Electronic apparatus, system, and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus whose setting can be easily performed.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: first communication means that receives setting information by automatically performing near field communication (NFC) with another electronic apparatus when entering a communicable area with the other electronic apparatus that transmits the setting information to the electronic apparatus; and control means that changes the setting of the electronic apparatus on the basis of the setting information received by the first communication means. Preferably, the "communicable area" is a range where "the other electronic apparatus" can be identified as an intended communication partner while being discriminated from an apparatus other than "the other electronic apparatus" on the basis of, for example, relative position relation between "the electronic apparatus" and "the other electronic apparatus". Especially preferably, the "communicable area" is a range within approximately 10 cm from communication means of "the other electronic apparatus". Most preferably, the "communicable area" is approximately a range where the communication means of the electronic apparatus is in contact with the communication means of the other electronic apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a system, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, technologies have been established to realize the interconnection of various electronic devices constituting a home network and enable these electronic devices to exchange content data such as video and audio (see, for example, Patent Document 1). If the home network is configured by a wireless network, a user can freely view content stored in a storage processing device called a NAS (Network Attached Storage) using a so-called portable information terminal such as a tablet computer or a smartphone without being restricted by location within an area where the user can connect to the wireless network.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in order to perform content audition via the network as described above, it is necessary to perform complicated settings on the NAS and the terminal, and it has not been easily available to users who are not familiar with network and device settings.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a system that can be set more simply than before. This object is achieved by, for example, a combination of features described in the independent claims in the claims. The dependent claims define further advantageous specific examples of the present invention.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) To solve the above problems, when the electronic device of the present invention enters a communicable area with another electronic device that transmits setting information for the electronic device, it automatically performs short-range wireless communication (NFC: Near Field Communication) with the other electronic device to receive the setting information, and includes a first communication means and a control means for changing the settings of the electronic device based on the setting information received by the first communication means.

[0007] According to the electronic device of the present invention, it is possible to set the electronic device only by putting the electronic device to be set into a communicable area with another electronic device that has previously stored the setting information. For example, if the electronic device is configured to be portable, it can be set by simply bringing it into a communicable area with another electronic device, for example, without requiring other complicated operations. Even a user who is not familiar with the operation of the electronic device can easily perform the desired settings. For example, another electronic device may store the setting information for this electronic device. Also, for example, another electronic device may be configured to transmit and receive setting information. The setting information may be, for example, the setting information desired by the user. Also, the setting information may be, for example, configured to be stored in an NFC tag. If such an NFC tag is prepared, the setting can be done just by bringing the tag close to the electronic device.

[0008] As for "automatically", for example, it is preferably configured not to require an operation by the user. For example, communication may be started from either the electrical device or another electronic device triggered by the electronic device entering the communicable range with another electronic device.

[0009] The "communicable area" is, for example, preferably a range that can be specified separately from devices other than the "other electronic device" as the intended communication partner of the "other electronic device" based on the relative positional relationship between the "electronic device" and the "other electronic device". In particular, it is preferably within approximately 10 cm from the communication means of the "other electronic device", and most preferably a range where the communication means of the electronic device and the communication means of the other electronic device are in contact.

[0010] (2) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the electronic device and other electronic devices each include a display means. The electronic device's first communication means receives information regarding an image as setting information from another electronic device by short-range wireless communication, and the control means controls the display on the display means of the electronic device based on the information regarding the image.

[0011] According to the electronic device of the present invention, when an image is being displayed on another electronic device, by simply bringing the electronic device into a communicable area with the other electronic device, the electronic device can receive information regarding the image being displayed on the other electronic device and perform a display according to the received information. Therefore, for example, when a movie is being displayed on a TV, by simply bringing the electronic device closer to the TV, information regarding the movie being displayed on the TV can be displayed on the electronic device. The information regarding the image may be, for example, information regarding a still image, but particularly preferably, it is information regarding a moving image. The information regarding the moving image may be, for example, information regarding the audio reproduced in association with the moving image or information regarding the moving image itself, but preferably, it is information necessary for the reproduction of the moving image. Also, the image may be, for example, a 2D image or a 3D image. For example, it may be a black-and-white image or a color image. The other electronic device may store information regarding the image being displayed on the other electronic device as setting information for the electronic device.

[0012] (3) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the first communication means receives, as setting information, information for causing the electronic device to display the continuation of the image being displayed on another electronic device from the other electronic device, and the control means causes the display means of the electronic device to display the continuation of the image being displayed on the other electronic device.

[0013] According to the electronic device of the present invention, when an image is being displayed on another electronic device, by simply bringing the electronic device into a communicable area with the other electronic device, the continuation of the image being displayed on the other electronic device can be displayed on the electronic device. Examples of the information for causing the continuation to be displayed on the electronic device include identification information of the last displayed image, identification information of the first image to be displayed as the continuation, and information on the playback position to be displayed as the continuation when the image is a video.

[0014] For example, the other electronic device may store, as setting information, information for causing the continuation of the image being displayed on the display means of the other electronic device to be displayed on the electronic device. For example, the control means may cause the continuation of the image being displayed on the display means of the other electronic device to be displayed on the display means of the electronic device based on the setting information received by the first communication means.

[0015] The "continuation of the image being displayed on another electronic device to be displayed on the display means of the electronic device" may be any one of the user being able to recognize that the continuation image can be displayed, is being displayed, or is already being displayed. For example, it may be an image slightly before the image being displayed on the other electronic device, but in particular, it is preferably the image being displayed on the other electronic device or an image within the range that can be recognized as a continuation and is after the image being displayed on the other electronic device.

[0016] For example, when the image displayed on the display means of another electronic device is a moving image for playing a certain file, it may be a position before the temporal position of the moving image currently being displayed in the file, but it is preferably the temporal position of the moving image currently being displayed or a position after the temporal position of the moving image currently being displayed. For example, when the image displayed on the display means of another electronic device is a currently broadcast television video, it may be the channel selection information of the television broadcast. However, for example, by always recording the television broadcast and configuring it to be playable back to any location, it may be played back from a position before the temporal position of the currently displayed television broadcast. However, it is preferably the temporal position of the currently displayed television broadcast or the position of the currently broadcast television broadcast based simply on channel selection information or the like.

[0017] (4) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the information regarding the image includes the copy restriction information of the image.

[0018] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the display on the display means can be controlled based on the copy restriction information. As the copy restriction information, for example, it is preferably information indicating that the content is restricted from being copied, such as content prohibited from being copied by a technology for preventing illegal copying (technical protection means), or content with a limited number of copy times. And the control means is configured to perform control according to the content of the restriction, for example, stop displaying the subsequent image according to the content of the restriction, prompt to stop the display on another electronic device, and display the subsequent part while avoiding conflicting with the restriction. With such a configuration, it is possible to provide the user with a display according to the restriction without the user being aware of the imposed copy restriction.

[0019] (5) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the copy restriction information indicates that copying is not allowed, the control means does not display the image being displayed on another electronic device on the display means of the electronic device.

[0020] According to the electronic device of the present invention, it is possible to avoid simultaneously displaying an image that does not permit copying on a plurality of electronic devices. For example, the control means may control so that the display means does not display the image being displayed on another electronic device while another electronic device is displaying the image. Specifically, for example, the control means may control so as not to display the image unless it receives a notification from another electronic device that the display of the image has ended. By such control, it is possible to prevent a display that violates the copy restriction.

[0021] (6) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the copy restriction information indicates that copying is permitted, the control means causes the image to be displayed on the display means of the electronic device and performs output control to prompt the user to select whether to continue displaying the image on other electronic devices, inputs the user's selection, and controls whether to perform display on other electronic devices based on the input content.

[0022] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the user can be made to select whether to continue displaying an image on another electronic device or to end the display on another electronic device. For example, with respect to content for which copying is not prohibited, when the control means causes the electronic device to display the continuation of an image being displayed on the display means of another electronic device, the control means may prompt the user to select whether to also display the continuation on the other electronic device. Thereby, the user can freely select the device on which to display the continuation. The case where the copy restriction information indicates that copying is permitted may be, for example, the case where the copy restriction information is information that permits copying or the case where the copy restriction information does not include information that restricts copying.

[0023] (7) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the first communication means receives information regarding an image being displayed on another electronic device from the other electronic device, the control means performs output control to prompt the user to select which of the image being displayed on the other electronic device and the image being displayed on the display means is to be displayed on the display means of the electronic device, inputs the user's selection, and controls which is to be displayed on the display means of the electronic device based on the input content.

[0024] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the user can be allowed to select whether to display on the display means either the image displayed by another electronic device or the image displayed by the display means. For example, in a scene where both the electronic device and another electronic device are each displaying an image separately, information for displaying the continuation is transmitted and received as setting information, and it is preferable to adopt a configuration that allows the user to freely select on which device to display the continuation of the image being displayed. In this way, for example, complicated procedures such as stopping the display in the electronic device that does not display the continuation and then transmitting and receiving the setting information by short-range wireless communication can be omitted, and the continuation of the desired content can be easily displayed.

[0025] (8) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the electronic device is already displaying an image, the control means performs output control to prompt the user to select whether to display on the display means either the image displayed by another electronic device or the image displayed by the electronic device, inputs the user's selection, and controls which one to display on the display means of the electronic device based on the input content.

[0026] According to the electronic device of the present invention, when the display means is already displaying an image, the user can be allowed to select whether to display on the display means either the image displayed by another electronic device or the image displayed by the display means. When the display means is not displaying an image, the image displayed by another electronic device can be displayed without asking the user to make a selection.

[0027] (9) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the first communication means receives information regarding the image displayed by another electronic device from the other electronic device, and when the electronic device is already displaying an image, the control means performs output control to display both the image displayed by the other electronic device and the image displayed by the electronic device on the display means of the electronic device and prompt the user to select one of them, performs control to input the selection content, and based on the selection content, displays either the image displayed by the other electronic device or the image displayed by the electronic device.

[0028] According to the electronic device of the present invention, when the user is allowed to select which of the images displayed by another electronic device and the image displayed by the display means is to be displayed on the display means when the display means is already displaying an image, the user can be presented with both images for selection. For example, the display means may preferably have an input function by a touch panel. Thereby, the continuation of desired content can be displayed by an intuitive operation using the touch panel.

[0029] (10) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the electronic device further includes position information acquisition means for acquiring the position information of the electronic device and a database related to the position information of traffic monitoring points. The first communication means receives update data of the position information of traffic monitoring points as setting information from another electronic device, and the control means updates the database based on the update data received by the first communication means.

[0030] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the database can be updated without requiring complicated operations simply by placing another electronic device storing update data in a communicable area with the electronic device having a database related to the position information of traffic monitoring points. Therefore, for example, even in a limited space such as inside a vehicle, and also in an electronic device where the operability of the input / output interface is not good, the database related to the position information of traffic monitoring points can be easily updated.

[0031] (11) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the first communication means enters a communicable area with another electronic device when the other electronic device is in the first state, it transmits the information stored in the electronic device to the other electronic device, and when the other electronic device enters a communicable area with the other electronic device when the other electronic device is in a second state different from the first state, it receives setting information from the other electronic device.

[0032] According to the electronic device of the present invention, transmission and reception can be switched according to the state of another electronic device. For example, it is preferable to enable two-way communication between the electronic device and another electronic device, and to configure the electronic device to switch which of the electronic device and another electronic device becomes the transmission side according to the state of the electronic device.

[0033] (12) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the first communication means enters a region where it can communicate with another electronic device, it transmits the unique information unique to the electronic device stored in the electronic device to the other electronic device and receives setting information from the other electronic device.

[0034] According to the electronic device of the present invention, when two-way communication is possible between the electronic device and another electronic device, by bringing the electronic device into a range where it can communicate with the other electronic device, setting of the electronic device and information acquisition from the electronic device can be executed collectively.

[0035] (13) Preferably, the electronic device of the present invention further includes an input / output interface. When the first communication means enters a region where it can communicate with another electronic device, the input / output interface issues an output requesting permission from the user to transmit the unique information unique to the electronic device to the other electronic device. When the user inputs an input indicating permission in response to the output requesting the approval into the input / output interface, the first communication means transmits the unique information unique to the electronic device to the other electronic device and receives setting information from the other electronic device.

[0036] According to the electronic device of the present invention, by obtaining permission from the user for transmission in advance, it is possible to prevent the transmission of information that the user does not desire. The unique information may include, for example, information that requires the user's permission for transmission such as personal information, or information that may be related to the user's privacy and the user may not desire transmission.

[0037] The "input / output interface" may be, for example, a touch panel display. With such a configuration, since input can be performed on the visually displayed output, even a user who is not accustomed to operating the device can easily perform an input operation in response to the output. As another example, the "input / output interface" may be composed of a speaker and a microphone. With such a configuration, an input operation in response to the output can be performed even in a situation where the hands are occupied.

[0038] (14) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the input / output interface has a display means, and when the first communication unit enters a region where it can communicate with another electronic device, the display means displays a request for permission to transmit unique information specific to the electronic device to the other electronic device. In response to an operation by the user indicating permission to transmit the unique information, the first communication means transmits the unique information specific to the electronic device to the other electronic device and receives setting information from the other electronic device.

[0039] According to the electronic device of the present invention, on the condition of providing unique information specific to the electronic device, the setting information stored in another electronic device is automatically set in the electronic device, so that the user can be motivated to provide the unique information.

[0040] (15) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the electronic device further includes a position detection means for detecting position information of the current location and a navigation means for guiding a route from the current location to a set destination. The first communication means transmits, as unique information specific to the electronic device, at least information indicating the current location and the destination to the other electronic device, receives route information from the other electronic device as setting information, and the control means sets the route information received by the first communication means as the route guided by the navigation means.

[0041] According to the electronic device of the present invention, information on the current location detected by the position detection means and the destination set in the navigation means can be transmitted to other electronic devices, and route information to the destination can be obtained from the other electronic devices. Therefore, functions such as a route search function and a route selection function can be executed by a device external to the electronic device equipped with the navigation means, and a navigation device can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0042] (16) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, as unique information, the history of the position information detected by the position detection means is further transmitted to other electronic devices.

[0043] According to the electronic device of the present invention, in addition to the current location and the destination, the history of the position information can be provided to other electronic devices. The history of the position information is, for example, travel log data, and the electronic device may be configured to collect the travel log data from the user through other electronic devices. The electronic device is more preferably configured to transmit the collected travel log data to an external device that executes a route selection process. With such a configuration, the route selection executed by the external device can be improved in accuracy.

[0044] (17) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the electronic device further includes a position detection means for detecting the position information of the current location, and a navigation means for searching for a route from the current location to the set destination and guiding according to the obtained route. The first communication means receives information indicating the destination as setting information from other electronic devices, and the control means sets the destination in the navigation means based on the received information indicating the destination.

[0045] According to the electronic device of the present invention, it is possible to receive information indicating a destination from another electronic device. For example, a new spot not registered in this electronic device is searched for with another electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) that can be connected to the Internet, information indicating the destination is acquired, and the electronic device is configured to receive the acquired information from the other electronic device. With such a configuration, simply by bringing the other electronic device used for the search into the communication range with this electronic device, a new spot can be easily set as the destination.

[0046] (18) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the electronic device further includes position detection means for detecting position information of the current position and navigation means for guiding a route from the current location to the set destination, receives posting information of a social networking service (SNS) received by another electronic device as setting information from the other electronic device, and the navigation means analyzes the posting information and extracts information of spots along the guided route and presents it to the user.

[0047] According to the electronic device of the present invention, it is possible to present to the user spots along the guided route that are a topic on SNS. Therefore, it is possible to present to the user spots that are not directly set as the destination but are a topic on SNS.

[0048] (19) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the navigation means receives vehicle information regarding the state of the vehicle and selectively presents information of spots to the user based on the vehicle information.

[0049] According to the electronic device of the present invention, it is possible to prompt the user to stop at a spot that is not directly set as the destination but is a topic on SNS based on the state of the vehicle. The navigation means, for example, receives information on the remaining fuel as vehicle information, and when the remaining fuel is below a predetermined amount, extracts information about a fueling facility from the SNS posting information and prompts the user to stop at the fueling facility.

[0050] (20) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the navigation means selectively presents information of spots to the user based on the current time.

[0051] According to the electronic device of the present invention, based on the current time, it is possible to prompt the user to stop by a spot that is not directly set as the destination but is a topic on SNS. For example, when the current time is near noon, the navigation means may extract information about restaurants from the posted information on SNS and prompt the user to stop by a restaurant that is a topic on SNS.

[0052] (21) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the navigation means analyzes the posted information and extracts information of spots along the guiding route, it emphasizes the posts by the user of the electronic device itself and extracts spot information.

[0053] According to the electronic device of the present invention, by emphasizing the posts by the user himself / herself in the posted information on SNS, it is possible to present information that the user is highly likely to adopt. For example, when the user himself / herself has posted "hungry" on SNS, the electronic device may extract information about restaurants from the posted information and prompt the user to stop by a restaurant that is a topic on SNS.

[0054] (22) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the navigation means changes the frequency of presenting spot information to the user according to the time elapsed since the last short-range wireless communication with another electronic device.

[0055] According to the electronic device of the present invention, information can be presented to the user at an appropriate timing according to the time elapsed since the last short-range wireless communication with another electronic device. The navigation means may, for example, make the frequency of presenting the information of the spot not constant. Specifically, for example, the longer the time elapsed since the last short-range wireless communication with another electronic device, the lower the frequency of presenting the information of the spot to the user may be. According to such a configuration, the longer the time elapsed since the last short-range wireless communication with another electronic device, the lower the frequency of presenting the information of the spot to the user can be. Therefore, for a user who does not perform short-range wireless communication with another electronic device, it is possible to suppress presenting unnecessary information such as the information of the spots along the guidance route and prevent it from hindering reaching the destination. When the user performs short-range wireless communication with another electronic device, it is presumed that the interest in the information of the spot is high, so the frequency of information presentation is increased, and as time elapses after the short-range wireless communication, it is presumed that the interest fades, so the frequency of information presentation is decreased.

[0056] (23) Preferably, the electronic device of the present invention further includes a display means, and the navigation means presents the information of the spot to the user by causing the display means to display the information of the spot.

[0057] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the information of the spot can be displayed on the display means and visually presented to the user.

[0058] (24) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the display means displays a map, and when a predetermined time has elapsed after the navigation means causes the display means to display the information of the spot, the navigation means ends the display of the information of the spot and displays an icon indicating the spot at the position corresponding to the spot on the map.

[0059] According to the electronic device of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the display of the map from being hindered by the display of the information of the spot, and to continue to attract the user's interest in the spot by the icon displayed on the map.

[0060] (25) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the display means has an input function by a touch panel, and the navigation means causes the display means to display information of a spot as a button that encourages setting the spot as a destination.

[0061] According to the electronic device of the present invention, information can be presented to the user in an easy-to-operate manner. It is more preferable to configure such that when the button is pressed, the spot is set as a destination. With such a configuration, the spot can be added as a destination with a simple operation without requiring a complicated operation that hinders driving.

[0062] (26) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, another electronic device can be operated using a remote controller, setting information regarding the remote controller for operating the other electronic device is stored, and when the first communication means enters a region where communication with the other electronic device is possible, it performs short-range wireless communication with the other electronic device to receive the setting information regarding the remote controller, and the control means changes the setting of the electronic device so as to simulate the remote controller for operating the other electronic device based on the setting information received by the first communication means.

[0063] According to the electronic device of the present invention, it can be set in the electronic device by a simple act of bringing the electronic device into a region where short-range wireless communication with another electronic device is possible. The electronic device is preferably configured to simulate the settings of a plurality of remote controllers with different manufacturers and models. Also, the electronic device is preferably configured to simulate the button arrangement of the remote controller by the display on the touch panel, and it is more preferable to reproduce the number, shape, and arrangement of different buttons by the remote controller. With such a configuration, an operation feeling similar to that of an authentic remote controller can be provided.

[0064] (27) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the electronic device includes a second communication means that performs communication with a larger communication capacity than the communication performed by the first communication means. When the data amount of the setting information is larger than a predetermined amount, at least a part of the setting information including information for enabling communication with other electronic devices by the second communication means is received from other electronic devices via the first communication means, and the remaining part of the setting information is received from other electronic devices by communication using the second communication means.

[0065] According to the electronic device of the present invention, even when the data amount of the setting information is so large that it is difficult or impossible to transmit and receive by short-range wireless communication, settings for communication by the second communication means can be received from other electronic devices by short-range wireless communication, communication by the second communication means can be established, and the remaining data can be received using the second communication means.

[0066] (28) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the setting information for the electronic device is common setting information that is also used in other electronic devices.

[0067] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the input of the setting information that is commonly used by the electronic device and other electronic devices can be easily transferred and set by short-range wireless communication without repeating for each device.

[0068] (29) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, when the first communication means enters a communication area where it can communicate with a plurality of other electronic devices, the first communication means receives the setting information stored in each of the plurality of other electronic devices.

[0069] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the setting information stored in each of a plurality of other electronic devices can be set in the electronic device all at once. Therefore, various settings can be performed all at once by combining a plurality of other electronic devices.

[0070] (30) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the communicable range is a range in which, based on the relative positional relationship between the electronic device and another electronic device, the other electronic device can be identified as an intended communication partner and distinguished from devices other than the other electronic device.

[0071] According to the electronic device of the present invention, another electronic device as a communication partner can be identified by its physical relative position. For example, in an environment where a number of electronic devices exist, in a scenario where the electronic device is to display the continuation of an image displayed on another electronic device described in relation to (3) above, by simply positioning the electronic device that wants to display the continuation within a predetermined relative position range where the other electronic device can be distinguished from other electronic devices, the electronic device can display the continuation of the image displayed on the other electronic device.

[0072] (31) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the communicable range is a range generally within 10 cm from the communication means of another electronic device.

[0073] According to the electronic device of the present invention, by a visible action of approaching the target, the target for information transfer becomes visually clear. Since another electronic device that is the recipient of the setting information can be identified by a visually perceptible and easy-to-understand action, even a user who is not familiar with the operation of the electronic device can easily set the setting information stored in the other electronic device in the electronic device.

[0074] (32) Preferably, in the electronic device of the present invention, the communicable range is a range in which the communication means of the electronic device and the communication means of another electronic device are in contact.

[0075] According to the electronic device of the present invention, the target for information transfer becomes visually clear through the visible act of contact. For example, it is preferable to configure so that communication is not performed unless the electronic device is brought into contact with another electronic device. Since another electronic device that becomes the recipient of the setting information is specified by the visually easy-to-understand act of contacting the target, even a user who is not familiar with the operation of the electronic device can easily set the setting information stored in another electronic device in the electronic device.

[0076] (33) To solve the above problems, the system of the present invention includes the above-described electronic device and a server device that can communicate with the electronic device through a communication line. When the electronic device enters a region where it can communicate with another electronic device that stores information and transmits and receives the information, it automatically performs short-range wireless communication with the other electronic device to receive information, transfers the received information to the server device, and the server device receives the information transferred from the electronic device, performs processing, and transmits the processing result to the electronic device.

[0077] According to the system of the present invention, since the information received from another electronic device is transferred to the server device and the processing result at the server device is received, highly complex processing that is difficult or impossible in this electronic device or other electronic devices can be executed by the server device, and the processing result can be utilized.

[0078] (34) To solve the above problems, the system of the present invention includes a plurality of the above-described electronic devices and a batch setting reception means that automatically performs short-range wireless communication with other electronic devices when entering a region where communication with other electronic devices is possible, receives setting information for the plurality of electronic devices, and distributes the corresponding setting information to each of the plurality of electronic devices. Each control means of the electronic devices changes the settings of the respective electronic devices based on the setting information distributed from the batch setting reception means.

[0079] According to the system of the present invention, when entering a communication-enabled area with other electronic devices, it automatically performs short-range wireless communication with other electronic devices to receive setting information for multiple electronic devices, and includes a batch setting reception means for distributing the corresponding setting information to each of the multiple electronic devices. Therefore, in a system where a variety of electronic devices are arranged, the settings of the electronic devices can be batch-set. For example, personal favorite settings related to the system are stored in an NFC tag (equivalent to other electronic devices), and by bringing one's own NFC tag close to the batch setting reception means, the settings of all electronic devices included in the system can be batch-set to one's favorite settings.

[0080] (35) In order to solve the above problems, in the program of the present invention, a computer is made to function as the control means in the above-described electronic device.

[0081] According to the program of the present invention, the control means in the above-described electronic device can be realized by a computer, and the problem of simplifying the settings of the electronic device can be solved by software.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0083] [Example of Application to an Image Display Device] Referring to FIG. 1, the first embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an image display device. FIG. 1 shows a smartphone 100, a portable navigation device 110, a television receiver 120, and a digital camera 130, each of which is an embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention. The smartphone 100, the portable navigation device 110, the television receiver 120, and the digital camera 130 can each be an example of "other electronic devices" in the present invention. Hereinafter, a case where the smartphone 100 functions as an electronic device according to the present invention and the television receiver 120 functions as other electronic devices in the present invention will be described as an example.

[0084] In addition to the function of receiving television broadcasts and displaying them on the screen, the television receiver 120 is equipped with an NFC communication function and a wireless LAN communication function, and can display the content received via NFC or wireless LAN on the screen. The smartphone 100 includes an NFC communication unit, a wireless LAN communication unit, a control unit, and a touch panel display.

[0085] The NFC communication unit is an example of the first communication means in the present invention. When the NFC communication unit enters a communicable area with the television receiver 120, it automatically performs short-range wireless communication with the television receiver 120 and receives setting information that defines the settings of each part of the smartphone 100. "Automatically" means, for example, that no operation by the user is required. In this example, when the smartphone 100 approaches the television receiver 120 to a distance where they are in contact, short-range wireless communication is performed. Also, the communicable area is a range where the communicable range can be specified as the intended communication partner, the television receiver 120, distinct from devices other than the television receiver 120, depending on the relative positional relationship between the smartphone 100 and the television receiver 120. In this example, it is a range where the smartphone 100 and the television receiver 120 are in contact. By the visible act of bringing them into contact, the object for information transfer becomes visually clear.

[0086] The setting information is, for example, information regarding the image displayed on the touch panel display. Specifically, examples of the information regarding the image include information regarding a still image, information regarding a moving image, etc. Also, the image may be, for example, a 2D image or a 3D image. For example, it may be a black-and-white image or a color image. Examples of the information regarding the moving image include information regarding the sound played in association with the moving image and information regarding the moving image itself. In this example, the NFC communication unit receives information necessary for playing the moving image as information regarding the image. Also, the NFC communication unit receives information for enabling communication between the NFC communication unit and the television receiver 120 by the wireless LAN communication unit.

[0087] "Information about an image" includes copy restriction information of the image. The copy restriction information is information regarding whether or not restrictions on copying are imposed, such as content that is prohibited from being copied by a technology (technical protection measure) to prevent illegal copying, or content with a limited number of copy times. The control unit performs control according to the content of the restriction, for example, stops displaying subsequent images according to the content of the restriction, or prompts to stop the display in the television receiver 120, and continues to display while avoiding conflicting with the restriction.

[0088] When the copy restriction information indicates that copying is not allowed, the control unit controls so that the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 is not displayed on the touch panel display while the television receiver 120 is displaying the image. More specifically, the control unit controls not to display the image unless it receives a notification from the television receiver 120 that the display of the image has ended. From the perspective of copyright protection, it is desirable that the image is not displayed on either the smartphone 100 or the television receiver 120 even instantaneously.

[0089] On the one hand, when the copy restriction information indicates that copying is permitted, the control unit causes the image to be displayed on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100, and performs output control to prompt the user to select whether to continue displaying the image on the television receiver 120, inputs the user's selection, and controls whether to perform display on the television receiver 120 based on the input content. For example, when the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 is not prohibited from being copied, when an operation is performed to cause the continuation of the image to be displayed on the smartphone 100, the control unit causes the continuation of the image to be displayed on the smartphone 100. At the same time, the control unit may perform control so that the user is allowed to select whether to continue displaying the continuation of the image on the television receiver 120 as well. Further, when the copy restriction information permits multiple copies, for those with multiple remaining numbers in the number of permitted copies, control may be performed so that the user can select whether to continue displaying on the television receiver 120 or to display only on the smartphone 100.

[0090] When the television receiver 120 does not continue to display the image, when the display of the image on the television receiver 120 ends, a screen display different from before will appear on the television receiver 120. For example, television broadcasts may be displayed on the television receiver 120, or other images may be displayed. Also, nothing may be displayed on the screen, or noise (so-called sandstorm) may be displayed. After the display on the smartphone 100 starts, it may be prohibited to play the image again on the television receiver 120.

[0091] The control unit is an example of the control means in the present invention. The control unit changes the settings of the smartphone 100 based on the setting information received by the NFC communication unit. The control unit controls the display on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100 based on information regarding the image. In addition, the control unit transmits commands to each component of the smartphone 100 and receives statuses from each component, etc., to coordinate the operation of the entire smartphone 100.

[0092] The wireless LAN communication unit is an example of the second communication means in the present invention. The wireless LAN communication unit performs communication with a larger communication capacity than the communication performed by the NFC communication unit. The wireless LAN communication unit receives the remaining part of the setting information from the television receiving apparatus 120 by using the information for enabling the communication by the wireless LAN communication unit received by the NFC communication unit.

[0093] The touch panel display is an example of the display means in the present invention, and displays an image or other information on the screen based on the control by the control unit. In addition to the display function, the touch panel display has an input function and functions as an input / output interface for receiving a user's operation input.

[0094] The television receiving apparatus 120 displays television broadcasts and video contents on the screen. Further, the television receiving apparatus 120 stores the setting information for the smartphone 100 in the NFC tag. The setting information is, for example, the setting information desired by the user. In the present embodiment, the information for causing the smartphone 100 to display the continuation of the image displayed on the television receiving apparatus 120 becomes the setting information. More specifically, the information for causing the smartphone 100 to display the continuation of the image displayed on the screen of the television receiving apparatus 120 becomes the setting information. The television receiving apparatus 120 transmits and receives the setting information to and from the smartphone 100 by short-range wireless communication.

[0095] Regarding the smartphone 100 and the television receiver 120 described above, the operation when the television receiver 120 enters a region where short-range wireless communication is possible while playing and displaying a moving image file will be described. When the smartphone 100 and the television receiver 120 enter a communicable region, the NFC communication unit of the smartphone 100 starts short-range wireless communication with the television receiver 120, and receives information for causing the smartphone 100 to display the continuation of the video being displayed by the television receiver 120 as setting information. Examples of the information for causing the smartphone 100 to display the continuation include identification information of the last displayed image, identification information of the first image to be displayed as the continuation, and information on the playback position to be displayed as the continuation when the image is a moving image.

[0096] The control unit causes the touch panel display to display an image starting from a position after the temporal position of the currently displayed moving image in the file being played by the television receiver 120. Note that "the continuation of the image displayed on the television receiver 120 to be displayed on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100" is not limited to this, and it may be any of the following: the user can recognize that the continuation image can be displayed or is being displayed, or the image is already being displayed. For example, it may be an image slightly before the image currently being displayed on the television receiver 120, or it may be the image currently being displayed on the television receiver 120.

[0097] When no image is being displayed on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100, the control unit causes the touch panel display of the smartphone 100 to display the continuation of the image displayed on the touch panel display of the television receiver 120 based on the setting information received by the NFC communication unit.

[0098] On the one hand, when an image is also being displayed on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100 at the time when the NFC communication unit receives information regarding the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 from the television receiver 120, the control unit performs output control to prompt the user to select which of the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 and the image being displayed on the touch panel display is to be displayed on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100. When detecting an input of a selection by the user, the control unit controls which one is to be displayed on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100 based on the input content. Specifically, when the NFC communication unit receives information regarding the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 from the television receiver 120 and the smartphone 100 is already displaying an image, the control unit performs output control to display both the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 and the image being displayed on the smartphone 100 on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100 and prompt the user to select one of them, performs control to input the selection content, and based on the selection content, displays either the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 or the image being displayed on the smartphone 100. When displaying both images on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100, the smartphone 100 may display the image being displayed on the television receiver 120 and the image being displayed on the smartphone 100 in the same size, using each half of the screen of the touch panel display. In this case, comparison of the two images is easy and the user can easily make a selection. Also, the smartphone 100 may display the image that the smartphone 100 originally displayed larger than the image being displayed on the television receiver 120. In this case, interference with the audition of the originally displayed image can be reduced. The input of the selection content may be, for example, an operation of dragging (for example, sliding) the fingertip towards the center of the screen of the image to be displayed. A selection interface is displayed on a device having a touch panel. There is also NFC in a Blu-ray player, and it may be directly passed from the Blu-ray player to the tablet without being displayed on the television receiver 120.

[0099] When viewing content recorded on a hard disk recorder or the like on smartphone 100, complicated settings are required from the perspective of copyright protection. However, if NFC is used, when communication is established between the device for playing back the recorded content and smartphone 100, it can be easily confirmed that the two devices exist in close proximity where NFC-based communication is possible within the same space. By using NFC which cannot communicate unless the devices communicating are brought into contact with each other, it can be inferred that the content is used within the same space and at close range, such as within a certain household, rather than distributed to an unspecified number of people. For example, while watching a recorded movie in the living room, just bringing smartphone 100 close to the TV receiver 120 or the recorder causes the screen to shift to smartphone 100 and the viewer can continue watching while moving to the bedroom. Furthermore, if it is brought close to the TV in the bedroom, it is also possible to shift the screen there. Since the screen can be shifted by a physical operation, an easy-to-understand operation method can be provided. It is also possible to watch the continuation of a YouTube video being auditioned on smartphone 100 on TV receiver 120. Also, if the digital camera 130 during playback is brought close to TV receiver 120, the playback screen can be shifted to TV receiver 120 and the images taken with digital camera 130 can be confirmed on the large screen of TV receiver 120.

[0100] Information regarding the right to view content protected by copyright is transmitted while being relayed like a relay baton using NFC as the key. At this time, it is advisable to transmit and receive information regarding who transfers the right to view the content to whom as setting information. Also, information regarding which part of the content to be auditioned is to be displayed and information regarding how far it has been displayed may also be transmitted and received between the devices that transfer and receive the right to view the content. The image data of the content itself may be transmitted using a communication means with a large communication capacity such as wireless LAN.

[0101] [Example of application to learning remote control] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, a smartphone 100 having a touch panel display corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and a portable navigation device 110, a television receiver 120, a digital camera 130, a radar detector 140, and a washing machine 150 that can be operated using a remote control correspond to other electronic devices. Hereinafter, a case where the smartphone 100 functions as the electronic device according to the present invention and the television receiver 120 functions as another electronic device in the present invention will be described as an example. In this embodiment, it is assumed that both the smartphone 100 and the television receiver 120 are configured to be capable of both short-range wireless communication and wireless LAN communication.

[0102] Since the smartphone 100 is the same as in the first embodiment, in order to avoid redundant description, the description of the content with no differences will be omitted here.

[0103] When the NFC communication unit enters a communicable area with the television receiver 120 that transmits setting information to the smartphone 100, it automatically performs short-range wireless communication with the television receiver 120 and receives setting information that defines the settings of each part of the smartphone 100. The television receiver 120 holds setting information regarding a remote control for operating itself, and transmits the setting information by short-range wireless communication with the smartphone 100. The setting information in this embodiment is information regarding a remote control for operating the television receiver 120. Specifically, for example, information such as the button arrangement of the remote control, the design of each button, the remote control code to be transmitted when each button is pressed, and the IP address of the television receiver 120 becomes the setting information.

[0104] Based on the information regarding the remote control, the control unit simulates the remote control of the television receiver 120 on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100 and displays buttons.

[0105] The wireless LAN communication unit realizes wireless communication with the television receiver 120 using a wireless LAN having a longer communication distance than short-range wireless communication.

[0106] When the control unit detects that each button displayed on the user's touch panel display is pressed, it transmits the remote control code corresponding to the pressed button to the television receiver 120 via the wireless LAN communication unit. The television receiver 120 receives the remote control code and makes settings corresponding to the button pressed by the user. For example, when the user presses the button to increase the volume displayed on the touch panel display of the smartphone 100, the television receiver 120 receives the remote control code instructing to increase the volume via the wireless LAN, and makes settings to increase the volume accordingly.

[0107] In this embodiment, NFC is used as the "key to settings" so that a smartphone can be used as a remote control for home appliances. Since the communication distance of NFC is insufficient for use as a remote control, Wi-Fi is used for actual operations. Each home appliance is equipped with a Wi-Fi function and NFC, and a remote control application is prepared on the smartphone. To prevent interference and make settings such as button arrangements, NFC is used to negotiate with each home appliance only once at first. Just bring the smartphone close to each device to link them, and all necessary settings can be automatically performed. After that, it can be operated in the same way as a normal remote control.

[0108] Since Wi-Fi is used when transmitting the remote control code from the smartphone to the home appliance, the remote control operation can be performed even if there are obstacles on the way. The smartphone can perform two-way communication with each device using Wi-Fi. For appliances such as washing machines, the status can be checked even from another room, so the remaining time and the end of washing can also be known. Multiple home appliances can be operated only by switching the screen of the smartphone, and troubles such as an overflow of a large number of remote controls or the loss of a remote control can be avoided.

[0109] Just by touching, the remote control code is transmitted from each home appliance to the smartphone, so the setting is easier than that of a conventional learning remote control. In addition, if NFC negotiation is performed with each home appliance only once at first, troublesome settings such as button arrangements can be automatically performed, and association for preventing interference can also be performed at the same time. [Application Example to Radar Detector]

[0110] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the radar detector 300 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the tablet computer 320, the notebook computer 340, and the smartphone 360 correspond to other electronic devices. Hereinafter, a case where the radar detector 300 functions as the electronic device according to the present invention and the tablet computer 320 functions as another electronic device in the present invention will be described as an example.

[0111] The radar detector 300 is a radar detector that detects radar waves emitted from a radar type speed measuring device, an automatic speed violation suppression device (commonly known as "Obis"), etc., and notifies the detection of the radar waves by a chime sound, LED blinking, character display, voice announcement, etc. The radar detector 300 includes an NFC communication unit, a wireless LAN communication unit, a control unit, a position information acquisition unit, a database, a radar detection unit, and an interface unit.

[0112] The control unit is an example of the control means in the present invention. In addition, the control unit transmits commands to each component of the radar detector 300 and receives statuses from each component, etc., to control the overall operation of the radar detector 300. The radar detection unit detects radar waves of a predetermined frequency and notifies the control unit of that.

[0113] The interface unit has an input function for receiving a user's operation and an output function for presenting information to the user. The input function is realized by an operation button, a touch panel, a microphone, etc., and the output function is realized by a liquid crystal display, an LED (light emitting diode), a speaker, etc.

[0114] The database stores the location information of traffic monitoring points, the location information of cancellation points where radar waves are detected but should be ignored, the location information of points where notifications have been made in the past, and the like. The location information acquisition unit is an example of the location information acquisition means in the present invention and is constituted by, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System). The location information acquisition unit acquires the current location information of the radar detector 300.

[0115] The NFC communication unit is an example of the first communication means in the present invention and is a communication means that enables short-range wireless communication. The wireless LAN communication unit is an example of the second communication means in the present invention and enables a wireless LAN communication unit with a larger communication capacity and a longer communication distance than short-range wireless communication.

[0116] The radar detector 300 configured as described above notifies the user that it has detected a radar wave in the following manner. When the control unit is notified that a radar wave has been detected from the radar detection unit, it acquires the current location information from the location information acquisition unit, queries the database with the current location information, and checks whether the current location corresponds to a cancellation point. If the current location corresponds to a cancellation point, the control unit does not cause the interface unit to give a notification. On the other hand, if the current location does not correspond to a cancellation point registered in the database, the control unit determines whether the current location should be set as a new cancellation point based on the location information of the traffic monitoring point and the location information of the points where notifications have been made in the past. If it is determined that the current location should be set as a new cancellation point, the control unit automatically registers the current location information as a cancellation point in the database and ends the process without giving a notification. If it is determined that the current location should not be set as a new cancellation point, the control unit controls the interface unit to inform the user that a radar wave has been detected by means such as a chime sound, LED blinking, character display, or voice announcement. When the user confirms that traffic monitoring is not being performed at that location, the user can manually register the current location as a cancellation point in the database by operating the radar detector 300.

[0117] As described above, cancellation points are automatically or manually registered and accumulated in the database. In the radar detector 300, in addition to cancellation points, points where traffic monitoring is performed, etc. can also be automatically or manually registered. The radar detector 300 has an editing function such as correcting position information and assigning names to the position information thus accumulated. However, due to the constraints of the interface of the radar detector 300, the operability of the editing function is not necessarily good.

[0118] The tablet computer 320 is a general-purpose tablet-type terminal equipped with a short-range wireless communication function and a wireless LAN communication function. An application that provides a function for editing the data registered in the database of the radar detector 300 is installed in the tablet computer 320, and the user can use this application to edit the data with a higher degree of freedom than in the radar detector 300.

[0119] When the radar detector 300 enters a region where it can communicate with the tablet computer 320 via short-range wireless communication in a state where the application that provides the function for editing data in the tablet computer 320 is set to the "data reading mode", the information stored in the database of the radar detector 300 is transmitted to the tablet computer 320 via the NFC communication unit.

[0120] The user uses the application of the tablet computer 320 to highly freely edit the data read from the radar detector 300. To overwrite the edited data in the database of the radar detector 300, with the application of the tablet computer 320 set to the "data overwrite mode", place the radar detector 300 in an area where it can communicate with the tablet computer 320 via short-range wireless communication. Then, the NFC communication unit of the radar detector 300 receives the edited data from the tablet computer 320 via short-range wireless communication, and the control unit stores the received data in the database. In this way, the data stored in the database of the radar detector 300 can be edited using the highly flexible editing function of the tablet computer 320 and easily written back to the radar detector 300.

[0121] By the way, in order to appropriately notify the user, various position information stored in the database of the radar detector 300 needs to be updated to the latest information. In a conventional radar detector, updated data was written to a memory card using a personal computer, and then the memory card was inserted into the radar detector to have the radar detector read the updated data.

[0122] As will be described below, the radar detector 300 of the present embodiment receives updated data through communication with the tablet computer 320 and updates the database. The tablet computer 320 obtains updated data from a server 380 that distributes the updated data via a network such as the Internet, 3G (3rd generation mobile communication system), or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0123] When the user brings the tablet computer 320 that has acquired the update data into contact with the radar detector 300, the NFC communication unit performs short-range wireless communication with the tablet computer 320 and receives the setting information from the radar detector 300. By using NFC, it is possible to provide the update data only to the contacted radar detector 300 even in a situation where there are a large number of radar detectors in the vicinity.

[0124] The setting information includes, for example, update data on the location information of the traffic monitoring point, and the radar detector 300 may receive the update data from the tablet computer 320 by short-range wireless communication.

[0125] As another method, the setting information may be information such as an IP address necessary for performing wireless LAN communication with the tablet computer 320, and key information (for example, an ID or a password) for providing the update data. The radar detector 300 transmits the key information received from the tablet computer 320 to the tablet computer 320 via the wireless LAN communication unit and obtains permission to receive the update data. Then, the radar detector 300 receives the update data from the tablet computer 320 via the wireless LAN communication unit. According to this method, even when the data volume of the update data is larger than the data volume allowed by short-range wireless communication, the data can be transferred. Also, since it is only necessary to be able to receive the information necessary for wireless LAN communication and the key information by short-range wireless communication, the contact between the radar detector 300 and the tablet computer 320 may be short.

[0126] The control unit updates the database based on the update data received from the tablet computer 320. By simply inserting the tablet computer 320 that stores the update data in the area communicable with the radar detector 300, the database can be updated without complicated operations. For example, even in a limited space such as inside a vehicle, and even in the radar detector 300 where the operability of the input / output interface is not good, the database regarding the position information of the traffic monitoring points can be easily updated. Also, the tablet computer 320 can provide the update data only to the device that has made contact and performed short-range wireless communication. Therefore, even when there are a large number of radar detectors within the range where wireless LAN communication is possible (for example, in an environment such as a parking lot), the update data can be sent only to the intended radar detector. Also, it is possible to prevent the data in the database of the radar detector 300 from being updated unintentionally.

[0127] Different from the previous update methods using personal computers and memory cards, all operations can be completed on-site. There is no need to start the home personal computer or carry the memory card to transfer data, and it is possible to easily update to the latest information anytime and anywhere on-site. Furthermore, if a dedicated application is prepared, the update work can be performed more easily than operating a personal computer, increasing the opportunity to develop untapped users such as users with low personal computer skills and users who did not consider updating due to annoyance. When the memory card reading / writing function of the radar detector 300 becomes unnecessary and is replaced with an NFC function, there is no need to provide an opening in the card mounting parts and the housing, which is also advantageous in terms of cost and design. With the spread of smartphones and tablets, the number of users without a personal computer is increasing. Also, with the spread of high-speed communication such as LTE, the infrastructure for handling large-capacity data on mobile terminals has been established. Instead of forcing the use of personal computers and memory cards, diverse update methods can be provided.

[0128] Do not force the use of a personal computer or memory card for data updates. The threshold for data updates can be lowered and made easier. Although the radar needs to rewrite the data because the regulated location is updated, until now, the firmware has been replaced by putting it in a PC or memory card. By using a smartphone or tablet, data can be easily updated. Even those who do not have a PC can import data from the server with a smartphone or tablet and transfer it via short-range wireless communication.

[0129] Prepare an app that can edit registration information such as cancellation points and various settings on a smartphone or personal computer, and transfer the organized data to the radar detector 300. By using the map service of a smartphone or personal computer, it is possible to confirm the registration location in detail, adjust the location, or register a new location. Furthermore, it is possible to delete unnecessary points, and the editing work that has been forced in the small screen of the radar detector 300 and the small space inside the vehicle can be comfortably edited on the large screens of smartphones, personal computers, and tablets.

[0130] Registration of cancellation points etc. can be executed with the radar detector 300 as before. The radar detector 300 transfers the registration information to a smartphone or personal computer using NFC. The registration information is sorted / edited using a dedicated application on the tablet computer 320. The sorted information is written back to the radar detector 300 again using NFC.

[0131] The process of extracting, organizing / editing, and writing back the same registration information can also be applied to a car navigation system. The location information in the car navigation system is extracted to a tablet via NFC, edited on the tablet, and then written back to the navigation via NFC. The car navigation system has significant operational constraints, while the editing means on the tablet has fewer operational constraints. Conventionally, the user had to go to the location and register the position information obtained by sensors such as GPS at the specified timing, and perform editing such as naming within the navigation. According to this, it is possible to improve the difficult editing work imposed in a small space inside the vehicle.

[0132] [Example of Application to a Navigation Device 1] Referring to FIG. 4, a fourth embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a navigation device. In this embodiment, the navigation device 400 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the NFC tag 410 corresponds to another electronic device.

[0133] The navigation device 400 has a thin rectangular case body installed on the dashboard of the vehicle. The front surface of the case body is provided with a display unit, and on the display unit, a touch panel for detecting which part of the display unit is touched is provided. The navigation device 400 is provided with a storage unit, and map data and the like are recorded in the storage unit. This navigation device 400 performs navigation using the map data stored in the above storage unit and the like. Further, the navigation device 400 is provided with an NFC communication unit. When an external electronic device enters a communication-enabled area with the NFC communication unit, it performs short-range wireless communication with the electronic device and receives setting information from the electronic device. The navigation device 400 is further provided with a control unit, and the control unit performs settings of the navigation device 400 according to the setting information received by the NFC communication unit. The navigation device 400 is further provided with a GPS unit for detecting the position information of the current location, and a navigation unit for searching for a route from the current location to a set destination and guiding according to the obtained route.

[0134] The NFC tag 410 is a thin electronic device with a memory capacity of a predetermined amount (e.g., about several hundred bytes) and capable of short-range wireless communication (e.g., wireless communication within about 10 cm or communication with a communication distance of the degree of contacting devices with each other), and is formed as a sticker, card, key holder, strap, etc. Setting information for the navigation device 400 is stored in the memory within the NFC tag 410. The setting information stored in the NFC tag 410 may be any setting for the navigation device 400, such as a destination, search conditions such as "high-speed priority" or "general road priority", and a display mode of the screen. A plurality of items of setting information may be stored in one NFC tag 410.

[0135] In the navigation device 400 of this embodiment, simply holding the NFC tag 410 registered with the destination over the navigation device 400 enables immediate destination setting. If a plurality of tags are prepared for each destination, the user is freed from the hassle of operating the touch panel of the navigation device 400 and searching for the destination while scrolling through a long list of registered locations. Even a user who is not good at using electronic devices can easily and quickly set the destination with a simple operation such as holding the tag over the device. If a space for writing the registration content is provided on the surface of the tag, or if a plurality of tags with different colors and shapes are prepared, the setting can be made even easier. For example, an NFC tag for setting high-speed priority may be formed in a color and shape similar to a highway road sign, and an NFC tag for setting home as the destination may be formed in the shape of a house. The NFC communication unit of the navigation device 400 may be configured to receive the setting information stored in each NFC 410 when a plurality of NFC tags 410 are held together. With such a configuration, by holding the NFC tags 410 for each setting item together, the desired setting can be easily performed by combining the NFC tags 410. For example, by holding together an NFC tag for setting high-speed priority and an NFC tag for setting home as the destination, the setting of high-speed priority with home as the destination can be performed in one batch. Needless to say, it is also possible to configure the device so that other setting items can be set in a free combination in one batch by holding together the NFC tags 410 corresponding to the setting items.

[0136] The navigation device 400 is equipped with a function that allows easy registration of the current location and any point on the map, and is provided with a mechanism that enables easy creation of new NFC tags. For example, when you want to come back to the current location again, set the navigation device to the NFC writing mode and hold the NFC tag 410 over it, so that the current location is memorized as the destination in the NFC tag 410. Also, it is possible to write a plurality of setting items for the navigation device 400 into the NFC tag 410 at once. When multiple people such as family members and company employees share one car, if various settings according to individual preferences are written into the respective NFC tags 410, the user can simply hold their own NFC tag 410 over the navigation device 400 to instantly switch the content of the navigation device 400 to the settings for that person. Also, setting information can be written into a commercially available NFC tag 410 using a smartphone 420 or a tablet computer equipped with an NFC function. For example, it is advisable to search for a destination with the smartphone 420 and register the location information of the destination in the NFC tag 410. Also, the address and phone number of the destination may be entered into the navigation device 400 for search, and the found location may be registered in the NFC tag 410.

[0137] Furthermore, an application that can write a destination into the NFC tag 410 should be prepared using a smartphone or a personal computer to create an environment where new tags can be created. The writing space of the NFC tag where the setting content to be memorized can be changed is preferably formed of a material that can be written and erased with a pen. What can be recorded in the NFC tag 410 is not only the destination, but also function switches such as "high-speed priority" and "ordinary road priority". It is advisable to combine them with the destination tag so that the desired settings can be executed at once by simply holding them together. Frequently used combinations of settings should be bundled and managed like a word book.

[0138] According to the navigation device 400 of this embodiment, various settings of the navigation device 400 can be performed simply by bringing the NFC tag 410 closer, so even a person who is not familiar with the operation can easily perform the settings. In addition, since the NFC tag 410 that is easy to identify is used, it is easy to instruct or request an operation to a person who is not familiar with the operation, and operation mistakes can also be prevented. It is also easy for the driver to instruct the person sitting in the passenger seat to make settings, and it is also simple to teach the setting method to a person in a remote location.

[0139] Ordinarily, settings such as destinations and preferences vary from person to person. By simply preparing NFC tags 410 with individual settings registered, all settings can be switched at once, so there are no restrictions such as the need to reconfigure settings one by one or limitations on the number of registered people, and everyone can use the navigation device in their preferred environment. Prepare NFC tags 410 with each individual's preferences registered separately. The NFC tags 410 can be purchased additionally and increased as needed. When bringing it close to the navigation device 400 when getting in the car, the content can be switched immediately. After performing all the settings, write out the settings to the NFC tag 410 to add a new NFC tag 410. If a similar function is provided for the radar detector, a radar detector version individual setting NFC tag function can also be provided.

[0140] [Example of Application to Navigation Device 2] Referring to FIG. 5, a fifth embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a navigation device. In this embodiment, the navigation device 500 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the smartphone 510 corresponds to another electronic device.

[0141] The configuration of the navigation device 500 is the same as that of the navigation device 400 described in the above-mentioned "Example of Application to Navigation Device 1", so the description here for matters with no differences will be omitted.

[0142] The smartphone 510 includes an NFC communication unit, a network communication unit, a control unit, and a touch panel display. The NFC communication unit is a communication means that enables short-range wireless communication. The network communication unit connects to a network such as the Internet and enables access to various types of information connected to the network. The control unit executes a setting application for the navigation device. Also, the control unit transmits commands to each component of the smartphone 510 and receives statuses from each component, etc., to overall control the operation of the entire smartphone 510.

[0143] The user searches for a destination with the smartphone 510 and acquires various types of information regarding the destination. At that time, the user also acquires the location information of the destination (for example, address, latitude, and longitude) and registers it as the destination in the setting application. Along with the location information, the name of the destination is also registered in the setting application. It is preferable to set the keyword used at the time of search as the name of the destination. In that state, when the smartphone 510 is held up to the navigation device 500, the destination registered in the setting application is sent to the navigation device 500 by short-range wireless communication and is set as the destination by the control unit of the navigation device 500. Also, when this destination is not registered as a registered spot in the navigation device, the control unit registers that destination as a new registered spot.

[0144] The location searched on a smartphone 510 or a tablet computer 520 equipped with an NFC function is immediately transferred as the destination. Even at a new leisure spot or a place where the address or name is not accurately known, it is possible to search on the Internet using a little information as a clue and identify the destination. Conventional navigation devices 500 have been difficult for users to search for places they don't know or places that emerged after purchasing the navigation device 500. However, they continue to evolve into navigation devices 500 that can cooperate with smartphones 510 and tablet computers 520 and always obtain the latest information. It is also possible to specify and transfer the destination by voice search on the smartphone 510, and it is also possible to free from complicated button operations. The latest spots and local information macro information not registered in the guide information of the navigation device 500 can also be searched by the Internet search function of the smartphone 510 or the tablet computer 520 and transferred to the navigation device 500 as the destination. Search for ambiguous information such as only knowing the name on the tablet computer 520 or the smartphone 510 and register it in the navigation device 500 via NFC. The search keyword on the tablet computer 520 or the smartphone 510 is used as the registered name, and the setting information to be transferred by NFC together with the position information. This is simpler than the conventional method of registering by comparing the map with the display of the navigation device, and even a user who is not used to the operation can easily set a new destination.

[0145] [Application Example 3 to Navigation Device] Referring to FIG. 6, the sixth embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a navigation device. In this embodiment, the navigation device 600 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the smartphone 610 corresponds to the other electronic device.

[0146] The configurations of the navigation device 600 and the smartphone 610 are the same as those of the navigation device 400 and the smartphone 410 described in the above-mentioned "Application Example 2 to Navigation Device", respectively. Therefore, the description of matters with no difference will be omitted here.

[0147] The user uses a smartphone 610 to utilize an SNS (Social Networking Service) and sets categories of interest on the SNS. Examples of the SNS include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, LinkedIn, mixi, GREE, Mobage, Ameba, etc. The user registers on the SNS to obtain SNS posting information that displays, in chronological order, posts of the user himself / herself and other users selected by the user and posts related to keywords selected, which is called a so-called "timeline". Also, the user sets a destination on the navigation device 600 and starts guidance to the destination. For example, at the timing of departing towards the destination, the user holds the smartphone 610 in front of the navigation device 600 and transmits the SNS posting information to the navigation device 600 using short-range wireless communication. The SNS posting information to be transmitted to the navigation device 600 may be posting information for a predetermined period (for example, for the past one hour). The information on the navigation device 600 side is not updated unless the smartphone 610 is held in front again.

[0148] The navigation unit of the navigation device 600 analyzes the SNS posting information acquired from the smartphone 610, extracts information on spots along the guidance route to the destination, and presents it to the user. The navigation unit may display an alert on the map being displayed on the display unit when approaching a predetermined distance to the extracted spot. In the analysis of the SNS posting information, information on categories preset by the user may be extracted, but it is more preferable to cluster a series of information included in the SNS posting information, infer categories in which the user has a high interest, and determine categories to be automatically extracted. Note that a rough narrowing down of the SNS posting information may be performed on the smartphone, and detailed information processing may be performed on the navigation device 600. This can suppress the amount of information to be transmitted by short-range wireless communication and shorten the total processing time through the division of processing.

[0149] The navigation unit receives vehicle information regarding the state of the vehicle using OBD (On-board diagnostics), and selectively presents information on spots to the user based on the vehicle information. For example, the navigation unit receives the remaining fuel amount using OBD, and when the remaining fuel amount is below a predetermined value, it extracts information on gas stations with a low unit price along the guidance route from SNS post information, and causes a button prompting the addition of the gas station as a destination to be displayed on the display unit. The user may press the displayed button to add the destination, or may defer adding the destination without pressing the button. When a predetermined time elapses without the destination being added, the navigation unit terminates the button display on the display unit and displays an icon indicating the gas station at the position corresponding to the gas station on the map displayed on the display unit. Thereafter, when the user presses the icon, the navigation unit redisplays a button on the display unit prompting the addition of the critical point as a destination. In the case of the navigation device 500 installed in an electric vehicle, it may receive the remaining battery amount using OBD, and when the remaining amount is below a predetermined value, extract information on charging stations from SNS post information and present it to the user.

[0150] In addition, the navigation unit selectively presents spot information to the user based on the current time. For example, when the current time is close to lunchtime, the navigation unit extracts information on restaurants and popular stores along the guidance route from the SNS posting information, and causes the display unit to display a button for prompting the addition of the extracted stores as destinations. The navigation unit may preferentially present information with a large number of recommendations (such as "like" or "retweet") from the poster in the SNS posting information to the user. Information about restaurants may be displayed within 30 minutes before and after the meal time (e.g., noon), or the display of information may be terminated by a predetermined time (e.g., 14:00). When determining the cut-off time for display, it is advisable to make the determination considering the average business closing time of the stores. The navigation unit selects the stores to be presented to the user based on the character string of the SNS posting information. For example, the navigation unit assigns a score to each store based on the character string of the SNS posting information, and determines the priority of presentation according to the score. The score may be increased for stores mentioned in posts containing character strings such as "delicious", "cheap", "worthwhile", etc., and the score may be decreased for stores mentioned in posts containing character strings such as "closed", "regrettable", etc.

[0151] In addition, the navigation unit may analyze the SNS posting information with emphasis on the information sent by the user himself / herself in the SNS posting information. For example, if the information sent by the user contains the character string "hungry", information about restaurants is preferentially presented.

[0152] The navigation unit changes the frequency of presenting spot information to the user according to the time elapsed since the user last held the smartphone 610 over the navigation device 600 to receive SNS posting information. For example, immediately after receiving the SNS posting information, the navigation unit frequently presents the information, and as time passes, the frequency of presenting the information decreases. Since the user holding the smartphone 610 over the navigation device 600 is considered an indication of the intention to want spot information, it is preferable to present the spot information around the guidance route immediately after updating the SNS posting information. Also, when the SNS posting information is not updated for a long time, since the user is likely to be concentrating on arriving at the current destination, it is preferable to lower the frequency of information presentation. When the SNS posting information is not updated for a long time, the navigation device 600 may prompt the user to update the SNS posting information. It can remind the user who has simply forgotten to update to update the SNS posting information.

[0153] According to the above-described navigation device 600, if interesting categories such as inexpensive gas stations and gourmet spots are set in the smartphone 610, information can be automatically obtained from SNS and transferred to the navigation device 600 using NFC, and an alert can be issued from the navigation device 600 when approaching that location. It should be set up as a mechanism that gives information on the passing roadside in a timely manner, with a slightly weaker treatment than destination registration. If it is linked with OBD, only information organized in an intelligently controlled manner, such as gas station information rising only when the remaining fuel is low or gourmet information being linked with the clock and being alerted only during meals, should be programmed to come up.

[0154] The information of the category to be obtained in advance can be retrieved by the smartphone 610 or the tablet according to the state and time of the vehicle and transferred to the navigation device 600 from the SNS information. It is notified at an appropriate timing when passing by the vicinity. The navigation device notifies information that is not necessarily the destination but is beneficial and that you want to know according to time and location. When there is a recommended store (such as a restaurant or a popular store when eating) along the route (along the route) where the route search was performed instead of the destination, it is displayed. The navigation senses what is necessary and tells you the information. The information flowing on the SNS is narrowed down by the running location, time zone, etc. by the smartphone 610 or the navigation device 600 and notified. So that you don't just pass by when you've come all the way to near a spot that's trending on SNS, such as a place with a lot of "likes", recommended tourist spots, scenic viewpoints, and photo points, the information along the guiding route is automatically presented by the navigation device 600.

[0155] [Application Example 4 to Navigation Device] Referring to FIG. 7, the seventh embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a navigation device. In this embodiment, the navigation device 600 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the smartphone 610 corresponds to other electronic devices.

[0156] The configurations of the navigation device 700 and the smartphone 710 are the same as those of the navigation device 400 and the smartphone 410 described in the aforementioned "Application Example 2 to Navigation Device", respectively. Therefore, the description of matters with no differences is omitted here.

[0157] The navigation device 700 in this example can search for a guiding route to the destination by the navigation unit, but can also obtain a guiding route obtained by performing more advanced analysis from an external server device 720.

[0158] When the user obtains a guidance route from the server device 720, the user holds the smartphone 710 with the navigation device 700 set to the "cloud navigation mode". Then, the current location, the destination, and the past driving log stored in the navigation device 700 are transmitted to the smartphone 710 by short-range wireless communication. At this time, the user can select the driving log data to be transmitted to the smartphone 710. For example, from the perspective of privacy protection, it is possible to set not to transmit the driving log data around the home. The driving log is not transmitted unless the smartphone 710 is brought into contact with the navigation device 700. Also, when the smartphone 710 is brought into contact with the navigation device 600, a confirmation prompt such as "Is it okay to transmit the driving log?" may be displayed on the screen of the navigation device 700.

[0159] The smartphone 710 transfers the current location, the destination, and the driving log received from the navigation device 700 to the server device 720 via the network communication unit. The server device 720 stores the driving log data of the navigation device 700 and uses it for subsequent analysis. Driving log data is similarly collected from navigation devices used by other users and used for analysis by the server device 720.

[0160] The server device 720 searches for a guidance route from the current location to the destination. In the search performed by the server device 720, the most efficient route at the current time is selected using a large number of collected driving log data, various data such as traffic information, construction information, season, day of the week, and time zone. For example, the server device 720 calculates the congested roads, always uncongested roads, average speed, etc. from the collected driving log data and uses them as a basis for route selection judgment.

[0161] The server device 720 returns the selected guidance route to the smartphone 710. Then, when the user holds the smartphone 710 in front of the navigation device 700, the guidance route sent from the server device 720 is transferred to the navigation device 700. The navigation unit of the navigation device 700 guides the user to the destination according to the guidance route selected by the server device 720. In this way, advanced analysis by the server device 720 can be utilized on the condition that the server device 720 is provided with the driving log data.

[0162] The driving log of the navigation device 700 is retrieved by the NFC-equipped smartphone 710, compared with the traffic jam information on the Internet, and used for the next route search. The navigation device 700 can be upgraded to an information tool that can not only provide route guidance but also analyze past performance and perform advanced route creation considering factors such as "when is it efficient to depart" and "which route was less congested". An analysis center is established to collect driving logs from multiple users, comprehensively analyze various driving logs, and evolve the learning function for route selection. A cloud-based navigation system is constructed that can comprehensively judge factors such as season / weekday / time zone and perform the most efficient route selection. In the case of electric vehicles, it is also possible to inform the route and charging timing considering charging stations, as well as the congestion status and reservation of charging stations.

[0163] The more logs are collected by the analysis center, the more it evolves, and the higher the degree of completion of route selection becomes. In the future, the navigation device 700 may be specialized in map display, with the analysis center responsible for route search, and it may also be a device that receives and displays information on the smartphone.

[0164] Conventional navigation devices calculate the section distance of roads, the number of lanes, the speed limit, the number of right and left turns, etc. and perform route searches. In addition to this, the navigation device in this example can perform a complex calculation of elements such as average speed, traffic congestion situation for each road, time, and weather from the driving log, and is a navigation device that can search for a really comfortable route. When a large number of users search for the same destination due to an event or the like, in the case of a cloud type, intentionally dispersed routes are presented to avoid concentrating on the same route and avoid traffic jams.

[0165] The communication function of the smartphone that sucks up the driving log of the navigation device by NFC is sent to the analysis center and compared with the traffic jam information of the day and other information to be used as the analysis information for the next route selection. Since a large number of actual driving logs are analyzed and used, the accuracy of the route improves as the vehicle runs. The analysis results collected from all over the country are combined with secondary elements such as road construction and weather to be used as the information source for route selection.

[0166] [Application Example to a Passenger Car Including a Plurality of In-Vehicle Electronic Devices] Referring to FIG. 8, the eighth embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a passenger car which is a system including a plurality of in-vehicle electronic devices. In this embodiment, a passenger car 800 including a plurality of in-vehicle electronic devices corresponds to the system in the present invention, a navigation device 810 and a radar detector 820 correspond to the electronic devices according to the present invention, and an NFC tag 830 corresponds to other electronic devices.

[0167] The configurations of the navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820 are the same as those of the navigation device 400 described in the above-mentioned "Application Example 1 to the Navigation Device" and the radar detector 300 described in the "Application Example to the Radar Detector", respectively. Therefore, descriptions of matters with no differences will be omitted here. Also, the configuration of the NFC tag 830 is the same as that of the NFC tag 410 described in the "Application Example 1 to the Navigation Device", and duplicate descriptions will be omitted. However, setting information for the navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820 is stored in the memory of the NFC tag 830.

[0168] The passenger car 800 is provided with a batch setting unit for collectively receiving setting information for a plurality of electronic devices including the navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820. The batch setting unit is preferably arranged at a position where the driver can easily operate it, and specifically, it is preferably provided near the ignition switch. In this case, the NFC tag 830 is embedded in the ignition key, and the batch setting unit is preferably arranged such that when the ignition key is inserted into the key cylinder of the ignition switch, the batch setting unit and the NFC tag 830 can communicate with each other. The batch setting unit is wired so as to be able to distribute setting information to a plurality of electronic devices including the navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820.

[0169] When the NFC tag 830 is held near the batch setting unit, the setting information for the navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820 stored in the memory of the NFC tag 830 is transmitted to the batch setting unit, and the batch setting unit distributes the setting information for each of the navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820. The navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820 are set based on the received setting information respectively.

[0170] After setting a plurality of electronic devices by holding the NFC tag 830 near the batch setting unit, the individual electronic devices may be reset individually. For example, as described in "Application Example 1 to the Navigation Device", the navigation device 810 may be reset by holding an NFC tag in which another setting is stored near the navigation device 810. In addition to the settings of the navigation device 810 and the radar detector 820, the NFC tag 830 may store settings such as the seat position and the mirror position. For the seat position and the mirror position, a function for individually performing setting by NFC communication may not be provided. Further, the batch setting unit preferably also has a function of collectively writing various settings in the passenger car 800 to the NFC tag.

[0171] [Application Example to the Vehicle Operation Management System] Referring to FIG. 9, a ninth embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle operation management system. In this embodiment, an operation log recording device 900 and a management terminal 910 correspond to the electronic devices according to the present invention, and an NFC tag 920 corresponds to other electronic devices.

[0172] The operation log recording device 900 is mounted on vehicles such as taxis and trucks, and records and stores operation logs such as boarding time and driving distance. The operation log recording device 900 has an NFC communication function. The operation log recording device 900 is wired so that it can distribute setting information to various electronic devices in the vehicle, similar to the batch setting unit described in the "Application Example to a Passenger Vehicle Including a Plurality of In-vehicle Electronic Devices".

[0173] The management terminal 910 is deployed in a taxi company or a transportation company and is a terminal for recording and managing the operation logs of vehicles. The management terminal 910 has an NFC communication function, and when it enters a communicable area with the NFC tag 920 storing the operation log, it acquires and records the operation log from the NFC tag 920.

[0174] The configuration of the NFC tag 920 is the same as that of the NFC tag 410 described in the "Application Example 1 to a Navigation Device", and redundant descriptions are omitted. The memory of the NFC tag 920 stores, in addition to various setting information according to the driver's preference as described in the "Application Example 1 to a Navigation Device", an ID unique to the driver who holds the NFC tag 920, and functions as a temporary storage location for the operation log read from the operation log recording device 900.

[0175] Before driving, the driver of the vehicle holds the NFC tag 920 in front of the driving log recording device 900. Then, the driving log recording device 900 receives the setting information from the NFC tag 920 and distributes it to various electronic devices, and at the same time, receives the driver's ID and starts recording the driving log. The driving log records the driver's ID, boarding time, and driving distance. When the setting information is set in various electronic devices, the preferred setting information of the driver is erased from the NFC tag 920. By holding the NFC tag in front of the device before starting to drive, the preferred setting information of the driver is set in various electronic devices and the ID is recorded in the driving log recording device 900, so it is possible to prevent the driver from forgetting to set their own ID in the driving log recording device 900 before starting to drive.

[0176] After driving, the driver of the vehicle holds the NFC tag 920 in front of the driving log recording device 900 again. Then, the driving log recording device 900 ends the recording of the driving log, records the driving log in the memory of the NFC tag 920, and writes back the preferred setting information of the driver to the memory of the NFC tag 920. If the NFC tag 920 is not held after driving, the favorite setting information cannot be returned, so it is possible to prevent the driver from forgetting to hold the NFC tag 920 in front of the driving log recording device 900. The driver who reads the driving log into the NFC tag 920 after driving returns to the company with the NFC tag and holds the NFC tag 920 in front of the company's management terminal 910. The management terminal 910 acquires and records the driving log of the driver from the NFC tag by short-range wireless communication.

[0177] A dedicated NFC device is installed in the vehicle to record and store driving logs such as boarding time and driving distance. By sucking up data with NFC and holding it in front of a dedicated terminal when returning to the company, all records can be transferred and driving management becomes easier. By simply holding the NFC tag in front of each terminal, logs can be saved easily and without mistakes, reducing the burden on both the driver and the administrative staff. Since there is no analog part such as handwriting or visual inspection involved, human error can be eliminated.

[0178] [Application Example to Golf Navigation Device and Golf Practice Support Device] Referring to FIG. 10, a tenth embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a golf navigation device and a golf practice support device. In this embodiment, depending on the direction of information transfer, one of the golf navigation device 1000 and the golf practice support device 1010 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the other of the golf navigation device 1000 and the golf practice support device 1010 corresponds to another electronic device. Which device becomes the transmission source of the setting information is determined by the state of either device (for example, the application being launched, the operation mode set in the application, etc.).

[0179] The golf navigation device 1000 includes display means such as a liquid crystal display, a map database storing map information including course layout information, and position information acquisition means such as GPS. The current position acquired by the position information acquisition means, the remaining distance, the playing method, etc. are displayed on the display means together with the course layout of the golf course to support the play of a user who circles the course at the golf course. Further, the golf navigation device 1000 can record the club used for each shot and the landing position of the hit ball to leave a detailed history.

[0180] The golf practice support device 1010 is a device that supports the practice of a golf swing. Based on the selection of a club and the swing speed measured by the golf practice support device, it estimates and displays the flying distance. The golf practice support device 1010 has a game mode in which practice is carried out while simulating circling a golf course. In the game mode, the golf practice support device 1010 displays the course layout of the golf course on the screen and displays the ball trajectory and landing position for each swing. The user can perform a simulation of circling the course while checking the display of the golf practice support device 1010. In the game mode, in addition to the club, it is preferable to select the direction of the hit ball, but it is also possible to determine the landing position assuming that the ball has fallen on the shortest route without selecting the direction of the hit ball. The golf practice support device 1010 records information such as the user's swing habits during practice.

[0181] The golf navigation device 1000 and the golf practice support device 1010 of this embodiment each include an NFC communication unit, perform short-range wireless communication by bringing the two devices into contact, and transfer the information held by one device to the other device. For example, the golf practice support device 1010 receives course layout information from the golf navigation device 1000 and provides a game mode using the received course layout information. As a result, the user can practice while simulating an actual course, such as a course they plan to play next, a course they want to play, or a course they have played in the past. Also, when practicing on the course layout of a course played in the past, the golf navigation device 1000 receives the history of scores, hitting positions and arrival positions for each shot when playing that course. Then, the received history is analyzed and the user is advised on a practice method for conquering the course.

[0182] In addition, the golf navigation device 1000 receives information on the user's swing habits and characteristics from the golf practice support device 1010, and gives the user swing advice when guiding the user on the course. For example, when the user tends to have a slow swing speed and insufficient flight distance in an approach shot, the user can be advised to swing harder in the scene of an approach shot on the course. Also, based on the received swing characteristics, the golf navigation device 1000 extracts and recommends a golf course that the user seems to be good at and a course suitable for overcoming the user's problems.

[0183] When practicing with the golf practice support device 1010, habits and the like are exchanged via NFC and sent to the golf navigation device 1000, which provides advice taking into account course characteristics. There is also a reverse pattern, where information when going around the course with the golf navigation device 1000 is sent to the golf practice support device 1010 via NFC, and a practice method for overcoming the course is advised. Before and after going around the course, personalized advice suitable for each is provided, and by owning a set that provides support for improvement, the added value is increased. Information sharing using NFC is performed between the golf practice machine and the golf navigator, and personalized / course-specific practice / attack methods are advised.

[0184] [Application Examples to Navigation Devices and Golf Navigation Devices] Referring to FIG. 11, the eleventh embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a navigation device (hereinafter, the navigation device 1100 and the golf navigation device 1110). In this embodiment, depending on the direction of information transfer, one of the navigation device 1100 and the golf navigation device 1110 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the other corresponds to another electronic device. Which device becomes the transmission source of the setting information is determined by the state of either device (for example, the application being launched, the operation mode set in the application, etc.).

[0185] The configuration of the navigation device 1100 is the same as that of the navigation device 400 described in the above-mentioned "Application Example 2 to Navigation Devices", so the description of matters without differences will be omitted here.

[0186] The golf navigation device 1110 of this embodiment includes an NFC communication unit. By bringing the navigation device 1100 into contact with the golf navigation device 1110, short-range wireless communication is performed, and common setting information held by one device is transferred to the other device. As a result, the settings for one device can also be used on the other device. For example, if the navigation device 1100 sets a golf course as the destination and the golf navigation device 1110 is brought closer, information on the golf course set as the destination is sent to the golf navigation device 1110 by the NFC function, and the course setting of the golf navigation device 1110 is automatically performed. Conversely, if a course is selected on the golf navigation device 1110 and the golf navigation device 1110 is brought closer to the navigation device 1100, the golf course is automatically registered as the destination of the navigation device 1100. In this way, one-time settings can be shared among devices, eliminating the annoyance of repeatedly requiring similar operations.

[0187] [Application Example to Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Management System] Referring to FIG. 12, the twelfth embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an anti-counterfeiting and product management system. In this embodiment, the smartphone 1200 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the NFC tag 1215 embedded in the bag 1210 and the NFC tag 1225 embedded in the watch 1220 correspond to other electronic devices.

[0188] The smartphone 1200 includes an NFC communication unit, a network communication unit, a control unit, and a touch panel display. The NFC communication unit is an example of the first communication means in the present invention. The network communication unit is an example of the second communication means in the present invention and connects to a network such as the Internet to communicate with a server 1230 connected to the network. The control unit is an example of the control means in the present invention. The control unit executes an anti-counterfeiting and product management system dedicated application. The control unit transmits commands to and receives statuses from each component of the smartphone 1200 to control the overall operation of the smartphone 1200.

[0189] The bag 1210 and the watch 1220 are respectively embedded with an NFC tag 1215 and an NFC tag 1225. Each of the NFC tags 1215 and 1225 stores a unique ID. The manufacturers of the bag 1210 and the watch 1220 manage the server 1230. The server 1230 includes a database that stores products such as the bag 1210 and the watch 1220 and their IDs. In this database, the distribution history, repair history, etc. of the products are stored in association with the IDs.

[0190] When the NFC communication unit enters a region where it can communicate with the NFC tag 1215 embedded in the bag 1210, it automatically performs short-range wireless communication with the NFC tag 1215 and receives the ID recorded on the NFC tag 1215. The control unit queries the server 1230 about the ID received by the NFC communication unit via the network communication unit. The server returns the query result to the smartphone 1200, and the smartphone 1200 displays the query result on the touch panel display under the control of the control unit.

[0191] In this way, a system is provided for companies troubled by counterfeit damage, such as brand product manufacturers, which can determine authenticity simply by embedding an NFC tag in a product and holding it up to a reading device. An NFC tag is embedded in a brand product troubled by counterfeit damage. The product-specific ID is recorded in the NFC tag. The reading device may be a commercially available product such as a smartphone or tablet equipped with an NFC communication function with a dedicated application installed. Such a reading device is held up to the product with the NFC tag embedded to read the ID. Then, access is made to the NFC tag information management server to compare the read ID with the database. The comparison result is immediately returned to the smartphone, and information on whether it is genuine or counterfeit is displayed. This makes it possible to discriminate on the spot. The ID read from the NFC tag of the product can be queried with the database via the network. Since commercially available smartphones, etc. are utilized, the cost of the device and the communication fee can be kept low. The anti-counterfeiting and product management system of this embodiment can be used by users to confirm whether their purchased items are genuine. It can also be used by stores for inspecting items for sale.

[0192] Also, in the distribution process of the product, the distribution route (for example, information such as the retailer, the trade-in store, etc.), the repair information (for example, the fastener was repaired, etc.) are associated with the ID and recorded in the server 1230. It is advisable for distributors, etc. to register various information with the server, and for the manufacturer of the product to manage the server 830. Thereby, a medical record recording the distribution and repair history of the product can be created. Also, it is difficult to duplicate, and even if duplication occurs, it is easy to determine authenticity.

[0193] The server 1230 may store the queried ID in association with the location information of the query source. By analyzing the data associating the queried ID with the location information of the query source, when the ID is of a genuine product, the movement history of the genuine product can be grasped. Also, when the ID is not of a genuine product, the distribution of counterfeits can be grasped. Data is accumulated every time a query is made.

[0194] Since the NFC tag is embedded in the product, it does not damage the appearance and is difficult to counterfeit. Since a genuine NFC tag is not naturally embedded in a counterfeit, its authenticity can be easily determined. Also, for genuine products, it is possible to record the distribution route confirmation, repair history, etc. on the tag and check for illegal transactions and after-sales services. As products in which NFC tags are embedded, brand products, motorcycles, and other expensive items that are prone to counterfeiting are suitable. The location where the NFC tag is embedded in the product does not have to be known to the user.

[0195] [Application Example to Medical Facilities and Nursing Facilities] Referring to FIG. 13, a 13th embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a medical facility. In this embodiment, the tablet computer 1300 and the reading device 1310 arranged on the floor surface of the facility correspond to the electronic devices according to the present invention, and the NFC tag 1320 embedded in medical devices, medicine bags, slippers worn by patients, etc. corresponds to other electronic devices. Note that, in this embodiment, a medical facility is described as an example, but the same configuration can also be applied to a nursing facility.

[0196] In the medical facility described in this embodiment, NFC tags 1320 are embedded in various instruments and supplies such as medical measuring instruments such as thermometers and blood pressure monitors, medicine bags, bracelets worn by patients, and footwear of patients (for example, slippers). The NFC tag 1320 stores IDs of medical measuring instruments, medicines, patients, etc.

[0197] The tablet computer 1300 includes an NFC communication unit, a network communication unit, a control unit, and a touch panel display. The NFC communication unit is an example of the first communication means in the present invention. When it enters a region where communication with the NFC tag 1320 is possible, it automatically communicates with the NFC tag 1320 and receives the ID etc. recorded on the NFC tag 1320. The network communication unit is an example of the second communication means in the present invention. It connects to a network such as the Internet and communicates with a server 1340 connected to the network. Note that, from the viewpoint of preventing malfunction of medical devices, it is desirable for the network communication unit to perform wired communication. The control unit is an example of the control means in the present invention. The control unit executes an application dedicated to a medical facility / nursing facility management system.

[0198] The reading device 1310 is arranged on the floor surface at important locations within the facility, such as the entrances and exits of the facility, the entrances and exits of each room within the facility, the entrances and exits of toilets and bathrooms, in front of elevators and stairs, etc. The reading device 1310 includes an NFC communication unit, a network communication unit, and a control unit. The NFC communication unit is an example of the first communication means in the present invention. When it enters a region where communication with the NFC tag 1320 is possible, it automatically communicates with the NFC tag 1320 and receives the ID etc. recorded on the NFC tag. The network communication unit is an example of the second communication means in the present invention. It connects to a network such as the Internet and communicates with a server 1340 connected to the network. The control unit transmits the data read by the NFC communication unit to the server 1340 via the network communication unit.

[0199] The server 1340 includes a database for managing various types of information in a medical institution. In the database, various histories such as temperature measurement, medication, and X-ray photos are recorded in association with the ID for identifying a patient. Also, in association with the ID for identifying a patient, the ID of the footwear lent to the patient, the ID of the reading device 1310 that read the ID of the footwear, and the time when the ID of the footwear was read by the reading device are recorded. Note that the ID for identifying a patient and the ID of the footwear lent to the patient may be the same.

[0200] Patients in a medical institution move around wearing a bracelet 1320 with an NFC tag 1320 embedded therein, on which an ID for identifying each individual is recorded. In addition, patients who may wander are lent footwear with an NFC tag with an ID embedded therein, and move around wearing the footwear.

[0201] When medical staff such as doctors and nurses in a medical institution conduct examinations, diagnoses, tests, etc. on a patient, they hold the tablet computer 1300 over the bracelet worn by the patient to read the patient's ID from the NFC tag 1320 and query the server 1340 to confirm whether there is any misidentification of the patient. In addition, together with the patient's ID, information on the medicine to be administered to the patient, a list of items to be measured, past measurement results, etc. are read out and displayed on the screen of the tablet computer 1300. As a result, it becomes easy for a nurse to make a comparison check with the actual medicine to be administered and to confirm the measurement content. After that, the nurse touches a medical measuring device, a medicine bag, etc. and records the measurement result and the administered medicine in association with the patient's ID. Then, the results of examinations, diagnoses, tests, and information on the administered medicine, etc. are transmitted to the server together with the patient's ID and registered in the database. The communication between the server 1340 and the tablet computer 1300 is wired communication from the viewpoint of preventing malfunction of medical devices. For this reason, for example, the tablet computer 1300 carried by a nurse stores at least temporarily inside the tablet computer 1300 the results of examinations, diagnoses, tests, and information on the administered medicine, etc., returns to the nurse's station, and when the tablet computer 1300 is returned to a predetermined position, the information is automatically read into the server 1340 in the hospital so that backup and unified management of data are performed.

[0202] Have the relevant person carry an NFC tag in a hospital, nursing home, etc., and install reading devices at various important locations in the building to prevent people with a tendency to wander from getting lost or making mistakes such as administering medicine to others. Write various histories such as temperature measurement, medicine administration, and X-ray photos into the NFC, and use a tablet terminal, etc., to enable registration and confirmation on the spot. Have the patient wear a bracelet-type NFC, and incorporate NFC into a thermometer, sphygmomanometer, medicine bag, etc. When measuring or administering medicine, read it into the tablet to easily manage the history. A system can be constructed that prevents human errors caused by handwriting and has no deficiencies in health / safety management.

[0203] Hospitals often carry expensive medical measuring devices to the patient rooms and use them. It is also possible to use NFC to manage the usage status of these devices, such as where they are being used now, where they are placed, and reservation for use. It is advisable to construct a management system within the hospital that allows the status of these devices to be checked with a nearby smartphone or tablet. For example, for a large medical measuring device placed on a trolley, place an NFC tag 1320 on the bottom surface of the trolley, and use a reading device 1310 placed on the floor surface at important locations within the facility to read the ID recorded on the NFC tag 1320 of the trolley to manage the movement history of the medical measuring device.

[0204] In the case of a nursing home, it is possible to check who is in their own room, who is in the toilet or bathroom from what time, etc. If unnatural behavior is detected, a warning will be issued to enhance safety. If the NFC tag is incorporated into each person's shoes or slippers and the reading device is incorporated into the mat, it is possible to naturally and accurately confirm the actions without mistakes. It is possible to know the location where the resident has moved to, or that they have been in the same place all the time. For example, if there is no movement in the bath or toilet for a long time, it is advisable to issue an alarm assuming there is a possibility of an accident.

[0205] [Example of Application to a Hotel Guest Management System] Referring to FIG. 14, the 14th embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a hotel guest management system. In this embodiment, the hotel guest management system 1400 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the card 1410 and the personally owned smartphone 1420 correspond to other electronic devices.

[0206] The accommodation guest management system 1400 is installed in accommodation facilities such as hotels and inns and is used for managing accommodation guests. The accommodation guest management system 1400 includes a database that records various information about accommodation guests. The database stores an ID assigned to each accommodation guest, the guest room assigned to the accommodation guest, the billing information for the accommodation guest, and the like.

[0207] The card 1010 incorporates an NFC tag that records the ID assigned to the accommodation guest and is lent to the accommodation guest as a card-type room key in the accommodation guest management system 1400. The accommodation guest uses the card to unlock and lock the guest room. For example, when unlocking, the card 1410 is held near the reading unit arranged near the entrance of the guest room. Then, the ID recorded on the card 1410 is read by the reading unit, and the read ID is queried in the database. If the read ID matches the ID of the accommodation guest to whom the guest room is assigned, the accommodation guest management system 1400 unlocks the door of the guest room.

[0208] An accommodation guest who has a smartphone 1420 equipped with an NFC communication function can, by registering at the time of check-in, use their smartphone 1420 instead of the card 1410.

[0209] The accommodation guest management system 1400 enables payment for goods and services within the accommodation facility to be made using the card 1410 or the smartphone 1420. For example, at the time of payment at a restaurant or a store, or when using a pool or a gym, the payment information is registered in the database together with the ID, and can be settled collectively at the time of check-out. Also, when an accommodation guest who uses the smartphone 1420 checks out, it is possible to check out without going through the procedures at the front desk by using online banking or net settlement such as a credit card.

[0210] Use the room key as NFC to manage not only unlocking / locking of the room, but also payments at restaurants and shops, and use of the pool and gym. People who have their own NFC-enabled smartphones can register them at check-in to use them as substitutes and also perform self-checkout.

[0211] By verifying with the ID individually assigned to NFC, security is ensured, so you can check the usage details and amount on the screen of your smartphone or tablet and complete the payment directly with online banking or card net settlement. This improves customer satisfaction by avoiding check-out at a crowded front desk. Furthermore, for repeat customers, check-in is also possible while checking the room number etc. on the smartphone screen. By registering the NFC ID in the room key, it is possible to go straight to the room without visiting the front desk, eliminating the need to use the front desk for both check-in and check-out. It becomes possible to use and pay for facilities such as the gym and restaurant in the hotel using NFC-equipped items such as personal smartphones and cards as substitutes for the room key.

[0212] [Example of Application to a Sports Gym Management System] Referring to FIG. 15, the 15th embodiment will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a sports gym management system. In this embodiment, the management system 1500 corresponds to the electronic device according to the present invention, and the member card 1510 with an NFC tag embedded therein corresponds to the other electronic device. As another example of the other electronic device, an NFC tag embedded in a locker key may be used.

[0213] The management system 1500 is provided in the sports gym and is used for training management of users. The management system 1500 includes a database that records various information about users. The database stores the ID assigned to each user, the daily training volume of each user, etc. The management system 1500 is provided with NFC reading units for each facility and device in the sports gym.

[0214] The membership card 1510 incorporates an NFC tag that records the ID assigned to the user and is lent to the user. When the user enters the sports gym, the user holds the membership card 1510 in front of the NFC reader provided at the front desk to convey their ID to the management system. In response, the management system records that the user has entered the gym. When the user conducts various trainings in the sports gym, the user holds the membership card 1510 in front of the NFC reader of each facility or equipment to register the type of training, the amount of exercise, the calories consumed, etc. that the user has done. For example, when using a running machine, the user holds the membership card 1510 in front of the NFC reader of the running machine at the start and end of the training. Thereby, the management system 1500 receives the user's ID at the start of the training and registers in the database that the user has used the running machine. After the training ends, the management system 1500 obtains the training content from the running machine from the start to the end of the use and registers it in the database as the training record of the user.

[0215] In the case of training in the pool, the user holds the membership card 1510 in front of the desired menu on the training menu board posted by the pool side. The training menu board displays the swimming styles and distances in a matrix form, and a plurality of NFC readers corresponding to the number of training menus are provided so that the NFC tag of the membership card 1510 is read when the membership card is held in front of the display position of each training menu. The detectable ranges by the plurality of NFC readers are spaced apart so as not to overlap with each other. By holding the membership card in front of the desired training menu on such a training menu board, the management system 1500 reads the user's ID from the NFC tag and registers the training menu corresponding to the reader where the reading is performed in the database as the training record of the user.

[0216] The management system 1500 designs a training program recommended for each user according to the registered training results. Before and after training, the user holds the membership card 1510 in front of the terminal 1520 provided in the sports gym and plans and conducts the training while referring to the training program designed by the management system 1500. The user can also refer to and edit the data of each user and the training program stored in the database of the management system 1500 from terminals in the sports gym, external personal computers, smartphones, etc.

[0217] As a membership card for the sports gym, of course, it also manages entry and exit, how much time and distance each sport is done using NFC, calculates calorie consumption, etc. It totals the amount of exercise for an arbitrary period such as one day or one week and also supports creating a program according to one's own purpose. If the server of the sports gym is a system that can be accessed from the outside, the user can check the reservation and the total amount of exercise from home, and can manage their health anytime and anywhere. The NFC tag is made completely waterproof and can be used in various scenarios such as membership cards, use in the pool, locker keys, and purchasing items within the facility.

[0218] In the above example, the management system 1500 reads the NFC tag held by the user. On the contrary, the user's terminal (such as a smartphone, etc.) may acquire the type of training, the amount of exercise, calorie consumption, etc. from various devices in the sports gym. For example, when using a running machine, the user holds the smartphone in front of the NFC communication part of the running machine at the end and receives and records the training content from the start to the end of use from the running machine to the smartphone. The user can refer to the training content recorded on the smartphone to review the training history or create a training program.

[0219] In the case of training in a pool, the user holds the smartphone over the desired menu on the training menu board attached to the pool side. The training menu board displays the swimming styles and distances in a matrix format, and NFC tags with information corresponding to each training menu are arranged at the display positions of the respective training menus. Each NFC tag is arranged at a distance greater than the communication distance by NFC communication to prevent false detection. By holding the smartphone over the desired training menu on such a training menu board, the details of the training are received from the menu board and recorded on the smartphone.

[0220] A structure in which a plurality of NFC tags are embedded in a thin flat plate or sheet so that their detection ranges do not overlap with each other, as in the above training table, and notations that can be recognized as different are made on the surface corresponding to each NFC tag can also be applied to other embodiments of the present invention. For the embodiment described by taking one NFC tag as an example, an embodiment in which a plurality of NFC tags are embedded may be adopted instead.

[0221] For example, in the fourth embodiment (Application Example 1 to a Navigation Device), NFC tags may be provided in a manner in which a plurality of NFC tags 410 are embedded in a large map, travel guide, etc. It is advisable to be able to set the destination by holding the portable navigation device 400 over the desired spot on the map or travel guide.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device having an NFC communication function, a function of receiving predetermined location information by the NFC communication function when an NFC tag storing predetermined location information is held over the device; A function of executing a process corresponding to the received predetermined location information; Equipped The in-vehicle device is characterized by the above.

2. The process corresponding to the predetermined location information is a process of providing guidance on a route having the predetermined location information as a destination.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1.

3. a function of receiving, by the NFC communication function, an NFC tag other than the NFC tag, the NFC tag storing information other than the predetermined position information, when the NFC tag is held over the NFC tag; The process corresponding to the predetermined location information is a process corresponding to a combination of the predetermined location information and the other information.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The NFC tag; An in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Equipped with The surface of the NFC tag is provided with a space where the contents stored in the NFC tag can be written with a pen. A system characterized by:

5. The NFC tag; An in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A system comprising: The shape of the NFC tag corresponds to the predetermined position information. A system characterized by:

6. A program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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