory 22, an auxiliary storage device 23, a camera 24, an audio system 25, an input / output I / F 26, a communication module 27, an EC 31, an input device 32, a power supply circuit 33, a light source control circuit 35, a light source 36, a shutter drive circuit 37, a shutter 38, and a magnetic sensor 52.

[0023] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 executes various arithmetic processes under program control, and realizes and controls the operation of the electronic device 1. The CPU 11 executes various programs. In this application, executing a process instructed by an instruction written in a program may be called executing a program, or running a program. The programs executed by the CPU 11 include a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and an OS (Operating System). The CPU 11 also executes programs such as various application programs on the OS. That is, the CPU 11 executes programs such as application programs according to the execution state and computational resources instructed by processing based on the OS. In this application, an application program may be called an "app" and may collectively refer to programs executed on the OS. For example, in this application, an app may include programs generally classified as a driver, a service / utility, etc.

[0024] The CPU 11, the main memory 12, and the chipset 21 are the minimum devices that make up the host system 10. The host system 10 corresponds to the main computer system of the electronic device 1. The functions of the host system 10 are realized when the CPU 11 executes a program and cooperates with the main memory 12, the chipset 21, and other devices.

[0025] The main memory 12 includes a storage medium that can read and write various data. The main memory 12 is used as a working area for the CPU 11. That is, the main memory 12 includes a reading area for a program executed by the CPU 11, a storage area for data used in the processing executed by the CPU 11, and a storage area for data temporarily or finally generated by the processing executed by the CPU 11. The main memory 12 includes, for example, one or more DRAMs (Dynamic Random Access Memories).

[0026] Video subsystem 13 is a subsystem for realizing functions related to image display. Video subsystem 13 includes, for example, a video controller and a video memory (not shown). The video controller temporarily stores various types of drawing information in the video memory in accordance with drawing commands from CPU 11. Video subsystem 13 outputs the drawing information stored in the video memory to display 14 as display data in accordance with the drawing commands.

[0027] The display 14 displays a display screen instructed by display data input from the video subsystem 13. The display 14 may be, for example, any of a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.

[0028] The chipset 21 includes a controller for connecting various devices and controlling input / output with each device. The chipset 21 is connected by wire in accordance with an interface standard such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), PCI-Express, and Low Pin Connect (LPC). In the example of Fig. 2, the chipset 21 is connected to a BIOS memory 22, an auxiliary storage device 23, a camera 24, an audio system 25, an input / output I / F 26, a communication module 27, and an EC 31.

[0029] The BIOS memory 22 stores system firmware such as a BIOS. The BIOS memory 22 includes an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory. Such a non-volatile memory may be, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read only Memory) or a flash ROM. In the present application, firmware for managing and controlling each device constituting the electronic device 1 is collectively referred to as BIOS. For example, UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is included in the concept of BIOS in the present application.

[0030] The auxiliary storage device 23 rewritably stores various programs and various data. The various programs include an OS, an application, a driver, etc. The various data include data used in the processing of the CPU 11, data acquired by the processing of the CPU 11, etc. The auxiliary storage device 23 may be, for example, any of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0031] The camera 24 captures images showing various subjects that appear within the field of view. The camera 24 may be capable of capturing either moving images, still images, or both. The audio system 25 is capable of inputting, outputting, and recording audio data. A microphone and a speaker (not shown) are connected to the audio system 25. The microphone picks up audio arriving at the audio system 25, and the audio system 25 acquires the audio data input from the microphone. The audio system 25 outputs the audio data to the speaker and causes it to emit sound. The audio system 25 stores the audio data input from the microphone and other audio data acquired in accordance with the processing of the CPU 11 in the auxiliary storage device 23. The microphone and the speaker may be provided in the electronic device 1, or one or both of them may be separate from the electronic device 1.

[0032] The input / output I / F (Interface) 26 connects to other devices via wire or wirelessly to input / output various data. The input / output I / F 26 is, for example, a USB connector. The USB connector is a connector for connecting to peripheral devices according to the USB standard. The communication module 27 connects to other devices by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to transmit and receive various data in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined communication standard may be, for example, any of IEEE802.11, IEEE802.15.1, etc. IEEE802.11 is one of the communication standards related to an in-house wireless communication network. IEEE802.15.1 is one of the short-range wireless communication standards for digital devices.

[0033] The EC (Embedded Controller) 31 is a controller for monitoring the states or controlling the operations of various devices connected to itself, regardless of the operating state of the host system 10. The EC 31 is configured as a one-chip microcomputer (not shown) that includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output terminal, and a timer, separate from the host system 10. The RAM of the EC 31 (sometimes referred to as ECRAM in this application) is used as a working area for the CPU of the EC 31. Various data can be written or read into the ECRAM by accessing it from the host system 10 via the input / output terminal. The chipset 21, the input device 32, the power supply circuit 33, the light source control circuit 35, the shutter drive circuit 37, and the magnetic sensor 52 are connected to the input / output terminal. For example, a GPIO is used to connect the EC 31 to the chipset 21.

[0034] The input device 32 receives a user's operation and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the received operation to the EC 31. The above-mentioned keyboard 32k and touch pad 32t correspond to the input device 32. The input device 32 is not limited to this. The input device 32 may include a separate device, for example, a mouse, a touch sensor, etc. The separate device may be provided in the electronic device 1 or may be externally connected to the EC 31.

[0035] The power supply circuit 33 converts the voltage of the DC power supplied from the power supply into a voltage required for the operation of each device of the electronic device 1. The power supply circuit 33 supplies power to each device according to the control from the EC 31. The DC power is supplied from an AC (Alternating Current) / DC (Direct Current) adapter or a battery (not shown). The power supply circuit 33 includes, for example, a DC / DC converter and a charge / discharge unit. The DC / DC converter converts the voltage supplied to itself. The charge / discharge unit stores in the battery the surplus power that is not consumed by each device out of the power supplied from the AC / DC adapter. When the power is not supplied from the AC / DC adapter or when the supplied power is insufficient, the charge / discharge unit supplies the power discharged from the battery to each device.

[0036] The light source control circuit 35 controls the blinking of the light source 36 according to the control of the EC 31. When a blinking instruction (described later) indicating turning on the violet light is input from the host system 10, the EC 31 causes the light source control circuit 35 to turn on the light source 36. When turning on the light source 36, the light source control circuit 35 starts supplying power to the light source 36. The EC 31 causes the light source control circuit 35 to turn off the light source when a blinking instruction indicating turning off the light is input from the host system 10. The light source control circuit 35 stops the supply of power to the light source 36 when turning off the light source 36.

[0037] The light source 36 consumes power supplied from the light source control circuit 35 to emit violet light. Violet light is light that contains a component that represents the purple color in visible light. Violet light has a component with a wavelength of 360 nm to 400 nm. This band is the shortest wavelength band in visible light and is included in sunlight. The light source 36 includes, for example, a light emitting diode (LED). Violet light is known to be effective in preventing or inhibiting the progression of myopia. In addition, violet light has also been tried to be applied to alleviate symptoms such as dry eye and farsightedness, and to improve brain function.

[0038] The shutter driving circuit 37 moves the position of the shutter 38 under the control of the EC 31. The shutter driving circuit 37 includes, for example, a motor (not shown). The moving direction of the shutter 38 can be reversed by reversing the polarity of the DC power supplied to the motor. The shutter 38 is movably installed along the surface of the first housing 62 between a position exposing the light source 36 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first position") and a position covering the light source 36 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "second position") (see Figure 1).

[0039] The shutter drive circuit 37 can control whether to block the light source 36 by moving the position of the shutter 38 to a first position or a second position. Moving the position of the shutter 38 to the first position corresponds to "opening the shutter 38" or "opening the shutter 38". Moving the position of the shutter 38 to the second position corresponds to "closing the shutter 38" or "closing the shutter 38".

[0040] When an open / close command (described later) indicating the opening of the shutter 38 is input from the host system 10, the EC 31 causes the shutter drive circuit 37 to open the shutter 38. When opening the shutter 38, the shutter drive circuit 37 starts supplying power to the shutter 38. The shutter drive circuit 37 continues supplying power for a certain period until the shutter 38 reaches the first position.

[0041] When a blinking instruction indicating turning off the light is input from the host system 10, the EC 31 causes the shutter drive circuit 37 to close the shutter 38. When closing the shutter 38, the shutter drive circuit 37 starts supplying power to the shutter 38. The shutter drive circuit 37 continues to supply power having a polarity opposite to that when the shutter 38 is opened, for a certain period until the shutter 38 reaches the second position.

[0042] The shutter 38 may be installed so as to be movable between the first position and the second position by applying an external force. In this case, the shutter drive circuit 37 may be configured to be able to detect the position of the shutter 38. The shutter drive circuit 37 includes, for example, a voltage detection circuit, a switch, and a voltage source. The switch includes a contact connected to the voltage detection circuit and an intercept connected to the voltage source. The intercept is connected to the shutter 38 and can switch whether or not the shutter 38 comes into contact with the contact depending on whether or not the shutter 38 is in the second position. Therefore, when the shutter 38 is in the second position, a voltage applied from the voltage source is applied to the contact. When the shutter 38 is not in the second position, the voltage applied from the voltage source is not applied to the contact. The voltage detection circuit outputs a voltage detection signal indicating a voltage generated at the contact to the EC31. The EC31 monitors the voltage detection signal input from the voltage detection circuit and can determine whether or not the shutter 38 is in an open state based on the voltage notified by the voltage detection signal. In the present application, whether the shutter 38 is open or not may be referred to as a “blocked state.” The EC 31 outputs the determined blocked state to the host system 10.

[0043] When the EC 31 detects that the shutter 38 is closed while the light source 36 is emitting light, the EC 31 may instruct the light source control circuit 35 to turn off the light source 36 . When the EC 31 detects that the shutter 38 is open while the light source 36 is off, and has turned off the light source 36 in response to the closing of the shutter 38, the EC 31 may instruct the light source control circuit 35 to turn on the light source 36. When a blinking instruction is input from the host system 10 while the light source 36 is turned off, the EC 31 may reject the input blinking instruction. Therefore, as illustrated in Fig. 4, when the shutter 38 is closed, the light source 36 maintains the turned-off state regardless of the input of the blinking instruction to the EC 31. When the shutter 38 is open, the blinking of the light source is controlled in response to the input of the blinking instruction to the EC 31.

[0044] The magnetic sensor 52 detects a magnetic field generated in itself, and outputs a magnetic field detection signal indicating the strength of the detected magnetic field to the EC 31. The EC 31 can determine whether the first housing 62 is in an open state relative to the second housing 64, depending on whether the strength of the magnetic field notified by the magnetic field detection signal input from the magnetic sensor 52 is equal to or lower than a predetermined strength threshold. In the present application, whether the first housing 62 is in an open state relative to the second housing 64 may be referred to as a "housing open / closed state" or simply as an "open / closed state." A state in which the first housing 62 is open relative to the second housing 64 may be referred to simply as a "housing open state," and a state in which the first housing 62 is closed relative to the second housing 64 may be referred to simply as a "housing closed state." The EC 31 outputs the determined housing open / closed state to the host system 10.

[0045] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment. However, Fig. 3 shows the main functional configuration of the present embodiment, and omits other functional configurations. The electronic device 1 includes the host system 10, the EC 31, the light source 36, and the shutter 38. As described above, the light source 36 is capable of emitting violet light. The EC 31 controls the emission of the violet light by the light source 36.

[0046] The host system 10 includes an application execution unit 102 and a device object unit 104. The application execution unit 102 controls the execution of processes based on various applications. The application execution unit 102 may emit either one or both of various instructions (commands) and inquiries (queries) to the EC 31. The instructions to the EC 31 may include an instruction to blink the violet light, and may further include an instruction to open or close the shutter 38. The instruction to blink the violet light is an instruction to turn on or off the violet light by the light source 36. The instruction to open or close the shutter 38 is an instruction to block or expose the light source 36 by the shutter 38.

[0047] When an instruction to blink the violet light is included, an inquiry about the light emission state of the violet light may be included. When an instruction to open or close the shutter 38 is included, an inquiry about the blocking state of the shutter 38 may be included. The inquiry about the light emission state of the violet light is an inquiry about the light emission state of the violet light by the light source 36. The light emission state may be notified as "on" or "off." The inquiry about the shielding state of the shutter 38 is an inquiry about the shielding state of the light source 36 by the shutter 38. The shielding state may be notified as "shielded" or "exposed."

[0048] When detecting a predetermined event or in accordance with a command written in the OS or an application, the application execution unit 102 issues a blinking instruction, an open / close instruction, a light emission state inquiry, or a shielding state inquiry. The application execution unit 102 may monitor an operation signal input from the input device 32 via the EC 31, and issue a blinking instruction, an open / close instruction, a light emission state inquiry, or a shielding state inquiry in accordance with the operation signal.

[0049] For example, the application execution unit 102 monitors an operation signal from the input device 32, and every time a press of a specific key (hot key operation) is detected, the application execution unit 102 alternately issues a blinking instruction to the light source 36 to turn on and a blinking instruction to turn off the light. As described later, the EC 31 is alternately instructed to turn on and off every time a press is detected. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the violet light of the light source 36 is switched between blinking and off in response to a press of a specific key. An example of a press of a specific key is a press of the F11 key of the keyboard 32k, which is hardware. The application execution unit 102 may detect input of an operation signal indicating the coordinates within the display area of ​​the F11 key as a press of a specific key when a software keyboard screen is displayed on the display 14.

[0050] The application execution unit 102 may monitor the housing open / closed state from the EC 31, and may issue a blinking instruction indicating that the light is turned off when a housing open / closed state indicating that the housing is closed is input. When a housing open / closed state indicating that the housing is open is input, the application execution unit 102 may issue a blinking instruction indicating that the light is turned on if the application execution unit 102 detects that the housing is closed and issues a blinking instruction indicating that the light is turned off. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 6, when the housing is closed, the light emission state of the light source 36 is maintained as turned off. When the housing is open, the light emission state of the light source can be switched between turned on and off, and when the housing is opened from a closed state, the light emission state immediately before the housing was closed is reproduced.

[0051] The application execution unit 102 may detect the usage state of the electronic device 1, and when it determines that the usage state of the electronic device is not in use for a predetermined period of time or more, it may issue a blinking instruction to turn off the light. For example, when an operation signal is not input from the input device 32 for a predetermined period of time or more, the application execution unit 102 can determine that the usage state of the electronic device is not in use for a predetermined period of time or more.

[0052] When the application execution unit 102 determines that the usage state of the device is resumed, and when the application execution unit 102 determines that the usage state of the device is not in use and issues a lighting instruction to turn off the light, the application execution unit 102 may issue a blinking instruction to turn on the light. Therefore, as illustrated in Fig. 7, when the usage state of the device is determined to be not in use, the application execution unit 102 maintains the light-emitting state of the light source 36 as off. When the usage state of the device is determined to be in use, the light-emitting state of the light source 36 can be switched between on and off, and when the usage state of the device changes from not in use to in use, the light-emitting state immediately before the usage state of the device was determined to be not in use from in use is reproduced.

[0053] The application execution unit 102 may use other events for determining a transition from an active state to an idle state as events for determining non-use of the device. The active state is an operating state in which the host system 10 performs functions that are normally expected. The idle state is an operating state that consumes less power than the active state. In the idle state, the output of display data to the display 14 may be restricted based on the OS.

[0054] The electronic device 1 may include a human presence sensor that detects a person within a certain range from the periphery of the electronic device. The human presence sensor may be based on any detection principle, such as an infrared sensor or a capacitance sensor. In this case, when a human detection signal indicating the detection of a person from the human presence sensor is not input for a predetermined period of time or more, the application execution unit 102 can determine that the usage state of the electronic device is unused for a predetermined period of time or more. After determining that the usage state of the electronic device is unused, the application execution unit 102 can determine that the usage state of the electronic device is in use when a human detection signal indicating the detection of a person from the human presence sensor is input.

[0055] The device object unit 104 causes the EC 31 to execute processing instructed by a command such as a blink command issued by the application execution unit 102 as processing based on the firmware of the host system 10. Here, the function of the device object unit 104 is described using, for example, BIOS ACPI code. The BIOS ACPI code is a program that constitutes a part of the BIOS and includes commands written using, for example, ACPI Source Language (ASL). As the function of the device object unit 104, a function as a software device object is defined using the BIOS ACPI code.

[0056] The functions of the software device object include a device input / output interface (driver interface) and an EC access function. As the device input / output interface, for example, the data format of input / output data between the host system 10 and the EC 31 is specified. As the EC access function, for example, notification of various commands by writing to the ECRAM, acquisition of various information by reading from the ECRAM, etc. are specified. More specifically, as the functions of the device object unit 104, blinking instructions, open / close instructions, light emission state inquiries, shielding state inquiries, etc. are indicated, and function programs (sometimes simply referred to as "functions" in this application) that apply the device input / output interface and the EC access function are defined.

[0057] Each time the application execution unit 102 issues a command such as a blinking command, it causes the EC 31 to execute the process instructed by the issued command using the device object unit 104. More specifically, when issuing an open / close command, the application execution unit 102 calls an open / close command function related to the device object unit 104 and turns on or off the light source 36 in accordance with the blinking command issued to EC 31. The application execution unit 102 may be notified of a light emission state notification indicating the light emission state of the light source as a result of execution of the blinking command from the EC 31 via the device object unit 104. The light emission state notification may be defined as a return value for the blinking command.

[0058] When issuing a blinking instruction, the application execution unit 102 calls a blinking instruction function related to the device object unit 104, and opens or closes the shutter 38 in accordance with the open / close instruction issued to the EC 31. The application execution unit 102 may be notified of a blocking state notification indicating the blocking state of the shutter 38 as a result of execution of the open / close instruction from the EC 31 via the device object unit 104. The blocking state notification may be defined as a return value for the open / close instruction.

[0059] When issuing a light emission state inquiry, the application execution unit 102 calls a light emission state inquiry function related to the device object unit 104 and notifies the light emission state inquiry to the EC 31. The application execution unit 102 receives a light emission state notification indicating the light emission state of the light source 36 from the EC 31 via the device object unit 104 as a response to the light emission state inquiry. When inquiring about the cover state, the application execution unit 102 calls a cover state inquiry function related to the device object unit 104, and notifies the EC 31 of the cover state inquiry. The application execution unit 102 receives a cover state notification indicating the cover state of the shutter 38 from the EC 31 and the device object unit 104 as a response to the cover state inquiry.

[0060] By issuing a light emission state inquiry as necessary, the application execution unit 102 can obtain the light emission state of the light source 36 without regularly polling the EC 31 at regular intervals. Similarly, the application execution unit 102 can obtain the occlusion state of the shutter 38 in response to an occlusion state inquiry without polling. This makes it possible to avoid an increase in the load and a decrease in performance associated with polling.

[0061] The device object unit 104 can also be regarded as a function module that provides an EC access function as an extended function for violet light blinking control and related functions as a function of the system firmware (i.e., BIOS) of the host system 10. By defining such an extended function as part of the system firmware, it becomes possible to design and develop various applications independently of the platform that includes the host system 10 and the EC 31.

[0062] Furthermore, in the design and development of the electronic device 1, it is permitted to carry out the design and development in parallel without considering the mutual dependency between the hardware, system firmware, and EC 31 of the host system 10. This allows the work related to design and development to be shared, and the construction period to be shortened. Since the application executed in the host system 10 is developed without considering the dependency on the platform, it is easy to horizontally deploy it to other models. This contributes to the efficiency of the development of not only the electronic device 1 but also the application.

[0063] The positional relationship between the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 of the electronic device 1 is not limited to one that allows opening and closing around one side of each housing as a rotation axis. The electronic device 1 may be provided with a fastener that fastens the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 while allowing the position of the first housing 62 to be displaced relative to the second housing 64 (for example, by sliding or detachment). When the positional relationship between the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 allows the violet light to be enabled, the application execution unit 102 may issue a blinking instruction indicating whether or not to turn on the light, depending on whether or not the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 are in a form that allows the light to be irradiated to the user. The EC 31 may include one or both of a light source control circuit 35 and a shutter drive circuit 37, and may be configured integrally therewith.

[0064] As described above, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment includes the light source 36 capable of emitting violet light, a controller (e.g., EC 31) that controls the emission of the violet light, and the host system 10. The host system 10 includes an application execution unit 102 that controls processing based on an application program, and a device object unit 104 that causes the controller to control the emission of light in response to a blinking instruction from the application execution unit 102 based on firmware. With this configuration, the device object unit 104 can cause the controller to control the emission of the violet light based on a blinking instruction issued by the application execution unit 102 based on the firmware. By defining the emission control of the violet light as part of the system firmware, the design and development of an interface related to the emission control, which may differ depending on the hardware requirements, can be avoided. Therefore, the development cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the device object unit 104 makes it possible to design and develop an application that is independent of the platform including the host system 10 and the EC 31. Therefore, the versatility of the application related to the emission control of the violet light can be ensured.

[0065] The controller may manage the light emission state of the violet light, and the device object unit 104 may notify the application execution unit 102 of the light emission state in response to a light emission state inquiry from the application execution unit 102. With this configuration, the device object unit 104 can notify the application execution unit 102 of the light emission state of the violet light managed in the controller based on firmware in response to a light emission state inquiry, thereby avoiding the design and development of an interface for light emission state inquiry, which may differ depending on the hardware requirements.

[0066] The electronic device 1 may be provided with a shutter 38 capable of blocking the light source 36, the controller may manage the blocking state of the light source 36, and the device object unit 104 may notify the application execution unit 102 of the blocking state in response to a blocking state inquiry from the application execution unit 102. With this configuration, the device object unit 104 can notify the application execution unit 102 of the shading state of the light source 36 managed in the controller based on the firmware in response to the shading state inquiry. This avoids the design and development of an interface related to the shading state inquiry, which may differ depending on the hardware requirements.

[0067] The controller may control the emission of light source 36 based on the occlusion state. With this configuration, the shading state of the light source 36 is referenced when emitting light from the light source 36. Therefore, unnecessary emission of light is avoided when the light source is shading. In addition, the light emission state of the light source 36 controlled by the controller is notified to the application execution unit 102.

[0068] The application execution unit 102 may output a blinking instruction to the device object unit 104 when detecting a predetermined key operation (for example, a hotkey operation). With this configuration, a blinking instruction is issued when a predetermined key operation is detected, and the light source 36 turns on or off based on the issued blinking instruction, thereby achieving blinking control of the violet light in response to key operations.

[0069] When the application execution unit 102 detects that the device has not been used for a predetermined period of time or more, the application execution unit 102 may output a blinking instruction to the device object unit 104 to turn off the violet light. With this configuration, when it is detected that the electronic device 1 is not being used for a predetermined period of time or more, the violet light that was being emitted is turned off. By turning off the light, unnecessary emission of light when the electronic device 1 is not being used is prevented.

[0070] The housing includes a first housing 62, a second housing 64, an engagement mechanism (e.g., couplings 68a, 68) that engages one of the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 so that one can rotate relative to the other, and a sensor (e.g., magnetic sensor 52) that detects the positional relationship between the first housing 62 and the second housing 64, and the controller may determine whether the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 are open or closed based on the detected positional relationship, and control the light emission of the light source 36 based on the open or closed state. With this configuration, the open / closed state of the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 is detected based on the positional relationship between the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 detected by the sensor, and the light emission of the light source 36 is controlled based on the detected open / closed state. Therefore, by turning off the light source 36 when the first housing 62 and the second housing 64 are closed, unnecessary light emission when the electronic device 1 is not in use is avoided.

[0071] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included. The configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined as long as no contradiction occurs, and some of the configurations may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1...electronic device, 10...host system, 11...CPU, 12...main memory, 13...video subsystem, 14...display, 21...chipset, 22...BIOS memory, 23...auxiliary storage device, 24...camera, 25...audio system, 26...input / output I / F, 27...communication module, 31...EC, 32...input device, 32k...keyboard, 32t...touchpad, 33...power supply circuit, 35...light source control circuit, 36...light source, 37...shutter drive circuit, 38...shutter, 52...magnetic sensor, 54...permanent magnet, 62...first housing, 64...second housing, 68a, 68b...connector

Claims

1. A light source capable of emitting violet light, a controller for controlling the emission of the violet light, and a host system, The host system includes: an application execution unit that controls processing based on an application program; a device object unit that causes the controller to control the light emission in response to a blinking instruction from the application execution unit based on firmware. electronic equipment.

2. The controller: Manage the emission state of the violet light; The device object unit includes: In response to a lighting state inquiry from the application execution unit, the lighting state is notified to the application execution unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. A shutter capable of blocking the light source is provided, The controller: Managing the shielding state of the light source; The device object unit includes: In response to a blocking state inquiry from the application execution unit, the application execution unit is notified of the blocking state.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2.

4. The controller: Controlling the emission of the light source based on the blocking state 4. The electronic device according to claim 3.

5. The application execution unit is When a predetermined key operation is detected, the blinking instruction is output to the device object unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

6. The application execution unit is When the device detects that the device is not being used for a predetermined period of time or more, the device object outputs a blinking instruction to turn off the violet light.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

7. a first housing, a second housing, an engagement mechanism that engages one of the first housing and the second housing so as to be rotatable relative to the other, and a sensor that detects a positional relationship between the first housing and the second housing; The controller: determining an open / closed state of the first housing and the second housing based on the positional relationship; The light emission of the light source is controlled based on the open / closed state.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

8. A method for controlling an electronic device including a light source capable of emitting violet light and a controller for controlling emission of the violet light, comprising: The electronic device comprises: Controlling processing based on application programs; The controller controls the light emission in response to a blinking instruction issued by processing based on the application program based on the firmware. Control methods.

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