Electronic device

Abstract

To provide an electronic device capable of outputting usage status of a user who uses the electronic device.SOLUTION: An electronic device including a rotation mechanism that is connected to one end of a first housing and one end of a second housing and rotates the first housing relative to the second housing, and an acceleration sensor that is provided at the other end of the first housing opposite the one end, includes a calculation unit that calculates opening / closing information indicating an opening / closing state of the electronic device based on acceleration sensor information output by the acceleration sensor, and an output unit that outputs usage information indicating usage status of a user based on the opening / closing information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electronic devices such as clamshell-type personal computers (PCs) have a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display) rotatably attached to a main body by a hinge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-086978 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this type of electronic device, depending on the usage conditions of the user, the electronic device may be damaged or malfunction. For example, when a user holds the corners of the liquid crystal display to open or close the electronic device, the liquid crystal display may be twisted and damaged. This may result in malfunction due to damage even if the electronic device is within the warranty period, and expensive parts such as the liquid crystal display may have to be replaced. Therefore, the display unit is manufactured with structural reinforcement taking into account the usage conditions of the user.

[0005] However, even if measures such as structural reinforcement of the display unit are taken, it is desirable for users to use electronic devices appropriately. For example, measures such as providing notices on websites and other means on how to use electronic devices are taken, but these are difficult for users to notice, and there is room for further improvement in order to encourage users to use electronic devices appropriately.

[0006] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can output the usage state of a user who uses the electronic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electronic device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a rotation mechanism connected to one end of a first housing and one end of a second housing for rotating the first housing relative to the second housing, and an acceleration sensor provided at the other end opposite the one end of the first housing, a calculation unit that calculates opening / closing information indicating an open / closed state of the electronic device based on acceleration sensor information output by the acceleration sensor, and an output unit that outputs usage information indicating a user's usage state based on the opening / closing information.

[0008] The usage information may be information indicating a warning corresponding to an opening / closing action of the electronic device of the user.

[0009] The acceleration sensor may include a first acceleration sensor and a second acceleration sensor, the first acceleration sensor being provided at a first approximate corner of the other end and the second acceleration sensor being provided at a second approximate corner of the other end opposite the first approximate corner, the acceleration sensor information may include first acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor and second acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor, and the acceleration sensor information may include acceleration values ​​along a time series corresponding to vertical movement of the first housing.

[0010] The opening / closing information may include a first amount of change in the first acceleration sensor information, a second amount of change in the second acceleration sensor information, and a difference amount indicating a difference between the first amount of change and the second amount of change.

[0011] and a third acceleration sensor provided at a position different from one end of the second housing, the third acceleration sensor being provided at approximately the center of the second housing, the output unit outputting the usage information based on the first acceleration sensor information, the second acceleration sensor information, and third acceleration sensor information output by the third acceleration sensor and included in the acceleration sensor information, the usage information may include information indicating a warning corresponding to the user's carrying action of the electronic device. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the above-described aspect of the present invention, it is possible to output the usage state of a user who uses an electronic device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an embedded controller according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the embedded controller according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of acceleration sensor information according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of acceleration sensor information according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of acceleration sensor information according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating an example of opening / closing information according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating an example of opening / closing information according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating an example of opening / closing information according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of usage information according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of usage information according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the embedded controller according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an electronic device according to a first modified example. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an embedded controller according to the first modification. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of usage information according to the first modified example. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the embedded controller according to the first modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are disclosed below. The configurations of the embodiments described below and the actions and effects brought about by the configurations are merely examples. The present invention can be realized by configurations other than those disclosed in the following embodiments. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain at least one of the various effects (including derivative effects) obtained by the configurations.

[0015] In this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish between parts, members, parts, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a general configuration of an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of the electronic device 1 according to the embodiment from the front side, and is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a second module 3 is located in an unfolded position. As shown in Fig. 1, the electronic device 1 is configured as, for example, a notebook type (clamshell type) personal computer, and includes a first module 2 and a second module 3.

[0017] The first module 2 is placed on a placement portion such as a desk, a stand, or a shelf. The second module 3 is supported by the first module 2 so as to be rotatable about a rotation center axis C relative to the first module 2, and is movable between an unfolded position (FIG. 1) and a closed position (not shown). Specifically, the second module 3 is connected to the first module 2 via a hinge 5.

[0018] The hinge 5 is a rotation mechanism that is connected to one end 25 of the first housing 11 and one end 13 of the second housing 21, and rotates the first housing 11 relative to the second housing 21. The hinge 5 is an example of a rotation mechanism. Note that the electronic device 1 is not limited to the above example, and may be any device that is connected to each module via the hinge 5 and rotates, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a game machine.

[0019] In this embodiment, the directions are defined for convenience. The X1 direction is the same as the front in the front-rear direction of the first module 2. The X2 direction is the opposite direction of the X1 direction and the same as the rear in the front-rear direction of the first module 2. The Y1 direction is a direction along the width direction (left-right direction, longitudinal direction) of the first module 2. The Y2 direction is the opposite direction to the Y1 direction. The Y1 direction is also called the left and the Y2 direction is also called the right. The Z1 direction is the same as the height direction (upward in the up-down direction) of the first module 2. The Z2 direction is the opposite direction to the Z1 direction. The X1 direction, the Y1 direction, and the Z1 direction are mutually orthogonal. Furthermore, the X2 direction, the Y2 direction, and the Z2 direction are mutually orthogonal. Furthermore, when simply referring to the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, they correspond to the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction, respectively.

[0020] The first module 2 has a first housing 11 and a keyboard 12 supported by the first housing 11. The keyboard 12 is supported by the first housing 11 in a state in which it can be operated from above. A board (not shown) is housed inside the first housing 11. A plurality of electronic components (not shown) such as a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), and a random access memory (RAM) are mounted on the board. At least a part of the electronic circuit of the electronic device 1 is configured by the wiring provided on the board and the plurality of electronic components mounted on the board.

[0021] The second module 3 has a second housing 21 and a display unit 22. The display unit 22 is supported by the second housing 21 in a state in which a display screen 221 is visible from the front.

[0022] When the second module 3 is in the deployed position (FIG. 1), the top surface 111 and the keyboard 12 of the first housing 11 do not face the front surface 211 of the second housing 21 and the display screen 221 of the display unit 22, and the top surface 111 of the first housing 11, the keyboard 12, the front surface 211 of the second housing 21, and the display screen 221 of the display unit 22 are exposed. At this time, the front surface 211 and the rear surface 212 of the second housing 21 face forward and backward, respectively.

[0023] On the other hand, when the second module 3 is in a closed position (not shown), the top surface 111 and keyboard 12 of the first housing 11 face the front surface 211 of the second housing 21 and the display screen 221 of the display unit 22.

[0024] The second housing 21 is formed in a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The second housing 21 is configured by combining a plurality of members including a front cover 23 and a rear cover 24. The front cover 23 and the rear cover 24 are formed in a rectangular frame shape.

[0025] The display device 31 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. Note that the display device 31 is not limited to a liquid crystal display. For example, the display device 31 may be an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display or the like.

[0026] Incidentally, the electronic device 1 may be damaged or broken depending on the usage state of the user. For example, when the user opens and closes the electronic device 1 by gripping a corner of the display device 31 without gripping the center 51 of the display device 31, the display device 31 may be twisted and damaged. Therefore, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment outputs the usage state of the user so that the user can understand the usage state of the user.

[0027] In addition to the above-mentioned configuration, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment further includes an embedded controller 6, a first acceleration sensor 41, and a second acceleration sensor 42. The embedded controller 6 is provided on a board (not shown) housed inside the first housing 11. The hardware configuration and functional configuration of the embedded controller 6 will be described later. The first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42 are sensors that detect the open / closed state of the electronic device 1. The first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42 output acceleration sensor information including the detected acceleration sensor information to the embedded controller 6.

[0028] The first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42 are provided in the first housing 11. Specifically, the first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42 are provided at one end 25 of the first housing 11 and the other end 26 opposite to the other end 25. For example, the first acceleration sensor 41 is provided at a first approximate corner 52 (Y1 direction) of the other end 26 of the first housing 11. Also, for example, the second acceleration sensor 42 is provided at a second approximate corner 53 (Y2 direction) of the other end 26 opposite to the first approximate corner 52 of the other end 26 of the first housing 11. The first approximate corner 52 is an example of a first corner. The second approximate corner 53 is an example of a second corner.

[0029] Next, the hardware configuration of the embedded controller 6 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the embedded controller 6 according to the embodiment. The embedded controller 6 illustrated here has a configuration similar to that of a general-purpose computer. In the embedded controller 6, a CPU 61, a RAM 62, a ROM 63, an auxiliary storage device 64, and a connection I / F 65 are mutually connected via a bus 20. Note that the hardware configuration of the embedded controller 6 is not limited to the above.

[0030] The CPU 61 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the RAM 62 as a working area according to programs stored in the ROM 63 and the auxiliary storage device 64. The ROM 63 is a volatile memory. The auxiliary storage device 64 is a non-volatile memory, and stores various data necessary for the processing of the CPU 61. The auxiliary storage device 64 is, for example, configured with an SSD (Solid State Drive) or the like. The connection I / F 65 is capable of communicating with the first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42, for example, via a bus 66.

[0031] Next, the functional configuration of the embedded controller 6 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the embedded controller 6 according to the embodiment. The embedded controller 6 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 651, a first calculation unit 652, a second calculation unit 653, a first judgment unit 654, a second judgment unit 655, a third judgment unit 656, a fourth judgment unit 657, a fifth judgment unit 658, and an output unit 659.

[0032] These functional components 651 to 659 can be configured, for example, by cooperation between hardware elements and software elements (such as programs stored in the ROM 63 and the auxiliary storage device 64) of the embedded controller 6 as illustrated in Fig. 2. Note that the functional configuration of the embedded controller 6 is not limited to the above.

[0033] The acquisition unit 651 acquires acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42. Specifically, the acquisition unit 651 acquires acceleration sensor information including acceleration sensor values ​​along a time series when the user opens and closes the electronic device 1, output by the first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42. The acceleration sensor information acquired by the acquisition unit 651 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64.

[0034] The first calculation unit 652 calculates a first change amount of the first acceleration sensor 41 and a second change amount of the second acceleration sensor 42 based on the acceleration sensor information. The first calculation unit 652 is an example of a calculation unit. Specifically, the first calculation unit 652 calculates a first change amount of the first acceleration sensor 41 based on the acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41 acquired by the acquisition unit 651. The first calculation unit 652 calculates a second change amount of the second acceleration sensor 42 based on the acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor 42 acquired by the acquisition unit 651. The first change amount and the second change amount calculated by the first calculation unit 652 are stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64.

[0035] The second calculation unit 653 calculates a difference between the first change amount and the second change amount. The second calculation unit 653 is an example of a calculation unit. Specifically, the second calculation unit 653 calculates a difference amount indicating the difference between the first change amount and the second change amount calculated by the first calculation unit 652. The difference amount calculated by the second calculation unit 653 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64. Information including the first change amount, the second change amount, and the difference amount is also referred to as opening / closing information. Here, the acceleration sensor information and the opening / closing information will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 9.

[0036] 4 to 6 are graphs showing an example of acceleration sensor information according to the embodiment. For ease of understanding, the acceleration sensor information shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 will be described with reference to the operation of a user opening electronic device 1 in the Z1 direction. The acceleration sensor information shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is information in which acceleration measurements in the Z direction are graphed in a time series. In other words, the acceleration sensor information includes acceleration values ​​in a time series corresponding to the vertical movement of first housing 11. The acceleration values ​​are also simply referred to as acceleration. In FIGS. 4 to 6, the horizontal axis is t [s] and the vertical axis is g [m / s 2 ].

[0037] Graph G11 shown in Fig. 4, graph G13 shown in Fig. 5, and graph G15 shown in Fig. 6 are acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41. Graph G21 shown in Fig. 4, graph G23 shown in Fig. 5, and graph G25 shown in Fig. 6 are acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor 42.

[0038] Graphs G11 and G21 shown in FIG. 4 are acceleration sensor information when the user grips the center 51 of the display device 31 of the first housing 11. Comparing the amplitudes of the graphs G11 and G12, they move with approximately the same amplitude. Graphs G13 and G23 shown in FIG. 5 are acceleration sensor information when the user grips the first approximate corner 52 of the first housing 11. Comparing the amplitudes of the graphs G13 and G23, the amplitude of the graph G13 is larger. Graphs G15 and G25 shown in FIG. 6 are acceleration sensor information when the user grips the second approximate corner 53 of the first housing 11. Comparing the amplitudes of the graphs G15 and G25, the amplitude of the graph G25 is larger.

[0039] That is, the acceleration sensor information differs depending on the action of the user gripping the other end 26 of the first housing 11. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the user grips a corner of the first housing 11, the acceleration of the acceleration sensor located in the vicinity of the gripped corner changes significantly.

[0040] 7 to 9 are graphs showing an example of opening and closing information according to the embodiment. In the graphs shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the horizontal axis represents t [s] and the vertical axis represents g [m / s 2 4. For example, the value of the acceleration sensor shown in the graph G11 is expressed as (a 1 , a 2 , a 3 ~a n , a n+1 ), the first calculation unit 652 calculates the first change amount as A n Then, A n =a n+1 -a n The first change amount can be calculated by determining

[0041] 7 is a first change amount corresponding to the graph G21 shown in FIG. 4. For example, the value of the acceleration sensor shown in the graph G21 is (b 1 , b 2 , b 3 ~b n , b n+1 ), the first calculation unit 652 calculates B n =b n+1 -b n The first change amount can be calculated by determining

[0042] 7 is a difference between the graph G12 and the graph G22. For example, the second calculation unit 653 calculates the difference as Z n Then, Z n =|B n |-|A n By calculating |, the difference amount can be calculated.

[0043] Similarly, the graph G14 shown in FIG. 8 is the first change amount corresponding to the graph G13 shown in FIG. 5. The graph G24 shown in FIG. 8 is the first change amount corresponding to the graph G23 shown in FIG. 5. The graph G34 shown in FIG. 8 is the difference amount between the graph G14 and the graph G24. Moreover, the graph G16 shown in FIG. 9 is the first change amount corresponding to the graph G15 shown in FIG. 6. The graph G26 shown in FIG. 9 is the first change amount corresponding to the graph G25 shown in FIG. 6. The graph G36 shown in FIG. 9 is the difference amount between the graph G16 and the graph G26.

[0044] 3, the first determination unit 654 determines whether the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than a first threshold. Specifically, the first determination unit 654 determines whether the acceleration sensor information acquired by the acquisition unit 651 is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The result of the determination made by the first determination unit 654 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 64, for example.

[0045] Here, the first threshold value is a value of acceleration that may cause damage to the electronic device 1 due to violent opening and closing by the user. The first threshold value is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64. The first threshold value may be changed depending on, for example, the structural strength of the electronic device 1, or the value may be changed depending on the electronic device 1.

[0046] The second determination unit 655 determines whether the difference amount exceeds a second threshold. Specifically, the second determination unit 655 determines whether the difference amount calculated by the second calculation unit 653 exceeds a second threshold. The determination result determined by the second determination unit 655 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64. Here, the process performed by the second determination unit 655 is a process of determining which part of the other end 26 of the first housing 11 the user is gripping.

[0047] Here, the second threshold value is the graphs T1 and T2 shown in Figures 7 to 9. The second threshold value is, for example, a value of acceleration at which the display device 31 may be damaged due to twisting of the display device 31, and the absolute value of the acceleration is expressed as α [m / s 2 The second threshold value is, for example, stored in the auxiliary storage device 64. As with the above-described first threshold value, the second threshold value may be changed depending on, for example, the structural strength of the electronic device 1, and the absolute value may be changed depending on the electronic device 1.

[0048] For example, referring to Fig. 7, the graph G32 indicating the difference amount calculated by the second calculation unit 653 does not exceed the graphs T1 and T2. On the other hand, referring to Fig. 8, the graph G34 indicating the difference amount calculated by the second calculation unit 653 exceeds the graph T2. Also, referring to Fig. 9, the graph G36 indicating the difference amount calculated by the second calculation unit 653 exceeds the graph T1.

[0049] As described above, the opening / closing information shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the acceleration sensor information shown in FIG. 4. The opening / closing information shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the acceleration sensor information shown in FIG. 5. The opening / closing information shown in FIG. 9 corresponds to the acceleration sensor information shown in FIG. 6. In other words, if the difference amount does not exceed the second threshold, it is understood that the user has gripped the center portion 51 of the first housing 11. Also, if the difference amount exceeds the second threshold, it is understood that the user has gripped an approximate corner portion of the first housing 11. Therefore, by the second determination unit 655 performing the determination process, the embedded controller 6 can determine which part of the other end 26 of the first housing 11 the user is gripping.

[0050] 3, the third determination unit 656 determines whether the value corresponding to the difference amount exceeding the second threshold is equal to or greater than 0 (zero). The determination result determined by the third determination unit 656 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64. Here, the process performed by the third determination unit 656 is a process for determining which corner of the display device 31 the user is facing.

[0051] As described above, referring to Fig. 8, the graph G34 showing the difference amount calculated by the second calculation unit 653 exceeds the graph T2, and the graph T2 is a negative value. On the other hand, referring to Fig. 9, the graph G36 showing the difference amount calculated by the second calculation unit 653 exceeds the graph T1, and the graph T1 is a positive value. In other words, when the second threshold is a negative value, it is understood that the user has grasped the first approximate corner portion 52 of the display device 31 of the first housing 11. Also, when the second threshold is a positive value, it is understood that the user has grasped the second approximate corner portion 53 of the display device 31 of the first housing 11.

[0052] That is, when the third determination unit 656 determines that the value corresponding to the difference amount exceeding the second threshold is equal to or greater than 0 (zero), it determines that the user has gripped the second corner of the first housing 11. Furthermore, when the third determination unit 656 determines that the value corresponding to the difference amount exceeding the second threshold is less than 0 (zero), it determines that the user has gripped the first corner of the first housing 11. Therefore, by the third determination unit 656 performing the determination process, the embedded controller 6 can determine which corner of the first housing 11 the user is gripping.

[0053] Returning to Fig. 3, the fourth determination unit 657 determines whether the number of times that the difference amount has exceeded the first threshold is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times. Specifically, the fourth determination unit 657 determines whether the number of times that the difference amount determined by the second determination unit 655 has exceeded the first threshold is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times. The determination result determined by the fourth determination unit 657 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64. The predetermined number of times is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64.

[0054] Here, the predetermined number of times refers to the number of times that the difference amount exceeds the first threshold value due to user operations, which may damage the display device 31 of the electronic device 1 or cause a malfunction of the electronic device 1. The predetermined number of times may be changed depending on, for example, the strength of the electronic device 1, or may be changed according to the electronic device 1.

[0055] The fifth determination unit 658 determines whether the number of times that the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than the first threshold is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times. Specifically, the fifth determination unit 658 determines whether the number of times that the acceleration sensor information determined by the first determination unit 654 is equal to or greater than the first threshold is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times. The determination result determined by the fifth determination unit 658 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64. The predetermined number of times is the same as that of the fourth determination unit 657. Note that the predetermined number of times may be different from that of the fourth determination unit 657, and may be changed depending on, for example, the strength of the electronic device 1, or may be changed depending on the electronic device 1.

[0056] The output unit 659 outputs the usage information indicating the usage state of the user based on the opening / closing information. For example, the output unit 659 outputs a first alert. Specifically, when the fourth determination unit 657 determines that the number of times that the difference amount exceeds the second threshold is a predetermined number or more, the output unit 659 outputs the first alert. Also, for example, the output unit 659 outputs a second alert. Specifically, when the fifth determination unit 658 determines that the number of times that the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than the first threshold is a predetermined number or more, the output unit 659 outputs the second alert. The first alert and the second alert are examples of the usage information indicating the usage state of the user. The usage information is information indicating a warning corresponding to the opening / closing operation of the electronic device 1 by the user.

[0057] Here, the first alert and the second alert will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. Figs. 10 and 11 are schematic diagrams showing an example of usage information according to the embodiment. The first alert in Fig. 10 corresponds to the determination result determined by the fourth determination unit 657. In other words, the first alert is usage information indicating that the user has grasped a corner of the first housing 11. Therefore, the first alert may have content such as, for example, "Are you holding a corner when opening or closing? Open and close by holding the center."

[0058] The above-described first alert output by the output unit 659 is based on the determination result of the fourth determination unit 657, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the output unit 659 may output the first alert based on the result of the determination by the third determination unit 656. For example, when the third determination unit 656 determines that the difference amount is equal to or greater than 0 (zero), the output unit 659 may output "Are you holding the right corner to open or close? Open and close by holding the center" as the content of the first alert. Also, for example, when the third determination unit 656 determines that the difference amount is less than 0 (zero), the output unit 659 may output "Are you holding the left corner to open or close? Open and close by holding the center" as the content of the first alert.

[0059] 11 corresponds to the determination result determined by the fifth determination unit 658. In other words, the second alert is usage information indicating that the user has grasped the center portion 51 of the first housing 11. Therefore, the second alert may have content such as "Please open and close slowly to prevent damage."

[0060] Next, the control process of the embedded controller 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the control process of the embedded controller 6 according to this embodiment. The flowchart shown in FIG. 12 explains the process in which the embedded controller 6 outputs the user's usage state so that the user can understand the usage state. The following process is also referred to as process A. The flowchart shown in FIG. 12 is an example in which the electronic device 1 is placed on the placement section and, for example, the user moves from a closed state to an open state.

[0061] The acquisition unit 651 acquires acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42 (step S101). Next, the first determination unit 654 determines whether the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than a first threshold (step S102). Here, if the first determination unit 654 determines that the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S102: Yes), the process proceeds to step S112. On the other hand, if the first determination unit 654 determines that the acceleration sensor information is less than the first threshold (step S102: No), the process proceeds to step S103.

[0062] In step S103, the first calculation unit 652 calculates a first amount of change in the first acceleration sensor 41 based on the acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41 acquired by the acquisition unit 651 (step S103). Next, the first calculation unit 652 calculates a second amount of change in the second acceleration sensor 42 based on the acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor 42 acquired by the acquisition unit 651 (step S104).

[0063] Next, the second calculation unit 653 calculates the difference between the first change amount and the second change amount (step S105). Next, the second determination unit 655 determines whether the difference amount exceeds the second threshold (step S106). Here, if the second determination unit 655 determines that the difference amount is below the second threshold (step S106: No), the embedded controller 6 ends this process. On the other hand, if the second determination unit 655 determines that the difference amount exceeds the second threshold (step S106: Yes), the process proceeds to step S107.

[0064] In step S107, the third determination unit 656 determines whether the value corresponding to the difference amount exceeding the second threshold is equal to or greater than 0 (zero) (step S107). If the third determination unit 656 determines that the value corresponding to the difference amount exceeding the second threshold is less than 0 (zero) (step S107: No), it determines that the user has gripped the first corner of the display device 31 of the first housing 11 (step S108), and proceeds to step S110.

[0065] On the other hand, if the third judgment unit 656 determines that the value corresponding to the difference amount exceeding the second threshold is 0 (zero) or greater (step S107: Yes), the third judgment unit 656 determines that the user has grasped the second corner of the display device 31 of the first housing 11 (step S109) and proceeds to step S110.

[0066] In step S110, the fourth determination unit 657 determines whether the number of times the difference amount has exceeded the second threshold is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times (step S110). If the fourth determination unit 657 determines that the number of times the difference amount has exceeded the second threshold is less than the predetermined number of times (step S110: No), the embedded controller 6 ends this process. On the other hand, if the fourth determination unit 657 determines that the number of times the difference amount has exceeded the second threshold is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times (step S110: Yes), the process proceeds to step S111.

[0067] In step S111, the output unit 659 outputs a first alert (step S111). In step S112, the fifth determination unit 658 determines whether the number of times the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than the first threshold is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times (step S112). Here, if the fifth determination unit 658 determines that the number of times the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than the first threshold is less than the predetermined number of times (step S112: No), the embedded controller 6 ends this process. On the other hand, if the fifth determination unit 658 determines that the number of times the acceleration sensor information is equal to or greater than the first threshold is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times (step S112: Yes), the process proceeds to step S113.

[0068] In step S113, the output unit 659 outputs the second alert (step S113). When the process of step S113 ends, the embedded controller 6 ends this process.

[0069] As described above, electronic device 1 according to one aspect of the present invention includes a rotation mechanism that is connected to one end 25 of first housing 11 and one end 13 of second housing 21 and rotates first housing 11 relative to second housing 21, and an acceleration sensor provided at the other end 26 opposite to one end 25 of first housing 11. Furthermore, electronic device 1 calculates opening / closing information indicating the opening / closing state of electronic device 1 based on acceleration sensor information output by the acceleration sensor, and outputs usage information indicating the user's usage state based on the opening / closing information.

[0070] As a result, according to this embodiment, for example, the user can grasp the usage state related to the opening and closing operation of the electronic device 1 operated by the user himself / herself. Furthermore, by the user being aware of the usage state, the user's injury due to damage to the electronic device 1 and dissatisfaction with the electronic device 1 due to a breakdown can be reduced. Furthermore, since damage to the electronic device 1 is reduced, the user can reduce the repair costs of the electronic device 1.

[0071] The usage information is information that indicates a warning corresponding to the opening and closing action of the user of the electronic device 1. This allows the user to use the electronic device 1 appropriately by understanding the usage information.

[0072] Furthermore, the acceleration sensor includes a first acceleration sensor 41 and a second acceleration sensor 42, the first acceleration sensor 41 is provided at a first approximate corner 52 of the other end 26, and the second acceleration sensor 42 is provided at a second approximate corner 53 of the other end 26 opposite to the first approximate corner 52, and the acceleration sensor information includes first acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41 and second acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor 42, and the acceleration sensor information includes acceleration values ​​along a time series corresponding to the vertical movement of the first housing 11. This allows the electronic device 1 to identify the usage state of the user.

[0073] The open / close information includes a first amount of change in the first acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41, a second amount of change in the second acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor 42, and a difference amount indicating the difference between the first amount of change and the second amount of change. This enables the electronic device 1 to identify where the user is gripping the other end 26 of the first housing 11 of the electronic device 1.

[0074] (First Modification) In the above-described embodiment, the user opens and closes the electronic device 1 placed on the placement unit. In the first modification, the user uses the electronic device 10 in a carried state.

[0075] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a general configuration of electronic device 10 according to a first modified example. In addition to the above-mentioned configuration, electronic device 10 according to the first modified example further includes a third acceleration sensor 43. Third acceleration sensor 43 is a sensor that detects the carrying state of electronic device 1. Third acceleration sensor 43 outputs detected acceleration sensor information to embedded controller 6.

[0076] The third acceleration sensor 43 is provided in the second housing 21. Specifically, the third acceleration sensor 43 is provided inside the second housing 21. For example, the third acceleration sensor 43 is provided in approximately the center in the Y direction of the second housing 21. Note that the third acceleration sensor 43 may be provided in approximately the center in the X direction and the Y direction of the second housing 21.

[0077] 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the embedded controller 60 according to the first modification. The embedded controller 60 according to the first modification includes an acquisition unit 651, a first calculation unit 652, a second calculation unit 653, a first judgment unit 654, a second judgment unit 655, a third judgment unit 656, a fourth judgment unit 657, a fifth judgment unit 658, an output unit 659, a sixth judgment unit 660, a seventh judgment unit 661, and an eighth judgment unit 662.

[0078] The acquisition unit 651 acquires acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41, the second acceleration sensor 42, and the third acceleration sensor 43. The acceleration sensor information acquired by the acquisition unit 651 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 64, for example.

[0079] The sixth determination unit 660 determines whether the third acceleration exceeds a third threshold. Specifically, the sixth determination unit 660 determines whether the third acceleration, which indicates the value of each acceleration included in the acceleration sensor information output by the third acceleration sensor 43 and acquired by the acquisition unit 651, exceeds the third threshold. The determination result determined by the sixth determination unit 660 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64.

[0080] Here, the third threshold value is, for example, an acceleration value indicating a state in which electronic device 1 is being carried. The third threshold value may be changed according to the acceleration value (sensitivity) output by third acceleration sensor 43.

[0081] The seventh determination unit 661 determines whether the first acceleration, the second acceleration, and the third acceleration have a predetermined periodicity. Specifically, the seventh determination unit 661 determines whether the first acceleration indicating the value of each acceleration included in the acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41, the second acceleration indicating the value of each acceleration included in the acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor 42, and the third acceleration, which are acquired by the acquisition unit 651, have a predetermined periodicity. The determination result determined by the seventh determination unit 661 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64.

[0082] Here, the predetermined periodicity refers to, for example, a state in which the electronic device 1 is being carried and an acceleration value output by an acceleration sensor indicating a state in which the display device 31 of the electronic device 1 may be damaged or the electronic device 1 may break down appears repeatedly at regular intervals. An example of an event in which the predetermined periodicity occurs is when a user carries the electronic device 1 in a basket of a bicycle and the electronic device 1 inside the basket vibrates due to vibrations received from the road or path on which the electronic device 1 is traveling through the tires.

[0083] The eighth determination unit 662 determines whether the number of times the predetermined periodicity occurs is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Specifically, the eighth determination unit 662 determines whether the number of times the predetermined periodicity determined by the seventh determination unit 661 occurs is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The determination result determined by the eighth determination unit 662 is stored in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 64. Note that the predetermined number may be a number different from that determined by the fourth determination unit 657, and may be changed depending on, for example, the strength of the electronic device 1, or may be changed depending on the electronic device 1.

[0084] The output unit 659 outputs the usage information based on the first acceleration sensor information, the second acceleration sensor information, and the third acceleration sensor information output by the third acceleration sensor 43, which is included in the acceleration sensor information. Specifically, when the eighth determination unit 662 determines that the number of times that the predetermined periodicity occurs is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, the output unit 659 outputs a third alert. The third alert is an example of usage information indicating a usage state of the user. The usage information further includes information indicating a warning corresponding to the user's carrying operation of the electronic device 1.

[0085] Here, the third alert will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of carrying information according to the first modified example. The third alert in Fig. 15 corresponds to the determination result determined by the eighth determination unit 662. Therefore, the third alert may have content such as "Are you carrying it in a bicycle basket? Please avoid subjecting it to shocks to prevent breakdown."

[0086] Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a control process of the embedded controller 60 according to the first modified example. The flowchart shown in Fig. 16 explains a process in which the embedded controller 60 outputs a user's usage state so that the user can understand the usage state. The flowchart shown in Fig. 16 executes the process under the assumption that it is unknown in what state the electronic device 1 is in (i.e., whether the electronic device 1 is placed on a placement section or whether the electronic device 1 is being carried by the user).

[0087] The acquisition unit 651 acquires acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor 41, the second acceleration sensor 42, and the third acceleration sensor 43 (step S201). Next, the sixth determination unit 660 determines whether the third acceleration exceeds the third threshold (step S202). Here, if the sixth determination unit 660 determines that the third acceleration is below the third threshold (step S202: No), the process proceeds to process A (see FIG. 12). On the other hand, if the sixth determination unit 660 determines that the third acceleration exceeds the third threshold (step S202: Yes), the process proceeds to step S203.

[0088] In step S203, the seventh determination unit 661 determines whether there is a predetermined periodicity among the first acceleration, the second acceleration, and the third acceleration (step S203). Here, if the seventh determination unit 661 determines that there is no predetermined periodicity among the first acceleration, the second acceleration, and the third acceleration (step S203: No), the embedded controller 60 ends this process. On the other hand, if the seventh determination unit 661 determines that there is a predetermined periodicity among the first acceleration, the second acceleration, and the third acceleration (step S203: Yes), the process proceeds to step S204.

[0089] In step S204, the eighth determination unit 662 determines whether the number of occurrences of the predetermined periodicity is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (step S204). Here, if the eighth determination unit 662 determines that the number of occurrences of the predetermined periodicity is less than the predetermined number (step S204: No), the embedded controller 60 ends this process. On the other hand, if the eighth determination unit 662 determines that the number of occurrences of the predetermined periodicity is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (step S204: Yes), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0090] In step S205, the output unit 659 outputs a third alert (step S205). When the process of step S205 ends, the embedded controller 60 ends this process.

[0091] As described above, the electronic device 1 according to the first modification includes a third acceleration sensor 43 provided at a substantially central portion of the second housing 21 at a position different from one end 13 of the second housing 21. Further, the electronic device 1 outputs usage information based on the first acceleration sensor information, the second acceleration sensor information, and the third acceleration sensor information output by the third acceleration sensor 43 included in the acceleration sensor information. The usage information includes information indicating a warning corresponding to the carrying operation of the electronic device 1 by the user.

[0092] This allows the electronic device 1 to identify the usage state of the electronic device 10 when the user is carrying it, for example. Also, the user can grasp the usage state related to the carrying action and opening / closing action of the electronic device 1 operated by the user himself / herself.

[0093] (Second Modification) In the above-described embodiment and first modified example, a configuration in which the first acceleration sensor 41 and the second acceleration sensor 42 are provided at the other end 26 of the first housing 11 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first housing 11 may be provided with at least one acceleration sensor. In the second modified example, a configuration in which at least one acceleration sensor is provided at the other end 26 of the first housing 11 will be described.

[0094] When the first acceleration sensor 41 is provided at the other end 26 of the first housing 11, the first change amount corresponding to the location of the first housing 11 held by the user will be described. For example, the amplitude of the first change amount graph G12 shown in FIG. 7 when the user holds the center 51 of the first housing 11 is approximately uniform. Also, for example, when the user holds the first approximate corner portion 52 (corner portion) of the first housing 11, the maximum change amount of the first change amount graph G14 shown in FIG. 8 exceeds the graph T1. Similarly, the value is larger than the absolute value of the minimum change amount of the first change amount graph G14. Similarly, for example, when the user holds the second approximate corner portion 53 (corner portion) of the first housing 11, the maximum change amount of the first change amount graph G16 shown in FIG. 9 exceeds the graph T1.

[0095] That is, when the fluctuation width of the first change amount of the first acceleration sensor 41 is approximately uniform, the user is holding the center portion 51 of the first housing 11. When the maximum change amount of the first change amount of the first acceleration sensor 41 is graph T1, the user is holding the corner portion of the first housing 11.

[0096] As a result, by providing at least one acceleration sensor at the other end 26 of the first housing 11 of the electronic device 1, the electronic device 1 can calculate the amount of change in the at least one acceleration sensor and identify the action of the user gripping the other end 26 of the first housing 11.

[0097] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated above, the above embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, the specifications of each configuration, shape, and the like (structure, type, direction, format, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be appropriately changed and implemented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1...electronic device, 5...hinge, 6...embedded controller, 11...first housing, 21: second housing; 41: first acceleration sensor; 42: second acceleration sensor; 43... third acceleration sensor, 52... first approximate corner portion, 53... second approximate corner portion, 61...CPU, 62...RAM, 63...ROM, 64...auxiliary storage device, 65: connection I / F; 651: acquisition unit; 652: first calculation unit; 653: second calculation unit; 654...first determination section, 655...second determination section, 656...third determination section, 657...Fourth determination section, 658...Fifth determination section, 659...Output section, 660...Sixth determination section, 661...Seventh judgment section, 662...Eighth judgment section

Claims

1. a rotation mechanism connected to one end of a first housing and one end of a second housing, the rotation mechanism rotating the first housing relative to the second housing; an acceleration sensor provided at the other end opposite to the one end of the first housing; In an electronic device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates opening / closing information indicating an opening / closing state of the electronic device based on acceleration sensor information output by the acceleration sensor; an output unit that outputs usage information indicating a usage state of a user based on the opening / closing information; An electronic device comprising:

2. The usage information is information indicating a warning corresponding to an opening / closing action of the electronic device of the user.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. the acceleration sensor includes a first acceleration sensor and a second acceleration sensor, the first acceleration sensor is provided at a first approximate corner portion of the other end, the second acceleration sensor is provided at a second approximate corner portion of the other end opposite to the first approximate corner portion, the acceleration sensor information includes first acceleration sensor information output by the first acceleration sensor and second acceleration sensor information output by the second acceleration sensor, the acceleration sensor information includes acceleration values ​​along a time series corresponding to a vertical movement of the first housing; 3. The electronic device according to claim 2.

4. the opening / closing information includes a first change amount of the first acceleration sensor information, a second change amount of the second acceleration sensor information, and a difference amount indicating a difference between the first change amount and the second change amount; 4. The electronic device according to claim 3.

5. a third acceleration sensor provided at a position different from the one end of the second housing, the third acceleration sensor is provided at approximately the center of the second housing, The output unit is outputting the usage information based on the first acceleration sensor information, the second acceleration sensor information, and third acceleration sensor information output by the third acceleration sensor, the third acceleration sensor being included in the acceleration sensor information; The usage information includes information indicating a warning corresponding to a carrying action of the electronic device of the user.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4.

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