Electronic device, method for controlling electronic device, and program

Abstract

In electronic devices capable of wireless communication with external devices, optimized communication management is performed when the power is turned on. [Solution] The electronic device (10) includes a communication unit (17) for wireless communication with an external device (18), and a control unit (13) that operates the device in either a first mode (ST1, ST3) or a second mode (ST5) for performing wireless communication with an external device. When the control unit receives a power-off instruction during the first mode and then a power-on instruction, it starts the device in the first mode without supplying power to the communication unit. When the control unit receives a power-off instruction during the second mode and then a power-on instruction, it supplies power to the communication unit in conjunction with the power-on of the device and starts the connection process with the external device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a method for controlling the electronic device, and a program for controlling the electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, in a mobile communication terminal capable of setting an invalid mode for disabling wireless communication, when the invalid mode is set at the time of power-off of the mobile communication terminal, it is controlled to start in the invalid mode at the next power-on, thereby simplifying the operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is known an electronic device that has a wireless communication function with an external device and is operated while the user arbitrarily switches between an operation mode in which it communicates with the external device while performing wireless communication and an operation mode in which the device is mainly used alone. For this type of electronic device, it is required to appropriately manage the operation settings, particularly the communication settings, at the time of power-on, considering the respective operation states of the device itself and the external device and the usage tendency of each mode by the user. In the invention of Patent Document 1, which is targeted at a mobile communication terminal assuming wireless communication during use, it is difficult to meet such requirements.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to perform optimized communication management at the time of power-on in an electronic device capable of wireless communication with an external device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit for wirelessly communicating with an external device, and a control unit that operates the device in either a first mode or a second mode different from the first mode, which performs at least wireless communication with the external device. The control unit, upon receiving an instruction to switch the device to power off while in the first mode, and then receiving an instruction to switch the device to power on, starts the device in the first mode without supplying power to the communication unit, and upon receiving an instruction to switch the device to power off while in the second mode, supplies power to the communication unit in conjunction with the power-on of the device and starts the connection process with the external device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above embodiment, in an electronic device capable of wireless communication with external devices, optimized communication management can be performed when the power is turned on. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a front view of an electronic device. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of electronic devices. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the concepts of CAL mode and PC mode. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the process of connecting electronic devices and external devices via wireless communication. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the transitions between operating modes of electronic devices. [Figure 6] This figure shows power-related processing for each operating mode of an electronic device and examples of the display unit's output. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the power supply-related processing for electronic devices. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The electronic device 10 shown in Figure 1 can be switched between a first mode, called calculator mode (hereinafter referred to as CAL mode), in which it is used as a calculator for calculations, and a second mode, called external connection mode (hereinafter referred to as PC mode), in which it performs wireless communication with an external device to input information to the external device (the device itself is not used as a calculator).

[0010] The operation unit 11 of the electronic device 10 is the part that receives user input and is equipped with multiple physical keys. The numeric key area 11a of the operation unit 11 has a total of 11 numeric keys, from "0" to "9" and "00", as well as a decimal point key. The calculation command key area 11b of the operation unit 11 has arithmetic operation keys for selecting the type of operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division (+, -, ×, ÷)) and an equals key for selecting the completion of the operation. The memory key area 11c of the operation unit 11 has four keys for memory operation (MC, MR, M+, M-). The operation unit 11 also includes a clear key (C key) 11d, an all-clear key (AC key) 11e, a send key 11f, a PC / CAL key 11g, etc. When the electronic device 10 is used as a calculator, the clear key 11d is used to erase the most recently entered number, and the all-clear key 11e is used to erase all numbers. The Send key 11f and the PC / CAL key 11g are used as operation keys for wireless communication with the external device 18, which will be described later, and constitute a setting unit for selectively setting either the first mode, CAL mode, or the second mode, PC mode. The operation unit 11 may also include keys other than those shown in Figure 1 (for example, function keys for tax calculation, function keys for function calculation, etc.) or slide switches other than push-button keys.

[0011] The display unit 12 of the electronic device 10 is composed of display devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The display unit 12 has a first display area 12a and a second display area 12b. The first display area 12a is composed of multiple 7-segment display units 12c. In the electronic device 10, 12 7-segment display units 12c are arranged in a row, and the first display area 12a has a 12-digit display capability. Each 7-segment display unit 12c has 7 segments, which are elongated bar-shaped display units, and the display of each segment can be individually switched on or off. The display content changes depending on the combination of on and off states of the 7 segments. Specifically, the 7-segment display unit 12c can display Arabic numerals from 0 to 9 and some Latin letters (alphabet). The second display area 12b is arranged with marks and icons that are specialized for displaying specific information in the electronic device 10. Specifically, the second display area 12b includes a communication indicator 12d that shows the status of communication and connection with external devices, an arithmetic operation indicator 12e that displays addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division (+, -, ×, ÷), and a memory indicator 12f that displays the status of memory calculations. In Figure 1, for convenience, a form is shown in which each indicator in the second display area 12b is displayed simultaneously. However, in reality, for the arithmetic operation indicator 12e and the memory indicator 12f, only the indicator corresponding to the key operated by the user in the calculation command key area 11b or the memory key area 11c is displayed, and the communication indicator 12d displays a message corresponding to the communication status, which will be described later. Note that the second display area 12b may also include display elements (marks, icons, etc.) other than the indicators shown in Figure 1.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 13 of the electronic device 10 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 14, a memory 15, and a display driver 16 that drives and controls the display of the display unit 12. When each key on the operation unit 11 is operated, an operation signal is input to the control unit 13. The memory 15 comprises a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program for controlling the electronic device 10 is stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a temporary data loading area. The program stored in the ROM of the memory 15 is read and the memory 15 performs calculation processing to control each part of the electronic device 10. The display driver 16 controls the display unit 12 based on control signals sent from the CPU 14 to display in the first display area 12a and the second display area 12b.

[0013] The communication unit 17 is a wireless communication module for the electronic device 10 to communicate wirelessly with another external device 18. The external device 18 that communicates with the communication unit 17 is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc. The communication standard of the communication unit 17 is to exchange encryption keys with the external device 18 and perform encrypted data communication, and as an example, Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark) is applied. The following explanation will be based on the case where the electronic device 10 uses Bluetooth Low Energy as the communication standard, that is, the case where the communication unit 17 is a communication module for Bluetooth Low Energy. The external device 18 is equipped with a communication module that is capable of encrypted communication with the communication unit 17.

[0014] The electronic device 10 has a built-in power supply 19, and the electronic device 10 operates by power supplied from the power supply 19. The power supply 19 is a rechargeable battery (lithium-ion battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, etc.) that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, and can be charged by supplying power to the power supply 19 via the power supply terminal 19a (Figure 1). Alternatively, the electronic device 10 may be equipped with a solar panel that converts light energy into electricity, and the power generated by the solar panel may be supplied to the power supply 19.

[0015] The control unit 13 has a timing function that acquires time information from the operating system of the electronic device 10 (system time) or from an integrated circuit (real-time clock) that implements a time function, and measures the passage of time. The detection of elapsed time in the following description is achieved by the timing function of the control unit 13.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, in CAL mode of the electronic device 10, when a user operates the operation unit 11, the electronic device 10 functions as a calculator and performs calculations according to the user's operation, and the operation details (for example, numerical values ​​entered by operating the number keys) and calculation results are displayed on the display unit 12. As will be described later, there are two types of CAL mode: when the electronic device 10 functions as a standalone terminal that does not communicate with the external device 18 (CAL mode ST1 (unconnected) shown in Figure 5), and when the electronic device 10 can communicate with the external device 18 (CAL mode ST3 (connected) shown in Figure 5). In either case, the electronic device 10 functions as a calculator on its own.

[0017] In PC mode, the electronic device 10 does not function as an independent calculator. When a user operates the control unit 11, a signal corresponding to the operation is wirelessly transmitted from the electronic device 10 to the external device 18 via the communication unit 17, and the external device 18 processes the reception of this signal. In other words, the control unit 11 of the electronic device 10 can be used as an input device for the external device 18. The operations performed by each key on the control unit 11 in PC mode are set appropriately according to the type of operating system of the external device 18 and the application running on the external device 18. For example, if the application on the external device 18 accepts numerical input, operating each key in the numeric key area 11a of the electronic device 10 in PC mode inputs the numerical information corresponding to that key to the external device 18, allowing the electronic device 10 to be used as a numeric input device (a so-called numeric keypad device) on the external device 18. In addition, in PC mode, keys other than those in the numeric key area 11a of the control unit 11 may be used as command keys to input predetermined commands other than numbers to the external device 18. For example, the keys in the calculation command key area 11b and the memory key area 11c can be made to function as arrow keys for cursor movement or as command keys for copying and pasting strings. The operations entered via the operation unit 11 in PC mode and the processing results based on those operations are displayed on the display unit 18a of the external device 18. As described above, the PC mode of the electronic device 10 is a mode in which information is entered into at least the external device 18 without using the device itself as a calculator.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the communication between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 is performed with the electronic device 10 side as a peripheral device and the external device 18 side as a central device. When the power of the communication unit 17 is on and the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 are in a non-connected state, the electronic device 10 performs advertising at a predetermined cycle. Advertising is a broadcast communication that transmits data from a peripheral device to an unspecified number of recipients, and is a state (a state of attempting to connect) of indicating the location of the own device to the central device and waiting for a connection. When the external device 18, which is a central device, makes a connection request to the electronic device 10 during advertising, the electronic device 10 stops advertising and switches to one-to-one communication with the external device 18.

[0019] Data communication between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 is performed by encrypting the data. In a state where one-to-one communication is performed, pairing is performed to exchange a data encryption key between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18. When the pairing is established, a connected state is reached where data communication is possible between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18. In the case of the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 that have a connection history in the past, if bonding for saving the key exchanged in the previous pairing has been performed, when communication between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 is established, the process shifts to a state where encrypted communication is possible without performing the pairing process.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the electronic device 10 generally has five operation modes from ST1 to ST5. ST0 and ST6 are states where the main power supply of the electronic device 10 is off. When an operation to turn on the main power supply is performed by the user in a state where the main power supply is off, an instruction to shift to power-on is input to the control unit 13 and the electronic device 10 is activated. The on and off of the main power supply are performed, for example, by long-pressing the all-clear key 11e or operating a power switch (not shown). The control unit 13 stores the operation mode when the main power supply of the electronic device 10 was last turned off in the memory 15. When the previous operation mode was the CAL mode, the electronic device 10 is started in the CAL mode when the main power supply is turned on. When the previous operation mode was the PC mode, the electronic device 10 is started in the PC mode when the main power supply is turned on.

[0021] When the electronic device 10 is started in the CAL mode by turning on the main power supply, the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1 is selected. In the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1, the control unit 13 continues to operate the electronic device 10 in a disconnected state where the power of the communication unit 17 is off and does not communicate with the external device 18. That is, the electronic device 10 is operated as a stand-alone calculator. When the user operates the Send key 11f during the operation in the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1, the control unit 13 turns on the power of the communication unit 17 to make it in the advertising state and transitions to the CAL mode (during AD) of ST2. When a connection request from the external device 18 is received in the CAL mode (during AD) of ST2 and a connection (a state where encrypted data communication is possible) with the external device 18 is established, it transitions to the CAL mode (connected) of ST3.

[0022] In the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1, when the user operates the operation unit 11 to input a numerical value to the electronic device 10 or cause the electronic device 10 to perform a calculation, the numerical value or calculation result (the value displayed in the first display area 12a of the display unit 12) input at the time of operating the Send key 11f is transmitted to the external device 18 when it becomes the CAL mode (connected) of ST3. Also, in the CAL mode (connected) of ST3, when the user operates the operation unit 11 to input a numerical value to the electronic device 10 or cause the electronic device 10 to perform a calculation and then operates the Send key 11f, the numerical value or calculation result (the value displayed in the first display area 12a of the display unit 12) input at the time of operating this Send key 11f is transmitted to the external device 18. That is, in the CAL mode, by operating the Send key 11f, the numerical values input in the CAL mode and the calculation results obtained in the CAL mode can be shared between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 to which the electronic device 10 is wirelessly connected.

[0023] If a certain amount of time elapses while ST2 is in CAL mode (AD in progress), or if the all-clear key 11e is operated, the control unit 13 turns off the power to the communication unit 17 to cancel the advertisement and transitions to ST1's CAL mode (disconnected). If, while ST3 is in CAL mode (connected), communication with the external device 18 is interrupted (for example, the power to the external device 18 is turned off, or the distance between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 becomes large), the system transitions to ST2's CAL mode (AD in progress).

[0024] When ST1 is operating in CAL mode (disconnected), if the user operates the PC / CAL key 11g, the control unit 13 turns on the power to the communication unit 17, putting it into advertising mode and transitioning to the mode switching state (AD in progress) of ST4. In the mode switching state (AD in progress) of ST4, if a connection request is received from the external device 18 and a connection with the external device 18 is established (enables encrypted data communication), the system transitions to the PC mode (connected) of ST5. Also, when ST3 is operating in CAL mode (connected), if the user operates the PC / CAL key 11g, the system transitions to the PC mode (connected) of ST5. In the CAL mode (connected) of ST3, since the connection between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 has already been established, the system can transition to the PC mode (connected) of ST5 without going through advertising. In this way, it is possible to switch from CAL mode to PC mode in response to any operation by the user. In ST5's PC mode (connected), the user's operations on the control panel 11 of the electronic device 10 are input to the external device 18, allowing the electronic device 10 to be used as an input device for the external device 18. Furthermore, in ST5's PC mode (connected), if the user operates the PC / CAL key 11g, it transitions to ST3's CAL mode (connected).

[0025] If a certain amount of time elapses while ST4 is in the mode switching state (AD mode), or if the all-clear key 11e is operated, the control unit 13 turns off the power to the communication unit 17 to cancel advertising and transitions to ST1's CAL mode (disconnected). If, while ST5 is in PC mode (connected), communication with the external device 18 is interrupted (for example, the power to the external device 18 is turned off, or the distance between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 becomes large), the system transitions to ST4's mode switching state (AD mode).

[0026] When the electronic device 10 is started in PC mode by turning on the main power, the control unit 13 supplies power to the communication unit 17 to turn on the power and start advertising, putting it into the mode switching state (AD in progress) of ST4, and then connects it to the external device 18. Since the previous use of the electronic device 10 ended in PC mode, it has a history of pairing and connecting with the external device 18. Therefore, if the external device 18 is powered on and able to communicate with the electronic device 10 when the connection process on the electronic device 10 side starts, the connection between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 is immediately established, and the electronic device 10 enters the PC mode (connecting) of ST5. However, if the external device 18 is not powered on, or if the distance between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 is too great for communication, the PC mode will not be established, and the mode switching state (AD in progress) of ST4 will continue.

[0027] When the electronic device 10 is operating in CAL mode (ST1, ST3) or PC mode (PT5), if the user performs an operation to turn off the main power supply and the control unit 13 receives a power-off instruction, the control unit 13 turns off the main power supply of the electronic device 10. The electronic device 10 also has an auto power-off function that automatically turns off the main power supply after a specific period of time. If there is no user input operation in CAL mode (ST1, ST3) or PC mode (PT5) for a specific period of time, the control unit 13 receives a power-off instruction triggered by the elapsed time and turns off the main power supply of the electronic device 10. When the main power supply is turned off in CAL mode (ST1, ST3), the power-off state of ST0 is reached, and when the main power supply is turned off in PC mode (ST5), the power-off state of ST6 is reached. The control unit 13 monitors the operating mode of the electronic device 10 when the main power supply is turned off and stores in memory 15 whether the operating mode during the previous operation was CAL mode or PC mode. In other words, when ST0 transitions to the power-off state, the memory 15 stores information that it was in CAL mode during the previous operation, and when ST6 transitions to the power-off state, the memory 15 stores information that it was in PC mode during the previous operation. Therefore, when the main power of the electronic device 10 is turned on, the control unit 13 can refer to the information stored in the memory 15 to select whether to start it in CAL mode (ST1's CAL mode (unconnected) where power is not supplied to the communication unit 17) or in PC mode.

[0028] The control unit 13, via the display driver 16, causes the display unit 12 to display information for each mode from ST1 to ST5. The user can confirm the operating mode of the electronic device 10 by looking at the display content of the display unit 12. Figure 6 shows examples of the display of the display unit 12 in each mode. In CAL mode, whether disconnected from the external device 18 (ST1), advertising (ST2), or connected to the external device 18 (ST3), the numerical values ​​and calculation results entered by the user are displayed in the first display area 12a. The display example in Figure 6 shows the operation of the "1", "2", and "3" keys in the numeric key area 11a. During advertising (ST2, ST4), the communication indicator 12d in the second display area 12b blinks. In ST2's CAL mode (during AD), numerical values ​​and calculation results are displayed in the first display area 12a as described above. However, in ST4's mode switching state (during AD), a special display using four 7-segment display units 12c (a display resembling a combination of two hyphens and two underscores) is displayed in the first display area 12a. When connected to an external device 18 (ST3, ST5), the communication indicator 12d in the second display area 12b lights up (continuously). In ST3's CAL mode (during connection), numerical values ​​and calculation results are displayed in the first display area 12a as described above. However, in ST5's PC mode (during connection), a special display using four 7-segment display units 12c (a display resembling a combination of two hyphens and the letters "PC") is displayed in the first display area 12a.

[0029] As mentioned earlier, depending on the user's operation, the control unit 13 of the electronic device 10 selects either a first mode, CAL mode, which operates the device as a calculator, or a second mode, PC mode, which performs wireless communication with an external device 18 to input information to the external device 18 (the device is not used as a calculator). The CAL mode includes ST1 CAL mode (disconnected), which is a non-connected mode in which power is not supplied to the communication unit 17 and wireless communication with the external device 18 is not performed, and ST3 CAL mode (connected), which is a connected mode in which power is supplied to the communication unit 17 and wireless communication with the external device 18 is performed. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the control unit 13 makes the startup method of the electronic device 10 when it receives a power-on instruction for the next device, different depending on whether it receives a power-off instruction for the device while in CAL mode or while in PC mode.

[0030] When the electronic device 10 is operating in CAL mode (ST1, ST3) or PC mode (ST5), and the control unit 13 receives a power-off instruction for the device (an operation signal issued by the user, such as by pressing and holding the all-clear key 11e, or a control signal issued by the auto-power-off process due to the elapsed time without user input), the control unit 13 performs the power-off process shown in the flowchart of Figure 7. When the power-off process begins, the control unit 13 checks in step S1 whether the power to the communication unit 17 is on. If the power to the communication unit 17 is on (YES in step S1), the control unit 13 proceeds to step S2, where it stops the power supply to the communication unit 17 and performs the process of turning off the power to the communication unit 17, and then proceeds to step S3. If the power to the communication unit 17 is off (NO in step S1), the control unit 13 proceeds to step S3 without going through step S2. In step S3, the control unit 13 stores the operating mode of the electronic device 10 at the time the power-off instruction was received in the memory 15. When the instruction to switch to power off is received, regardless of whether the operating mode of the electronic device 10 is ST1 CAL mode (disconnected) or ST3 CAL mode (connected), the CAL mode (first mode), which encompasses both, is stored in memory 15 as the operating mode immediately before power off. When the instruction to switch to power off is received, if the operating mode of the electronic device 10 is ST5 PC mode (connected), then PC mode (second mode) is stored in memory 15 as the operating mode immediately before power off. After the completion of step S3, in step S4, the control unit 13 stops the power supply to each part of the electronic device 10, thereby switching the electronic device 10 to the power-off state. If the operating mode immediately before power off is CAL mode, the device becomes the power-off state of ST0 in Figures 5 and 6, and if the operating mode immediately before power off is PC mode, the device becomes the power-off state of ST6 in Figures 5 and 6. In other words, the difference between the power-off state of ST0 and the power-off state of ST6 is the content of the operating mode immediately before power off stored in memory 15. Furthermore, even when the electronic device 10 is powered off, a small amount of power is supplied to the memory 15 to maintain the storage of information, and the information about the operating mode immediately before power-off, which was stored in the memory 15 in step S3, remains without being erased.

[0031] As shown in Figure 6, if a connection with the external device 18 is not established for more than one minute during the advertising of the electronic device 10 (ST2, ST4), the control unit 13 turns off the power to the communication unit 17 and cancels (stops) the advertisement. Also, if the control unit 13 receives a command to cancel the advertisement by the user during the advertising period (ST2, ST4) (such as by operating the all clear key 11e), it turns off the power to the communication unit 17 and cancels (stops) the advertisement. Then, the system transitions to the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1 due to the cancellation of the advertisement. The control unit 13 does not perform any processing related to auto power off during the advertising period (ST2, ST4). During advertising (ST2, ST4), when a connection with the external device 18 is established and the system transitions to ST3's CAL mode (connected) or ST5's PC mode (connected), or when a connection with the external device 18 is not established and the system transitions to ST1's CAL mode (not connected), the control unit 13 starts counting the time during which user input operations cannot be accepted, and performs an auto power-off process after a specific time has elapsed. Therefore, the control unit 13 does not perform any process during advertising (ST2, ST4) that directly transitions the device to a power-off state. However, if, for some reason, the system enters the power-off process shown in Figure 7 during advertising, it is preferable that the control unit 13 stores the operating mode immediately before the power-off as CAL mode in the memory 15 in step S3.

[0032] When the main power supply of the electronic device 10 is turned off, and the control unit 13 receives an instruction to turn on the power of the device (an operation signal issued by the user, such as by pressing and holding the all clear key 11e), the control unit 13 performs the power-on process shown in the flowchart of Figure 7. When the power-on process starts, the control unit 13 refers to the operating mode of the device stored in the memory 15 during the previous power-off process (the operating mode immediately before power-off) and determines in step S11 whether the operating mode immediately before power-off was CAL mode.

[0033] If the operating mode immediately before power-off, as stored in memory 15, was PC mode (NO in step S1), that is, when starting up the electronic device 10 from the power-off state of ST6, the control unit 13 executes the process of turning on the power of the communication unit 17 in step S12 and starts advertising in step S13 (transitioning to the mode switching state (AD in progress) of ST4). As explained earlier, if the external device 18 is started up at this stage and is in a state where it can communicate with the electronic device 10, a connection between the electronic device 10 and the external device 18 is immediately established, and the system transitions to the PC mode (connecting) of ST5. In other words, the control unit 13 starts the connection process when the electronic device 10 is started up, and if wireless communication with the external device 18 is established, it operates the device in the PC mode (connecting) of ST5. On the other hand, if a connection with the external device 18 is not immediately established when the connection process is started when the electronic device 10 is started up, the control unit 13 maintains the advertising state (the mode switching state (AD in progress) of ST4 continues). In step S14, the control unit 13 performs a display update on the display unit 12, displaying content (see Figure 6) on the display unit 12 that indicates the mode switching status of ST4 (AD in progress) or the PC mode of ST5 (connecting) according to the current operating mode of the electronic device 10. Then, the control unit 13 makes all other parts, including the communication unit 17 and the display unit 12, operational, and completes the startup of the device in step S15.

[0034] Furthermore, if a specific time (1 minute) has elapsed since the advertisement started in step S13, or if a command to stop the advertisement is received from the user during the advertisement (such as the operation of the all clear key 11e), that is, if wireless communication with the external device 18 is not established after the connection process has started, the control unit 13 stops supplying power to the communication unit 17, turns off the power to the communication unit 17, cancels (stops) the advertisement, and switches to ST1's CAL mode (disconnected).

[0035] If the operating mode immediately before power-off, as stored in memory 15, was CAL mode (YES in step S1), that is, when starting the electronic device 10 from the power-off state of ST0, the control unit 13 keeps the power of the communication unit 17 off and in step S14 performs a display update on the display unit 12 to display content corresponding to the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1 (see Figure 6). Then, it makes all other parts besides the communication unit 17 and the display unit 12 operational, completes the startup of the device in step S15, and operates the electronic device 10 in the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1. In other words, regardless of whether the mode when the control unit 13 receives the instruction to transition to power-off of the device is the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1 or the CAL mode (connected) of ST3, after receiving the instruction to transition to power-off of the device, when it receives the instruction to transition to power-on of the device, it starts the electronic device 10 in the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1. Furthermore, during the power-on process, if the operating mode immediately before the previous power-off is not stored in the memory 15, it is preferable for the control unit 13 to start the electronic device 10 in ST1's CAL mode (disconnected) while keeping the power to the communication unit 17 off.

[0036] As described above, after the control unit 13 of the electronic device 10 receives an instruction to switch to power off, and then receives an instruction to switch to power on, it controls the power supply to the communication unit 17 when powered on, according to the operating mode of the device when powered off. If the device was in CAL mode (ST1, ST3) when powered off, the control unit 13 starts the device in CAL mode (ST1's CAL mode (unconnected)) without supplying power to the communication unit 17 when powered on again. If the device was in PC mode (ST5) when powered off, the control unit 13 supplies power to the communication unit 17 when powered on again, putting it into the advertise state (ST4's mode switching state (AD in progress)) and starting the connection process. Once the connection with the external device 18 is established, it starts the device to operate in PC mode (ST5's CAL mode (unconnected)). The reason for managing the operating state of the communication unit 17 in this way when the electronic device 10 is powered on is that, if the electronic device 10 is used repeatedly by the same user or under similar usage conditions, it is assumed that the user will often choose to use it in the same operating mode as the previous time. Therefore, by operating the electronic device 10 in the same operating mode as the previous time when it is powered on, users can quickly start using the electronic device 10 and external devices 18 without the hassle of changing modes, thereby improving the usability of the system including the electronic device 10 and external devices 18.

[0037] Furthermore, by appropriately controlling the power supply to the communication unit 17 when the electronic device 10 is started up, unnecessary power consumption in situations where wireless communication with the external device 18 is not required can be suppressed. For example, in the highly independent CAL mode (first mode), in which the electronic device 10 functions as a calculator and consistently performs everything from input operations to calculation and display processing on its own, wireless communication with the external device 18 is not required while calculations are being performed using the electronic device 10. Therefore, in situations where use in CAL mode is expected (when the operating mode at the time of the previous power-off was CAL mode), power consumption can be reduced by starting the electronic device 10 with the power of the communication unit 17 turned off during the power-on process. In addition, there is no waiting time in advertising, and the electronic device 10 can be used as a calculator quickly.

[0038] During the power-off process, when the control unit 13 receives an instruction to switch to power-off mode for its own device, it stores in memory 15 whether it is in CAL mode (first mode) or PC mode (second mode). Similarly, during the power-on process, when the control unit 13 receives an instruction to switch to power-on mode for its own device, it selects, based on the information stored in memory 15, whether to start the device in CAL mode (first mode) without supplying power to the communication unit 17, or to supply power to the communication unit 17 and begin the connection process with the external device 18. Therefore, without using any special additional structures, simple control and low cost enable communication management at power-on that is optimized for the usage status of the electronic device 10.

[0039] In this embodiment, the CAL mode includes ST1 CAL mode (non-connected), which is a non-connected mode in which wireless communication with the external device 18 is not performed, and ST3 CAL mode (connected), which is a connected mode in which wireless communication with the external device 18 is performed. ST3 CAL mode (connected) is a mode in which information is transmitted to the external device 18 only when the user performs a specific input operation (operation of Send key 11f) with the intention of transmitting, rather than transmitting all user input operations to the operation unit 11 to the external device 18 in real time. In other words, ST3 CAL mode (connected) is a usage mode in which wireless communication with the external device 18 is performed less frequently than ST5 PC mode (connected), and there is less need to be immediately connected to the external device 18 immediately after the electronic device 10 is started up. Therefore, when starting up the electronic device 10 in CAL mode, it is more rational to start it in ST1 CAL mode (disconnected) first, rather than supplying power to the communication unit 17 from the beginning to enable ST3 CAL mode (connected). After that, the user can input and switch to ST3 CAL mode (connected) as needed. Furthermore, this process shortens the operating time of the communication unit 17, thereby saving power.

[0040] On the other hand, in situations where PC mode use is expected (i.e., when the operating mode was PC mode when the power was last turned off), it is assumed that there is a demand to immediately reflect the user's input operations to the control unit 11 as information input to the external device 18 from the moment the electronic device 10 is powered on. Therefore, by turning on the power of the communication unit 17 and starting up the electronic device 10 during the power-on process, the user does not need to perform any additional operations for connection processing with the external device 18, and the electronic device 10 can be used efficiently in PC mode without any hassle.

[0041] During the power-on process, if the control unit 13 turns on the power to the communication unit 17 and selects the PC mode startup option, but there is no connection request from the external device 18 and communication connection cannot be established, the system waits in the mode switching state of ST4 (AD in progress). Then, after a specific time (1 minute) has elapsed, or due to a user's advertisement cancellation operation (operation of the all clear key 11e), the control unit 13 receives a command to stop advertising, turns off the power to the communication unit 17, and switches to the CAL mode (disconnected) of ST1. This allows the system to automatically switch to a power-saving mode and reduce power consumption even if, during the power-on process when the operating mode immediately before the previous power-off was PC mode, a connection with the external device 18 cannot be established and the electronic device 10 cannot be operated in PC mode.

[0042] Furthermore, regardless of whether the control unit 13 starts the electronic device 10 in CAL mode or PC mode, the user can arbitrarily switch between CAL mode and PC mode by operating the PC / CAL key 11g during operation in each operating mode (ST1, ST3, ST5) (see Figure 5). Therefore, it is possible to easily accommodate the user's request to switch the operating mode after the electronic device 10 has been started up.

[0043] The above embodiments are provided as specific examples to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the instruction to switch the electronic device 10 to power on is input to the control unit 13 by user operation, but this is not limited to this. For example, the electronic device 10 may be controlled by a timer to start up automatically at a predetermined time, and the start command from the timer may be the instruction to switch the device to power on.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the control unit 13 turns off the main power supply of the electronic device 10 during the power-off process. However, the power-off of the electronic device in this disclosure is not limited to the narrow process of turning off the main power supply, but may also be a so-called sleep state (standby state) where the main power supply is on and the power supply to each part is temporarily stopped or minimized. In the sleep state, at least the power supply to the communication unit 17 must be turned off. In the sleep state, the operation unit 11 can accept input operations (including operations other than turning on the main power supply), and when the operation unit 11 accepts an input operation, the power supply to each part is resumed and the sleep state is released. Note that the sleep state may be released only when a specific key on the operation unit 11 is operated, or the sleep state may be released when any key on the operation unit 11 is operated.

[0046] Although the electronic device 10 in the above embodiment functions as a calculator in the first mode, the electronic devices to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to calculators. For example, a wristwatch-type wearable device is known that can switch between a first mode in which it performs processing such as timing and life log management when it receives an input operation, and a second mode in which it performs some operation on the external device (such as playing or stopping music) by wirelessly communicating with an external device such as a smartphone. The present invention can also be applied to such types of electronic devices, and by selecting the operating state of the communication unit when the power is turned on according to the operating mode when the power was last turned off (controlling the power supply to the communication unit), it is possible to improve the usability of the electronic device and save power.

[0047] Although the electronic device 10 in the above embodiment is equipped with a plurality of physical keys on the operation unit 11, the means for receiving input operations provided by the electronic device are not limited to such physical keys, and may also be a software keyboard or the like that which performs input operations by touching a touch panel. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 10: Electronic equipment, 13: Control unit, 17: Communication unit, 18: External equipment

Claims

1. A communication unit for wireless communication with external devices, A control unit that operates the device in either a first mode or a second mode different from the first mode, which performs at least wireless communication with the external device, Equipped with, The control unit, If, after receiving an instruction to switch the device's power off while in the first mode, the device receives an instruction to switch the device's power on, the device is started in the first mode without supplying power to the communication unit. After receiving an instruction to switch the device's power off during the second mode, and then receiving an instruction to switch the device's power on, the device is powered on and power is supplied to the communication unit to initiate the connection process with the external device. electronic equipment.

2. The first mode includes a non-connected mode in which power is not supplied to the communication unit and wireless communication with the external device is not performed, and a connected mode in which power is supplied to the communication unit and wireless communication with the external device is performed. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when it receives an instruction to switch to turning off the power of the device, is in either the disconnected mode or the connected mode of the first mode, and after receiving the instruction to switch to turning on the power of the device, starts the device in the disconnected mode of the first mode.

3. The control unit, After initiating the connection process with the external device, if wireless communication with the external device is established, the device operates in the second mode. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, after initiating the connection process with the external device, if wireless communication with the external device fails to be established, the power supply to the communication unit is stopped and the device is operated in the first mode.

4. The first mode described above is a mode in which the device is used as a calculator, The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second mode is a mode in which the device is not used as a calculator, but rather transmits information entered by an operation on an operation unit that accepts user input to the external device via the communication unit.

5. The control unit, When the device receives an instruction to switch to power-off mode, the device stores in the storage unit whether it is in the first mode or the second mode. The electronic device according to claim 1, which, upon receiving an instruction to switch the device to power on, selects, based on the contents stored in the memory unit, whether to start the device in the first mode without supplying power to the communication unit, or to supply power to the communication unit and start the connection process with the external device.

6. A communication unit for wireless communication with external devices, A control method for electronic equipment comprising: a control unit that operates the device in either a first mode or a second mode different from the first mode, which performs at least wireless communication with an external device; The control unit, If, after receiving an instruction to switch the device's power off while in the first mode, the device receives an instruction to switch the device's power on, the device is started in the first mode without supplying power to the communication unit. After receiving an instruction to switch the device's power off during the second mode, and then receiving an instruction to switch the device's power on, the device is powered on and power is supplied to the communication unit to initiate the connection process with the external device. A method for controlling electronic devices.

7. A communication unit for wireless communication with external devices, A program for controlling an electronic device comprising a control unit that operates the device in either a first mode or a second mode different from the first mode, which performs at least wireless communication with an external device, After receiving an instruction to switch the device's power off while in the first mode, and then receiving an instruction to switch the device's power on, the process of starting the device in the first mode without supplying power to the communication unit is performed. After receiving an instruction to switch the device's power off during the second mode, and then receiving an instruction to switch the device's power on, the device supplies power to the communication unit and initiates the connection process with the external device. A program that causes the control unit of the electronic device to execute the following.

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