Control method, program, information processing system, and electronic device

Abstract

To provide a control method capable of calculating battery residual quantities with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A control method for an information processing system including an electronic device having a battery and an information processing apparatus that communicates with the electronic device, includes: acquiring, in an operating unit provided in the electronic device, operation count information including the number of operations of the operating unit which indicates that the number of times the operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; acquiring operation time information including the operation time of the operating unit, which indicates the time when the operating unit was in the second state; and calculating the battery residual quantity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operating unit and the operation time information of the operating unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control method, a program, an information processing system, and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic devices often use batteries such as lithium thionyl chloride batteries, which have a voltage that is not proportional to the remaining charge.

[0003] In the battery life prediction system described in Patent Document 1, a server device acquires measurement data measured by the sensor unit of the sensor device from the sensor device. The server device calculates an estimated current consumption value based on the operating time of the sensor device and the estimated current value per unit time consumed during that operation, calculates the integrated current consumption value from the start of operation of the sensor device to the present, and calculates the estimated current consumption value per unit day of the sensor device. The server device determines whether the voltage value of the lithium thionyl chloride battery, which is the battery of the sensor device, is equal to or less than a predetermined voltage value. If the voltage value is greater than the predetermined voltage value, the server device calculates the remaining battery capacity from the battery capacity of the battery and calculates the estimated battery life. On the other hand, if the voltage value is equal to or less than the predetermined voltage value, the server device calculates the remaining battery capacity based on the voltage value and calculates the estimated battery life. In this way, the server device calculates the remaining battery power based on the operating time of the sensor device (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-179397 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the sensor device is in a sleep state in which it operates at low power consumption except during a set time, and current is constantly supplied to the sensor unit. For this reason, the prior art has not considered, for example, a case in which the sensor device has a mode in which the supply of current to the sensor unit is stopped.The prior art has not disclosed or suggested, for example, a configuration in which, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of the sensor device, the current value consumed to supply the current to the sensor unit again after the supply of current to the sensor unit has been stopped is taken into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect is a control method for an information processing system including an electronic device having a battery and an information processing device that communicates with the electronic device, the control method comprising: acquiring operation count information including the number of operations of an operating unit provided in the electronic device, which indicates the number of times the operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; acquiring operation time information including the operation time of the operating unit, which indicates the time the operating unit was in the second state; and calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operating unit and the operation time information of the operating unit.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect is a control method for an information processing device that communicates with an electronic device having a battery, the control method comprising: acquiring operation count information including the number of operations of an operating unit provided in the electronic device, which indicates the number of times the operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; acquiring operation time information including the operation time of the operating unit, which indicates the time the operating unit was in the second state; and calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operating unit and the operation time information of the operating unit.

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect is a program that causes a computer constituting an information processing device that communicates with an electronic device having a battery to realize the following functions: acquiring operation count information including the number of operations of an operating unit provided in the electronic device, which indicates the number of times the operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; acquiring operation time information including the operation time of the operating unit, which indicates the time the operating unit was in the second state; and calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operating unit and the operation time information of the operating unit.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect is an information processing system comprising: an electronic device having a battery; an operating unit that is in a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; an acquisition unit that acquires operation count information including the number of operations of the operating unit indicating the number of times the operating unit of the electronic device has changed from the first state to the second state; and operation time information including the operation time of the operating unit indicating the time the operating unit of the electronic device was in the second state; and a calculation unit that calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery of the electronic device based on the operation count information and the operation time information.

[0010] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect is an electronic device comprising a battery, an operating unit that has a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery, and that performs a specific operation when in the second state, and a control unit that controls the operating unit, wherein the control unit calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery based on operation count information including an operation count indicating the number of times the operating unit changed from the first state to the second state, and operation time information including an operation time indicating the time the operating unit was in the second state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of a first electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of a first electronic device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of a server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of characteristics of a thionyl chloride lithium battery according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of current consumption values ​​during LTE communication according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of an a-th electronic device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] A first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes a plurality of N electronic devices, ie, a first electronic device 11-1 to an N-th electronic device 11-N, and a server device 12.

[0014] In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 is applied to a tracking system that tracks logistics materials. The first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N are each attached to a predetermined part of a logistics material to be tracked, and transmit location information, operation status information, and the like to the server device 12. The predetermined part may be, for example, a packing material such as a cardboard box for packing goods, a pallet on which goods are placed, or a truck for transporting goods. The server device 12 receives information transmitted from the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N and manages the information, thereby enabling the server device 12 to manage the locations and operating conditions of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N. For example, communication of information from the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N to the server device 12 may be called uploading.

[0015] Each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N and the server device 12 can communicate with each other. In this embodiment, each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N communicates with a base station device (not shown) via LTE wireless communication, and the base station device communicates with the server device 12 via wired or wireless communication, thereby allowing each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N to communicate with the server device 12. It is also possible to use a configuration in which each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N directly communicates with the server device 12. In this case, in this embodiment, the communication is wireless communication, but when applied to other systems, the communication may be wired communication.

[0016] In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N have the same configuration and perform the same operation. In this embodiment, the server device 12 communicates with each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N and manages each of them in the same manner. In this way, in this embodiment, one server device 12 manages the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N, which are multiple electronic devices. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the first electronic device 11-1 will be used as a representative example.

[0017] The server device 12 is, for example, an example of an information processing device, and may be called by another name. Furthermore, the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N may be called by other names, such as communication devices, communication terminals, or communication devices.

[0018] 2 and 3, an example of the functional block configuration of the first electronic device 11-1 is shown. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the first electronic device 11-1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the first electronic device 11-1 according to the embodiment. Here, Fig. 2 shows an example of functional blocks of the portion other than the power supply line, and Fig. 3 shows an example of functional blocks of the portion of the power supply line. That is, the first electronic device 11-1 has the functional blocks shown in both Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Note that some functional blocks overlap between Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

[0019] With reference to FIG. The first electronic device 11-1 includes a control CPU 111 which is a control CPU (Central Processing Unit), an LTE module 112 which performs LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication, a GNSS receiving IC 113 which is an IC (Integrated Circuit) which receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), a sensor unit 114 which includes various sensors, and a memory 115. The LTE module 112 includes an LTE antenna 121 . The GNSS receiver IC 113 includes a GNSS antenna 122 .

[0020] The control CPU 111 executes various processes and controls in the first electronic device 11-1. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 executes a predetermined control program to execute various processes and controls. The control CPU 111 is connected to each of the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115, and controls each of them. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 controls the operation of the first electronic device 11-1, and stores in the memory 115 operation status information indicating the operation status of the first electronic device 11-1.

[0021] The LTE module 112 performs LTE wireless communication using the LTE antenna 121. The LTE module 112 performs external transmission and external reception. In this embodiment, the LTE module 112 performs LTE wireless communication with a base station device (not shown), and communicates with the server device 12 via the base station device.

[0022] The GNSS reception IC 113 uses a GNSS antenna 122 to receive GNSS signals. The GNSS reception IC 113 acquires location information based on the received GNSS signal. The location information may be, for example, information on latitude and longitude, and may also be information on altitude. In real-time situations, the location information may be, for example, information on the current location of the first electronic device 11-1. Here, GNSS signals are transmitted from one or more GNSS satellites.

[0023] As the GNSS, for example, one or more of GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, etc. may be used.

[0024] The sensor unit 114 includes one or more sensors, each of which detects a predetermined physical quantity. Here, various sensors may be used as each of the multiple sensors, such as an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity, or a temperature sensor that detects temperature.

[0025] Here, the observed acceleration corresponds to the acceleration of the logistics material on which the first electronic device 11-1 is installed. The observed angular velocity corresponds to the angular velocity of the logistics material on which the first electronic device 11-1 is installed. The observed temperature corresponds to the temperature of the logistics material in which the first electronic device 11-1 is installed. These observed physical quantities may be approximate values ​​to the actual values, as long as they do not cause any practical problems. For example, information regarding one or more of these observed physical quantities may be uploaded to server device 12 .

[0026] In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, even when the sensor unit 114 includes two or more sensors, the sensor unit 114 will be collectively described as a single processing unit. As another example, if the sensor unit 114 includes two or more sensors, each sensor may be considered to have a separate processing unit, and processing similar to the processing related to the sensor unit 114 in this embodiment may be performed separately for each sensor.

[0027] The memory 115 stores information. The memory 115 stores various types of information, and may store, for example, a control program executed by the control CPU 111. In this embodiment, the memory 115 may store, for example, location information acquired by the GNSS reception IC 113, information detected by the sensor unit 114, information on the operating status, and the like. Instead of storage, it may be called, for example, recording.

[0028] With reference to FIG. The control CPU 111, the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 are the same as those shown in FIG. The first electronic device 11-1 includes a battery 131 and a first power supply IC 141-1 to a fifth power supply IC 141-5.

[0029] The battery 131 is used as a power source that enables the operation of the first electronic device 11-1. In this embodiment, the battery 131 is a lithium thionyl chloride battery.

[0030] The first power supply IC 141-1 is provided between the battery 131 and the control CPU 111, and controls the power supply to the control CPU 111. The second power supply IC 141-2 is provided between the battery 131 and the LTE module 112, and controls the power supply to the LTE module 112. The third power supply IC 141-3 is provided between the battery 131 and the GNSS reception IC 113, and controls the power supply to the GNSS reception IC 113. The fourth power supply IC 141-4 is provided between the battery 131 and the sensor unit 114, and controls the power supply to the sensor unit 114. The fifth power supply IC 141-5 is provided between the battery 131 and the memory 115, and controls the power supply to the memory 115.

[0031] In this embodiment, the power supplies to the LTE module 112, the GNSS reception IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 can be individually controlled to be switched on and off by their respective power supply ICs. Here, as a configuration for switching on and off, for example, a switching element such as a FET (Field Effect Transistor) may be used instead of each power supply IC.

[0032] In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 is always powered on and maintained in an activated state. Therefore, the first power supply IC 141-1 is always on. Note that the power supply of the control CPU 111 may be turned off, for example, when the first electronic device 11-1 is initialized. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control CPU 111 manages information on the operation time but does not manage information on the number of operations.

[0033] On the other hand, for the LTE module 112, the GNSS power supply IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115, information on the operation time and the number of times of operation are managed. In this embodiment, each of the second power supply IC 141-2 to the fifth power supply IC 141-5 is controlled by a control signal from the control CPU 111 to switch the power supply on and off.

[0034] Here, the number of operations represents, for example, the number of times a series of operations is performed until the power is switched from off to on and then back off again. The operating time indicates, for example, the time it takes for the power supply to be switched from off to on until it is switched off again. The first electronic device 11-1 includes information that allows the operation time of the control CPU 111 to be known, and information that allows the operation time and number of operations of the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 to be known in operation status information and transmits this information to the server device 12. The server device 12 receives the operation status information and calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 based on the operation status information. Instead of calculation, words such as operation or computation may be used.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of the server device 12 according to the embodiment. The server device 12 is configured using a computer. The server device 12 includes a communication unit 211 , a storage unit 212 , a display unit 213 , a calculation unit 214 , and a control unit 215 .

[0036] The communication unit 211 communicates with the outside. In this embodiment, the communication unit 211 communicates with a base station device (not shown), and communicates with each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the N-th electronic device 11-N via the base station device.

[0037] The storage unit 212 stores information. The storage unit 212 may store various types of information, for example, information received from the first electronic device 11-1 to the N-th electronic device 11-N, information obtained using the received information, and the like.

[0038] The display unit 213 has a screen, and displays information to be displayed on the screen. Here, together with or instead of displaying and outputting information, for example, sound such as voice or light may be output.

[0039] The calculation unit 214 performs a predetermined calculation. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 214 calculates the remaining battery capacity of each of the first electronic device 11-1 to the N-th electronic device 11-N based on the information received from each of them. Here, in the calculation of the remaining battery capacity according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to use an arithmetic expression that obtains an exact solution, and for example, a calculation that obtains an estimated value may be performed. Instead of estimation, it may be called, for example, estimation, prediction, or forecast.

[0040] The control unit 215 executes various processes and controls in the server device 12 . In this embodiment, the control unit 215 is configured using a processor such as a CPU, etc. The control unit 215 executes a predetermined control program to perform various processes and controls.

[0041] In this embodiment, the control unit 215 performs processing and control related to, for example, managing information received from each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N, instructing each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N to operate, calculating the remaining battery capacity of each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N, displaying and outputting the remaining battery capacity, and displaying and outputting identification information of each of the first electronic devices 11-1 to the Nth electronic devices 11-N.

[0042] Here, in the example of Figure 4, the calculation unit 214 and the control unit 215 are shown as separate processing units, but as another example, the function of the calculation unit 214 may be realized by the control unit 215 performing a predetermined calculation.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the characteristics of the lithium thionyl chloride battery according to the embodiment. It should be noted that the example of characteristics shown in FIG. 5 shows a rough tendency and is not necessarily precise. 5, the horizontal axis represents the used capacity, and the vertical axis represents the battery voltage [V]. The horizontal axis is shown on a logarithmic scale. Here, the battery voltage [V] on the vertical axis is the voltage of the lithium thionyl chloride battery.

[0044] The graph shown in FIG. 5 shows a first characteristic 2011, a second characteristic 2012, a third characteristic 2013, and a fourth characteristic 2014. The order of the current is from smallest to largest, that is, a first characteristic 2011, a second characteristic 2012, a third characteristic 2013, and a fourth characteristic 2014. As can be seen from these characteristics, the battery voltage does not drop significantly until the used capacity reaches a predetermined value, and then drops suddenly once the used capacity reaches that predetermined value.

[0045] For example, if the battery voltage and remaining battery capacity are dependent on each other, it is possible to calculate the remaining battery capacity from the battery voltage. However, for batteries such as lithium thionyl chloride batteries, where the battery voltage and remaining battery capacity are not dependent on each other, it is not possible to calculate the remaining battery capacity from the battery voltage, and an alternative method is therefore required. The remaining battery power may be calculated using the battery capacity. The battery capacity of the battery 131 indicates the amount of electricity that can be discharged from the start of use of the battery 131 until the end of use.

[0046] Here, the battery in which there is no dependency between the battery voltage and the remaining battery capacity is not necessarily limited to a lithium thionyl chloride battery, but may also be an alkaline battery, a silver oxide battery, a mercury battery, or an air battery.

[0047] An example of operations such as positioning, detection, and uploading in the first electronic device 11-1, and control of the first electronic device 11-1 by the server device 12 will be described. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 of the first electronic device 11-1 controls processing units such as the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 based on predetermined operating conditions. The operating conditions include, for example, the timing of positioning by the GNSS reception IC 113, the timing of detection by the sensor of the sensor unit 114, and the timing of uploading to the server device 12 by the LTE module 112.

[0048] Here, the timing at which the GNSS reception IC 113 performs positioning and the timing at which the sensor of the sensor unit 114 performs detection may be the same or different. Furthermore, at the timing when the GNSS reception IC 113 performs positioning, for example, a process of storing information on the result of the positioning in the memory 115 may occur. Furthermore, at the timing when the sensor of the sensor unit 114 performs detection, for example, a process of storing information on the detection result in the memory 115 may occur. Furthermore, at the timing when the LTE module 112 performs uploading to the server device 12, for example, a process of reading the information to be uploaded from the memory 115 may occur. The control CPU 111 switches the power supply to a necessary processing unit from off to on when necessary, and switches the power supply to the processing unit from on to off after the necessary processing is completed.

[0049] These timings may be set using the time each day when the operation should be performed, for example. As a specific example, if the operation is performed at 10:00 every day, it will be performed once a day, and if the operation is performed from midnight to exactly midnight every day, it will be performed 24 times a day. As an example, the timing for positioning by the GNSS receiving IC 113 and the timing for detection by the sensor of the sensor unit 114 can be set to the same timing of once per hour, and the timing for uploading to the server device 12 by the LTE module 112 can be set to once per 24 hours. In this case, the first electronic device 11-1 performs positioning and detection every hour every day, and this information for 24 hours is compiled and uploaded from the first electronic device 11-1 to the server device 12.

[0050] In this embodiment, the LTE module 112, the GNSS reception IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 are exemplified as operating units that can use the operation count and operation time. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 is exemplified as an operating unit that can use operating time. In this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the control CPU 111, LTE module 112, GNSS receiving IC 113, sensor unit 114, and memory 115 are each described as being separate operating units, but for example, two or more operating units in this embodiment may be collectively considered to be one operating unit.

[0051] In the first electronic device 11-1, the control CPU 111 stores the operating time of each operating unit, such as the control CPU 111, the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115, in the memory 115, and transmits information about the operating time to the server device 12 at a predetermined timing. Here, the operating time may be, for example, a cumulative operating time. Furthermore, the predetermined timing may be, for example, the same timing as the timing at which the positioning information and the detection information are uploaded from the first electronic device 11-1 to the server device 12, or may be a different timing.

[0052] In addition, in the first electronic device 11-1, the control CPU 111 stores the number of times each operating unit, such as the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115, operates in the memory 115, and transmits information on the number of times the units operate to the server device 12 at a predetermined timing. Here, the number of operations may be, for example, the cumulative number of operations. Furthermore, the predetermined timing may be, for example, the same timing as the timing at which the positioning information and the detection information are uploaded from the first electronic device 11-1 to the server device 12, or may be a different timing.

[0053] In this embodiment, the information on the operation time and the information on the number of operations are included in the operation status information and are transmitted from the first electronic device 11-1 to the server device 12 at the same timing. The cumulative operation time and the cumulative number of operations may be, for example, information on the cumulative totals for the period from the previous notification to the current notification. In this embodiment, the information may be, for example, information that allows the remaining battery power of the battery 131 of the electronic device 11-1 to be calculated with the required accuracy.

[0054] In this embodiment, the server device 12 may instruct the first electronic device 11-1 about the operating conditions of the first electronic device 11-1. In this case, the control unit 215 of the server device 12 notifies the first electronic device 11-1 by transmitting information specifying the operating conditions to the first electronic device 11-1. The control CPU 111 of the first electronic device 11-1 is set to use the operating conditions notified by the server device 12. Furthermore, such operating conditions may be updated to the latest operating conditions in the first electronic device 11-1 every time the server device 12 instructs the first electronic device 11-1 to update them. Note that updating the operating conditions may also be called, for example, changing the operating conditions.

[0055] Furthermore, when the operating conditions of the first electronic device 11-1 are updated, the control CPU 111 of the first electronic device 11-1 may transmit information indicating that the operating conditions have been updated or information specifying the updated operating conditions as operation information to the server device 12 via the LTE module 112. The timing of this notification is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, when the operating conditions are updated or when the first upload is performed after the operating conditions are updated. Such operation information may be included in the operating status information, for example. Furthermore, in the first electronic device 11-1, such operation information may include information about the time during which the first electronic device 11-1 can operate.

[0056] Here, the control unit 215 of the server device 12 may, for example, accept a specification of an operating condition from a user (not shown) and instruct the first electronic device 11-1 on the specified operating condition. The specified operating conditions may include, for example, the number of times positioning and detection is performed in one day, and the number of times uploading is performed in one day. The specified operating conditions may be stored and saved in the storage unit 212 of the server device 12, and may be updated based on new specifications from the user.

[0057] The calculation unit 214 of the server device 12 calculates the remaining battery power of the battery 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 based on the information on the number of times each operating unit has operated and the operating time included in the operating status information notified from the first electronic device 11-1. The control unit 215 of the server device 12 may, for example, display or otherwise present the information on the remaining battery level to the user. In this case, the user may refer to the information and, for example, when the remaining battery level becomes low, change the operating conditions of the first electronic device 11-1 to operating conditions in a low-consumption mode. In the operating conditions in the low-consumption mode, for example, one or both of the frequency of positioning and detection and the frequency of uploading are set lower, that is, the number of operations of each operating unit is reduced.

[0058] Furthermore, the server device 12 may present information such as the current location, movement trajectory, and temperature of the first electronic device 11-1 to the user by displaying it based on the positioning information and detection information received by uploading from the first electronic device 11-1. Such presentation may be made, for example, together with presentation of the remaining battery power, or may be made separately from presentation of the remaining battery power.

[0059] Here, an example of a configuration has been shown in which the user specifies the operating conditions of the first electronic device 11-1 to the server device 12, but as another example, a configuration may be used in which the server device 12 determines the operating conditions of the first electronic device 11-1 based on the remaining battery level of the first electronic device 11-1 in accordance with predetermined rules and notifies the first electronic device 11-1.

[0060] As an example, when the control unit 215 of the server device 12 determines that the remaining battery power of the first electronic device 11-1 has dropped below a certain value, the control unit 215 stores and saves in the storage unit 212 that the operating conditions of the low consumption mode for the first electronic device 11-1 will be used. The certain value is, for example, a predefined threshold value. Furthermore, when the control unit 215 of the server device 12 determines that the remaining battery power of the first electronic device 11-1 has dropped below a certain value, the control unit 215 may present information representing a predetermined instruction to the user by displaying it, etc. The instruction may be, for example, an instruction to collect the first electronic device 11-1 because the remaining battery power of the first electronic device 11-1 has dropped.

[0061] As a specific example, the operating conditions for the low consumption mode may be such that positioning is performed once a day, uploading is performed once a day, and the operation of various sensors included in the sensor unit 114 is always turned off. Then, by calculating the amount of battery consumption estimated to be consumed in one year in the low consumption mode and setting this amount of battery consumption as the threshold value, it becomes possible to operate the first electronic device 11-1 in the low consumption mode for about one year after the first electronic device 11-1 is set to the low consumption mode. As a method for calculating such battery consumption, for example, the method of this embodiment may be used. In this case, the number of operations and operation time of each operation unit may be estimated values ​​for one year of operation. For example, in a year with 365 days, the number of operations is 365 times, and the operation time is 365 times the (estimated operation time per operation).

[0062] In this embodiment, each operating unit of the first electronic device 11-1, such as the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115, can be activated only when necessary, thereby realizing a power-saving system aimed at long-term operation for logistics, for example. In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 is normally in a state where only the control CPU 111 is powered on. For example, when determining location information, the GNSS reception IC 113 is started up under the control of the control CPU 111, the location information is determined, and then a shutdown is performed to end the operation of the GNSS reception IC 113. Such startup and shutdown can also be performed for each of the LTE module 112, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 in the same way.

[0063] A calculation method for calculating the remaining battery power of the battery 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 will be described. In this embodiment, this calculation is performed by the calculation unit 214 of the server device 12. The calculation unit 214 uses the formula (1) to calculate the battery consumption of the battery 131. Then, the calculation unit 214 subtracts the battery consumption from the battery capacity, which is the initial remaining battery capacity of the battery 131, and calculates the result as the remaining battery capacity. In this embodiment, the remaining battery capacity is calculated from the amount of battery consumption. However, instead of explicitly calculating the remaining battery capacity, the amount of battery consumption may be regarded as substantially representing the remaining battery capacity.

[0064] [Number 1] Battery consumption = Sum of individual consumption of all operating parts Individual consumption = (operating time) x (current value per unit time) + (Number of operations) × (Current value per operation) Battery remaining = Battery capacity - Battery consumption Battery remaining [%] = (battery capacity - battery consumption) / battery capacity ··(1)

[0065] In this embodiment, all the operating units refer to operating units such as the control CPU 111, the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115. In addition, in this embodiment, (current value per unit time) represents the current value consumed per unit time, and for example, an estimated value may be set in advance, or may be set to a fixed value. In addition, in this embodiment, (current value per operation count) represents the current value consumed per operation, and for example, an expected value may be set in advance or may be set to a fixed value. The (current value per unit time) and (current value per number of operations) for calculating the individual consumption, which is the battery consumption of each individual operating unit, may be set to different values ​​for each individual operating unit, for example.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, in a configuration in which individual operating units are started up by being turned from off to on and shut down by being turned from on to off, if the current value required for startup is sufficiently greater than the current value required for shutdown, a mode may be used in which the current value required for startup is set as (current value per number of operations) and the current value required for shutdown is ignored by regarding it as zero.

[0067] By using formula (1), for example, for each individual operating unit, the fixed current value consumed in the startup process can be calculated from the number of operations, and the current value that varies depending on the environment can be calculated from the operating time.By combining these, it is possible to calculate battery consumption with higher accuracy.

[0068] Here, in the LTE module 112, the number of operations is determined depending on the frequency of transmitting information to the server device 12, for example. In the GNSS reception IC 113, the number of operations is determined according to, for example, the frequency with which GNSS signals are received. In the sensor unit 114, the number of operations is determined according to the frequency of detection by the sensor, for example. In the memory 115, the number of operations is determined, for example, depending on how often data is stored in or read from the memory 115.

[0069] There is no particular limitation on the frequency of each of the LTE module 112, GNSS receiving IC 113, sensor unit 114, and memory 115, and it may be, for example, once a day every 24 hours, twice a day every 12 hours, 12 times a day every two hours, or 24 times a day every hour.

[0070] In the control CPU 111, the operation time may vary depending on the environment, such as the processing load, for example. In the LTE module 112, the operating time may vary depending on the environment, such as the quality of wireless communication or the amount of information to be communicated. The operating time of the GNSS reception IC 113 may vary depending on the environment, such as the quality of wireless communication or the time elapsed since the last communication. In the sensor unit 114, the operating time may vary depending on the environment, such as the performance of the sensor, for example. The operating time of the memory 115 may vary depending on circumstances such as the amount of information to be stored or read. It should be noted that the operation time of each of the LTE module 112, the GNSS reception IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 may vary depending on the number of times they are operated.

[0071] Here, equation (1) shows the case where the individual consumption amounts of all operating parts, such as the control CPU 111, the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor part 114, and the memory 115, are summed up, but a mode that excludes the individual consumption amounts of some operating parts may also be used. For example, for at least one of the LTE module 112, the GNSS reception IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115, the number of times of operation and the operation time may be taken into consideration when calculating the individual consumption amount.

[0072] As a specific example, if the individual consumption of the sensor unit 114 is sufficiently smaller than the individual consumption of the LTE module 112 and the GNSS receiving IC 113, the individual consumption of the sensor unit 114 may be considered to be zero and ignored. As a specific example, if the individual consumption of memory 115 is sufficiently smaller than the individual consumption of LTE module 112 and GNSS receiving IC 113, an embodiment may be used in which the individual consumption of memory 115 is considered to be zero and ignored.

[0073] The calculation unit 214 of the server device 12 may calculate the power consumption of the battery 131 using, for example, equation (2) based on the cumulative number of operations and cumulative operation time of each individual operation unit. It should be noted that the formula (2) is substantially the same as the formula (1), and is exemplified here by a different expression. In equation (2), operating unit A1 represents the control CPU 111, operating unit A2 represents the LTE module 112, operating unit A3 represents the GNSS receiving IC 113, operating unit A4 represents the sensor unit 114, and operating unit A5 represents the memory 115.

[0074] [Number 2] Battery consumption = (cumulative operating time for operating section A1) × (current value per unit time for operating section A1) + (cumulative operating time of operating section A2) × (current value per unit time of operating section A2) + (cumulative number of operations related to the operating unit A2) × (current value per number of operations related to the operating unit A2) + (cumulative operating time for operating unit A3) × (current value per unit time for operating unit A3) + (cumulative number of operations related to operation unit A3) × (current value per operation related to operation unit A3) + (cumulative operating time of operating section A4) × (current value per unit time of operating section A4) + (cumulative number of operations related to operation unit A4) × (current value per operation related to operation unit A4) + (cumulative operating time for operating unit A5) × (current value per unit time for operating unit A5) + (cumulative number of operations related to operation unit A5) × (current value per operation related to operation unit A5) Battery remaining = Battery capacity - Battery consumption Battery remaining [%] = (battery capacity - battery consumption) / battery capacity (2)

[0075] FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of current consumption values ​​during LTE communication according to the embodiment. In the graph shown in FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the waveform of the consumed current value, which is the value of the consumed current. The graph shown in FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an example of characteristics from when the LTE module 112 is turned on from off to start up, when LTE communication is performed, and then until just before it is turned off again. In the example of FIG. 6, the part that shuts down when the LTE module 112 is switched from on to off is not shown.

[0076] In the example of FIG. 6, a startup processing period T1 and a subsequent operation period T2 are shown. The startup processing period T1 is a period during which the startup processing of the LTE module 112 is performed. In calculating the battery consumption, the number of operations during this period is counted as one, and the operation time is not taken into consideration. In other words, a fixed value is set in advance as the current consumption value for one startup processing period T1. In this example, it is assumed that the current value required for each startup processing of the LTE module 112 is the same or approximately the same.

[0077] The operating period T2 is a period during which LTE communication is performed by the LTE module 112. In calculating the battery consumption, the operating time is used without taking into consideration the number of operations during this period. In other words, the battery consumption is calculated by multiplying the operating time corresponding to the operating period T2 by a predetermined current value per unit time.

[0078] As described above, with respect to the LTE module 112, the waveform is the same or to a similar extent for each attempt at startup processing, resulting in the same or to a similar extent of current consumption, but the current consumption for each attempt at communication processing may differ depending on the communication environment, etc. In such cases, in this embodiment, the current consumption can be calculated with high accuracy for both startup processing and communication processing.

[0079] Here, in this embodiment, a single (current value per unit time) is used for the operating period T2, but as another example, the operating period T2 may be divided into two or more divided periods, and a different (current value per unit time) may be used for each divided period.

[0080] In the example of FIG. 6, the operating period T2 can be divided into an eleventh period T11, a subsequent twelfth period T12, and a subsequent thirteenth period T13. An eleventh period T11 is a period during which the LTE module 112 performs operations for establishing a connection for communication with a base station device (not shown). The twelfth period T12 is a period during which the LTE module 112 performs connection processing for communication with the server apparatus 12 via the base station apparatus. A thirteenth period T13 is a period during which the LTE module 112 performs an operation of uploading information to the server device 12. For example, by setting a different current value per unit time for each divided period, such as the 11th period T11, the 12th period T12, and the 13th period T13, and calculating the battery consumption for each divided period, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the battery consumption calculated for the operating period T2.

[0081] Here, various methods may be used to calculate the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity, and examples thereof include the above-described methods. For example, the calculation of the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity may be performed using the cumulative number of operations and the cumulative operation time, or the calculation of the value for each operation may be performed cumulatively using each operation and each operation time.

[0082] For example, if the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity change depending on the temperature, the temperature parameter may be included in the calculation formula. In such a configuration, for example, the effect of temperature on the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity is known in advance, and this effect is included in the calculation formula. For example, if the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity vary depending on the communication environment, the parameters of the communication environment may be included in the calculation formula. In such a configuration, for example, the influence of the communication environment on the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity is known in advance, and this influence is included in the calculation formula. For example, the parameters of the communication environment may be the GNSS receiving sensitivity or the LTE signal strength.

[0083] For example, the battery capacity of a battery may be the rated capacity of the battery specifications, or the effective capacity in the operating mode of the device in which the battery is installed. For example, an approximate formula using the least squares method may be created and used for the calculation formula, or a calculation method based on waveform measurement results may be used, or a calculation method based on the specified current consumption value may be used. For example, as described with reference to Fig. 6, the operating time when calculating the battery consumption may be divided into more parts. As a specific example, the entire communication time does not necessarily need to be used as the communication time of LTE communication, and the communication time may be divided into two or more communication time periods, such as the connection time with the base station device, the connection time with the server device 12, and the data upload time. If the current consumption values ​​in each divided time period differ, dividing the communication time into more parts enables more accurate estimation.

[0084] As described above, in the information processing system 1 and the control method according to this embodiment, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 is calculated based on the number of operations indicating the number of times a specific operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied to the second state in which current is supplied, and the operating time that the operating unit was in the second state. Therefore, in the information processing system 1 and control method according to this embodiment, for example, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of a battery 131 whose remaining battery capacity cannot be calculated from a voltage value, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with high accuracy by taking into account the number of operations.

[0085] In this embodiment, the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 are shown as operating units whose number of operations can be taken into consideration, but operating units that perform various operations may also be used. Furthermore, it is sufficient that there is one or more operation units for which the number of operations is taken into consideration, and it may be arbitrarily set whether or not to take the number of operations into consideration for each operation unit. In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, the sensor unit 114 is described as a single operating unit; however, if the sensor unit 114 includes two or more sensors, each sensor may be treated as having a separate operating unit, as another example.

[0086] In this embodiment, the first electronic device 11-1 includes a battery 131, which is a lithium thionyl chloride battery, and an operating section that receives current from the battery 131 and operates. The server device 12 calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 based on the number of operations indicating the number of times the operating unit of the first electronic device 11-1 has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied to the operating unit to a second state in which current is supplied, and the operating time during which the operating unit was in the second state. As a result, in this embodiment, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131, whose remaining battery capacity cannot be calculated from the voltage value, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with high accuracy by taking the number of operations into consideration.

[0087] In this manner, in this embodiment, it is possible to accurately calculate the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity of the first electronic device 11-1, which is a terminal, using an arithmetic expression that takes into account the number of operations. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as a result of estimating the remaining battery power with high accuracy, the first electronic device 11-1 is shifted to a low-power consumption mode when the remaining battery power becomes low, thereby making it possible to encourage the user to collect the terminal more reliably. It should be noted that the low consumption mode may be called, for example, a power saving mode.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing the server device 12 with a function for calculating the remaining battery power of the first electronic device 11-1, it is possible to eliminate the need to change the settings of many terminals when changing such an arithmetic formula, for example.

[0089] Here, in a technique such as that described in Patent Document 1, which calculates the current consumption value based on the operating time of the operating unit and the current value per unit time, it is thought that the calculation accuracy will deteriorate for, for example, a fixed current consumption value, such as the current consumption value when the operating unit performs startup processing.

[0090] For example, in a configuration in which the power of the communication unit is turned off when communication is not being performed, when communication is performed by the communication unit, a fixed current value is consumed by the startup process of the communication unit, regardless of the environment, and subsequently, a current value that may vary depending on the environment is consumed by the communication process of the communication unit. Therefore, in this embodiment, the current consumption is calculated by dividing the number of times the operating unit operates from the operating time, thereby making it possible to grasp the appropriate current consumption by calculating the current consumption based not only on the operating time but also on the number of times the operating unit operates.

[0091] In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 is applied to a tracking system that tracks logistics materials. The first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N are attached to the logistics materials to be tracked or their packaging materials, respectively, and transmit location information, operating status information, and the like to the server device 12. In this embodiment, in a logistics tracker service in which the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N are equipped with batteries such as lithium thionyl chloride batteries in which the battery voltage and the remaining battery capacity are not proportional to each other, the power supply of the operating unit is turned off when the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N are not in operation in order to achieve a long battery life. Here, the remaining battery capacity represents the battery life. In this embodiment, the remaining battery power can be calculated with high accuracy based on the number of operations and the operating time determined from the operating status of the operating unit, and it is also possible to control the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N based on the remaining battery power.

[0092] In this way, in a configuration in which control is performed to start up the operating unit only when the operating unit is operating, aiming to extend the life of the batteries 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 to the Nth electronic device 11-N, the current consumption value of the startup process is constant, so the method of this embodiment makes it possible to accurately calculate the current consumption. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by approximating the lifespan with high accuracy, it is possible to appropriately control the low-power mode when the remaining battery power is low.

[0093] For example, it is desirable that a tracker attached to logistics materials be collected reliably. Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, when the remaining battery power calculated for the battery 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 falls below a certain value, the first electronic device 11-1 is shifted to a low-power consumption mode, thereby making it possible to ensure that the first electronic device 11-1 is collected reliably. Here, when the remaining battery power of an electronic device reaches zero, it may become impossible to find the presence of the electronic device. For this reason, control when the remaining battery power is low becomes important. For example, if the battery of an electronic device used to identify the location of logistics materials runs out, the location of the logistics materials and the electronic device may become unknown. In this case, it is possible that the electronic device will fall off onto the road or elsewhere due to deterioration or loosening of its fastenings, so it is desirable to reliably collect the electronic device before its battery runs out.

[0094] For example, a control method for the information processing system 1 can be provided. The control method according to this embodiment is a control method for an information processing system 1 including a first electronic device 11-1 equipped with a battery 131 and a server device 12 that communicates with the first electronic device 11-1. The control method of this embodiment acquires operation count information including the number of operations of an operating unit provided in a first electronic device 11-1, which indicates the number of times the operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery 131 to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery 131. The control method according to this embodiment acquires operation time information including the operation time of the operation unit, which indicates the time during which the operation unit was in the second state. The control method according to this embodiment calculates the remaining battery power of the battery 131 based on the information on the number of operations of the operation unit and the information on the operation time of the operation unit.

[0095] Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, for example, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 whose remaining battery capacity cannot be calculated from the voltage value, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with high accuracy by taking into account the number of operations.

[0096] In this embodiment, the server device 12 is an example of an information processing device. In this embodiment, the LTE module 112, the GNSS receiving IC 113, the sensor unit 114, and the memory 115 are exemplified as operating units for which the number of operations and operating time can be used. In this embodiment, the control CPU 111 is further exemplified as an operating unit whose operating time can be used.

[0097] In one example configuration of the control method according to this embodiment, it is determined whether the remaining battery charge of battery 131 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the remaining battery charge of battery 131 is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the number of times the operating unit operates per day is reduced compared to the number of times it operates when the remaining battery charge of battery 131 is greater than the predetermined value. Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, the number of times the operating unit operates can be reduced according to the remaining battery charge, and the first electronic device 11-1 can operate according to the remaining battery charge, thereby enabling the lifespan to be extended. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0098] In the control method according to this embodiment, as one configuration example, the operating unit includes a GNSS receiving IC 113 that determines the position of the first electronic device 11-1, and an LTE module 112 that transmits location information indicating the position to the server device 12. Therefore, in the control method of this embodiment, the number of times and the operating time of each of the GNSS receiving IC 113 and the LTE module 112 can be counted, thereby making it possible to calculate the remaining battery power according to the operation of both the GNSS receiving IC 113 and the LTE module 112. In this embodiment, the GNSS reception IC 113 is an example of a positioning unit. In this embodiment, the LTE module 112 is an example of a communication unit. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0099] In one configuration example of the control method according to this embodiment, the remaining battery power of the battery 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 is calculated based on the communication strength between the LTE module 112 and a communication target that wirelessly communicates with the LTE module 112. Therefore, the control method according to this embodiment can determine the remaining battery level according to the communication environment. For example, when the communication environment with the external device to be communicated with is poor, it is possible to take into account that the current consumed will be high, thereby improving the accuracy of the remaining battery level. In this embodiment, the communication target that wirelessly communicates with the LTE module 112 is a base station device (not shown), but other examples may include a server device having an LTE communication function, a router device that performs LTE communication, etc. In other words, the LTE module 112 may directly communicate wirelessly with the server device 12, or may communicate wirelessly with a base station device or a router device, etc., and communicate with the server device 12 via these. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0100] In one configuration example of the control method according to this embodiment, the remaining battery power of the battery 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 is calculated based on the strength of a satellite signal received by the GNSS reception IC 113 from a satellite. Therefore, the control method according to this embodiment can determine the remaining battery capacity according to the positioning environment. For example, when the positioning environment is poor, it is possible to take into account that the current consumed will be high, thereby improving the accuracy of the remaining battery capacity. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0101] In one configuration example of the control method according to this embodiment, the remaining battery capacity is calculated based on environmental temperature information indicating the temperature of the environment in which the first electronic device 11-1 is stored, which is acquired by a temperature sensor provided in the first electronic device 11-1. Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, the remaining battery capacity can be determined based on the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor of the first electronic device 11-1, thereby taking into account the effect of temperature on the remaining battery capacity and improving the accuracy of the remaining battery capacity. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor may be included as a sensor in the sensor unit 114, for example. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0102] In one configuration example of the control method according to this embodiment, when the operation unit determines that the remaining battery charge is below a predetermined value, it outputs operation information to the server device 12 regarding the decrease in the number of times the operation unit operates per day. Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, it is possible to notify the server device 12 that the first electronic device 11-1 has entered the low-power consumption mode, depending on the remaining battery power. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0103] In the control method according to the present embodiment, as one configuration example, the operation information includes information indicating the time during which the first electronic device 11-1 can operate in a state in which the number of times the operation unit operates per day is reduced. Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, the notification that the first electronic device 11-1 has entered low-consumption mode can include information indicating how long the first electronic device 11-1 can operate in low-consumption mode, thereby notifying the server device 12 of the operating time of the first electronic device 11-1. However, such a configuration does not necessarily have to be used.

[0104] For example, a control method for an information processing device can be provided. The control method according to this embodiment is a control method for an information processing device that communicates with a first electronic device 11-1 that has a battery 131. The control method acquires operation count information including the number of operations of an operating unit provided in a first electronic device 11-1, which indicates the number of times the operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from a battery 131 to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery 131. The control method includes acquiring operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit, which indicates a time during which the operation unit was in the second state. This control method calculates the remaining battery power of the battery 131 based on the operation count information of the operation unit and the operation time information of the operation unit. Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, for example, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 whose remaining battery capacity cannot be calculated from the voltage value, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with high accuracy by taking into account the number of operations.

[0105] For example, a program for an information processing device can be provided. The program according to this embodiment is a program that causes a computer constituting an information processing device that communicates with the first electronic device 11-1 equipped with the battery 131 to realize the following functions. The program enables an operating unit provided in the first electronic device 11-1 to realize the following functions: acquiring operation count information including the number of times the operating unit has operated, which indicates the number of times the operating unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery 131 to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery 131; acquiring operation time information including the operation time of the operating unit, which indicates the time the operating unit was in the second state; and calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 based on the operation count information of the operating unit and the operation time information of the operating unit. Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, for example, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 whose remaining battery capacity cannot be calculated from the voltage value, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with high accuracy by taking into account the number of operations.

[0106] For example, an information processing system can be provided. The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes a first electronic device 11-1 and an information processing device. The first electronic device 11-1 has a battery 131 and an operating unit that is in a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery 131 and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery 131. The information processing device has an acquisition unit that acquires operation count information including the number of operations of the operation unit of the first electronic device 11-1, which indicates the number of times the operation unit of the first electronic device 11-1 has changed from a first state to a second state, and operation time information including the operation time of the operation unit, which indicates the time during which the operation unit of the first electronic device 11-1 was in the second state, and a calculation unit that calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 of the first electronic device 11-1 based on the operation count information and the operation time information. Therefore, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, for example, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 whose remaining battery capacity cannot be calculated from the voltage value, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with high accuracy by taking into account the number of operations. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit is configured by the function of the communication unit 211 of the server device 12. In this embodiment, the calculation unit is configured by the function of the calculation unit 214 of the server device 12.

[0107] A second embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the a-th electronic device 11a according to the embodiment. The a-th electronic device 11a is a modified example of the first electronic device 11-1 according to the first embodiment, and may be applied to the second electronic device 11-2 to the N-th electronic device 11-N.

[0108] The a-th electronic device 11a includes an a-th control CPU 111a, an LTE module 112, a GNSS receiving IC 113, a sensor unit 114, and a memory 115. The LTE module 112 includes an LTE antenna 121 . The GNSS receiver IC 113 includes a GNSS antenna 122 . The a-th control CPU 111a includes an a-th calculation unit 311a.

[0109] Here, the configuration and operation of the a-th electronic device 11a are generally similar to the configuration and operation of the first electronic device 11-1 shown in Figures 2 and 3, except that the a-th control CPU 111a includes an a-th calculation unit 311a. For this reason, in the example of Figure 7, the LTE module 112, GNSS receiving IC 113, sensor unit 114, memory 115, LTE antenna 121, and GNSS antenna 122, which are components similar to those shown in Figure 2, are shown with the same reference symbols. Also, in the example of Figure 7, although not shown, the configurations and operations of the battery 131 and the first power supply IC 141-1 to the fifth power supply IC 141-5 shown in Figure 3 are the same, and in this embodiment, the a-th control CPU 111a is connected to the first power supply IC 141-1.

[0110] In this embodiment, the a-th electronic device 11a differs in configuration and operation from the first electronic device 11-1 shown in FIG. 2 in that the a-th calculation unit 311a of the a-th control CPU 111a calculates the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity. That is, the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the functions of the calculation unit 214 of the server device 12 shown in FIG. 4 are provided in the 1a electronic device 11a. The method for calculating the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity may be the same as that used in the first embodiment, for example.

[0111] Furthermore, the a-th control CPU 111a may perform control to present information relating to the calculation results of the battery consumption amount or the remaining battery capacity to the user by display or the like. The a-th control CPU 111a may also accept a designation of an operating condition based on an operation performed by a user, and may then perform control to change the operating condition of the a-th electronic device 11a based on the content of the designation by the user.

[0112] As another example, the a-th control CPU 111a may automatically change the operating conditions of the a-th electronic device 11a based on the calculation result of the battery consumption or remaining battery power. As a result, the a-th control CPU 111a may automatically control the use of the operating conditions of the low-power mode when the remaining battery power becomes low, for example.

[0113] In this embodiment, the a-th electronic device 11a does not need to transmit information about the number of times each operating unit operates and the operating time to the server device 12. The server device 12 does not need to calculate the battery consumption and remaining battery capacity of the a-th electronic device 11a.

[0114] The a-th electronic device 11a may upload the positioning information obtained by the GNSS receiving IC 113 and the detection information obtained by the sensor unit 114 to the server device 12, for example, in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0115] For example, electronic devices can be provided. As one configuration example, the a-th electronic device 11a according to this embodiment includes a battery 131, an operating unit that has a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery 131 and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery 131, and that performs a specific operation in the second state, and a control unit that controls the operating unit. The control unit calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 based on operation count information including an operation count indicating the number of times the operation unit has changed from the first state to the second state, and operation time information including an operation time indicating the time the operation unit was in the second state. Therefore, in the control method according to this embodiment, for example, when calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 whose remaining battery capacity cannot be calculated from the voltage value, the remaining battery capacity of the battery 131 can be calculated with high accuracy by taking into account the number of operations. In the example of FIG. 7, the a-th control CPU 111a is an example of a control unit.

[0116] A program for implementing the functions of any of the components of any of the above-described devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and loaded into a computer system for execution. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an operating system or peripheral devices. "Computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs (Read Only Memory), and CDs (Compact Discs)-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. "Computer-readable recording medium" also includes devices that retain a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory within a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Such volatile memory may be RAM. The recording medium may also be non-transitory.

[0117] The above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. The "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. The above program may be for realizing some of the above functions. The above program may be a so-called differential file that can realize the above functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system. The differential file may also be called a differential program.

[0118] The functions of any of the components in any of the above-described devices may be implemented by a processor. Each process in the embodiments may be implemented by a processor operating based on information such as a program and a computer-readable recording medium storing information such as the program. The functions of each unit of the processor may be implemented by separate hardware, or may be implemented by integrated hardware. The processor includes hardware, and the hardware may include at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. The processor may be configured using one or more circuit devices mounted on a circuit board, or one or both of one or more circuit elements. An integrated circuit (IC) or the like may be used as the circuit device, and a resistor or a capacitor may be used as the circuit element.

[0119] The processor may be a CPU. However, the processor is not limited to a CPU, and various types of processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may be used. The processor may be a hardware circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor may be configured with multiple CPUs, or may be configured with a hardware circuit using multiple ASICs. The processor may be configured with a combination of multiple CPUs and a hardware circuit using multiple ASICs. The processor may include one or more of an amplifier circuit or a filter circuit that processes analog signals.

[0120] Although the embodiments have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of this disclosure.

[0121] [Note] Below, <Configuration Example 1> to <Configuration Example 12> are shown. Note that the lower-level configuration example may or may not be applied to the higher-level configuration example. Furthermore, a lower-level configuration example that is applicable to any of the two or more higher-level configuration examples may be applied to any of the two or more higher-level configuration examples, and furthermore, when two or more application examples arise in this way, a configuration example that is even lower than the lower-level configuration example may be applied to any of these two or more application examples.

[0122] <Configuration example 1> A control method for an information processing system including an electronic device having a battery and an information processing device that communicates with the electronic device, comprising: acquiring operation count information including an operation count of an operation unit provided in the electronic device, the operation count indicating the number of times the state of the operation unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; acquiring operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit indicating a time during which the operation unit was in the second state; calculating a remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operation unit and the operation time information of the operation unit; Control method.

[0123] <Configuration example 2> determining whether the remaining battery charge of the battery is equal to or less than a predetermined value; when it is determined that the remaining battery charge of the battery is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the number of times per day that the operating unit operates is reduced compared to the number of times that the remaining battery charge of the battery is greater than the predetermined value. The control method described in <Configuration Example 1>.

[0124] <Configuration example 3> the operation unit includes a positioning unit that measures a position of the electronic device, and a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the position to the information processing device; The control method described in <Configuration Example 1> or <Configuration Example 2>.

[0125] <Configuration Example 4> The remaining battery power of the battery of the electronic device is calculated based on the communication strength between the communication unit and a communication target that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit. The control method described in <Configuration Example 4>.

[0126] <Configuration example 5> calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery of the electronic device based on the strength of a satellite signal received by the positioning unit from a satellite; The control method described in <Configuration Example 3> or <Configuration Example 4>.

[0127] <Configuration Example 6> calculating the remaining battery capacity based on environmental temperature information indicating the temperature of an environment in which the electronic device is stored, the environmental temperature information being acquired by a temperature sensor provided in the electronic device; The control method according to any one of <Configuration Example 1> to <Configuration Example 5>.

[0128] <Configuration Example 7> When the operation unit determines that the remaining battery charge is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the operation unit outputs operation information regarding a decrease in the number of operations of the operation unit per day to the information processing device. The control method described in <Configuration Example 2>.

[0129] <Configuration Example 8> the operation information includes information indicating a time during which the electronic device can operate in a state in which the number of times the operation unit operates per day is reduced, The control method described in <Configuration Example 7>.

[0130] <Configuration Example 8> A method for controlling an information processing device that communicates with an electronic device having a battery, comprising: acquiring operation count information including an operation count of an operation unit provided in the electronic device, the operation count indicating the number of times the state of the operation unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; acquiring operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit indicating a time during which the operation unit was in the second state; calculating a remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operation unit and the operation time information of the operation unit; Control method.

[0131] <Configuration Example 10> A computer constituting an information processing device that communicates with an electronic device having a battery, a function of acquiring, in an operating unit provided in the electronic device, operation count information including an operation count of the operating unit indicating the number of times the state has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; a function of acquiring operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit, which indicates a time during which the operation unit was in the second state; a function of calculating a remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operation unit and the operation time information of the operation unit; A program to make this happen.

[0132] <Configuration Example 11> Batteries and an operating unit that is in a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; an electronic device having an acquiring unit that acquires operation count information including an operation count of the operation unit indicating the number of times the operation unit of the electronic device has changed from the first state to the second state, and operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit indicating a time during which the operation unit of the electronic device was in the second state; a calculation unit that calculates a remaining battery capacity of the battery of the electronic device based on the operation count information and the operation time information; an information processing device having An information processing system comprising:

[0133] <Configuration Example 12> Batteries and an operating unit that has a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery, and that performs a specific operation when in the second state; a control unit that controls the operation unit; Equipped with the control unit calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery based on operation count information including an operation count indicating the number of times the operation unit has changed from the first state to the second state, and operation time information including an operation time indicating a time during which the operation unit was in the second state. electronic equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 1...information processing system, 11-1...first electronic device, 11-2...second electronic device, 11-3...third electronic device, 11-N...Nth electronic device, 11a...ath electronic device, 12...server device, 111...control CPU, 111a...ath control CPU, 112...LTE module, 113...GNSS receiving IC, 114...sensor unit, 115...memory, 121...LTE antenna, 122...GNSS antenna, 131...battery, 141-1...first power supply IC, 141-2...second power supply IC, 143-1...third power supply IC, 144-1...fourth power supply IC, 141-5...fifth power supply IC, 211...communication unit, 212...storage unit, 213...display unit, 214...calculation unit, 215...control unit, 311a...ath calculation unit, 2011...first characteristic, 2012...second characteristic, 2013...third characteristic, 2014...fourth characteristic, T1...startup processing period, T2...operation period, T11...eleventh period, T12...twelfth period, T13...thirteenth period

Claims

1. A control method for an information processing system including an electronic device having a battery and an information processing device that communicates with the electronic device, comprising: acquiring operation count information, including an operation count of the operation unit, indicative of the number of times the state of the operation unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery, in the operation unit provided in the electronic device; acquiring operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit indicating a time during which the operation unit was in the second state; calculating a remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operation unit and the operation time information of the operation unit; Control method.

2. determining whether the remaining battery charge of the battery is equal to or less than a predetermined value; When it is determined that the remaining battery charge of the battery is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the number of times that the operation unit operates per day is reduced compared to the number of times that the remaining battery charge of the battery is greater than the predetermined value. The control method according to claim 1 .

3. the operation unit includes a positioning unit that measures a position of the electronic device, and a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the position to the information processing device; The control method according to claim 2 .

4. The remaining battery power of the battery of the electronic device is calculated based on the communication strength between the communication unit and a communication target that wirelessly communicates with the communication unit. The control method according to claim 3 .

5. calculating the remaining battery capacity of the battery of the electronic device based on the strength of a satellite signal received by the positioning unit from a satellite; The control method according to claim 3 .

6. calculating the remaining battery capacity based on environmental temperature information indicating the temperature of an environment in which the electronic device is stored, the environmental temperature information being acquired by a temperature sensor provided in the electronic device; The control method according to claim 4 or 5.

7. When it is determined that the remaining battery charge is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the operation unit outputs operation information relating to a decrease in the number of operations of the operation unit per day to the information processing device. The control method according to claim 2 .

8. the operation information includes information indicating a time during which the electronic device can operate in a state in which the number of times the operation unit operates per day is reduced, The control method according to claim 7.

9. A method for controlling an information processing device that communicates with an electronic device having a battery, comprising: acquiring operation count information, including an operation count of the operation unit, indicative of the number of times the state of the operation unit has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery, in the operation unit provided in the electronic device; acquiring operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit indicating a time during which the operation unit was in the second state; calculating a remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operation unit and the operation time information of the operation unit; Control method.

10. A computer constituting an information processing device that communicates with an electronic device having a battery, a function of acquiring, in an operating unit provided in the electronic device, operation count information including an operation count of the operating unit indicating the number of times the state has changed from a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery to a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; a function of acquiring operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit, which indicates a time during which the operation unit was in the second state; a function of calculating a remaining battery capacity of the battery based on the operation count information of the operation unit and the operation time information of the operation unit; A program to make this happen.

11. Batteries and an operating unit that is in a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery; an electronic device having an acquiring unit that acquires operation count information including an operation count of the operation unit indicating the number of times the operation unit of the electronic device has changed from the first state to the second state, and operation time information including an operation time of the operation unit indicating a time during which the operation unit of the electronic device has been in the second state; a calculation unit that calculates a remaining battery capacity of the battery of the electronic device based on the operation count information and the operation time information; an information processing device having An information processing system comprising:

12. Batteries and an operating unit that has a first state in which no current is supplied from the battery and a second state in which current is supplied from the battery, and that performs a specific operation when in the second state; a control unit that controls the operation unit; Equipped with the control unit calculates the remaining battery capacity of the battery based on operation count information including an operation count indicating the number of times the operation unit has changed from the first state to the second state, and operation time information including an operation time indicating a time during which the operation unit has been in the second state. electronic equipment.

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