Processing device

Abstract

To provide a technique for suppressing discomfort feelings of a user caused by drive sounds of a blower.SOLUTION: A processing device comprises: a first setting section 102 which sets a critical value of a volume of drive sounds of a blower for cooling a processor 100 of an electric apparatus; a second setting section 103 which sets priorities to functions that the electric apparatus includes; a first acquisition section 105 which acquires a temperature of the processor 100; a second acquisition section 106 which acquires the volume of drive sounds of the blower; a blow control section 108 which controls the blower based on the temperature of the processor 100 and the function for operation; and a function control section 107 which executes processing for operating the function and limiting the function on the basis of the priority in a case where the acquired volume of drive sound is higher than the critical value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Many electrical devices are equipped with fans that cool electronic components etc. incorporated therein. As an example of such electrical devices, Patent Document 1 discloses a personal computer equipped with a cooling fan for cooling a CPU. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-265373 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In electrical equipment equipped with a fan, the driving noise of the fan may be unpleasant to a user.

[0005] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for suppressing discomfort felt by a user due to the driving noise of a blower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a processing device of one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first setting unit that sets a limit value for the volume of a driving sound of a blower for cooling a processing device of an electrical device, a second setting unit that sets a priority for functions of the electrical device, a first acquisition unit that acquires a temperature of the processing device, a second acquisition unit that acquires the volume of the driving sound of the blower, an air blowing control unit that controls the blower based on the temperature of the processing device and the function to be operated, and a function control unit that executes processing to operate the function, and restricts the function based on the priority if the acquired volume of the driving sound is greater than the limit value.

[0007] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc. are also valid aspects of the present disclosure. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique for suppressing the driving noise of a blower from causing discomfort to a user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a video recording device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the processing device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 5 is a flowchart showing a process for setting limit values ​​and priorities in the processing device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting menu screen according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a noise level confirmation screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a priority setting screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a control process in the processing device of the first embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a priority setting screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a priority setting screen according to the second embodiment after the priority order has been changed. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control process in a processing device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] First embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a video recording device 1 according to the first embodiment. The video recording device 1 is a device that records the inside and outside of a vehicle when a traffic accident occurs as video for the purpose of appropriately resolving the traffic accident, and is, for example, a drive recorder. The video recording device 1 includes a front camera 51, an in-camera 52, a touch panel display 53, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 54, a communication device 55, a blower 56, a microphone 57, a temperature sensor 58, a setting key 59, a storage device 60, and a processing device 100. The video recording device 1 of the first embodiment is an example of an electric device.

[0011] The front camera 51 captures at least one of moving images and still images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle. When the video recording device 1 is attached to the vehicle, the front camera 51 captures at least one of moving images and still images of the front of the vehicle mainly through the windshield of the vehicle. On the other hand, when the video recording device 1 is detached from the vehicle, the front camera 51 captures at least one of moving images and still images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, not limited to the front of the vehicle.

[0012] The in-camera 52 captures at least one of moving images and still images of the inside and outside of the vehicle. When the video recording device 1 is attached to the vehicle, the in-camera 52 mainly captures at least one of moving images and still images of the inside of the vehicle cabin. When the video recording device 1 is attached to the vehicle, the in-camera 52 may capture at least one of moving images and still images of at least one of the sides and rear of the vehicle through the vehicle window. On the other hand, when the video recording device 1 is detached from the vehicle, the in-camera 52 captures at least one of moving images and still images of the inside and outside of the vehicle, not limited to the inside, sides and rear of the vehicle.

[0013] Touch panel display 53 is a type of user interface used to operate video recording device 1. For example, touch panel display 53 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) used to operate video recording device 1. Touch panel display 53 may also display moving images and still images captured by front camera 51 and moving images and still images captured by in-camera 52 as necessary.

[0014] The GPS receiver 54 receives signals required to calculate the position of the video recording device 1 from artificial satellites.

[0015] The communication device 55 communicates with other devices through a network, which may be, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a local area network (intranet).

[0016] The blower 56 is, for example, a sirocco fan. The blower 56 takes in air from the outside of a housing (not shown) of the video recording device 1 to the inside, and blows the air to electronic components such as the processing device 100 housed in the housing (not shown) to cool them.

[0017] The microphone 57 picks up sounds inside the vehicle and stores them in a storage unit.

[0018] The temperature sensor 58 detects the temperature of the processing device 100 .

[0019] The setting key 59 is a key for displaying a setting menu screen 200 in Fig. 3 described below. When the setting key 59 is operated, the setting menu screen 200 is displayed on the touch panel display 53. In the first embodiment, the setting key 59 is provided on a housing (not shown) of the video recording device 1. This is not limiting, and for example, an item corresponding to the setting key 59 may be displayed on the touch panel display 53, and when the item corresponding to the setting key 59 is selected, the setting menu screen 200 may be displayed.

[0020] The storage device 60 stores programs and various data used by the processing device 100, as well as recorded data of images captured by the front camera 51 and the in-camera 52, audio data collected by the microphone 57, etc. The storage device 60 may be a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, etc.

[0021] The processing device 100 is an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing device 100 executes, for example, a process for setting limit values ​​and priorities in this embodiment, a process for controlling the blower 56, and a process for operating each function of the video recording device 1, which will be described later.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the processing device 100 of the first embodiment. Each component shown in the functional block of FIG. 2 is realized in hardware by a CPU, memory, other LSI, etc. of an arbitrary computer, and in software by a program loaded in a memory, etc., but here, the functional block realized by their cooperation is drawn. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms, such as hardware only or a combination of hardware and software. The processing device 100 includes a display control unit 101, a first setting unit 102, a second setting unit 103, an output unit 104, a first acquisition unit 105, a second acquisition unit 106, a function control unit 107, and an air blowing control unit 108.

[0023] The display control unit 101 controls the screens displayed on the touch panel display 53. For example, the display control unit 101 in the first embodiment displays a setting menu screen 200, a noise level confirmation screen 300, a priority setting screen 400, and the like, which will be described later.

[0024] First setting unit 102 sets a limit value for the volume of the drive sound of blower 56. A method for setting the limit value will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0025] The second setting unit 103 sets the priority of the functions. In the first embodiment, a high priority is set for a function that the user considers important, and the function for which a high priority is set can be operated preferentially even if the volume of the driving sound of the blower 56 becomes larger than the limit value. A method for setting the priority will be described later with reference to Figs. 3 to 6.

[0026] The output unit 104 outputs the driving sound of the blower 56 in a predetermined case. For example, while a priority setting screen 400 described later in FIG. 6 is displayed, the output unit 104 outputs the driving sound of the blower 56 when the function is restricted based on the priority on the priority setting screen 400. The output unit 104 of this embodiment outputs the driving sound by actually driving the blower 56, but is not limited to this, and audio data of the driving sound may be output via a speaker (not shown) provided in the video recording device 1.

[0027] The first acquisition unit 105 acquires the temperature of the processing device 100. For example, the first acquisition unit 105 acquires the temperature of the processing device 100 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 58.

[0028] The second acquisition unit 106 acquires the volume of the driving sound of the blower 56. For example, the second acquisition unit 106 acquires the volume of the driving sound of the blower 56 based on the sound pickup result of the microphone 57.

[0029] The function control unit 107 executes processing for operating each function of the video recording device 1. When the volume of the acquired drive sound exceeds a limit value, the function control unit 107 of the first embodiment restricts the function based on the priority.

[0030] The air blowing control unit 108 controls the blower 56 based on the temperature of the processing device 100 and the function to be operated. For example, when the volume of the acquired drive sound is equal to or lower than the limit value, the air blowing control unit 108 calculates the rotation speed of the blower 56 by a known method based on the temperature of the processing device 100 and the power consumption required for processing to operate the function to be used, and controls the blower 56 based on the calculated rotation speed. The "power consumption required for processing" here is predetermined for each function or process and stored in the storage device 60. The air blowing control unit 108 calculates the rotation speed by reading out the power consumption corresponding to the function to be operated when calculating the rotation speed and receiving the detection result of the temperature sensor 58. Moreover, when the volume of the acquired drive sound is greater than the limit value, the air blowing control unit 108 of the first embodiment controls the blower 56 based on the function to be operated in a state in which the function is restricted.

[0031] Here, in the video recording device 1, the more functions are operated, the greater the power consumption of the processing device 100 becomes, and the higher the temperature of the processing device 100 becomes. In addition, when the video recording device 1 is exposed to direct sunlight or when the temperature inside the vehicle is high, the temperature of the processing device 100 is also likely to rise. As the temperature of the processing device 100 rises due to these factors, the blower 56 is driven at a high rotation speed to cool the processing device 100.

[0032] Conventionally, the rotation speed of the blower 56 is preset by the manufacturer based on the function to be operated so that the driving sound is not bothersome. However, since the video recording device 1 such as a drive recorder is usually installed near the front mirror inside the vehicle, the driving sound due to the rotation of the blower 56 is often heard harshly in the quiet vehicle interior, which makes the user feel uncomfortable. In addition, the rotation speed of the blower 56 increases due to a rise in temperature of the processing device 100 caused by a rise in temperature inside the vehicle, and the driving sound that was not bothersome until then may start to be felt as an annoyance.

[0033] In view of the above problems, a method for setting limit values ​​and priorities in the processing device 100 of the first embodiment will be described below. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing limit value and priority setting processing S100 in the processing device 100 of the first embodiment. The setting processing S100 starts in response to operation of the setting key 59.

[0034] In step S101, the display control unit 101 displays the setting menu screen 200. FIG. 4 illustrates the setting menu screen 200 of the first embodiment. The setting menu screen 200 of FIG. 4 displays the items "Initialize Settings" 201, "Van Volume Settings" 202, "Display System Information" 203, and "<" 204. When the item "Initialize Settings" 201 is selected, various settings in the video recording device 1 are initialized. When the item "Van Volume Settings" 202 is selected, a noise level confirmation screen 300 of FIG. 5 described later is displayed. When the item "Display System Information" 203 is selected, information regarding various settings in the video recording device 1 is displayed. When the item "<" 204 is selected, the display of the setting menu screen 200 ends.

[0035] In step S102, the display control unit 101 determines whether the item "Initialize settings" 201 or "Display system information" 203 has been selected. If either item has been selected (Yes in step S102), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S103. If neither item has been selected (No in step S102), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S104.

[0036] In step S103, the display control unit 101 executes processing for the selected item. When the "settings initialization" 201 item is selected, a screen (not shown) related to settings initialization is displayed and various settings in the video recording device 1 are initialized. When the "system information display" 203 item is selected, information related to various settings in the video recording device 1 is displayed. After step S103, the setting process S100 returns to step S101, and the setting menu screen 200 is displayed again.

[0037] In step S104, the display control unit 101 determines whether or not the item "<" 204 is selected. If the item "<" 204 is selected (Yes in step S104), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S105. If the item "<" 204 is not selected (No in step S104), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S106.

[0038] In step S105, the display control unit 101 ends the display of the setting menu screen 200. After that, the setting process S100 ends.

[0039] In step S106, the display control unit 101 determines whether or not the item "fan volume setting" 202 has been selected. If the item "fan volume setting" 202 has been selected (Yes in step S106), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S107. If the item "fan volume setting" 202 has not been selected (No in step S106), the setting process S100 returns to step S102.

[0040] In step S107, the display control unit 101 displays a noise level confirmation screen 300. Fig. 5 illustrates an example of the noise level confirmation screen 300 of the first embodiment. The noise level confirmation screen 300 in Fig. 5 displays the items "Next" 301, "Back" 302, "High" 303, and "Low" 304, as well as a noise level meter 305.

[0041] The noise level meter 305 indicates the noise level of the driving sound of the blower 56 by lighting or not lighting the five volume bars 306. For example, when all the volume bars 306 are not lit, it indicates that the noise level of the driving sound is 0, and when one to five volume bars 306 are lit, it indicates that the noise levels of the driving sound are 1 to 5, respectively. In the example of FIG. 5, three of the five volume bars 306 are lit, so the noise level is 3. For example, a noise level of 0 indicates that the volume of the driving sound is less than 20 dB. For example, a noise level of 1 indicates that the volume of the driving sound is 20 dB or more and less than 30 dB. For example, a noise level of 2 indicates that the volume of the driving sound is 30 dB or more and less than 40 dB. For example, a noise level of 3 indicates that the volume of the driving sound is 40 dB or more and less than 50 dB. For example, a noise level of 4 indicates that the volume of the driving sound is 50 dB or more and less than 70 dB. For example, a noise level of 5 indicates that the volume of the drive sound is 70 dB or more.

[0042] When the "high" 303 item is selected, one volume bar 306 in the noise level meter 305 lights up and the noise level increases by 1. When the "low" 304 item is selected, one volume bar 306 in the noise level meter 305 goes out and the noise level decreases by 1.

[0043] When the item "Next" 301 is selected, a priority setting screen 400 shown in Fig. 6, which will be described later, is displayed. When the item "Back" 302 is selected, the setting menu screen 200 shown in Fig. 4 is displayed.

[0044] In step S108, the output unit 104 outputs the driving sound of the fan 56 that corresponds to the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305. For example, the output unit 104 outputs the driving sound of a predetermined volume within the range of the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305. For example, in the case of a noise level of 3, the output unit 104 outputs a driving sound of 25 dB. While listening to the driving sound of each noise level, the user can determine whether the volume is acceptable to the user himself / herself, and can determine the acceptable volume by appropriately selecting the items "large" 303 and "small" 304.

[0045] In step S109, the display control unit 101 determines whether or not the item "Back" 302 has been selected. If the item "Back" 302 has been selected (Yes in step S109), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S116. Step S116 will be described later. If the item "Back" 302 has not been selected (No in step S109), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S110.

[0046] In step S110, the display control unit 101 determines whether or not the item "Next" 301 has been selected. If the item "Next" 301 has been selected (Yes in step S110), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S111. If the item "Next" 301 has not been selected (No in step S110), the setting process S100 returns to step S108.

[0047] In step S111, the display control unit 101 determines a recommended function so that the driving sound is equal to or lower than the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305. For example, in the example of FIG. 5, the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305 is 3, so the display control unit 101 determines a recommended function so that the driving sound is equal to or higher than 40 dB and lower than 50 dB. Here, the processing device 100 is basically configured not to exceed a predetermined maximum temperature. In this embodiment, assuming a state in which the driving sound of the blower 56 is the loudest at this maximum temperature, the display control unit 101 determines a recommended function so that the driving sound is equal to or lower than the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305, based on the power consumption required for processing each function and the maximum temperature.

[0048] In step S112, the display control unit 101 displays a priority setting screen 400 that accepts a user input for selecting the priority of a function. Fig. 6 illustrates the priority setting screen 400 of the first embodiment. The priority setting screen 400 in Fig. 6 displays items such as "Front camera frame rate high" 401, "In-camera shooting" 402, "In-camera frame rate high" 403, "High dynamic range (HDR)" 404, "Forward collision detection" 405, "Lane departure detection" 406, "Drowsiness detection" 407, "Inattention detection" 408, "Audio recording" 409, "Monitor lighting" 410, and "<" 411, as well as a high volume mark 412, a medium volume mark 413, and a low volume mark 414.

[0049] The item "High front camera frame rate" 401 indicates a function of performing shooting by the front camera 51 at a frame rate higher than normal. The item "In-camera shooting" 402 indicates a function of performing shooting by the in-camera 52. The item "High in-camera frame rate" 403 indicates a function of performing shooting by the in-camera 52 at a frame rate higher than normal. The item "HDR" 404 indicates a function of performing shooting by the front camera 51 in HDR. The item "Forward collision detection" 405 indicates a function of detecting an object in front of a traveling vehicle and issuing a warning of a collision. The item "Lane departure detection" 406 indicates a function of detecting that a traveling vehicle is deviating from its lane and issuing a warning. The item "Drowsiness detection" 407 indicates a function of detecting drowsiness in the driver and issuing a warning of dozing. The item "Inattention detection" 407 indicates a function of detecting that the driver is inattentive and issuing a warning of inattention. The item "audio recording" 409 indicates a function of recording the voice inside the vehicle picked up by the microphone 57. The item "monitor lighting" 410 indicates a function of lighting up the monitor (not shown) of the video recording device 1 to indicate that recording is in progress. Each of the functions 401 to 410 is executed by the function control unit 107. Each of the functions of "forward collision detection" 405, "lane departure detection" 406, "drowsiness detection" 407 and "distraction detection" 408 is executed using known technology such as image recognition technology based on artificial intelligence.

[0050] The loud volume mark 412, the medium volume mark 413, and the low volume mark 414 indicate the noise level when the function is activated. The loud volume mark 412 indicates 20 dB or more. The medium volume mark 413 indicates 10 dB or more and less than 20 dB. The low volume mark 414 indicates less than 10 dB. For example, the items "Front camera frame rate high" 401, "In-camera shooting" 402, "In-camera frame rate high" 403, "High dynamic range (HDR)" 404, "Lane departure detection" 406, "Drowsiness detection" 407, and "Inattentive detection" 408 are marked with the loud volume mark 412. The medium volume mark 413 is marked with the "Forward collision detection" 405. The low volume mark 414 is marked with the "Audio recording" 409 and "Monitor on" 410.

[0051] In the priority setting screen 400, first, the function determined in step S111 is selected and presented as a recommended function. In the priority setting screen 400, for example, the selection or non-selection of the function indicated by the item 401 to 410 is indicated by lighting or non-lighting the item. In the example of FIG. 6, the items "Front camera frame rate high" 401, "In-camera shooting" 402, "High dynamic range (HDR)" 404, "Forward collision detection" 405, "Lane departure detection" 406, "Audio recording" 409, and "Monitor lighting" 410 are in a lighting state, so that these functions are indicated to be selected. In the example of FIG. 6, the items "In-camera frame rate high" 403, "Drowsiness detection" 407, and "Inattentive detection" 408 are in a non-lighting state, so that these functions are indicated to be not selected. For the function selected in the priority setting screen 400, "High" is set as a priority in step S116 described later. Furthermore, for functions not selected on the priority setting screen 400, a "low" priority is set in step S116 described below.

[0052] The user can touch an item representing each of the functions 401 to 410 on the priority setting screen 400 to switch between selected and unselected states of each of the functions 401 to 410.

[0053] In step S113, the output unit 104 outputs the driving sound when the selected function is operated at the maximum temperature. The user can take this driving sound into consideration and determine whether the driving sound generated when the selected function is operated is tolerable. The user can further consider the function to be selected and switch between selection and non-selection of the items of the functions 401 to 410.

[0054] In step S114, the display control unit 101 determines whether or not the item "<" 411 is selected. If the item "<" 411 is selected (Yes in step S114), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S115. If the item "<" 411 is not selected (No in step S114), the setting process S100 returns to step S113.

[0055] In step S115, the display control unit 101 sets the noise level meter 305 based on the driving sound expected when the selected function is operated at the maximum temperature. For example, if the driving sound expected when the selected function is operated is 45 dB, the driving sound is equal to or greater than 40 dB and less than 50 dB, so the noise level meter 305 is set to a noise level of 3. After step S115, the setting process S100 returns to step S107. Then, in step S108, the driving sound with the noise level set in step S115 is output. Steps S107 to S115 are repeatedly executed until it is determined in step S109 that the item "Back" 302 has been selected.

[0056] Returning to step S109, if it is determined that the "Back" 302 item has been selected in step S109 (Yes in step S109), the setting process S100 proceeds to step S116. In step S116, the first setting unit 102 and the second setting unit 103 set a limit value and a priority, respectively. For example, the first setting unit 102 sets the volume of the drive sound when the selected function is operated at the maximum temperature as the limit value. Also, for example, the second setting unit 103 sets the priority level for the selected function to "high" and the priority level for the non-selected functions to "low."

[0057] After step S116, the setting process S100 returns to step S101. When the item "<" 204 is selected in step S104 (Yes in step S104) and the display of the setting menu screen is terminated in step S105, the setting process S100 ends.

[0058] Next, a method for controlling the blower 56 of the first embodiment based on the limit values ​​and priorities set as described above will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a control process S200 executed by the processing device 100 of the first embodiment.

[0059] In step S201, the first acquisition unit 105 acquires the temperature of the processing device 100.

[0060] In step S202, the second acquisition unit 106 acquires the volume of the driving sound of the blower 56.

[0061] In step S203, the function control unit 107 judges whether the volume of the acquired drive sound is greater than the limit value. For example, the function control unit 107 judges that the volume of the acquired drive sound will be greater than the limit value when it is predicted that the volume of the acquired drive sound will be greater than the limit value, such as when the volume of the acquired drive sound reaches a volume that is a predetermined value smaller than the limit value. Furthermore, without being limited to this, the function control unit 107 may judge that the volume of the acquired drive sound will be greater than the limit value, for example, when the volume of the acquired drive sound is greater than the limit value. If the volume of the acquired drive sound will be greater than the limit value (Yes in step S203), the control process S200 proceeds to step S204. If the volume of the acquired drive sound does not exceed the limit value (No in step S203), the control process S200 proceeds to step S205.

[0062] In step S204, the function control unit 107 restricts the functions of the video recording device 1 based on the priority. In the first embodiment, the function control unit 107 restricts the functions of the video recording device 1 by stopping the processing related to a function set to "low" as the priority so as not to operate the function, and continuing the processing related to a function set to "high" as the priority so as to operate the function as is.

[0063] In step S205, the air blowing control unit 108 controls the blower 56 based on the temperature of the processing device 100 and the function to be operated. In step S205, if it is determined in step S203 that the volume of the drive sound will not exceed the limit value, the rotation speed of the blower 56 is calculated by a known method based on the temperature of the processing device 100 and the power consumption of the function used in a state in which the function of the video recording device 1 is not restricted, as described above, and the blower 56 is controlled based on the calculated rotation speed. On the other hand, in step S205, if it is determined in step S203 that the volume of the drive sound will exceed the limit value, the rotation speed of the blower 56 is calculated by a known method based on the temperature of the processing device 100 and the function used in a state in which the function of the video recording device 1 is restricted, and the blower 56 is controlled based on the calculated rotation speed. After step S205, the control process S100 ends.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the processing device 100 includes a first setting unit 102 that sets a limit value for the volume of the driving sound of the blower 56 for cooling the processing device 100 of the electrical device, a second setting unit 103 that sets a priority for the functions of the electrical device, a first acquisition unit 105 that acquires the temperature of the processing device 100, a second acquisition unit 106 that acquires the volume of the driving sound of the blower 56, an air blowing control unit 108 that controls the blower 56 based on the temperature of the processing device 100 and the function to be operated, and a function control unit 107 that executes a process for operating a function and restricts the function based on the priority when the acquired volume of the driving sound becomes larger than the limit value. According to this configuration, when the volume of the driving sound becomes larger than the limit value, the function of the video recording device 1 is restricted, so that the driving sound of the blower 56 is reduced. As a result, it is possible to suppress the user from feeling uncomfortable due to the driving sound caused by the rotation of the blower 56.

[0065] In the first embodiment, the priority of the functions is set based on the user input. According to this configuration, since the priority of the functions is set by the user himself, it becomes easier to suppress the driving sound of the blower 56 to a volume within the user's acceptable range, and the user can easily psychologically accept the driving sound of the blower 56.

[0066] In the first embodiment, the processing device 100 includes a display control unit 101 that displays a priority setting screen 400 that accepts a user input for selecting a priority of a function, and an output unit 104 that outputs a drive sound when a function is restricted based on a priority selected on the priority setting screen 400 while the priority setting screen 400 is displayed. According to this configuration, the user can select a priority while checking the drive sound at the priority of the function selected by the user, so that it becomes easier to effectively suppress the drive sound of the blower 56 to a volume within the user's tolerance range, and the user can more easily accept the drive sound of the blower 56.

[0067] A modification of the first embodiment will now be described.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the display control unit 101 determines the recommended functions so that the driving sound is equal to or lower than the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305, but is not limited to this. For example, the display control unit 101 may display the priority setting screen 400 with a predetermined function in a selected state, regardless of the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305. For example, the display control unit 101 may display the priority setting screen 400 in which all of the items of the functions 401 to 410 are selected. In this case, step S111 may be omitted.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the second acquisition unit 106 acquires the volume of the drive sound of the blower 56 based on the sound pickup result of the microphone 57, but is not limited to this. For example, the second acquisition unit 106 may acquire the volume of the drive sound by calculating the rotation speed of the blower 56 by a known method based on the power consumption required for processing to realize the function in operation and the temperature of the processing device 100, and calculating the volume of the drive sound corresponding to the rotation speed.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the priority of the functions is set based on the user input, but the present invention is not limited to this. The priority may be set in advance by the manufacturer.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the function control unit 107 restricts the function of the video recording device 1 by stopping the processing related to the function set as the priority "low" so as not to operate the function, but is not limited to this. For example, when the function of the video recording device 1 has a function of a lower quality level, the function control unit 107 may restrict the function of the video recording device 1 by operating the function of the lower quality level. For example, when the function of "forward collision detection" 405 has a function of "low-accuracy forward collision detection" with lower detection accuracy as a function of a lower quality level, the function control unit 107 may operate the function of "low-accuracy forward collision detection" instead of the function of "forward collision detection" 405. This makes it possible to suppress the amount of power consumption, thereby reducing the driving noise of the blower 56. The method of restricting the function may be any method that can reduce the amount of power consumption required for the operation of the function compared to before the function was restricted.

[0072] In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the blower 56 operates at the maximum temperature, but this is not limiting, and it is also possible to assume that the blower 56 operates at any temperature.

[0073] In the first embodiment, the first setting unit 102 sets the volume of the drive sound when the selected function is operated at the maximum temperature as the limit value, but is not limited to this. For example, the first setting unit 102 may set a predetermined volume within the range of the noise level indicated by the noise level meter 305 on the noise level confirmation screen 300 as the limit value. For example, when the noise level meter 305 is set to noise level 3 (40 dB or more and less than 50 dB), the first setting unit 102 may set the limit value to 45 dB.

[0074] In the first embodiment, an example in which the video recording device 1 such as a drive recorder is applied as an electrical device has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The technology of the present disclosure can also be applied to other electrical devices that generate different amounts of heat depending on the selected function.

[0075] An output start button and an output stop button for the driving sound may be provided on the priority setting screen 400. In this case, the output unit 104 may start outputting the driving sound in response to the operation of the output start button, and may stop outputting the driving sound in response to the operation of the output stop button.

[0076] Second embodiment A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In the drawings and description of the second embodiment, components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on configurations that differ from the first embodiment.

[0077] FIG. 8 illustrates a priority setting screen 400 of the second embodiment. In the priority setting screen 400 of the second embodiment, the items indicating the functions 401 to 410 are assigned with priority levels 415 from 1st to 10th. In the example of FIG. 8, the priorities 415 are assigned in the order of "Front camera frame rate high" 401, "In-camera shooting" 402, "In-camera frame rate high" 403, "HDR" 404, "Forward collision detection" 405, "Lane departure detection" 406, "Drowsiness detection" 407, "Inattention detection" 408, "Audio recording" 409, and "Monitor lighting" 410. In the example of FIG. 8, the items indicating the functions 401 to 410 are in a selected state.

[0078] FIG. 9 illustrates the priority setting screen 400 of the second embodiment after the priority order 415 has been changed. For example, the user can change the priority order by dragging and dropping the items representing the functions 401 to 410 via the touch panel display 53. Also, for example, as in the first embodiment, the user can switch between selection and non-selection of each of the functions 401 to 410 by touching the items representing each of the functions 401 to 410 on the priority setting screen 400. In the example of FIG. 9, the items "forward collision detection" 405, "HDR" 404, "drowsiness detection" 407, "voice recording" 409, "lane departure detection" 406, "inattentive detection" 408, "monitor lighting" 410, and "front camera frame rate high" 401 are assigned the first to eighth priority orders 415 in this order. The items "in-camera shooting" 402 and "in-camera frame rate high" 403 are in a non-selected state, and are assigned the ninth priority order 415.

[0079] In the second embodiment, when the priority order is determined as shown in Fig. 9, in step S116 of Fig. 3, the first setting unit 102 sets the volume of the driving sound when the selected functions of "forward collision detection" 405, "HDR" 404, "drowsiness detection" 407, "voice recording" 409, "lane departure detection" 406, "inattentive detection" 408, "monitor lighting" 410, and "front camera frame rate high" 401 are operated at the above-mentioned maximum temperature as the limit value. In addition, the second setting unit 103 sets the priority order 415 of 1st to 9th assigned on the priority order setting screen 400 of the second embodiment to each function as the priority order, instead of "high" and "low" in the first embodiment.

[0080] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing a control process S300 executed by the processing device 100 of the second embodiment. Steps S301 to S303 and S307 in Fig. 10 are basically similar to steps S101 to S103 and S105 in Fig. 7, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] In step S304, function control unit 107 restricts the functions of video recording device 1 in ascending order of priority. For example, in the example of Fig. 9, function control unit 107 first restricts the functions of video recording device 1 by stopping the functions of "in-camera shooting" 402 and "in-camera high frame rate" 403, which are assigned the ninth priority 415.

[0082] In step S305, the second acquisition unit 106 acquires the volume of the driving sound of the fan 56 after the function has been restricted.

[0083] In step S306, the function control unit 107 judges whether the volume of the drive sound acquired after the function is restricted is greater than the limit value. If the volume is not greater than the limit value (No in step S306), the control process S300 proceeds to step S307. If the volume is greater than the limit value (Yes in step S306), the control process S300 proceeds to step S308.

[0084] In step S308, the function control unit 107 judges whether the function with the highest priority has been restricted. In the example of FIG. 9, the function control unit 107 judges whether the function of "forward collision detection" 405, which is assigned the first priority, has been restricted. If it has not been restricted (No in step S308), the control process S300 returns to step S304. In this second step S304, a function one level higher than the function that was most recently restricted is restricted. For example, in the example of FIG. 9, if the functions of "in-camera shooting" 402 and "in-camera frame rate high" 403, which are assigned the ninth priority 415 in the previous step S304, are restricted, in this second step S304, the function of "front camera frame rate high" 401, which is assigned the eighth priority 415, is restricted. Steps S304 to S308 are repeatedly executed until it is determined in step S306 that the volume of the drive sound will not exceed the limit value, or until it is determined in step S308 that the highest-level function has been restricted. If it has been restricted (Yes in step S308), the control process S300 proceeds to step S309.

[0085] In step S309, the air blowing control unit 108 controls the blower 56 based on the rotation speed at which the driving sound with a volume higher than the limit value is generated. For example, the air blowing control unit 108 controls the blower 56 based on a predetermined rotation speed higher than the rotation speed when all functions are operated at the maximum temperature. Here, in the case of an abnormality such as when the video recording device 1 is exposed to direct sunlight and becomes hot or when a malfunction of the device occurs, various devices of the video recording device 1 such as the processing device 100 may break down. In the second embodiment, when the volume of the driving sound of the blower 56 is still higher than the limit value even after restricting the highest function, the air blowing control unit 108 operates the blower 56 at the rotation speed at which the volume exceeds the limit value is generated in order to suppress the malfunction of various devices of the video recording device 1. After step S309, the control process S300 ends.

[0086] In the second embodiment, the second setting unit 103 sets a priority order for the functions as a priority order, and the function control unit 107 restricts the functions in order of lower priority order when the volume of the acquired drive sound exceeds a limit value. With this configuration, the functions are restricted in order of lower priority order, so that it is possible to prevent the functions from being restricted more than necessary.

[0087] In the second embodiment, when the volume of the drive sound acquired in a state where the function with the highest priority has been restricted exceeds the limit value, the air blowing control unit controls the air blower 56 based on the rotation speed that generates the drive sound with a volume exceeding the limit value. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent breakdowns of various devices of the video recording device 1.

[0088] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. The embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each processing step, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 video recording device, 51 front camera, 52 in-camera, 53 touch panel display, 54 GPS receiver, 55 communication device, 56 blower, 57 microphone, 58 temperature sensor, 59 setting key, 60 storage device, 100 processing device, 101 display control unit, 102 first setting unit, 103 second setting unit, 104 output unit, 105 first acquisition unit, 106 second acquisition unit, 107 function control unit, 108 blower control unit.

Claims

1. a first setting unit that sets a limit value for the volume of a driving sound of a blower that cools a processing device of an electrical device; a second setting unit that sets priorities for functions of the electrical device; A first acquisition unit that acquires a temperature of the processing device; A second acquisition unit that acquires a volume of the driving sound of the blower; an air blowing control unit that controls the air blower based on the temperature of the processing device and the function to be operated; a function control unit that executes a process for operating the function, and when the volume of the acquired drive sound becomes larger than the limit value, restricts the function based on the priority; Equipped with Processing unit.

2. The processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the second setting unit sets the priority based on a user input.

3. a display control unit that displays a priority setting screen that accepts the user's input for selecting a priority of the function; an output unit that outputs the drive sound when the function is restricted based on the priority selected on the priority setting screen while the priority setting screen is being displayed; Further comprising: The processing device according to claim 2 .

4. the second setting unit sets a priority order as the priority for the function; When the volume of the acquired drive sound is greater than the limit value, the function control unit restricts the volume of the drive sound in order from the function with the lowest priority. The processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. When the volume of the acquired drive sound exceeds the limit value in a state in which the function with the highest priority has been restricted, the air blowing control unit controls the air blower based on a rotation speed at which a drive sound with a volume exceeding the limit value is generated. The processing device according to claim 4 .

Images