Information processing apparatus, battery remaining amount notification method and program

Abstract

To improve user experience in a battery remaining amount notification in a pen-type input device without Bluetooth(R) mounted thereon.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus according to the present invention has a use level setting unit 22 for, by using a plurality of use state information obtained by associating a battery voltage level notified by a pen type input device and time information with each other, setting a use level indicating a use state of the pen type input device, a remaining time acquiring unit 23 for acquiring remaining time corresponding to a current battery voltage level by using conversion information corresponding to the set use level among conversion information obtained by associating a battery voltage level for each use level and the remaining time with each other, and a notifying unit 24 for providing notification of the acquired remaining time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a battery remaining capacity notification method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in information processing devices such as notebook PCs, tablet terminals, and smartphones, pen-type input devices are sometimes used as input devices. For example, when a pen-type input device and an information processing device are connected via Bluetooth (registered trademark), it is possible to obtain relatively detailed battery remaining information (for example, battery remaining information in 100 stages) from the pen-type input device. Therefore, by displaying the battery remaining information obtained from the pen-type input device on the display unit, it is possible to notify the user of the almost accurate battery remaining amount of the pen-type input device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Equipping a pen-type input device with a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication function would result in an increase in size and cost of the device, so there are many pen-type input devices that do not have such a communication function. In such a case, the remaining battery information notified from the pen-type input device is extremely rough compared to that of Bluetooth (registered trademark) (e.g., three to five levels of remaining battery information), making it difficult to notify the user of the precise remaining battery level. Furthermore, the frequency and duration of use of the pen-type input device vary greatly from user to user. Therefore, even if the same remaining battery level notification (e.g., remaining battery level "3") is given, the remaining time, i.e., how long the pen-type input device can be used, will vary greatly depending on the usage of the pen-type input device.

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide an information processing device, a battery remaining amount notification method, and a program that can improve the user experience of battery remaining amount notification in a pen-type input device that is not equipped with Bluetooth (registered trademark). [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device comprising: a usage level setting means for setting a usage level indicating a usage status of a pen-type input device using a plurality of usage status information in which a battery voltage level and time information notified from the pen-type input device are associated; a remaining time acquisition means for acquiring a remaining time corresponding to a current battery voltage level using conversion information corresponding to the set usage level from conversion information in which a battery voltage level and a remaining time are associated for each usage level; and a notification means for notifying the acquired remaining time.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device that includes a processor and a memory that stores a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform a function, the function including setting a usage level indicating a usage status of the pen-type input device using a plurality of usage status information that associates a battery voltage level and time information notified from the pen-type input device, obtaining a remaining time corresponding to a current battery voltage level using conversion information that corresponds to the set usage level from among conversion information that associates a battery voltage level and a remaining time for each usage level, and notifying the obtained remaining time.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a battery remaining capacity notification method in which a computer executes a usage level setting step of setting a usage level indicating a usage status of a pen-type input device using a plurality of usage status information in which a battery voltage level notified from the pen-type input device is associated with time information, a remaining time acquisition step of acquiring a remaining time corresponding to a current battery voltage level using conversion information corresponding to the set usage level from among conversion information in which a battery voltage level is associated with a remaining time for each usage level, and a notification step of notifying the acquired remaining time.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device. Effect of the Invention

[0009] It is possible to improve the user experience of remaining battery level notification in a pen-type input device that is not equipped with Bluetooth (registered trademark). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic external view of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a functional configuration diagram illustrating an example of functions provided in an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 11 is a diagram for explaining a battery voltage level and a reference elapsed time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage level determination information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of conversion information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a battery remaining amount notification process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An information processing device, a battery remaining amount notification method, and a program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. A laptop PC will be exemplified as an example of the information processing device 1, but the information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the information processing device 1 may be a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), etc., and can be widely applied to information processing devices compatible with pen-type input devices.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic external view of an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing device 1 includes a first housing 2 and a second housing 3. The first housing 2 and the second housing 3 are connected by a connecting member 6 so as to be relatively openable and closable. An example of the connecting member 6 is a hinge.

[0013] The first housing 2 is substantially rectangular and includes a touch panel display 5 provided on a surface facing the second housing 3. The touch panel display 5 has, for example, a touch panel 5b (see FIG. 2) superimposed on a display 5a (see FIG. 2). The touch panel 5b detects various operations performed using a finger or a pen-type input device 30 (see FIG. 2). An example of the pen-type input device 30 is a stylus pen (touch pen). Note that the structure of the touch panel display 5 may be any known technology, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0014] The second housing 3 is substantially rectangular, and an input device 4 is provided on a first surface of the second housing 3. The input device 4 is a user interface that allows a user to perform input operations. Examples of the input device 4 include a keyboard, a touchpad, and a trackpoint.

[0015] Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the information processing device 1 includes, in addition to the above-mentioned input device 4 and touch panel display 5, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) 11, a main memory 12, a secondary storage 13, an external interface 14, and a communication interface 15. These components are connected to each other directly or indirectly via a bus 18, and cooperate with each other to execute various processes.

[0016] The CPU 11 controls the entire information processing device 1 by, for example, an OS (Operating System) stored in a secondary storage device 13 connected via a bus 18, and executes various processes by executing various programs stored in the secondary storage device 13. One or more CPUs 11 may be provided, and they may cooperate with each other to realize processes.

[0017] The main memory device 12 is composed of writable memory such as a cache memory or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is used as a working area for reading out the execution program of the CPU 11, writing processing data by the execution program, and the like.

[0018] The secondary storage device 13 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The secondary storage device 13 is, for example, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like. Examples of the secondary storage device 13 include a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a SSD (Solid State Drive) flash memory. The secondary storage device 13 stores, for example, an OS for controlling the entire information processing device such as Windows (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark), a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System), various device drivers for operating peripheral devices in hardware, various application software, and various data and files. In addition, the secondary storage device 13 stores programs for implementing various processes and various data required for implementing various processes. A plurality of secondary storage devices 13 may be provided, and the above-mentioned programs and data may be divided and stored in each secondary storage device 13.

[0019] The external interface 14 is an interface for connecting to an external device. Examples of the external device include an external monitor, a USB memory, an external HDD, an external camera, etc. Although only one external interface is illustrated in the example shown in FIG. 3, multiple external interfaces may be provided.

[0020] The communication interface 15 functions as an interface for connecting to a network to communicate with other devices and transmitting and receiving information. For example, the communication interface 15 communicates with other devices by wire or wirelessly. Examples of wireless communication include communication through lines such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, mobile communication systems (3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, LTE, etc.), and wireless LAN. An example of wired communication includes communication through lines such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network). In this embodiment, the pen-type input device 30 is connected via a communication interface 15, the details of which will be described later.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of functions included in the information processing device 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 1 includes a battery remaining amount notification system 20. The battery remaining amount notification system 20 includes, for example, a storage unit 21, a usage level setting unit 22, a remaining time acquisition unit 23, and a notification unit 24.

[0022] The functions realized by these units are realized, for example, by the CPU (processor) 11 reading a program (battery remaining amount notification program) stored in the secondary storage device 13 into the main storage device 12 and executing information processing and arithmetic processing. The program may be pre-installed in the secondary storage device 13, provided in a state stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

[0023] The storage unit 21 stores, for example, a plurality of pieces of usage status information in which the battery voltage level notified from the pen-type input device 30 with which communication has been established is associated with time information. For example, when there is a pen-type input device 30 with which communication has been established, when an event occurs such as touching the touch panel 5b, the pen-type input device 30 notifies the information processing device 1 (specifically, a touch IC that controls the touch panel 5b, etc.) of the battery voltage level. This notification is performed, for example, using a HID (Human Interface Device) protocol. Here, the battery voltage level is information obtained by dividing the battery voltage of the pen type input device 30 into a plurality of stages (levels), as shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the battery voltage level is expressed in five stages (Lv1 to Lv5) as shown in Fig. 4.

[0024] The usage level setting section 22 sets a usage level indicating the usage status of the pen type input device 30 by using a plurality of pieces of usage status information stored in the storage section 21 . The usage level is a classification into a plurality of levels of usage conditions of the pen-type input device 30 by the user. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, a case where the levels are classified into three levels, LIGHT, NORMAL, and HEAVY, is described as an example, but the number of levels is not particularly limited. For example, the levels may be classified into two levels, or into three or more levels.

[0025] For example, when the battery voltage level is notified from the pen-type input device 30, the usage level setting unit 22 determines whether this battery voltage level (the latest battery voltage level) is different from the battery voltage level notified previously, and sets the usage level if it is determined that it is different. Specifically, when the battery voltage level is changed, the usage level setting unit 22 calculates the elapsed time until the battery voltage level is changed based on the multiple pieces of usage status information stored in the memory unit 21, and sets the usage level using the calculated elapsed time.

[0026] For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the usage level setting unit 22 has usage level determination information (usage level determination condition) in which the battery voltage level is associated with a reference elapsed time. The usage level is set by comparing this reference elapsed time with an elapsed time calculated based on the usage status information. Here, the reference elapsed time is information that is set in advance based on the elapsed time until the battery voltage level changes in a reference battery voltage curve (in this embodiment, a battery voltage curve for the usage level "NORMAL"), for example, as shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents battery voltage.

[0027] For example, consider a case where the battery voltage level is changed from "5" to "4". In this case, the usage level setting unit 22 calculates the period during which the battery voltage level is recorded as "5" from the usage status information stored in the memory unit 21 as the elapsed time T. For example, the lighter the user, the longer the elapsed time T. Next, the usage level setting unit 22 obtains a reference elapsed time Tref_5 associated with the battery voltage level "5" from the usage level determination information (see FIG. 4), and compares the obtained reference elapsed time Tref_5 with the elapsed time T.

[0028] As a result, if the elapsed time T is shorter than the reference elapsed time Tref_5, the usage level is set to "HEAVY", if the elapsed time T is longer than the reference elapsed time Tref_5, the usage level is set to "LIGHT", and if the elapsed time T is equal to the reference elapsed time Tref_5, the usage level is set to "NORMAL". Note that the reference elapsed time may be set as a range having upper and lower limits rather than as a single value. Furthermore, if the latest battery voltage level has been changed in a direction that favors charging with respect to the previously acquired battery voltage level, the usage level setting unit 22 sets the usage level to a default, for example, "NORMAL."

[0029] Remaining time acquisition unit 23 has a plurality of pieces of conversion information in which the battery voltage level and the remaining time are associated for each usage level, and acquires the remaining time corresponding to the current battery voltage level using the conversion information corresponding to the usage level set by usage level setting unit 22 among the plurality of pieces of conversion information. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion information. As shown in Fig. 6, the conversion information registers the remaining time for each of the usage levels "LIGHT", "NORMAL", and "HEAVY" with respect to the battery voltage level. Here, the remaining time for LIGHT is longer than the remaining time for NORMAL, and the remaining time for NORMAL is longer than the remaining time for HEAVY.

[0030] The notification unit 24 notifies the remaining time acquired by the remaining time acquisition unit 23. For example, the notification unit 24 displays an icon of a battery of the pen-type input device 30 on the display 5a, and displays the remaining time within the icon. Note that the method of notifying the remaining time is not limited to this, and is not particularly limited as long as the remaining time is notified to the user.

[0031] Next, the battery remaining amount notification process (battery remaining amount notification method) executed by the battery remaining amount notification system 20 of the information processing device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the battery remaining amount notification process according to one embodiment of the present invention. The series of processes described below are realized, for example, by the CPU 11 reading out an input control program stored in the secondary storage device 13 into the main storage device 12 and executing information processing and arithmetic processing. The input control process is started, for example, when communication with the pen-type input device 30 is established, and is repeatedly executed until communication with the pen-type input device 30 is terminated.

[0032] First, the battery remaining amount notification system 20 judges whether or not the battery voltage level has been notified from the pen-type input device 30 (SA1). If no notification has been received (SA1: NO), the system waits until the notification is received. On the other hand, if the battery voltage level has been notified (SA1: YES), the system refers to past usage status information stored in the memory unit 21 and judges whether or not the battery voltage level has changed (SA2).

[0033] As a result, if there is no change (SA2: NO), the process returns to step SA1. On the other hand, if there is a change in the battery voltage level (SA2: YES), the process determines whether the battery voltage level has decreased, in other words, whether the battery remaining capacity has decreased (SA3). As a result, if the battery voltage level has decreased (SA3: YES), the process calculates the elapsed time until the battery voltage level is changed using past usage status information stored in memory unit 21 (SA4).

[0034] Next, a reference elapsed time corresponding to the previous battery voltage level is obtained from the usage level determination information (see FIG. 5), and the obtained reference elapsed time is compared with the elapsed time calculated in step SA4 to set the usage level (SA5), and the process proceeds to step SA7. For example, if the elapsed time is longer than the reference elapsed time, "LIGHT" is set, if the elapsed time is shorter than the reference elapsed time, "HEAVY" is set, and if the elapsed time is the same as the reference elapsed time, "NORMAL" is set. Note that in this case, a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin (±α) to the reference elapsed time may be used as a reference, and if the elapsed time is shorter than this lower limit value (reference elapsed time-α), "HEAVY" may be set, if the elapsed time is longer than this upper limit value (reference elapsed time+α), "LIGHT" may be set, and otherwise "NORMAL" may be set.

[0035] On the other hand, if the battery voltage level has increased in step SA3 (SA3: NO), the usage level is set to a default (for example, "NORMAL") (SA6), and the process proceeds to step SA7.

[0036] In step SA7, the remaining time corresponding to the battery voltage level is obtained from the conversion information (see FIG. 6) corresponding to the set usage level (SA7). For example, if the usage level is set to "HEAVY" and the currently received battery voltage level is "3", the remaining time "Tc3" is obtained based on the conversion information shown in FIG. Next, the user is notified of the obtained remaining time (SA8), and the process returns to step SA1.

[0037] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment includes a usage level setting unit 22 that sets a usage level indicating the usage status of the pen-type input device 30 by using a plurality of usage status information in which the battery voltage level of the pen-type input device 30 is associated with time information, a remaining time acquisition unit 23 that acquires the remaining time corresponding to the current battery voltage level by using conversion information corresponding to the set usage level from among conversion information in which the battery voltage level and the remaining time are associated for each usage level, and a notification unit 24 that notifies the acquired remaining time.

[0038] In this way, the remaining battery level is converted into the remaining time using conversion information that takes into account the user's usage status, and the converted remaining time is presented to the user, so that the remaining time can be notified to the user more accurately. As a result, the user experience of the remaining battery level notification can be improved. In addition, the remaining battery level notification method according to this embodiment can be widely and universally applied to pen-type input devices 30 that are not equipped with Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0039] Although the present disclosure has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the disclosure, and the forms with such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the processing flow described in the above embodiment is also one example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be rearranged, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0040] For example, even with the same battery voltage level, the remaining time differs depending on the structure or characteristics of the pen type input device 30, the battery used by the pen type input device 30, etc. Therefore, for example, usage level determination information (usage level determination conditions) as shown in Fig. 5 may be stored in association with the device ID of the pen type input device 30, and the usage level may be set using the usage level determination information corresponding to the device ID of the pen type input device 30.

[0041] In the above embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the use levels are classified into three stages, "LIGHT", "NORMAL", and "HEAVY", but the use levels are not limited to this. For example, the use levels can be classified into four or more levels. In this case, more detailed level classification can be achieved by setting in advance more detailed judgment conditions for classifying the levels (for example, a plurality of reference elapsed times, etc.).

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, the usage level is set using the reference elapsed time as shown in Fig. 5, but is not limited to this. For example, the usage level may be set by processing past usage information statistically or by using machine learning, instead of the elapsed time until the battery voltage level is changed.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the battery remaining amount notification system 20 includes the storage unit 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the storage unit 21 may be stored in a predetermined memory area in the information processing device 1, or may be stored in an external storage device accessible by the information processing device 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1: Information processing equipment 2: First unit 3: Second housing 4: Input device 5: Touch panel display 5a: Display 5b: Touch panel 6: Connecting member 11: CPU 12: Main memory 13:Secondary storage device 14: External interface 15: Communication interface 18: Bus 20: Battery level notification system 21: Storage section 22: Usage level setting section 23: Time acquisition section 24:Notification Department 30: Pen-type input device

Claims

1. a usage level setting means for setting a usage level indicating a usage state of the pen-type input device by using a plurality of usage state information pieces each of which is associated with a battery voltage level and time information notified from the pen-type input device; a remaining time acquisition means for acquiring a remaining time corresponding to a current battery voltage level by using conversion information corresponding to the set usage level among conversion information in which a battery voltage level and a remaining time are associated for each usage level; A notification method for notifying the remaining time obtained; An information processing device comprising:

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the usage level setting means, when the battery voltage level is notified from the pen-type input device, determines whether the latest battery voltage level is different from the battery voltage level notified previously, and sets the usage level if it determines that the latest battery voltage level is different.

3. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the usage level setting means calculates an elapsed time until the battery voltage level is changed based on the usage status information, and sets the usage level using the calculated elapsed time.

4. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the usage level setting means sets the usage level by comparing a reference elapsed time associated with a battery voltage level with a time elapsed until the battery voltage level is changed.

5. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage level setting means sets the usage level to a default when the latest battery voltage level has been changed in a direction that increases the charge with respect to the previously notified battery voltage level.

6. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage level setting means has a usage level judgment condition for judging a usage level, and sets the usage level by using a plurality of pieces of usage status information and the usage level judgment condition.

7. the usage level determination condition is associated with a device ID of the pen-type input device, 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the usage level setting means sets the usage level by using the usage level determination condition corresponding to a device ID of the pen-type input device.

8. A processor; a memory for storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform functions; Equipped with The function is setting a usage level indicating a usage state of the pen-type input device using a plurality of pieces of usage state information in which a battery voltage level and time information notified from the pen-type input device are associated with each other; obtaining a remaining time corresponding to a current battery voltage level by using conversion information corresponding to the set usage level from among conversion information in which a battery voltage level and a remaining time are associated for each usage level; and notifying the user of the obtained remaining time.

9. a usage level setting step of setting a usage level indicating a usage state of the pen-type input device using a plurality of usage state information pieces each of which is associated with a battery voltage level and time information notified from the pen-type input device; a remaining time acquisition step of acquiring a remaining time corresponding to a current battery voltage level by using conversion information corresponding to the set usage level among conversion information in which a battery voltage level and a remaining time are associated for each usage level; a notification step of notifying the user of the obtained remaining time; The computer performs the remaining battery notification method.

10. A program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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