Information transmission system, information transmission method, and electronic device

Abstract

To reduce power consumption for information transmission.SOLUTION: An information transmission system includes a first control unit that causes a light-emitting device to emit light in a predetermined light emission pattern, and a second control unit provided in an electronic device having a solar cell. The first control unit emits light from the light-emitting device using a composite light-emitting pattern. This pattern incorporates a second light-emitting pattern, which is a rectangular waveform with a higher frequency than the first light-emitting pattern and contains predetermined information, into either the off period or the on period of the first light-emitting pattern, which is a rectangular waveform. The second control unit identifies the second light-emitting pattern on the basis of the time-series change in the electromotive force of the solar cell when light from the light-emitting device is incident, thereby acquiring the predetermined information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information transmission system, an information transmission method, and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electronic devices such as watches have used technology that enables them to acquire information from outside by receiving data from external devices via wireless communication such as wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication, or by receiving and decoding radio waves transmitted from positioning satellites (satellite radio waves) (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-50349 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has a problem in that a large amount of power is consumed for wireless communication and satellite radio wave reception.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to reduce power consumption for information transmission. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the information transmission system according to the present invention comprises: a first control unit that causes the light emitting device to emit light in a predetermined light emitting pattern; a second control unit provided in the electronic device having the solar cell; Equipped with the first control unit causes the light emitting device to emit light in a composite light emitting pattern in which a second light emitting pattern in a rectangular wave shape, which includes predetermined information and has a higher frequency than the first light emitting pattern, is included in either an off period or an on period of a first light emitting pattern in a rectangular wave shape; The second control unit acquires the predetermined information by identifying the second light emission pattern based on a time series change in electromotive force of the solar cell upon which light from the light emitting device is incident. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce power consumption for information transmission. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information transmission system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating PWM dimming. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the lighting device. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first light-emitting section. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a general configuration of a power supply unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a subject terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an administrator terminal. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing the composite light emission pattern of the lighting device and the corresponding time series change in the electromotive force of the solar cell in the electronic timepiece. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing response light emission by an electronic timepiece. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for information transmission processing. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure for an information acquisition response process. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information transmission system according to a first modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of lighting devices in Modification 2. [Figure 15]10 is a diagram showing a composite light emission pattern of each lighting device in Modification 2. FIG. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing time series changes in the electromotive force of a solar cell in an electronic timepiece to which light from each lighting device is incident. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, an information transmission system 1 of this embodiment includes a lighting device 10 (light-emitting device), an electronic watch 20 (electronic device), a subject terminal 30 (first terminal device), and a manager terminal 40 (second terminal device).

[0010] The electronic watch 20 is a wristwatch worn on the wrist of the person being watched over A and is capable of generating power using a solar cell 261 (see FIG. 5 ). The person being watched over A's terminal 30 is a smartphone carried by the person being watched over A. The person being watched over A is a person being watched over by an administrator B, such as a child, an elderly person, or a patient. The administrator B may be located in a remote location away from the facility where the person being watched over A is located. The administrator terminal 40 is a smartphone carried by the administrator B. The person being watched over A's terminal 30 and the administrator terminal 40 may be other portable devices such as a tablet terminal or a laptop PC. The person being watched over A's terminal 30 and the administrator terminal 40 can communicate data with each other via a network N. The network N may include, but is not limited to, the Internet or a mobile communication network provided by a mobile communication carrier. A predetermined server may be interposed between the person being watched over A's terminal 30 and the administrator terminal 40. That is, the transmission data from the subject terminal 30 may be temporarily stored in a server, and the administrator terminal 40 may acquire the transmission data from the server.

[0011] The lighting device 10 is installed on a ceiling or the like inside a building. In this embodiment, the lighting device 10 is installed in a facility where the person being watched over A may be staying. The lighting device 10 is a ceiling light whose brightness can be adjusted by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming. As shown in FIG. 2 , PWM dimming is a dimming method in which the lighting device 10 emits light in a first light-emitting pattern P1 in which an on period T1 and an off period T2 are repeated at a predetermined frequency, and the luminance is adjusted by changing the duty ratio of the on period T1 and the off period T2. Here, the on period T1 is a period in which the light emission luminance is L1, and the off period T2 is a period in which the light emission luminance is L2, which is lower than L1. In this embodiment, the light emission luminance L2 is 0 (no light emission). However, the light emission luminance L2 may be greater than 0. That is, the lighting device 10 may emit light at a low luminance during the off period T2.

[0012] Although details will be described later, the operation of the information transmission system 1 can be summarized as follows. The lighting device 10 emits light in a composite lighting pattern P3 (see the upper part of FIG. 9 ), which is a first lighting pattern P1 superimposed with a second lighting pattern P2 (see the upper part of FIG. 9 ), which has a higher frequency. The electronic watch 20 identifies the second lighting pattern P2 based on the time-series changes in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 to which light from the lighting device 10 is incident (see the lower part of FIG. 9 ), and acquires the predetermined information contained in the second lighting pattern P2. In this embodiment, the predetermined information includes location information indicating the location corresponding to the installation position of the lighting device 10. Furthermore, the electronic watch 20 issues a predetermined notification in response to identifying the second lighting pattern P2. In this embodiment, the notification issued by the electronic watch 20 includes location information. The target person's terminal 30 detects the location information included in the notification from the electronic watch 20 and transmits it to the manager's terminal 40. This allows the manager B to know the current location of the person being watched over A.

[0013] The following describes the configuration of each device in the information transmission system 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the lighting device 10. The lighting device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 (first control unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a storage unit 13, and a first light-emitting unit 14. The components of the lighting device 10 are connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0014] The CPU 11 is a processor (first control unit) that reads and executes a program 131 stored in the storage unit 13 and performs various arithmetic processing to control the light-emitting operation of the lighting device 10. The lighting device 10 may have multiple processors (e.g., multiple CPUs), and the processing performed by the CPU 11 of this embodiment may be executed by these multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors correspond to the first control unit. In this case, the multiple processors may be involved in a common process, or the multiple processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 12 provides a working memory space for the CPU 11 and stores temporary data. The storage unit 13 is a non-transitory recording medium readable by the CPU 11 as a computer, and stores data such as the program 131 and light-emitting pattern data 132. The storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory. The program 131 is stored in the storage unit 13 in the form of a computer-readable program code.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a general configuration of the first light-emitting unit 14. The first light-emitting unit 14 includes a light-emitting element 141 configured with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) or the like connected in series, and a switching power supply unit 142 that supplies a drive current to the light-emitting element 141. The switching power supply unit 142 includes a DC power supply 1421 and a switching element 1422 that is turned on and off in accordance with a PWM signal supplied from the CPU 11. When the switching element 1422 is turned on, a drive current corresponding to the voltage of the DC power supply 1421 flows to the light-emitting element 141, causing the light-emitting element 141 to emit light. When the switching element 1422 is turned off, the current path is opened, no drive current flows, and the light-emitting element 141 does not emit light. The PWM signal is a signal that turns on the switching element 1422 during a period in which the lighting device 10 emits light at emission luminance L1 in the composite light-emitting pattern P3 of FIG. 9, and turns off the switching element 1422 during a period in which the lighting device 10 does not emit light (a period in which the lighting device 10 emits light at emission luminance L2). The pattern of the PWM signal is stored in light emission pattern data 132. Note that Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the functional configuration of first light-emitting unit 14, and first light-emitting unit 14 may further include components not shown, such as a voltage conversion circuit and a constant current circuit.

[0016] 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic watch 20. The electronic watch 20 comprises a CPU 21 (second control unit), RAM 22, a storage unit 23, a display unit 24, an operation unit 25, a power supply unit 26, and an alarm unit 27. The various units of the electronic watch 20 are connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0017] The CPU 21 is a processor (second control unit) that reads and executes the program 231 stored in the memory unit 23 and performs various arithmetic processing to control the operation of each unit of the electronic timepiece 20. The electronic timepiece 20 may have multiple processors (e.g., multiple CPUs), and the multiple processes performed by the CPU 21 of this embodiment may be executed by these multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors correspond to the second control unit. In this case, the multiple processors may be involved in a common process, or the multiple processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 22 provides working memory space for the CPU 21 and stores temporary data. The memory unit 23 is a non-transitory recording medium readable by the CPU 21 as a computer, and stores the program 231 and various data. The memory unit 23 includes a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory.

[0018] The display unit 24 displays information such as the current time by rotating hands such as the hour hand, minute hand, and second hand in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the CPU 21. Note that the display unit 24 may be of a digital type that displays information using a liquid crystal display device or the like, instead of an analog type that displays information using hands. The operation unit 25 has operation means such as operation buttons and a crown, and receives input operations by the user (person being watched over A) via the operation means, and outputs an input signal according to the input operation to the CPU 21.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the general configuration of the power supply unit 26. The power supply unit 26 includes a solar cell 261 (solar panel), a secondary battery 262, a charge control unit 263, a voltage detection circuit 264, a diode 265, and a switching element 266. The solar cell 261 generates electromotive force through the photoelectric effect in response to incident external light. The solar cell 261 is located in a position on the electronic timepiece 20 where external light is incident, such as on the back of the translucent dial of the display unit 24. The electromotive force generated by the solar cell 261 increases as the brightness of the incident external light increases. The secondary battery 262 is a battery that can be charged and discharged, and is connected to the solar cell 261 via the diode 265. The secondary battery 262 is charged by the inflow of current generated by the electromotive force of the solar cell 261. Each unit of the electronic timepiece 20 operates using power supplied by the secondary battery 262.

[0020] A diode 265 is provided on a current path from the solar cell 261 to the secondary battery 262. A voltage detection circuit 264 and a switching element 266 are connected to a current path branching from a node n on the current path. The on / off of the switching element 266 is controlled by a charging control unit 263. The charging control unit 263 normally keeps the switching element 266 in an off state (non-conductive state) to guide the current from the solar cell 261 to the secondary battery 262. The charging control unit 263 also switches the switching element 266 on (conductive state) when not charging the secondary battery 262 or when detecting the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 to guide the current from the solar cell 261 to the voltage detection circuit 264. The voltage detection circuit 264 includes a resistive element (not shown) provided on the current path and a detecting element (not shown) that detects the voltage across the resistive element (i.e., the electromotive force of the solar cell 261). The electromotive force detection result by the voltage detection circuit 264 is output to the charging control unit 263. Charging control unit 263 switches on / off switching element 266 in accordance with a control signal transmitted from CPU 21, and outputs the detection result of the electromotive force input from voltage detection circuit 264 to CPU 21. Note that Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the functional configuration of power supply unit 26, and power supply unit 26 may further include configurations not shown in Fig. 6.

[0021] The notification unit 27 in FIG. 5 includes a second light-emitting unit 271 and a sound output unit 272, and issues notifications using the second light-emitting unit 271 and / or the sound output unit 272 in accordance with a control signal sent from the CPU 21. The second light-emitting unit 271 includes a light-emitting element such as an LED that emits light toward the dial of the electronic timepiece 20. The light-emitting element of the second light-emitting unit 271 is positioned near the dial, for example, along the outer periphery of the dial. The light emitted by the second light-emitting unit 271 can be used not only to illuminate the dial, but also to issue notifications to the outside. When used for notification purposes, the second light-emitting unit 271 issues notifications by emitting light in a light-emitting pattern in accordance with the control signal. The sound output unit 272 includes a piezoelectric speaker that outputs a predetermined beep sound, and issues notifications by outputting sound in a sound pattern in accordance with the control signal.

[0022] 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the subject terminal 30. The subject terminal 30 includes a CPU 31 (third control unit), a RAM 32, a storage unit 33, a display unit 34, an operation unit 35, a communication unit 36, and a camera 37 (detection unit). The various units of the subject terminal 30 are connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0023] The CPU 31 is a processor (third control unit) that reads and executes the program 331 stored in the storage unit 33 and performs various arithmetic processing to control the operation of each unit of the subject terminal 30. The subject terminal 30 may have multiple processors (e.g., multiple CPUs), and the multiple processes performed by the CPU 31 of this embodiment may be executed by these multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors correspond to the third control unit. The RAM 32 provides a working memory space for the CPU 31 and stores temporary data. The storage unit 33 is a non-transitory recording medium readable by the CPU 31 as a computer, and stores the program 331 and various data. The storage unit 33 includes a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory.

[0024] The display unit 34 displays various information based on control signals transmitted from the CPU 31. A liquid crystal display device, for example, can be used as the display unit 34. The operation unit 35 includes operation means such as a touch panel overlaid on the display screen of the display unit 34 and hardware buttons. The operation unit 35 accepts input operations by the user (person being watched A) on the operation means and outputs an input signal corresponding to the input operation to the CPU 21. The communication unit 36 ​​is a communication module having an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and performs wireless data communication with external devices such as the administrator terminal 40 in accordance with a predetermined communication standard.

[0025] The camera 37 captures an image of a subject, generates image data, and outputs the image data to the CPU 31. The camera 37 includes an image sensor and an optical system that focuses incident light onto the image sensor, and generates image data by detecting the brightness of light incident from the subject onto the image sensor. The camera 37 can also detect time-series changes in the brightness of the incident light and transmit the detected data to the CPU 31. This allows the camera 37 to function as a light detection unit that detects notifications from the notification unit 27 of the electronic watch 20 and outputs data related to the detection results to the CPU 31. The subject device 30 may further include a photoelectric sensor or the like that functions as a light detection unit, separate from the camera 37. The subject device 30 may also include a sound detection unit that includes a microphone or the like that detects sound output by the sound output unit 272 of the notification unit 27.

[0026] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the manager terminal 40. The manager terminal 40 includes a CPU 41, a RAM 42, a storage unit 43, a display unit 44, an operation unit 45, a communication unit 46, and a camera 47. The configuration of the manager terminal 40 is the same as the configuration of the subject terminal 30 in Fig. 7, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0027] Next, the operation of the information transmission system 1 will be described. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 9, the CPU 11 of the lighting device 10 causes the light-emitting elements 141 of the lighting device 10 to emit light in a composite lighting pattern P3. The composite lighting pattern P3 is a lighting pattern in which a second lighting pattern P2, which includes predetermined information and has a rectangular waveform with a higher frequency than the first lighting pattern P1, is included in the off period T2 of a first lighting pattern P1 that is a rectangular waveform for PWM dimming (i.e., pulse-width modulated). In this specification, a rectangular wave refers to a waveform in which a square wave is repeated. Furthermore, a lighting pattern having a rectangular waveform refers to a lighting pattern whose emission luminance profile has a shape corresponding to a rectangular wave. The composite lighting pattern P3 includes the second lighting pattern P2 in every predetermined number of off periods T2. That is, the CPU 11 includes the second lighting pattern P2 once in every n off periods T2. n can be determined as appropriate and may be, for example, about 10. In this embodiment, the blinking frequency of the first light-emitting pattern P1 is approximately 100 to 200 Hz, and the blinking frequency of the second light-emitting pattern P2 is approximately several kHz to several tens of kHz. In the second light-emitting pattern P2, light emission at a light emission luminance L1 per unit length represents "1," and light emission at a light emission luminance L2 per unit length represents "0." Therefore, the second light-emitting pattern P2 includes predetermined information consisting of an array of "0"s and "1"s (Boolean values). The second light-emitting pattern P2 is obtained by converting the predetermined information into Boolean values ​​according to a predetermined conversion rule. Therefore, the second light-emitting pattern P2 includes predetermined information. The predetermined information also includes location information of the lighting device 10. The location information may be information that can identify the location of the lighting device 10, such as the number or name of the room in which the lighting device 10 is installed, or coordinates preset within the facility. The location information may also be information about the latitude and longitude of the installation location of the lighting device 10.

[0028] When the person being watched over A wearing the electronic timepiece 20 enters a room in which the lighting device 10 is installed, the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 of the electronic timepiece 20 changes over time in response to the composite light-emitting pattern P3, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 9. That is, the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 responds by becoming a voltage V1 during the period when the light emission luminance of the lighting device 10 is L1, and becoming a voltage V2 lower than voltage V1 during the period when the light emission luminance of the lighting device 10 is L2. In this way, the solar cell 261 used in this embodiment has response characteristics such that the electromotive force responds to changes in the luminance of incident light of several kHz to several tens of kHz.

[0029] The CPU 21 of the electronic timepiece 20 identifies the second light-emitting pattern P2 based on the time-series changes in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 and acquires the predetermined information included in the second light-emitting pattern P2. Specifically, the CPU 21 controls the charge control unit 263 in FIG. 6 to switch on the switching element 266 and acquires the time-series changes in the electromotive force detected by the voltage detection circuit 264. The CPU 11 may switch on the switching element 266 at a predetermined frequency to periodically determine whether the light incident on the solar cell 261 includes the second light-emitting pattern P2. Based on the acquired time-series changes in the electromotive force, the CPU 21 sets a threshold voltage Vth within the fluctuation range (V1 to V2) of the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 corresponding to the change in luminance of the first light-emitting pattern P1. Then, if a change in the electromotive force that crosses the threshold voltage Vth is detected at a frequency higher than the frequency of the first light-emitting pattern P1, it is determined that the second light-emitting pattern P2 is included. The CPU 21 identifies the second light emission pattern P2 by converting a period during which the electromotive force is greater than the threshold voltage Vth to "1" and a period during which the electromotive force is less than the threshold voltage Vth to "0." The CPU 21 also decodes the identified second light emission pattern P2 to obtain location information. For example, the CPU 21 decodes the location information from the second light emission pattern P2 by referring to table data that indicates the correspondence between the second light emission pattern P2 and location information (room number, etc.). The table data may be generated in advance and stored in the storage unit 23. This allows the CPU 21 to identify the location of the electronic timepiece 20.

[0030] In response to identifying the second light-emitting pattern P2, the CPU 21 of the electronic timepiece 20 causes the second light-emitting element 271 of the notification unit 27 to emit a predetermined notification. Hereinafter, this notification will be referred to as "response light emission." Note that instead of or in addition to the notification by the second light-emitting element 271, the CPU 21 may also cause the sound output unit 272 to emit a notification. As shown in FIG. 10 , the CPU 21 causes the second light-emitting element 271 to emit response light during the off period T2 of the first light-emitting pattern P1. Specifically, the CPU 21 identifies, among the multiple off periods T2, an off period that does not include the second light-emitting pattern P2, based on the appearance rule of the second light-emitting pattern P2 during the multiple off periods T2 of the first light-emitting pattern P1. The CPU 21 then causes the second light-emitting element 271 to emit response light during the identified off period T2. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the CPU 21 causes the lighting device 10 to emit response light in a light emission pattern that includes position information, i.e., a pattern that includes the identified second light emission pattern P2. More specifically, the CPU 21 causes the lighting device 10 to emit response light in a pattern that includes device identification information (omitted from Fig. 10) that indicates that the response light is emitted by the electronic timepiece 20. In Fig. 10, the frequency of the second light emission pattern P2 by the lighting device 10 and the frequency of the second light emission pattern P2 by the electronic timepiece 20 are depicted as being substantially the same, but the frequency of the second light emission pattern P2 by the electronic timepiece 20 is adjusted to a frequency that is detectable by the camera 37 of the subject device 30 or lower. If the second light emission pattern P2 with the adjusted frequency is longer than the off period T2, the second light emission pattern P2 may be divided into two, and the second light emission pattern P2 may be included over two consecutive off periods T2.

[0031] When the person being watched over A holds the device for the target person 30 near the electronic watch 20, the camera 37 of the device for the target person 30 detects the response light emitted from the electronic watch 20. The CPU 31 of the device for the target person 30 can identify the position of the electronic watch 20 based on the detected response light. The CPU 31 displays the identification result on the display unit 34. This allows the person being watched over A to recognize his or her own position.

[0032] Furthermore, the CPU 31 of the target person terminal 30 transmits the location information contained in the detected response light emission or information generated based on the location information to the manager terminal 40 via the communication unit 36. Here, the "information generated based on the location information" may be, for example, information obtained by converting the room number into another location display format (for example, coordinates or latitude and longitude) when the location information includes room number information. The CPU 41 of the manager terminal 40 displays the received information on the display unit 44. This allows the manager B to confirm the location of the person being watched over A even if he is in a remote location.

[0033] A smartphone serving as the subject terminal 30 typically does not include a solar cell, and therefore cannot detect the second light emission pattern P2 contained in the light from the lighting device 10 based on the time-series changes in the electromotive force of the solar cell. Furthermore, the response speed of the camera 37 of the subject terminal 30 is slower than the response speed of the solar cell 261 of the electronic watch 20, and therefore the camera 37 typically cannot directly detect the second light emission pattern P2 contained in the light from the lighting device 10. To enable the camera 37 to detect the second light emission pattern P2 of the lighting device 10, the frequencies of the first light emission pattern P1 and the second light emission pattern P2 must be significantly lowered, which would cause the illumination light from the lighting device 10 to appear to be constantly flashing unnaturally. Furthermore, detecting the second light emission pattern P2 of the lighting device 10 using the camera 37 requires a series of cumbersome operations: starting up the subject terminal 30, launching a camera capture app, and pointing the camera 37 toward the lighting device 10. In contrast, the solar cell 261 of the electronic timepiece 20 is always in a light receiving state, so no prior preparation is required and the electronic timepiece 20 can detect the second light emission pattern P2 of the lighting device 10 even if it is not pointed directly at the lighting device 10. Furthermore, in recent years, even inexpensive electronic timepieces 20 have often been equipped with solar cells 261, and even such inexpensive electronic timepieces 20 can detect the second light emission pattern P2 contained in the light from the lighting device 10.

[0034] The electronic watch 20 of this embodiment can transmit the second light-emitting pattern P2 to an external device by using the second light-emitting unit 271 to emit responsive light. The second light-emitting pattern P2 of the responsive light can have a lower frequency than the second light-emitting pattern P2 contained in the light from the lighting device 10, so it can also be detected by the camera 37 of the target person device 30. Because the detection of the responsive light (second light-emitting pattern P2) by the camera 37 of the target person device 30 is intentionally performed by the person being watched over A, the operation of the electronic watch 20 and the target person device 30 may be as follows. For example, the electronic watch 20 may be provided with a location information sharing mode, and the second light-emitting unit 271 may continue to emit light in the second light-emitting pattern P2 while operating in the location information sharing mode in response to the operation of the person being watched over A. In other words, the electronic watch 20 may not immediately emit responsive light after receiving the second light-emitting pattern P2. Alternatively, the second light emission pattern P2 of the response light emission may be detected by pointing the camera 37 of the subject terminal 30 at the electronic watch 20 while the electronic watch 20 is operating in location information sharing mode.

[0035] While a messaging app or the like can be used as a method for the person being watched over A to communicate information to the manager B, if the person being watched over A misidentifies or does not know their own location, the correct location cannot be communicated. In contrast, by using the second light emission pattern P2 as in this embodiment, the accurate location can be communicated to the manager B even in such cases. The time when the electronic clock 20 detects the second light emission pattern P2 may also be transmitted to the manager terminal 40 of the manager B.

[0036] Next, the information transmission process executed by the CPU of each device to realize the above-described operation of the information transmission system 1 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the information transmission process. FIG. 11 illustrates the processes executed by the CPU 11 of the lighting device 10, the CPU 21 of the electronic watch 20, the CPU 31 of the target user terminal 30, and the CPU 41 of the manager terminal 40. When the information transmission process is started, the CPU 11 of the lighting device 10 starts emitting light from the first light-emitting unit 14 in a composite light-emitting pattern P3 (step S101). Here, the CPU 11 determines the duty ratio of the on period T1 and the off period T2 of the first light-emitting pattern P1 according to the brightness of the lighting specified by a dimmer knob (not shown). The CPU 11 also generates a composite light-emitting pattern P3 by superimposing the second light-emitting pattern P2 stored in the light-emitting pattern data 132 on the off period T2 of the first light-emitting pattern P1. The CPU 11 transmits a PWM signal corresponding to the composite light-emitting pattern P3 to the switching element 1422 of the first light-emitting unit 14, thereby causing the first light-emitting unit 14 to emit light in the composite light-emitting pattern P3. As a result, when the electronic timepiece 20 is located in a room illuminated by the lighting device 10, illumination light from the lighting device 10 is incident on the electronic timepiece 20.

[0037] The CPU 21 of the electronic timepiece 20 executes information acquisition response processing (step S102). FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the information acquisition response processing. When the information acquisition response processing starts, the CPU 21 sets the threshold voltage Vth based on the fluctuation range of the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 (step S201). Here, the CPU 21 first controls the charge control unit 263 to switch on the switching element 266, and acquires time-series changes in the electromotive force detection results by the voltage detection circuit 264. Then, the CPU 21 sets the threshold voltage Vth within the fluctuation range of the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 according to changes in luminance of the first light emission pattern P1.

[0038] The CPU 21 repeatedly determines whether the electromotive force has changed over time at a frequency higher than that of the first light-emitting pattern P1 (step S202). If it is determined that the electromotive force has changed over time at a frequency higher than that of the first light-emitting pattern P1 ("YES" in step S202), the CPU 21 determines that the incident light includes the second light-emitting pattern P2 and identifies the second light-emitting pattern P2 using the method described above based on the time-series change in the electromotive force (step S203). The CPU 21 also decodes the second light-emitting pattern P2 using the method described above to acquire position information (step S204). The CPU 21 identifies an off period T2 in which the second light-emitting pattern P2 is not included based on the appearance rule of the second light-emitting pattern P2 in the composite light-emitting pattern P3 (step S205), and causes the second light-emitting unit 271 to emit response light during the identified off period (step S206). In step S206, the CPU 21 converts, for example, the second light emission pattern P2 into a frequency detectable by the camera 37 of the subject terminal 30, and causes the second light emitter 271 to emit light in the second light emission pattern P2 of the converted frequency. When step S206 ends, the CPU 21 ends the information acquisition response process.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 11, the CPU 31 of the subject terminal 30 repeatedly determines whether the camera 37 has detected the response light emission (step S103). Here, the CPU 31 determines whether the response light emission has been detected using a method similar to the method used by the CPU 21 of the electronic timepiece 20 to determine whether the second light emission pattern P2 has been incident. That is, the CPU 31 sets a threshold voltage Vth, and determines that the response light emission has been detected if a luminance change of a predetermined frequency or more that crosses the threshold voltage Vth is detected and if the luminance change includes the device identification information described above, indicating that the response light emission is from the electronic timepiece 20. If the CPU 31 determines that the response light emission has been detected ("YES" in step S103), the CPU 31 decodes the second light emission pattern P2 included in the response light emission to obtain location information, and displays the location information (or information generated based on the location information) on the display unit 34 (step S104). The CPU 31 also transmits the obtained location information to the administrator terminal 40 via the communication unit 36 ​​(step S105). The CPU 41 of the manager terminal 40 receives the position information and displays it on the display unit 44 (step S106). When step S106 ends, each device in the information transmission system 1 ends the information transmission process.

[0040] (Variation 1) Next, a first modification of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information transmission system 1 according to the first modification. The information transmission system 1 of the first modification includes a camera 50 (detection device) instead of the subject terminal 30. The camera 50 is installed in a position where it can capture at least a portion of the area illuminated by the lighting device 10. The camera 50 may be installed, for example, on a wall in the same room as the lighting device 10. The camera 50 is capable of data communication with the manager's terminal 40 via the network N. In the first modification, the response light emission (alert) from the electronic timepiece 20 is detected by the camera 50. The camera 50 is installed at an angle where it can detect the response light emission from the electronic timepiece 20 in the same room as the lighting device 10. The imaging frame frequency of the camera 50 is typically around 30 to 120 Hz, which makes it impossible to detect blinking of the second light emission pattern P2. Therefore, in this modification, the electronic timepiece 20 performs a light emission operation in which the second light-emitting unit 271 remains lit for a predetermined period of time as the response light emission. The electronic timepiece 20 may emit light at a frequency detectable by the camera 50 in the second light emission pattern P2 or in a light emission pattern of device identification information indicating that the electronic timepiece 20 is responsively emitting light.

[0041] When the camera 50 detects the response light emission, response light emission detection information indicating that the response light emission has been detected is transmitted from the camera 50 to the manager's terminal 40. The CPU 41 (processing unit) of the manager's terminal 40, which has received the response light emission detection information, determines that the electronic watch 20 is located within the range of photography possible by the camera 50 that transmitted the response light emission detection information (for example, the interior of the room in which the camera 50 is installed). Note that the response light emission detection information may be transmitted to a server or the like managed by the facility in which the lighting device 10 and camera 50 are installed, instead of the manager's terminal 40. The information transmission of this modified example can be used, for example, when a person being watched over A wearing an electronic watch 20 gets lost in a large commercial facility, and the position of the person being watched over A is determined from the position of the camera 50 that detected the response light emission of the electronic watch 20.

[0042] (Variation 2) Next, a second modification of the above embodiment will be described. Below, the differences from the above embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of the lighting device 10 in the second modification. In the second modification, three lighting devices 10a to 10c (a plurality of lighting devices) are arranged at different positions within a single continuous space (for example, the same room). Further, in the information transmission system 1 of the second modification, outside the lighting devices 10a to 10c, a control device 100 including a CPU 101 for controlling the light emission of the lighting devices 10a to 10c is provided. In this modification, the CPU 101 corresponds to the first control unit. In the state shown in FIG. 14, when the distances between the electronic clock 20 and the lighting devices 10a to 10c are Da to Dc, respectively, it is assumed that Db < Da < Dc is satisfied.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 15, the CPU 101 of the control device 100 causes the lighting devices 10a to 10c to emit light so that the on period T1 and the off period T2 are synchronized. Further, the CPU 101 causes the lighting devices 10a to 10c to emit light respectively with a composite light emission pattern P3 in which the second light emission patterns P2 appear at different timings. In FIG. 15, the second light emission patterns P2 included in the respective composite light emission patterns P3 of the lighting devices 10a to 10c are denoted as second light emission patterns P2a to P2c, respectively, for distinction. The second light emission patterns P2a to P2c are respectively included in separate off periods T2.

[0044] 16 shows the time series changes in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 in the electronic timepiece 20 to which light from the lighting devices 10a to 10c is incident. The electromotive force of the solar cell 261 changes in patterns corresponding to the second light-emitting patterns P2a to P2c during the off period T2 when light from the second light-emitting patterns P2a to P2c is incident. The range of change in the electromotive force corresponding to the second light-emitting patterns P2a to P2c is greatest for the second light-emitting pattern P2b (voltages V2 to V1), and decreases in the order of the second light-emitting pattern P2a (voltages V2 to V3) and the second light-emitting pattern P2c (voltages V2 to V4). This is because the distance Db between the electronic timepiece 20 and the lighting device 10b is shortest, and the intensity of the light incident from the lighting device 10b is greatest; and the distance Dc between the electronic timepiece 20 and the lighting device 10c is longest, and the intensity of the light incident from the lighting device 10c is smallest. Therefore, the relative positions of the electronic timepiece 20 and the lighting devices 10a to 10c can be determined from the range of change in electromotive force corresponding to the second light emission patterns P2a to P2c. In other words, it can be determined that the electronic timepiece 20 is closest to the lighting device 10b and is located closer to the lighting device 10a than the lighting device 10b. This makes it possible to determine the position of the electronic timepiece 20 within a large room.

[0045] As described above, the information transmission system 1 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 11 that controls the illumination device 10 to emit light in a predetermined light-emitting pattern and a CPU 21 provided in an electronic watch 20 having a solar cell 261. The CPU 11 controls the illumination device 10 to emit light in a composite light-emitting pattern P3 during the off period T2 of a first light-emitting pattern P1 with a rectangular wave shape. The composite light-emitting pattern P3 includes a second light-emitting pattern P2 with a rectangular wave shape and a higher frequency than the first light-emitting pattern P1, and includes predetermined information. The CPU 21 identifies the second light-emitting pattern P2 based on the time-series changes in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 to which light from the illumination device 10 is incident, and acquires the predetermined information. This enables information transmission without using a communication unit or a satellite radio wave reception / processing unit, thereby reducing power consumption for information transmission. Furthermore, information transmission is possible even with an inexpensive and simple electronic watch 20 that does not have a communication unit such as a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) antenna. For example, since communication means other than the solar cell 261 can be omitted, information transmission becomes possible with an inexpensive existing product configuration without sacrificing manufacturing costs, device size, design, battery life, etc. Furthermore, use of the lighting device 10 enables accurate transmission of location information indoors where satellite radio waves are difficult to reach and positioning using satellite radio waves is not possible (or positioning accuracy cannot be obtained). Furthermore, by including the second light emission pattern P2 in the off period T2 of the first light emission pattern P1 for PWM dimming, it is possible to achieve both PWM dimming and information transmission.

[0046] The predetermined information also includes position information that indicates a position corresponding to the installation position of the lighting device 10. This makes it possible to identify the position of the electronic timepiece 20 that corresponds to the installation position of the lighting device 10 from the second light emission pattern P2 identified based on the time-series changes in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261.

[0047] The electronic watch 20 also includes an alarm unit 27 that issues an alarm using at least one of light and sound, and the CPU 21 causes the alarm unit 27 to issue an alarm in response to identifying the second light emission pattern P2. This allows the electronic watch 20 to notify those around it that it has identified location information from the second light emission pattern P2. Therefore, in addition to transmitting information from the lighting device 10 to the electronic watch 20, information can also be transmitted from the electronic watch 20 to other devices, making it possible to achieve two-way communication using an electronic watch 20 with a simple configuration.

[0048] Furthermore, the CPU 21 causes the notification unit 27 to emit response light (notification by light) during the off period T2 of the first light emission pattern P1 of the lighting device 10. In this way, by performing response light emission during the off period T2 when the lighting device 10 does not emit light (or the light emission luminance is low), it is possible to notify the surroundings while suppressing the light emission luminance of the second light-emitting unit 271.

[0049] The CPU 11 also causes the lighting device 10 to emit light in a composite lighting pattern P3, which includes the second lighting pattern P2 in off periods T2 that occur every predetermined number of times in the first lighting pattern P1. The CPU 21 also identifies off periods T2 in the first lighting pattern P1 that do not include the second lighting pattern P2, and causes the notification unit 27 to emit responsive light during the identified off periods T2. This prevents the second lighting pattern P2 of the lighting device 10 from overlapping with the responsive light emitted by the electronic timepiece 20. Furthermore, because the responsive light emitted by the electronic timepiece 20 is emitted during the off periods T2 when the lighting device 10's light emission brightness is low, the electronic timepiece 20 can easily be identified even if the responsive light emission brightness is kept low. This reduces the power consumption of the electronic timepiece 20.

[0050] The CPU 21 also causes the notification unit 27 to emit a response light including the acquired location information, and the information transmission system 1 is equipped with a subject terminal 30 having a camera 37 that detects the response light emitted by the notification unit 27 and a CPU 31 that identifies the location of the electronic watch 20 based on the location information included in the response light detected by the camera 37. This makes it possible to transmit information related to the location of the electronic watch 20 from the electronic watch 20, which does not have a communication means, to the subject terminal 30.

[0051] The CPU 31 of the target person terminal 30 may also transmit location information contained in the response light emission detected by the camera 37, or information generated based on that location information, to the manager terminal 40 via the communication unit 36. This allows the location of the monitored person A, who is indoors, to be identified with high accuracy and notified to a remote user of the manager terminal 40 (manager B). Furthermore, rather than directly detecting the second light emission pattern P2 of the lighting device 10 in the target person terminal 30, the target person terminal 30 can detect the response light emission of the electronic watch 20 that detected the second light emission pattern P2, thereby reliably identifying the location of the monitored person A who is currently wearing the electronic watch 20. In this way, the information transmission system 1 can be suitably used for monitoring targets.

[0052] The information transmission system 1 according to the first modification also includes a camera 50 that is positioned to capture at least a portion of the range of light emitted by the lighting device 10, and that detects the response light emitted by the notification unit 27. When the camera 50 detects a notification, the CPU 41 (processing unit) of the manager's terminal 40 determines that the electronic timepiece 20 is located within the range that can be captured by the camera 50. This allows information relating to the location of the electronic timepiece 20 to be obtained by another device (here, the manager's terminal 40) that cannot communicate directly with the electronic timepiece 20.

[0053] Furthermore, the CPU 101 of the control device 100 according to the second modification causes multiple lighting devices 10a-10c, which are arranged in different positions, to emit light in a composite lighting pattern P3 in which the second lighting patterns P2 appear at different times. This makes it possible to determine the position of the electronic timepiece 20 in a large room with high accuracy based on the variation in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 according to the second lighting patterns P2 from the multiple lighting devices 10a-10c.

[0054] Furthermore, in the information transmission method according to this embodiment, the CPU 11 of the lighting device 10 causes the lighting device 10 to emit light in a composite lighting pattern P3 that includes a second lighting pattern P2 that includes predetermined information and has a rectangular wave shape and a higher frequency than the first lighting pattern P1 during the off period T2 of the first lighting pattern P1, and the CPU 21 of the electronic watch 20 identifies the second lighting pattern P2 based on the time series change in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 upon which light from the lighting device 10 is incident, and acquires the predetermined information. This reduces power consumption for information transmission.

[0055] The electronic timepiece 20 according to this embodiment also includes a solar cell 261 and a CPU 21. The CPU 21 executes a predetermined process when light of a predetermined light emission pattern from the lighting device 10 is incident on the solar cell 261. The predetermined light emission pattern is a composite light emission pattern P3 that includes a second light emission pattern P2 of a rectangular wave shape that includes predetermined information and has a higher frequency than the first light emission pattern P1 during the off period T2 of the first light emission pattern P1. During the predetermined process, the CPU 21 identifies the second light emission pattern P2 based on the time-series changes in the electromotive force of the solar cell 261 upon which light of the predetermined light emission pattern is incident, and acquires the predetermined information. This reduces power consumption for information transmission.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the information transmission system 1 only needs to include at least the lighting device 10 and the electronic clock 20, and other components may be omitted.

[0057] The information transmission system 1 is not limited to monitoring the person A being monitored. While the example illustrates the transmission of information from the electronic watch 20 to the monitor terminal 30 and the manager terminal 40, the electronic watch 20 may be used alone. For example, the electronic watch 20 may be used for indoor navigation to guide the user of the electronic watch 20 to their location in hotels, large commercial facilities, etc. In these large facilities, users often forget or are unable to locate their location (e.g., room number or store name). By using the electronic watch 20 to acquire location information from the second light-emitting pattern P2, these problems can be resolved. In this case, the lighting device 10 may be illuminated with a composite light-emitting pattern P3 that includes location information indicating the floor or area name within the facility. Information about the facility and floor, previously stored as table data in the storage unit 23, may be simply displayed on the display unit 24 in accordance with the acquired location information. The number of times the facility has been visited may also be stored and displayed on the display unit 24.

[0058] Furthermore, the predetermined information included in the second light-emitting pattern P2 is not limited to location information. For example, the second light-emitting pattern P2 may include information about the current time. This allows the electronic watch 20 to correct the displayed time based on the current time information obtained by decoding the second light-emitting pattern P2. Alternatively, a lighting device in the home may be made to emit light using the second light-emitting pattern P2 of the time information. If the electronic watch 20 detects the second light-emitting pattern P2 during a predetermined time period (e.g., 0:00 AM to 6:00 AM), the notification unit 27 may issue a notification that the lighting device has been left on. Furthermore, for example, a light-emitting device that illuminates a product display window may be made to emit light using a composite light-emitting pattern P3 that includes the URL of a website related to the product in the second light-emitting pattern P2. This allows for a service such as automatically displaying a product's website on the display unit of the electronic watch 20 or the target user's terminal 30 that has decoded the second light-emitting pattern P2.

[0059] Furthermore, although the embodiment in which the electronic timepiece 20 emits a response light (notification) in response to the detection of the second light emission pattern P2 has been exemplified, this is not limiting. The electronic timepiece 20 may use the predetermined information identified from the second light emission pattern P2 within its own device, or may not issue a special notification.

[0060] Furthermore, the electronic device is not limited to the electronic watch 20. For example, the electronic device may be a solar-powered calculator provided at the examination venue. In this case, a common message can be displayed on each solar-powered calculator by causing a light-emitting device that illuminates the venue to emit light with a composite light-emitting pattern P3 that includes a message for the examinee. The electronic device may also be an electronic shelf label for a product. In this case, the display content of the electronic shelf label can be rewritten by irradiating the electronic shelf label with light from a light-emitting device with a composite light-emitting pattern P3 that includes information about the display content of the shelf label.

[0061] The electronic device may further include a communication unit. The electronic device may further include a satellite radio wave reception processing unit that receives and decodes satellite radio waves to obtain information such as location and time. Even in this configuration, by also using a solar cell to obtain information, it is possible to reduce power consumption by the communication unit and satellite radio wave reception processing unit.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the second light-emitting pattern P2 is superimposed on the off period T2 of the first light-emitting pattern P1, but this is not limited thereto, and the second light-emitting pattern P2 may be superimposed on the on period T1. The second light-emitting pattern P2 in the on period T1 may be a light-emitting pattern in which the light-emitting brightness L1 and the light-emitting brightness L2 of the second light-emitting pattern P2 in the off period T2 are inverted, or may be the same pattern as the second light-emitting pattern P2 in the off period T2. Furthermore, the second light-emitting pattern P2 may be included in the longer of the on period T1 and the off period T2.

[0063] Furthermore, although the lighting device 10, which is a ceiling light, has been exemplified as the light-emitting device, the present invention is not limited to this and the light-emitting device may be any device that emits light. Furthermore, the light-emitting device does not necessarily need to be fixed in a predetermined position and may be, for example, a portable light that is held in the hand of a staff member or the like at the facility where the person being watched over A is staying. In this case, the second light-emitting pattern P2 included in the composite light-emitting pattern P3 of the portable light may include information indicating that the person being watched over A is inside the facility.

[0064] Furthermore, the lighting device 10 may be connected to a network N, allowing information to be included in the second light emission pattern P2 to be input and specified externally. This allows, for example, message information to be sent from the manager's terminal 40 to the lighting device 10 via the network N, allowing a message (predetermined information) to be sent from the manager B to the person being watched over A via the manager's terminal 40, network N, lighting device 10, and electronic watch 20. In order to send a message to only a specific person being watched over when there are multiple people being watched over, the electronic watch 20 that responds to the second light emission pattern P2 and issues an alert may be limited by, for example, including identification information in the second light emission pattern P2.

[0065] In the above description, an example has been disclosed in which flash memory is used as the computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention in the storage units 13, 23, 33, and 43, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Other computer-readable media may include information recording media such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), and CD-ROMs. Furthermore, carrier waves may also be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0066] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each component of the information transmission system 1 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1...information transmission system, 10, 10a to 10c...lighting device (light-emitting device), 11...CPU (first control unit), 20...electronic watch (electronic device), 21...CPU (second control unit), 261...solar cell, 27...alarm unit, 30...target person terminal (first terminal device), 31...CPU (third control unit), 36...communication unit, 37...camera (detection unit), 40...administrator terminal (second terminal device), 41...CPU (processing unit), 50...camera (detection device), P1...first light-emitting pattern, P2, P2a to P2c...second light-emitting pattern, P3...composite light-emitting pattern, T1...on period, T2...off period

Claims

1. a first control unit that causes the light emitting device to emit light in a predetermined light emitting pattern; a second control unit provided in the electronic device having the solar cell; Equipped with the first control unit causes the light emitting device to emit light in a composite light emitting pattern in which a second light emitting pattern in a rectangular wave shape, which includes predetermined information and has a higher frequency than the first light emitting pattern, is included in either an off period or an on period of a first light emitting pattern in a rectangular wave shape; the second control unit specifies the second light emission pattern based on a time series change in an electromotive force of the solar cell to which light from the light emitting device is incident, and acquires the predetermined information. Information transmission system.

2. the predetermined information includes position information indicating a position corresponding to an installation position of the light-emitting device; 2. The information transmission system according to claim 1.

3. the electronic device includes a notification unit that notifies the user by at least one of light and sound; The second control unit causes the notification unit to make the notification in response to identifying the second light emission pattern.

2. The information transmission system according to claim 1.

4. the second control unit causes the notification unit to perform the notification by light during the off period of the first light emission pattern of the light-emitting device; 4. The information transmission system according to claim 3.

5. the first control unit causes the light emitting device to emit light in the composite light emitting pattern in which the second light emitting pattern is included in every predetermined number of the off periods in the first light emitting pattern; The second control unit identifies an off period that does not include the second light emission pattern among the plurality of off periods of the first light emission pattern, and causes the notification unit to make the notification during the identified off period.

5. An information transmission system according to claim 4.

6. the predetermined information includes position information indicating a position corresponding to an installation position of the light-emitting device, the second control unit causes the notification unit to issue the notification including the acquired position information; The information transmission system includes: a detection unit that detects the notification by the notification unit; a third control unit that identifies a location of the electronic device based on the location information included in the notification detected by the detection unit; a first terminal device having 4. The information transmission system according to claim 3.

7. the predetermined information includes position information indicating a position corresponding to an installation position of the light-emitting device, the second control unit causes the notification unit to issue the notification including the acquired position information; The information transmission system includes: a detection unit that detects the notification by the notification unit; a communication unit for communicating with a second terminal device; a third control unit that transmits the location information included in the notification detected by the detection unit or information generated based on the location information to the second terminal device via the communication unit; a first terminal device having 4. The information transmission system according to claim 3.

8. a detection device that is provided at a position capable of capturing an image of at least a part of an illumination range of the light emitted by the light emitting device and detects the notification by the notification unit; a processing unit that determines, when the detection device detects the notification, that the electronic device is located within a range that can be photographed by the detection device; Equipped with 4. The information transmission system according to claim 3.

9. the first control unit causes the plurality of light-emitting devices disposed at different positions to emit light in the composite light-emitting pattern such that the second light-emitting pattern appears at different timings; 2. The information transmission system according to claim 1.

10. An information transmission method executed by a first control unit that causes a light-emitting device to emit light in a predetermined light-emitting pattern and a second control unit provided in an electronic device having a solar cell, comprising: the first control unit causes the light emitting device to emit light in a composite light emitting pattern in which a second light emitting pattern in a rectangular wave shape, which includes predetermined information and has a higher frequency than the first light emitting pattern, is included in either an off period or an on period of a first light emitting pattern in a rectangular wave shape; the second control unit specifies the second light emission pattern based on a time-series change in electromotive force of the solar cell to which light from the light emitting device is incident, and acquires the predetermined information. Methods of information transmission.

11. A solar cell and A control unit; Equipped with the control unit executes a predetermined process when light of a predetermined light-emitting pattern is incident on the solar cell from a predetermined light-emitting device, the predetermined light emission pattern is a composite light emission pattern in which a second light emission pattern having a rectangular wave shape and a higher frequency than the first light emission pattern, the second light emission pattern including predetermined information, is included in either an off period or an on period of a first light emission pattern having a rectangular wave shape, the control unit, in the predetermined process, specifies the second light emission pattern based on a time series change in an electromotive force of the solar cell upon which light of the predetermined light emission pattern is incident, and acquires the predetermined information. electronic equipment.

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