Electronic equipment, notification system, notification control method, and program

Abstract

Notifications will be made taking into account the location of the schedule. [Solution] The electronic device includes a control unit that sets a notification pattern for the notification unit to perform a notification related to the schedule, based on schedule information including the start time of the user's schedule and information about the location where the schedule is performed. The notification system includes an electronic device having an information device that stores schedule information including the start time of the user's schedule and information about the location where the schedule is performed, a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the information device, a notification unit, and a control unit. The control unit sets a notification pattern for the notification unit to perform a notification related to the schedule, based on the schedule information obtained from the information device via the communication unit.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an electronic device capable of causing a notification unit to perform a notification related to a schedule at a time corresponding to the start time of a schedule set by a user (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the user's situation (for example, the surrounding environment, etc.) when the above notification is performed varies depending on the location of the schedule. Therefore, it is more convenient for the user to perform the notification in a manner corresponding to the location of the schedule than to perform the notification in the same manner uniformly.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to perform a notification in consideration of the location of a schedule.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an electronic device according to the present invention includes a control unit that sets a notification pattern of the notification related to the schedule to be caused to be performed by the notification unit based on schedule information including the start time of the user's schedule and information on the location where the schedule is performed.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide notifications that take into account the location of the schedule. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the configuration of a communication system. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic clock. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the contents of the notification pattern information. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a smartphone. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the screen of a scheduling app. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the control procedure for the notification control process. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the control procedure for the notification control process. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the contents of the importance table. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the contents of the notification intensity table. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described based on the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1 (notification system) of this embodiment comprises an electronic clock 10 (electronic device) and a smartphone 20 (information device). The electronic clock 10 is a wristwatch (wearable device) that is worn on the user's wrist. The smartphone 20 is carried and used by the same user as the electronic clock 10.

[0010] The electronic clock 10 can communicate with the smartphone 20 via short-range wireless communication and perform data communication. In this embodiment, BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) is used as the short-range wireless communication. However, other types of short-range wireless communication may be used. The electronic clock 10 and the smartphone 20 operate in cooperation by communicating via BLE and sending and receiving data. For example, the electronic clock 10 receives time information from the smartphone 20 at predetermined times during the day (for example, four times every six hours during the day) and corrects its internal time. In addition, by setting the electronic clock 10 (such as setting alarm time and world time) on the collaboration application program installed on the smartphone 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "collaboration app"), these settings can be reflected in the electronic clock 10 via communication. Furthermore, by sharing the user's schedule information 232 (see Figure 4) stored in the smartphone 20 with the electronic clock 10, the electronic clock 10 can provide notifications related to the schedule (appointments).

[0011] As shown in Figure 2, the electronic clock 10 comprises a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit) (control unit, control means), RAM 12 (Random Access Memory), a storage unit 13, a display unit 14, an operation unit 15, a notification unit 16 having a speaker 161 and an oscillator 162, a short-range wireless communication unit 17 (communication unit), a location information acquisition unit 18, and a motion sensor 19 (sensor). Each part of the electronic clock 10 is connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0012] The CPU 11 is a processor that functions as a control unit that controls the operation of the electronic clock 10 by reading and executing the program 131 stored in the memory unit 13 and performing various arithmetic operations. The electronic clock 10 may have multiple processors (for example, multiple CPUs), and the multiple processes that the CPU 11 in this embodiment performs may be performed by these multiple processors. In this case, the control unit is composed of multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors may be involved in common processing, or the multiple processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 12 provides the CPU 11 with a working memory space and stores temporary data.

[0013] The storage unit 13 is a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU 11, which acts as a computer, and stores the program 131 and various data. The storage unit 13 has non-volatile memory such as flash memory. The program 131 is stored in the storage unit 13 in the form of program code that can be read by the computer. The data stored in the storage unit 13 includes schedule information 132, notification pattern information 133, location information 134, motion information 135, importance table 136, and notification intensity table 137. The schedule information 132 is information related to the user's schedule. The schedule information 132 is identical in content to at least a part of the schedule information 232 of the smartphone 20. The CPU 11 obtains at least a part of the schedule information 232 from the smartphone 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 17 and registers it in the storage unit 13 as schedule information 132.

[0014] The notification pattern information 133 is setting information in which the notification pattern for notification by the notification unit 16 is set for each notification target schedule. In the notification pattern information 133 shown in Figure 3, the "Schedule ID" is a unique code assigned to each schedule registered in the schedule information 132. The "Schedule Start Time" is the start time of the schedule registered in the schedule information 132. In this embodiment, the "Notification Pattern" is a combination of "Notification Start Time" and "Notification Intensity". Of these, the "Notification Start Time" is the time when notification starts for each schedule and is set in the format "X minutes before the Schedule Start Time". The "Notification Intensity" is the intensity of the notification and represents the volume of the notification sound from the speaker 161 and / or the intensity of the vibration from the vibrator 162. In this embodiment, the "Notification Intensity" is set to three levels: "Weak", "Medium", and "Strong". However, it is not limited to these, and there may be two levels or four or more levels. Figure 3 shows the default notification settings for schedules where the "Schedule ID" is "S001" and "S002". The default "notification start time" is set, for example, to the start time of the schedule or the timing when the schedule is about to start. The notification settings for each schedule may be updated in the notification control process described later. Note that the notification pattern is not limited to the combination of notification start time and notification intensity, but may also include at least some of the following: notification duration, whether or not the notification is repeated, the number of repetitions, and the repetition interval.

[0015] The position information 134 includes the current position information 1341 and the position transition information 1342. The current position information 1341 represents the latest current position of the user of the electronic clock 10. The current position information 1341 is generated based on the positioning result by the position information acquisition unit 18. The position transition information 1342 includes information on the current positions at a plurality of past time points, that is, information on the change over time of the current position (transition of the current position). The position transition information 1342 may include information on the moving speed of the user derived based on the change over time of the current position. The motion information 135 includes various information related to the movement of the user's body detected by the motion sensor 19. For example, the motion information 135 includes information related to the movement of the arm on which the electronic clock 10 is worn, and information related to the movement mode (such as stationary, walking, running, etc.) of the user estimated based on the movement of the arm. Hereinafter, the position transition information 1342 and the motion information 135 are collectively referred to as the state information Is related to the user's state. The importance table 136 is table data used for determining the importance of the schedule. The notification intensity table 137 is table data used for determining the notification intensity. The contents of the importance table 136 and the notification intensity table 137 will be described later.

[0016] The display unit 14 displays information such as time, date, and day of the week in an analog or digital manner according to the control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. When the analog method is used, the display unit 14 includes rotating pointers such as an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand, and a mechanism for rotating the pointers and its drive circuit. When the digital method is used, the display unit 14 includes a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying in a segment method or a dot matrix method, and a drive circuit for the display panel. The analog display and the digital display may be used in combination.

[0017] The operation unit 15 has operation means such as operation buttons and a dial, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation on the operation means to the CPU 11. The operation unit 15 may include other operation means such as a touch panel provided overlaid on the display screen of the display unit 14.

[0018] The speaker 161 of the notification unit 16 outputs a sound with a magnitude and sound quality according to the control signal at a timing according to the control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. The vibrator 162 vibrates at a timing and vibration intensity according to the control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. The vibrator 162 is provided at a position where its vibration is transmitted to the user's wrist through the housing of the electronic clock 10. A piezoelectric element such as a piezo element may be used instead of the vibrator 162. The notification unit 16 performs various notifications by the sounding of the speaker 161 and / or the vibration of the vibrator 162.

[0019] The short-range wireless communication unit 17 is a communication module having an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and performs short-range wireless communication with the smartphone 20 by BLE.

[0020] The position information acquisition unit 18 receives and decodes the transmitted radio wave from the positioning satellite of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) such as GPS (Global Positioning System) to calculate the current position. The position information acquisition unit 18 calculates the current position under the control of the CPU 11 and outputs the result to the CPU 11.

[0021] The motion sensor 19 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis angular velocity sensor. The motion sensor 19 detects the acceleration and angular velocity generated in the electronic clock 10 and outputs the detection data to the CPU 11. The CPU 11 specifies the movement of the user's wrist wearing the electronic clock 10 and the magnitude of the movement based on the detection data of the motion sensor 19. The movement of the user and the magnitude of the movement thus specified are recorded in the movement information 135.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, the smartphone 20 includes a CPU 21, a RAM 22, a storage unit 23, a display unit 24, an operation unit 25, a telephone communication unit 26, a short-range wireless communication unit 27, and a position information acquisition unit 28. Each unit of the smartphone 20 is connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0023] The CPU 21 is a processor that controls the operation of the smartphone 20 by reading and executing the program 231 stored in the memory unit 23 and performing various arithmetic operations. The smartphone 20 may have multiple processors (for example, multiple CPUs), and the multiple processes that the CPU 21 in this embodiment performs may be performed by these multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors may be involved in common processing, or the multiple processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 22 provides the CPU 21 with a working memory space and stores temporary data.

[0024] The storage unit 23 is a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU 21 as a computer, and stores the program 231 and various data. The storage unit 23 has non-volatile memory such as flash memory. The program 231 is stored in the storage unit 23 in the form of program code readable by the computer. The program 231 includes various applications such as the aforementioned collaboration application and the schedule application. The data stored in the storage unit 23 includes schedule information 232, etc. The schedule information 232 includes information related to the user's schedule registered using the schedule application, etc. In this embodiment, a schedule is an event with at least a start time and location set. As shown in Figure 5, a user can generate a schedule on the schedule application screen with a start time, end time, name, and location set. In response to the generation of this schedule, the schedule information 232 registers the start time, end time, name, and location information for each schedule.

[0025] The display unit 24 comprises a display panel, such as a liquid crystal panel, capable of displaying using a dot matrix method, and a drive circuit for the display panel. The display unit 24 displays various menus, application screens, etc., according to control signals transmitted from the CPU 21.

[0026] The operation unit 25 has operating means such as a touch panel and operation buttons that are superimposed on the display panel of the display unit 24, and outputs operation signals corresponding to operations performed on the operating means to the CPU 21.

[0027] The telephone communication unit 26 is a communication module that includes an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and communicates with mobile phone base stations, etc., to send and receive voice data for telephone communication and packet data related to internet connection, etc.

[0028] The short-range wireless communication unit 27 is a communication module that includes an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and performs short-range wireless communication with the electronic clock 10 using BLE.

[0029] The location information acquisition unit 28 receives and decodes radio waves transmitted from positioning satellites of a global positioning satellite system such as GPS to calculate the current position. The location information acquisition unit 28 calculates the current position under the control of the CPU 21 and outputs the result to the CPU 21.

[0030] Next, the notification operation in the communication system 1 will be described. The outline of the notification operation in this embodiment is as follows: Information registered in the schedule information 232 of the smartphone 20 is transmitted to the electronic clock 10 via BLE communication at a predetermined timing and registered in the storage unit 13 as schedule information 132. Based on this schedule information 132, the electronic clock 10 causes the notification unit 16 to perform notification for each schedule. The notification pattern of the notification by the notification unit 16 (in this embodiment, the notification start time and notification intensity) is set for each schedule based on the schedule information 132, location information 134, and motion information 135. If the current location of the user indicated by the current location information 1341 is different from the location where the next schedule will be performed, the notification pattern is set so that the user's movement and preparation will be completed in time for the next schedule. In addition, the user's movement mode (for example, stationary, walking, or running) is identified based on the motion information 135, and the notification pattern is set based on the identified movement mode. Furthermore, an index value corresponding to either the distance from the user's current location to the location where the schedule will be performed or the required travel time is derived, and based on this index value and the status information Is (location transition information 1342 and movement information 135), a notification pattern is set so that the user's movement and preparation are on time for the next schedule. The user can set whether or not to execute the above notification (alarm) related to the schedule by performing a predetermined operation. Hereinafter, the setting to execute the notification will be referred to as "alarm on," and the setting not to execute the notification will be referred to as "alarm off." Below, with reference to Figures 6 and 7, an example of the notification control processing executed by the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 to realize such notification operation will be described. The notification control processing is executed, for example, when the operation to set the electronic clock 10 to "alarm on" is performed. Before the start of the notification control processing, it is assumed that "pairing" has been performed in advance, in which the electronic clock 10 and the smartphone 20 are mutually registered as devices to be connected via BLE.

[0031] As shown in Figure 6, when the notification control process is started, the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 determines whether or not it is a predetermined schedule acquisition timing (step S101). The schedule acquisition timing is predetermined and registered in the storage unit 13. The schedule acquisition timing may be, for example, once every 6 hours, or it may be set to a higher or lower frequency depending on the battery power of the electronic clock 10. If it is determined that it is a schedule acquisition timing ("YES" in step S101), the CPU 11 starts a BLE communication connection with the smartphone 20 and acquires at least a part of the schedule information 232 from the smartphone 20 (step S102). For example, the CPU 11 acquires schedules from the schedule information 232 that will start within 24 hours from the current time. The CPU 11 stores the acquired information in the storage unit 13 as schedule information 132. The CPU 11 also sets a default notification pattern for each schedule in the schedule information 132 and registers it in the notification pattern information 133 (step S103). The default notification pattern may be, for example, as shown in Figure 3, with the "notification start time" set to "10 minutes before" the scheduled start time and the notification intensity set to "medium". The default notification pattern may be changeable by user operation. After that, the CPU 11 terminates the communication connection with the smartphone 20. If there is sufficient battery power, a constant BLE communication connection may be maintained if the smartphone 20 is located within the BLE communication range.

[0032] If step S103 is completed, or if it is determined that it is not time to acquire a schedule ("NO" in step S101), the CPU 11 determines whether it is a predetermined time before the next schedule (step S104). Here, the CPU 11 refers to the schedule information 132 to identify the earliest scheduled to start and determines whether the current time is a predetermined time before the start time of this schedule. The predetermined time is predetermined and stored in the storage unit 13, and may be, for example, 30 minutes. If it is determined that it is not a predetermined time before the start time of the next schedule ("NO" in step S104), the CPU 11 returns to step S101. If it is determined that it is a predetermined time before the start time of the next schedule ("YES" in step S104), the CPU 11 acquires the user's current location from the location information acquisition unit 18 (step S105). The location acquired here may be represented, for example, by latitude and longitude. The CPU 11 associates the acquired location information with the time at that time and stores it in the storage unit 13 as current location information 1341. If the current time falls within the period of a certain schedule registered in the schedule information 132, the location of that schedule may be considered the user's current location and used for subsequent processing.

[0033] The CPU 11 determines, based on the schedule information 132 and the current location information 1341, whether the location where the next schedule will be performed is different from the current location (step S106). For example, if the location of the schedule in the schedule information 132 is expressed using latitude and longitude, the CPU 11 may determine that the location where the next schedule will be performed is different from the current location if the distance between the schedule location and the current location is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference distance. Alternatively, if the location of the schedule in the schedule information 132 is expressed using the name of a facility or the name of a room within that facility, as shown in Figure 5, the CPU 11 may convert the latitude and longitude of the current location information 1341 into a representation format common to the location of the schedule in the schedule information 132 (such as the name of a room) before performing the determination in step S106.

[0034] If the location where the next schedule will take place is the same as the current location ("NO" in step S106), the user does not need to move to the location of the next schedule, so it is sufficient to notify the user at the start time of the next schedule or when the schedule is about to start. For this reason, if the CPU 11 branches to "NO" in step S106, it performs the processing in steps S107 to S109 to send a notification at the default notification start time and with a "weak" notification intensity. That is, the CPU 11 maintains the default notification start time in the notification pattern information 133 and sets the notification intensity to "weak" (step S107). The CPU 11 repeatedly checks whether it has reached the notification start time of the next schedule (in this case, 10 minutes before the schedule start time) (step S108). If the CPU determines that it is time for the next scheduled notification to begin ("YES" in step S108), the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to make it make a notification at the set intensity (here, "weak") (step S109). That is, the CPU 11 makes the speaker 161 emit a sound at a volume corresponding to the set intensity and vibrates the vibrator 162 at a vibration intensity corresponding to the set intensity.

[0035] On the other hand, if the location of the next schedule is different from the current location (YES in step S106), the user needs to move to the location of the next schedule. For this reason, the CPU 11 executes the following steps S110 to S124 to prompt the user to move and prepare in time for the next schedule. First, the CPU 11 derives an index value corresponding to either the distance from the current location to the location of the next schedule or the required travel time (step S110). Here, the index value may be the distance itself or the required travel time itself. The index value may also be a stepwise representation of the length of the distance or required travel time (for example, "Level 1" to "Level 10" in order from shortest to longest). When deriving an index value corresponding to the required travel time, the CPU 11 may identify the user's means of transportation and derive the index value based on the travel speed of the identified means of transportation. The means of transportation may be set in advance by user operation, or the CPU 11 may estimate it based on the user's current location and the location of the next schedule. Means of transportation may include walking or running, as well as vehicles such as bicycles and automobiles, and public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.

[0036] Next, the CPU 11 derives a departure time that will allow the user to make it to the next schedule based on the derived index value and the start time of the next schedule in the schedule information 132 (step S111). In other words, the CPU 11 derives a departure time that will allow the user to travel from their current location to the location where the next schedule will take place by the start time of the next schedule. Here, the CPU 11 may also derive the departure time by identifying the user's means of transportation and speed of travel using the method described above, and subtracting the time required to travel to the location of the next schedule at that speed from the start time of the schedule.

[0037] When step S111 is completed, the CPU 11 determines whether the derived movement start timing has already passed (step S112). If the movement start timing has not yet passed ("NO" in step S112), the user can make it to the next schedule if they start moving at the movement start timing, so it is sufficient to give the user a notification prompting them to move (for example, a notification with a "weak" intensity) at the movement start timing. For this reason, if the CPU 11 branches to "NO" in step S112, it performs the processing in steps S113, S114, and S124 to give a notification with a "weak" intensity at the movement start timing. That is, the CPU 11 sets the notification start time for the next schedule in the notification pattern information 133 to the derived movement start timing and sets the notification intensity to "weak" (step S113). The CPU 11 repeatedly determines whether the notification start time for the next schedule (in this case, the derived movement start timing) has arrived (step S114). If the CPU determines that it is time to start the notification (YES in step S114), the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to make it send a notification at the set intensity (in this case, "weak") (step S124).

[0038] On the other hand, if the timing for starting movement has already passed (YES in step S112), the necessary notification will differ depending on the user's state. Therefore, the CPU 11 performs the processing in steps S115 to S124 in order to provide notification according to the user's state. First, the CPU 11 acquires and / or updates the user's state information Is (position transition information 1342 and motion information 135) at that time (step S115). In step S115, the CPU 11 acquires the temporal change of the current position up to the present recorded in the position transition information 1342 and derives the user's movement speed at that time as necessary. The CPU 11 also acquires detection data from the motion sensor 19. Based on this detection data, the CPU 11 derives the user's arm movement and the user's movement pattern (stationary, walking, running, etc.) estimated based on the arm movement, and registers the derived results in the motion information 135.

[0039] The CPU 11 determines whether the user is moving or not based on the status information Is (step S116). If the user is not moving, i.e., the user is stationary ("NO" in step S116), it is preferable to immediately issue a strong notification that urges the user to start moving immediately and to move at a faster speed than usual, as the user has not started moving to the next scheduled location even though the start timing for movement has already passed. Therefore, if the branch in step S116 is "NO", the CPU 11 sets the notification intensity for the next schedule in the notification pattern information 133 to "strong" (step S117). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to immediately issue a notification at the set intensity (here, "strong") (step S124). The fact that a "strong" notification is issued when urging the user to start moving immediately and to move at a faster speed than usual may be notified to the user in advance by a predetermined method. Immediately issuing a "strong" notification is equivalent to issuing a notification urging the user to move to the scheduled location in a manner that allows them to do so by the start time.

[0040] If the CPU determines that the user is moving ("YES" in step S116), it identifies whether the user is walking or running based on the state information Is (step S118), and determines whether the identification result is "walking" (step S119). If the user is walking ("YES" in step S119), it can be assumed that the user has started moving to the next scheduled location, but since the movement is slow, there is a possibility that the user will not make it in time for the next schedule. For this reason, the CPU performs the processes in steps S120 to S122 and S124 in order to provide notification with an intensity corresponding to the user's movement speed. That is, if the branch is "YES" in step S119, the CPU determines whether the user's walking speed is fast enough to make it in time for the start time of the next schedule, based on the index value derived in step S110 and the current user's movement speed (step S120). If the CPU 11 determines that the current speed is insufficient to meet the start time of the next schedule ("NO" in step S120), it sets the notification intensity for the next schedule in the notification pattern information 133 to "medium" to encourage the user to move faster (step S121). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to immediately send a notification at the set intensity (here, "medium") (step S124). If the CPU 11 determines that the current speed is sufficient to meet the start time of the next schedule ("YES" in step S120), it sets the notification intensity for the next schedule in the notification pattern information 133 to "weak" to encourage the user to maintain the current speed (step S122). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to immediately send a notification at the set intensity (here, "weak") (step S124). The user may be notified in advance, through a predetermined method, that a "medium" notification intensity will be given when encouraging the user to move faster, and that a "low" notification intensity will be given when encouraging the user to maintain their current movement speed.

[0041] On the other hand, if the user is moving ("NO" in step S119), it can be assumed that the user is moving quickly to the next scheduled location at a speed faster than walking. Therefore, if the branch is "NO" in step S119, the CPU 11 sets the notification intensity for the next schedule in the notification pattern information 133 to "weak" to encourage the user to continue their current movement (step S123). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to immediately issue a notification at the set intensity (in this case, "weak") (step S124). The fact that a notification with a "weak" intensity will be issued when encouraging the user to continue their current movement may be notified to the user in advance by a predetermined method.

[0042] Steps S115, S116, S118, and S119 described above correspond to steps that identify the user's movement pattern based on the status information Is. Steps S117, S120 to S123 correspond to steps that set a notification pattern so that the notification intensity corresponds to the movement speed estimated from the identified movement pattern.

[0043] When step S109 or S124 is completed, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the operation to set the alarm to "off" has been performed (step S125). In addition, in step S125, it may also determine whether or not the operation to turn off the power of the electronic clock 10 has been performed. If the CPU 11 determines that the operation has not been performed ("NO" in step S125), it returns to step S101, and if it determines that the operation has been performed ("YES" in step S125), it terminates the notification control process.

[0044] The above is just one example of notification control processing, and various modifications may be made as shown below. For example, regardless of which route step S124 is executed, the CPU 11 may have the notification unit 16 repeatedly send notifications at predetermined intervals until the start time of the next schedule or until the user arrives at the location of the next schedule. Alternatively, the process may be returned to step S116 after each repetition, and the notification intensity may be reset according to the user's movement pattern and speed at that time.

[0045] Furthermore, while walking or running were given as examples of the user's mode of movement in steps S118 to S123, the system is not limited to these. For example, it may be determined whether the user's mode of movement is by the aforementioned vehicles or public transport, and based on the result of this determination, a notification pattern may be determined to ensure the user arrives on time for the next schedule. In addition, in this determination, it may be further determined whether the means of movement and direction of movement are appropriate for heading to the location of the next schedule, and a notification pattern may be determined based on the result of this determination.

[0046] Furthermore, although "30 minutes" was used as an example for the "predetermined time" in step S104, this predetermined time may be determined for each schedule based on the distance or travel time required from the user's current location to the location where the next schedule will be performed. That is, before executing step S104, the user's current location may be obtained from the location information acquisition unit 18, and the "predetermined time" may be determined such that the longer the distance or travel time required from the user's current location to the location where the next schedule will be performed, the longer the "predetermined time". This allows the processing from step S105 onward to be performed at a time with sufficient leeway, taking into account the distance and travel time, when the location of the next schedule is far from the user's current location. In addition, since the processing from step S105 onward can be executed at an appropriate time for each schedule and not at any other time, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced.

[0047] Furthermore, if the location of the next scheduled event differs from the user's current location ("YES" in step S106), the notification intensity may simply be determined according to the user's movement pattern. In other words, steps S110-S114, S120, and S122 may be omitted.

[0048] Furthermore, the notification pattern may be further adjusted based on the importance of the schedule. For example, the CPU 11 may derive the importance of the schedule based on the schedule information 132 and set the notification pattern so that the higher the derived importance, the stronger the notification. In this case, the CPU 11 may derive the importance of the schedule based on the importance table 136 shown in Figure 8. The importance table 136 defines the points allocated to each item, such as the type of schedule (external meeting, internal meeting, other work, child-related, vacation, etc.), the method of travel to the schedule location (airplane, train, bus, car, walking, etc.), the type of schedule location (workplace, school, other outings, home, etc.), and the participants of the schedule (supervisor, colleague, family, others, none, etc.). The schedule information 132 includes information on these types, travel methods, location types, and participants for each schedule, and the CPU 11 derives the importance of the schedule according to the sum of the points allocated to the items corresponding to the schedule. For example, importance may be derived based on criteria such as "low importance" if the added score is 6 points or less, "medium importance" if it is between 7 and 12 points, and "high importance" if it is 13 points or more. Alternatively, the CPU 11 may determine the notification intensity in steps S117, S121, and S123 in Figure 7 based on the derived schedule importance and the notification intensity table 137 shown in Figure 9. The notification intensity table 137 sets notification intensities corresponding to each importance level for each case where the user's movement is "stationary" (step S117), "walking" (step S121), and "running" (step S123). In the notification intensity table 137, the notification intensity is set such that the higher the importance of the schedule, and the slower the movement speed corresponding to the user's movement, the higher the notification intensity. Additionally, the notification start time in the notification pattern may be adjusted based on the derived schedule importance. For example, if the importance level is "high," the notification start time and the timing of the move may be earlier than when the importance level is "medium" or "low" to ensure that the schedule is met more reliably. Also, the higher the importance level, the more frequently notifications may be sent at shorter intervals.

[0049] Next, a modified version of the above embodiment will be described. In the above embodiment, the notification pattern was determined based on schedule information 132, location information 134, and motion information 135. Alternatively, the notification pattern may be determined based on schedule information 132, but without relying on at least one of the location information 134 and motion information 135. For example, the notification pattern may be determined based only on schedule information 132. In this modified version, the CPU 11 determines the notification pattern based on at least the location information of the following schedule from the schedule information 132.

[0050] The notification control process in this modified example may include steps S101 to S104 of the notification control process shown in Figure 6, the following alternative steps executed when the branch is "YES" in step S104, and steps S108, S109, and S125 executed after the alternative steps. In the alternative steps, the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 identifies the location of the next schedule in the schedule information 132 and sets the notification intensity to match the notification mode corresponding to the identified location. For example, if the location of the next schedule is a quiet place such as a library or hospital, the CPU 11 sets the notification intensity to "weak". For example, the volume may be set to a predetermined low volume or to vibration only. This allows notification to be given in a manner that is considerate of the surroundings. Also, for example, if the location of the next schedule is a plaza, park, sports venue (outdoor court, gymnasium, etc.), or home, the CPU 11 sets the notification intensity to "strong". For example, the volume may be set to a predetermined high volume or to a combination of sound and vibration. This makes it easier for users to notice the notification even in noisy environments. The timing of the schedule notification (alarm notification) is often set by default to immediately before or a predetermined time before the schedule start time (for example, 10 minutes before the schedule start time as shown in Figure 3). Users are usually at the scheduled location or will soon be at it by this time, so the notification in this modified version will be an appropriate notification depending on the location of the schedule.

[0051] Furthermore, by setting notification patterns based on the location of the next scheduled event, the following types of notifications become possible. For example, regular schedules such as regular meetings or lessons are often held at the same location each time, but occasionally the location may change to a different one. In such cases, by setting a different notification pattern than usual, the user can be notified that the location is different from usual. This prevents the user from going to the wrong place.

[0052] As described above, the electronic clock 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 11, which sets a notification pattern for the notification unit 16 to perform a notification related to the schedule based on schedule information 132, which includes information on the start time of the user's schedule and the location where the schedule is performed. This enables notification that takes into account the location of the schedule. With such notification, it is possible to perform notification in a manner that suits the user's situation (surrounding environment, etc.) which may change depending on the location of the schedule. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform notification that is more in line with the user's intentions, and it is possible to realize a human-like notification that is close to the user's daily life, rather than just a mechanical sound notification function. For example, it is possible to realize a notification function that is easy to use and assists the user according to the schedule. In addition, it is possible to accurately support the user's life through notification.

[0053] Furthermore, the CPU 11 sets a notification pattern based on the schedule information 132, the current location information 1341 relating to the user's current location, and the status information Is relating to the user's state. This allows the CPU to prompt the user to take action to meet the schedule by providing notifications at an appropriate time according to the user's current location and according to the user's state, such as when the user's current location and the location where the next schedule will be performed are different.

[0054] Furthermore, if the CPU 11 determines that the current location and the location where the schedule will be performed are different, it identifies the user's movement pattern based on the state information Is, and sets a notification pattern so that the intensity of the notification corresponds to the movement speed estimated from the identified movement pattern. This allows the system to provide notifications to the user urging them to take action to ensure they meet the schedule, according to the user's movement pattern.

[0055] Furthermore, the CPU 11 derives an index value corresponding to either the distance from the current location to the location where the schedule will be performed or the required travel time, based on the schedule information 132 and the current location information 1341, and sets a notification pattern based on the derived index value and the status information Is. This enables the system to provide notifications to the user urging them to take action to meet the schedule at an appropriate timing and intensity, depending on the distance or required travel time from the current location to the next scheduled location.

[0056] Furthermore, the CPU 11 determines whether the user is moving based on the state information Is. If it determines that the user is moving, it determines whether the user can reach the scheduled location by the scheduled start time based on the indicator value and the state information Is. If it determines that the user cannot reach the scheduled location by the start time, it sets a notification pattern to prompt the user to move faster. This allows the user to be prompted to change their behavior in order to meet the schedule.

[0057] Furthermore, the CPU 11 determines whether the user is moving or not based on the status information Is. If it determines that the user is not moving, it sets a notification pattern based on the indicator value and the start time in the schedule information 132 to prompt the user to move in a manner that will allow them to reach the scheduled location by the start time. This allows the user to be prompted to start moving in a manner that will allow them to meet the schedule.

[0058] Furthermore, the CPU 11 derives a move start timing at which the user can move to the scheduled location by the start time, based on the indicator value and the start time in the schedule information 132. If it determines that the move start timing has not passed, it sets a notification pattern so that notification starts at the move start timing. This allows the user to be prompted to start moving at an appropriate time to make it on schedule.

[0059] Furthermore, the status information Is includes information related to the user's body movements detected by the motion sensor 19. This allows for notifications to be sent to the user in accordance with the actual user's body movements and movement patterns, prompting them to take action to meet their schedule.

[0060] Furthermore, status information Is includes information related to the user's current location changing over time. This allows for notifications that encourage users to take action to stay on schedule, using notification patterns that correspond to the actual user's movement speed and route.

[0061] Furthermore, the CPU 11 may derive the importance of the schedule based on the schedule information 132 and set the notification pattern so that the notification intensity increases as the derived importance increases. This allows the user to be prompted to take appropriate action so as not to fall behind on important schedules.

[0062] Furthermore, the schedule information 132 includes at least one piece of information from the following: the type of schedule, the method of travel to the location where the schedule takes place, the type of location, and the participants of the schedule. The CPU 11 may derive the importance level in a predetermined way based on at least one piece of information. This allows for the appropriate deriving of the importance level of the schedule.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above modified example, the CPU 11 sets the notification pattern without relying on the current location information 1341 relating to the user's current location. This eliminates the need to obtain the user's current location, thereby reducing the power consumption of the electronic clock 10.

[0064] Furthermore, the communication system 1 according to this embodiment includes an electronic clock 10 and a smartphone 20. The smartphone 20 has a storage unit 23 that stores schedule information 232, which includes information on the start time of the user's schedule and the location where the schedule is performed. The electronic clock 10 includes a short-range wireless communication unit 17 that transmits and receives data with the smartphone 20, a notification unit 16, and a CPU 11. The CPU 11 sets a notification pattern for the schedule notification to be performed by the notification unit 16 based on the schedule information 132 acquired from the smartphone 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 17. This enables notification that takes into account the location of the schedule.

[0065] Furthermore, in the notification control method of this embodiment, the CPU 11 sets a notification pattern for the notification to be performed by the notification unit 16 based on schedule information 132, which includes information on the start time of the user's schedule and the location where the schedule is performed. This makes it possible to perform notifications that take the location of the schedule into consideration.

[0066] Furthermore, the program 131 of this embodiment causes the CPU 11 to execute a process to set a notification pattern for the notification unit 16 to perform a notification related to the schedule, based on schedule information 132 which includes information on the start time of the user's schedule and the location where the schedule will be performed. This makes it possible to perform notifications that take the location of the schedule into consideration.

[0067] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiments, the notification control processing shown in Figures 6 and 7 was described using an example in which the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 performs the notification control processing, but at least a part of the notification control processing may be performed by the CPU 21 of the smartphone 20. That is, the CPU 21 of the smartphone 20 may acquire the user's current location information 1341 and status information Is, and set a notification pattern for the notification unit 16 of the electronic clock 10 to perform the notification based on this information and schedule information 232. In this case, the smartphone 20 corresponds to an "electronic device," and the CPU 21 corresponds to a "control unit." By transmitting control information from the smartphone 20 to the electronic clock 10 to perform the notification with the set notification pattern, the notification unit 16 can be made to perform the notification. The CPU 21 may use the location acquired by the location information acquisition unit 28 of the smartphone 20 as the user's current location information. In addition, the CPU 21 may acquire user movement information based on detection data from a motion sensor (not shown) provided in the smartphone 20.

[0068] Furthermore, the user's schedule information may be stored on a designated server, and the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 may obtain the schedule information from the server and use it to set the notification pattern. In this embodiment, the server corresponds to an "information device". The server may also be capable of data communication with the smartphone 20, and the schedule information stored on the server may be generated and updated in accordance with the processing of the schedule application on the smartphone 20.

[0069] Furthermore, electronic devices are not limited to electronic clocks 10, and information devices are not limited to smartphones 20. For example, electronic devices may be wearable devices such as sensing devices that detect body movements, activity trackers, and smart rings, or portable devices such as smartphones and notebook PCs. Also, information devices may be any device that can communicate data with electronic devices, and may be tablet terminals or notebook PCs.

[0070] Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to an electronic clock 10 that operates independently without communication connection to a smartphone 20. In this case, information related to the user's schedule is generated in the electronic clock 10 and stored in the storage unit 13 as schedule information 132.

[0071] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a mode in which notification is performed using both the speaker 161 and the transducer 162 of the notification unit 16, notification may also be performed using only one of the speaker 161 or the transducer 162. In addition, the device to be used for notification may be determined from the speaker 161 and the transducer 162 according to the set notification intensity. For example, if the notification intensity is "weak" or "medium", only the speaker 161 may be used, and if the notification intensity is "strong", both the speaker 161 and the transducer 162 may be used for notification. In addition, notification may be performed by a method other than sound notification by the speaker 161 and vibration by the transducer 162, for example, by light emission from a light source not shown.

[0072] Furthermore, while position change information 1342 and motion information 135 were given as examples of state information related to the user's state, the information is not limited to these. For example, the state information may be biometric information such as the user's heart rate. When biometric information is used as state information, a sensor for acquiring the biometric information should be provided on the electronic clock 10. In addition, although a motion sensor 19 was used as a sensor for detecting body movement, a tilt switch or the like that which outputs a detection signal to the CPU 11 when the electronic clock 10 is in a predetermined tilt state may be used instead.

[0073] Furthermore, while the above description discloses an example in which the flash memory of storage units 13 and 23 is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, the invention is not limited to this example. Other computer-readable mediums that can be used include information recording media such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), and CD-ROMs. In addition, carrier waves can also be used as a medium for providing program data according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0074] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each component of the communication system 1 in the above embodiment can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0075] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1...Communication system (notification system), 10...Electronic clock (electronic device), 11...CPU (control unit), 16...Notification unit, 20...Smartphone (information device), 132, 232...Schedule information, 1341...Current location information, Is...Status information

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a control unit that sets a notification pattern for a notification related to a schedule, which is to be performed by the notification unit, based on schedule information including the start time of the user's schedule and the location where the schedule is to be performed.

2. The control unit sets the notification pattern based on the schedule information, the current location information relating to the user's current location, and the status information relating to the user's state. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, If it is determined that the current location and the location where the schedule is to be performed are different, the user's movement pattern is identified based on the status information. The notification pattern is set so that the notification intensity corresponds to the movement speed estimated from the identified movement mode. The electronic device according to claim 2.

4. The control unit, Based on the schedule information and the current location information, an index value corresponding to either the distance from the current location to the location where the schedule is to be performed or the required travel time is derived. The notification pattern is set based on the derived index value and the state information. The electronic device according to claim 2.

5. The control unit, Based on the status information, determine whether the user is moving or not. If it is determined that the user is moving, then it is determined, based on the index value and the status information, whether the user can move to the location by the start time of the schedule. If it is determined that the user cannot move to the location by the start time, the notification pattern is set so that a notification prompting the user to move faster is issued. The electronic device according to claim 4.

6. The control unit, Based on the status information, determine whether the user is moving or not. If it is determined that the user has not moved, the notification pattern is set based on the indicator value and the start time in the schedule information so that the notification prompting the user to move in a manner that allows them to move to the location by the start time is issued. The electronic device according to claim 4.

7. The control unit, Based on the aforementioned index value and the start time in the schedule information, the timing at which the user can move to the location by the start time is derived. If it is determined that the aforementioned movement start timing has not elapsed, the notification pattern is set so that the notification starts at the aforementioned movement start timing. The electronic device according to claim 4.

8. The aforementioned state information includes information relating to the user's body movements detected by a predetermined sensor. The electronic device according to claim 2.

9. The aforementioned status information includes information relating to the change in the user's current location over time. The electronic device according to claim 2.

10. The control unit derives the importance of the schedule based on the schedule information, and sets the notification pattern such that the intensity of the notification increases as the derived importance increases. The electronic device according to claim 1.

11. The schedule information includes information on at least one of the following: the type of schedule, the method of travel to the place where the schedule takes place, the type of place, and the participants of the schedule. The control unit derives the importance in a predetermined manner based on the at least one piece of information. The electronic device according to claim 10.

12. The control unit sets the notification pattern without relying on the current location information relating to the user's current location. The electronic device according to claim 1.

13. An information device that stores schedule information, including the start time of the user's schedule and information about the location where the schedule will take place, An electronic device having a communication unit for sending and receiving data with the aforementioned information device, a notification unit, and a control unit, Equipped with, The control unit sets a notification pattern for the notification related to the schedule to be performed by the notification unit, based on the schedule information obtained from the information device via the communication unit. Notification system.

14. A notification control method executed by a computer, Based on schedule information including the start time of the user's schedule and the location where the schedule will take place, the notification pattern for the notification related to the schedule to be performed by the notification unit is set. Notification control method.

15. On the computer, A process to set a notification pattern for the notification related to the schedule to be performed by the notification unit, based on schedule information including the start time of the user's schedule and the location where the schedule will be performed. A program that executes the command.

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