Electronic equipment, notification control method, and program

Abstract

The notification can be disabled at the time specified by the user. [Solution] The electronic device comprises a first sensor for detecting altitude, a notification unit, and a processing unit. Based on the altitude detected by the first sensor, the processing unit derives the relative altitude of the electronic device relative to a predetermined reference altitude, and when a notification setting is enabled to cause the notification unit to make a notification at a predetermined time, if it determines that the relative altitude satisfies a predetermined condition, it performs disabling control to disable at least a part of the notification that is made according to the notification setting.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an electronic device such as a watch that a user wears on the body and uses, a technique for detecting the movement of the user's body based on detection data of the acceleration of the own device has been used. Further, in such an electronic device, when notification is performed at a set time, a technique for performing invalidation control of the notification such as stopping the notification when the acceleration becomes greater than a predetermined value according to the movement of the user's body is known (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, in the control based simply on the magnitude of the acceleration, there is a problem that the notification is often invalidated at a timing unintended by the user.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to invalidate the notification at a timing as intended by the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an electronic device according to the present invention includes a first sensor that detects altitude, a notification unit, a processing unit, and is an electronic device comprising: wherein the processing unit Based on the altitude detected by the first sensor, the relative altitude of the electronic device is derived with respect to a predetermined reference altitude. When a notification setting is enabled that causes the notification unit to make a notification at a predetermined time, and it is determined that the relative altitude satisfies a predetermined condition, disabling control is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is made according to the notification setting.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the electronic device according to the present invention is Detection that detects the movement of the device itself, The news department and, Processing unit and Electronic equipment equipped with, The aforementioned processing unit, The first detection data of the sensor during a period in which a user wearing the electronic device performs a certain action is stored in the storage unit. When the notification setting that causes the notification unit to issue a notification at a predetermined time is enabled, the second detection data of the sensor is acquired, If it is determined that the time-series changes of the acquired second detection data and the time-series changes of the first detection data satisfy predetermined approximation conditions, disabling control is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is performed according to the notification setting. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, notifications can be disabled at the timing intended by the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic clock. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the contents of the notification setting data. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the standard altitude while the user is asleep. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the relative altitude when the user is stretching. [Figure 5]This is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the notification control process in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the control procedure for the wake-up determination process in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the first detection data D1 in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the second detection data D2 in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the operation registration process in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the notification control process in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The electronic clock 10 (electronic device) shown in Figure 1 is a wristwatch (wearable device) that is worn on the user's wrist. The electronic clock 10 comprises a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit) (processing unit), RAM 12 (Random Access Memory), storage unit 13, display unit 14, operation unit 15, notification unit 16, sensor unit 17, timing unit 18, and communication unit 19. Each part of the electronic clock 10 is connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0011] The CPU 11 is a processor that reads and executes the program 131 stored in the storage unit 13 and controls the operation of the electronic clock 10 by performing various arithmetic processes. Note that the electronic clock 10 may have a plurality of processors (for example, a plurality of CPUs), and the plurality of processes executed by the CPU 11 of the present embodiment may be executed by the plurality of processors. In this case, the processing unit is configured by the plurality of processors. In this case, the plurality of processors may be involved in common processing, or the plurality of processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 12 provides a working memory space for the CPU 11 and stores temporary data. The storage unit 13 is a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU 11 as a computer and stores the program 131 and various data. The storage unit 13 has a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, for example. The program 131 is stored in the storage unit 13 in the form of program code readable by a computer. Examples of the data stored in the storage unit 13 include notification setting data 132 including settings related to the notification of the alarm time, reference data 133 referred to in the notification control process described later, and the like.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the notification setting data 132 includes the setting items "Notification setting", "Alarm time", "Notification duration", "Snooze setting", "Number of snoozes", and "Snooze interval". "Notification setting" indicates whether or not to have the notification unit 16 make a notification (hereinafter referred to as "alarm notification") at the alarm time. It is set to "on" if an alarm notification is to be made, and to "off" if an alarm notification is not to be made. "Alarm time" indicates the time when the alarm notification should start. "Alarm time" corresponds to "predetermined time". "Notification duration" indicates the duration for which the alarm notification should continue at the alarm time. "Snooze setting" indicates whether or not to enable the snooze function. It is set to "on" if the snooze function is to be enabled, and to "off" if the snooze function is to be disabled. The snooze function is a function that makes a second and subsequent notification at a predetermined snooze time after the end of the first alarm notification at the alarm time. Hereafter, notifications via the snooze function will be referred to as "snooze notifications." Alarm notifications will include snooze notifications. "Notification duration" also applies to snooze notifications. "Number of snoozes" represents the number of times a snooze notification will be given. "Snooze interval" represents the interval from the end of the first alarm notification or subsequent snooze notification at the alarm time until the next snooze notification is started. The contents of each setting item in the notification setting data 132 can be changed by user operation on the operation unit 15. Furthermore, if the electronic clock 10 can communicate with an external terminal device such as a smartphone, it may be possible to reflect the settings received from the external terminal device in the notification setting data 132.

[0013] The display unit 14 displays information such as time, date, and day of the week in an analog or digital manner according to a control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. When the analog method is used, the display unit 14 includes rotating pointers such as hour, minute, and second hands, a mechanism for rotating the pointers, and a drive circuit therefor. 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.

[0014] The operation unit 15 has operation means such as operation buttons and a knob, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to an operation on the operation means to the CPU 11. The operation unit 15 may include other operation means such as a touch panel provided so as to overlap the display screen of the display unit 14.

[0015] The notification unit 16 includes a speaker that outputs sound and a piezoelectric element that vibrates the housing of the electronic clock 10. The piezoelectric element is provided at a position where its vibration is transmitted to the user's wrist through the housing of the electronic clock 10. The notification unit 16 causes the speaker to output sound of a magnitude and pattern according to the control signal at a timing according to the control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. Further, the notification unit 16 vibrates the piezoelectric element with a vibration intensity and a vibration pattern according to the control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. The notification unit 16 performs an alarm notification by outputting sound from the speaker and / or vibrating the piezoelectric element. The notification unit 16 may perform various notifications other than the alarm notification.

[0016] The sensor unit 17 includes an altitude sensor 171 (first sensor) for detecting altitude and a motion sensor 172 (second sensor) for detecting the movement of the electronic clock 10. The altitude sensor 171 is, for example, a semiconductor pressure sensor that utilizes the piezoresistive effect, and detects the magnitude of atmospheric pressure and outputs the detected data to the CPU 11. Since atmospheric pressure changes with altitude, the atmospheric pressure detected by the altitude sensor 171 includes information about the altitude of the electronic clock 10. Therefore, detecting atmospheric pressure includes detecting altitude. The CPU 11 derives the altitude of the electronic clock 10 based on the atmospheric pressure detection data from the altitude sensor 171. Alternatively, the altitude sensor 171 may convert the detected atmospheric pressure into altitude and output the altitude detection data to the CPU 11. The motion sensor 172 detects the movement of the electronic clock 10. The motion sensor 172 includes, for example, a 3-axis acceleration sensor and a 3-axis angular velocity sensor, and detects the acceleration and angular velocity generated in the electronic clock 10 and outputs the detected data to the CPU 11. The CPU 11 identifies the movement of the user's wrist wearing the electronic watch 10 and the magnitude of that movement based on the acceleration and angular velocity detection data from the motion sensor 172. Note that the 3-axis angular velocity sensor may be omitted from the motion sensor 172.

[0017] The timing unit 18 includes an oscillator circuit, a frequency divider circuit, and a timing circuit, etc. The timing unit 18 calculates and stores the current date and time by having the frequency divider circuit divide the clock signal generated by the oscillator circuit, and the timing circuit count the divided signal. The communication unit 19 is a communication module having an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and transmits and receives data with an external terminal device using short-range wireless communication such as BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy).

[0018] Next, the operation of the electronic clock 10 related to alarm notification will be described. Alarm notification is a convenient function that can be used as an alarm clock, but it is troublesome for the user to have to perform a predetermined operation on the operation unit 15 each time in order to stop the alarm notification after it has started. Therefore, the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 in this embodiment determines whether the user has performed a predetermined operation to stop the alarm notification based on the detection data of the sensor unit 17, and stops the alarm notification by the notification unit 16 if it is determined that the user has performed the predetermined operation. In the first embodiment, the predetermined operation is the user raising their arms upward and stretching. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, first, when the user wearing the electronic clock 10 on their wrist is asleep, the reference altitude H1 detected by the altitude sensor 171 is stored as reference data 133 in the storage unit 13. Then, as shown in Figure 4, when the user wakes up and stretches, the altitude sensor 171 detects an altitude H2 that is higher than the reference altitude H1. The CPU 11 derives the relative altitude H3 (=H2-H1) of the electronic clock 10 based on the reference altitude H1 recorded in the reference data 133. When this relative altitude H3 satisfies a predetermined condition, the CPU 11 determines that the user has performed a predetermined action and stops the alarm notification by the notification unit 16. In this embodiment, the predetermined condition is satisfied when the relative altitude H3 is above a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the predetermined condition may be satisfied when the relative altitude H3 remains above the threshold for a predetermined reference time or longer (for example, 2 seconds or more). The threshold is set to be less than or equal to the change in wrist height when a user wearing the electronic clock 10 on their wrist (a predetermined part) stretches (a predetermined action). The threshold is also set to be greater than the change in height of the electronic clock 10 when it is in a stationary state, as described later. For example, when a user changes from lying down as shown in Figure 3 to sitting and stretching as shown in Figure 4, the position of the wrist rises by approximately 1m, so the threshold may be set to several tens of centimeters to 1m. The altitude sensor 171 used has a resolution that enables such determination, for example, one that can detect altitude changes of about 10 to several tens of centimeters.

[0019] Since the altitude sensor 171 detects altitude by atmospheric pressure, changes in atmospheric pressure can cause errors in the detected altitude. To suppress these errors, the CPU 11 measures a reference altitude H1 when there is a predetermined amount of time remaining until the alarm time (for example, within 1 hour) and stores it in the memory unit 13. Alternatively, to prevent the reference altitude H1 from being measured while the user is awake and active, the CPU 11 may determine whether the electronic clock 10 is in a predetermined stationary state based on the motion sensor 172, and measure the reference altitude H1 only when the electronic clock 10 is stationary. A stationary state corresponds, for example, to the state when the user is asleep. The CPU 11 determines that the electronic clock 10 is stationary when, for example, the maximum movement of the electronic clock 10 detected by the motion sensor 172 within a predetermined period is less than or equal to a predetermined standard magnitude, and / or the frequency at which movement of the electronic clock 10 is detected within a predetermined period is less than or equal to a predetermined standard frequency. The magnitude of the movement of the electronic clock 10 is determined, for example, by the magnitude or range of change of acceleration and / or angular velocity.

[0020] The operation when the relative altitude H3 meets predetermined conditions is not limited to stopping the alarm notification that is currently running. When the CPU 11 determines that the relative altitude H3 meets predetermined conditions, given that the notification setting is "on" in the notification setting data 132, it performs the following disabling control. The disabling control is a control that disables at least a portion of the notifications that are made according to the notification setting in the notification setting data 132. Here, the notifications made according to the notification setting include the alarm notification at the alarm time and the subsequent snooze notification. Furthermore, the control that disables at least a portion of the notifications includes a process to change the contents of the notification setting data 132 so that at least a portion of the multiple alarm notifications that may be made according to the notification setting are not made. If the current time has passed the alarm time and the notification unit 16 is making an alarm notification, the disabling control includes a control that stops the alarm notification. In this case, if the snooze setting is "on" and there are remaining snooze notifications (i.e., the snooze notification for "number of snoozes" has not yet finished), the disabling control may include a control that stops the currently running alarm notification while keeping the "notification setting" and "snooze setting" "on". In other words, the disabling control may include a control that stops the currently running alarm notification while maintaining the settings so that the remaining snooze notifications are made. Also, if the current time is before the alarm time, the disabling control may be a control that switches the notification setting to "off". In other words, the disabling control may include a control that changes the notification setting so that no alarm notification is made at the alarm time after waking up. If the notification setting is switched to "off", even if the "snooze setting" is "on", the snooze notification will not be made. Therefore, all alarm notifications (including snooze notifications) that may be made according to the notification setting are disabled. The disabling control that switches the notification setting to "off" can also be described as including the control that turns off the "snooze setting."

[0021] Next, the notification control process executed by the CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 to achieve the above operation will be described. The notification control process is executed when the notification setting is set to "on" in the notification setting data 132. As shown in Figure 5, when the notification control process is started, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the user has fallen asleep based on the detection data of the motion sensor 172 (step S101). Here, the CPU 11 determines that the user has fallen asleep if the magnitude and / or frequency of the movement of the electronic clock 10 corresponds to the stationary state described above, based on the detection data of the motion sensor 172. If it is determined that the user has not fallen asleep ("NO" in step S102), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the alarm time set in the notification setting data 132 has arrived (step S103). If it is determined that the alarm time has not arrived ("NO" in step S103), the CPU 11 returns to step S102. If the system determines that the alarm time has arrived while the user is not asleep ("YES" in step S103), the system terminates the alarm control process without allowing the alarm unit 16 to sound an alarm (i.e., canceling the set alarm sounding), regardless of the contents of the alarm setting data 132. However, the system is not limited to this; if the CPU 11 branches to "NO" in step S103, it may proceed to step S111, described later, to allow the alarm unit 16 to sound an alarm. In this case, the reference altitude H1 will not be updated in steps S105 and S106, described later, but for example, the reference altitude H1 recorded in the reference data 133 at that time may be used.

[0022] If the CPU determines that the user has fallen asleep ("YES" in step S102), it repeatedly determines whether or not there is a predetermined amount of time (for example, less than 1 hour) until the alarm time (step S105). If it determines that there is a predetermined amount of time until the alarm time ("YES" in step S105), the CPU 11 obtains the altitude at that time detected by the altitude sensor 171 and stores it in the memory unit 13 as the reference altitude H1 (step S106). In other words, the CPU 11 updates the reference altitude H1 recorded in the reference data 133. The CPU 11 determines whether or not the alarm time has arrived (step S107), and if it determines that it has not arrived ("YES" in step S107), it executes an awakening determination process to determine whether or not the user woke up voluntarily before the alarm notification is made (step S108).

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, when the wake-up determination process is started, the CPU 11 determines whether or not an acceleration change of a predetermined magnitude or greater has been detected based on the detection data from the motion sensor 172 (step S201). The process in step S201 determines whether or not the user has performed a preliminary action before stretching, such as raising their upper body to get up. If it is determined that an acceleration change of a predetermined magnitude or greater has been detected ("YES" in step S201), the CPU 11 acquires the altitude detected by the altitude sensor 171 multiple times at a predetermined sampling rate (step S202). The CPU 11 refers to the reference altitude H1 of the reference data 133 to derive the relative altitude H3 from each altitude and determines whether or not the relative altitude H3 is above a threshold (for example, 1 m or more) (step S203). If the CPU determines that the relative altitude H3 is above the threshold ("NO" in step S203), the CPU 11 determines whether the state of relative altitude H3 being above the threshold has continued for a reference time or longer (for example, 2 seconds or more) (step S204). If the CPU determines that the state of relative altitude H3 being above the threshold has continued for a reference time or longer ("YES" in step S204), the CPU 11 determines that the user has woken up (step S205). On the other hand, if the branch is "NO" in any of steps S201, S203, or S204, the CPU 11 determines that the user has not woken up (step S206). When step S205 or S206 is completed, the CPU 11 terminates the notification control process and returns the process to the notification control process.

[0024] In the wake-up determination process in step S108 of Figure 5, if it is determined that the user is not awake (NO in step S109), the CPU 11 returns to step S107. If it is determined that the user is awake (YES in step S109), the CPU 11 switches the notification setting in the notification setting data 132 to "off" (step S110). As a result, regardless of the "snooze setting" setting, the snooze notification will also not be executed. In other words, since the user has voluntarily woken up before the alarm time, the CPU 11 changes the notification setting so that neither the alarm notification at the alarm time nor the snooze notification at the snooze time is performed. In this way, if the current time when the CPU 11 determines that the user is awake (the time when the wake-up determination process determines that the relative altitude H3 satisfies the predetermined conditions) is before the alarm time, the CPU 11 disables both the currently running alarm notification and the scheduled snooze notification. When step S110 is completed, the CPU 11 terminates the notification control process. Note that if step S110 is executed, the notification setting may be returned to "on" after the alarm time has elapsed. This ensures that the alarm notification is triggered at the alarm time the following day.

[0025] If the system determines in step S107 that the alarm time has arrived ("YES" in step S107), the CPU 11 instructs the notification unit 16 to start alarm notification (step S111). Here, the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to output a sound of a predetermined pattern and volume from the speaker and vibrate the piezoelectric element with a predetermined pattern and intensity. After that, the CPU 11 executes the wake-up determination process shown in Figure 6 (step S112). If the system determines in this wake-up determination process that the user has not woken up ("NO" in step S113), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the notification end time has arrived (step S114). The notification end time is the alarm time in the notification setting data 132 plus the "notification duration". If the alarm notification currently being executed is a snooze notification, the CPU 11 sets the notification end time to the start time of the snooze notification plus the "notification duration". If it is determined that the notification end time has not yet arrived ("NO" in step S114), the CPU 11 returns to step S112 and executes the wake-up determination process again. If it is determined that the notification end time has arrived ("YES" in step S114), the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to stop the alarm notification (step S115). Also, if the wake-up determination process in step S112 determines that the user has woken up ("YES" in step S113), the CPU 11 stops the running alarm notification regardless of whether the notification end time has arrived or not (step S115). After that, if there are remaining snooze notifications ("YES" in step S116), the CPU 11 sets the alarm time to the next snooze time (step S117) and returns to step S107. Here, the next snooze time is the time at that moment plus the "snooze interval" in the notification setting data 132. Thus, if the CPU 11 determines that the user has woken up and the current time is later than the alarm time, it disables the currently running alarm notification and keeps the snooze notification enabled for snooze times later than the current time. If there are no remaining snooze notifications (NO in step S116), the CPU 11 terminates the notification control process.

[0026] The control procedure for the notification control process described above is merely an example and may be modified as appropriate. For example, the reference altitude H1 may be measured in response to user operation, such as during sleep, and recorded in reference data 133. In this case, the update process for reference altitude H1 in steps S105 and S106 may be omitted. Alternatively, weather information including a forecast of atmospheric pressure changes may be obtained from a predetermined external server, and if a change in atmospheric pressure of a predetermined magnitude or greater is expected before the alarm time, steps S105 and S106 may be executed to update the reference altitude H1. The CPU 11 may also adjust the reference altitude H1 based on the forecast of atmospheric pressure changes included in the weather information. That is, the CPU 11 may increase or decrease the reference altitude H1 recorded in reference data 133 by an amount equivalent to the difference in altitude between the atmospheric pressure at the time the reference altitude H1 is updated and the predicted value of the atmospheric pressure at the alarm time. Furthermore, if the "Snooze setting" in the notification setting data 132 is "Off", steps S116 and S117 may be omitted, and the notification control process may be terminated after the completion of step S115. Alternatively, steps S108 to S110 may be omitted, and only the disabling control to stop the currently running alarm notification may be performed.

[0027] As described above, the electronic clock 10 according to the first embodiment includes an altitude sensor 171 for detecting altitude, a notification unit 16, and a CPU 11. Based on the altitude detected by the altitude sensor 171, the CPU 11 derives the relative altitude H3 of the electronic clock 10 with respect to a predetermined reference altitude H1. When the notification setting is enabled to have the notification unit 16 make an alarm notification at the alarm time, the CPU 11 determines that the relative altitude H3 satisfies predetermined conditions and performs disabling control to disable at least a portion of the alarm notification that is performed according to the notification setting. This allows, for example, a user wearing the electronic clock 10 on their wrist to stop an alarm notification that is in progress or cancel an alarm notification that is scheduled to be performed by performing a stretching motion as a predetermined action. Therefore, compared to conventional technology that simply disables the notification when the acceleration of the electronic clock 10 exceeds a predetermined value, it is possible to more reliably disable the alarm notification at the timing intended by the user. Furthermore, since the user can be made accustomed to performing a predetermined action, such as stretching, upon waking up, health-promoting effects such as improved blood flow can also be obtained. As a result, users can reduce drowsiness and lethargy after waking up.

[0028] Furthermore, if the notification setting is enabled, the CPU 11 causes the notification unit 16 to issue an alarm notification when the alarm time arrives. If the CPU 11 determines that the relative altitude H3 meets predetermined conditions while the alarm notification is being executed, it performs disabling control, which includes stopping the ongoing alarm notification. This allows the alarm notification to be stopped at the timing intended by the user.

[0029] Furthermore, when the alarm time is within a predetermined time, the CPU 11 acquires the altitude detected by the altitude sensor 171 and stores the acquired altitude as the reference altitude H1 in the storage unit 13. This allows the reference altitude H1 to be measured and updated under conditions similar to those at the alarm time. Therefore, the reference altitude H1 can be reset to an appropriate value, making it possible to more accurately determine whether the relative altitude H3 meets the predetermined conditions.

[0030] Furthermore, the electronic clock 10 is equipped with a motion sensor 172 that detects the movement of the electronic clock 10. Based on the detection data from the motion sensor 172, the CPU 11 determines whether the electronic clock 10 is in a predetermined stationary state. If it is determined that the alarm time is within a predetermined time and the electronic clock 10 is stationary, the CPU 11 stores the altitude detected by the altitude sensor 171 as the reference altitude H1 in the storage unit 13. This allows the reference altitude H1 to be measured and updated while the altitude of the electronic clock 10 is stable. In addition, the altitude of the electronic clock 10 while the user is asleep can be registered as the reference altitude H1. Therefore, the reference altitude H1 can be reset to a more appropriate value.

[0031] Furthermore, the CPU 11 determines that a predetermined condition is met when the relative altitude H3 is above a predetermined threshold, and the threshold is set to be less than or equal to the change in wrist height when a user wearing the electronic watch 10 on their wrist performs a predetermined action. This makes it possible to ensure that the relative altitude H3 meets the predetermined condition when the user performs a certain action, and does not meet the predetermined condition when the user does not perform that action.

[0032] Furthermore, the CPU 11 determines that a predetermined condition is met if the relative altitude H3 remains above a threshold for a predetermined reference time or longer. This suppresses the occurrence of malfunctions where the predetermined condition is mistakenly determined to be met due to the relative altitude H3 temporarily exceeding the threshold due to noise or other factors.

[0033] Furthermore, the notification settings include a setting to have the notification unit 16 make an alarm notification at the alarm time, and a setting to have the notification unit 16 make a snooze notification at a snooze time that is later than the alarm time. If the CPU 11 determines that the relative altitude H3 satisfies a predetermined condition and the current time is later than the alarm time, in the disabling control, it disables the alarm notification that is currently running, while keeping the snooze notification at a snooze time that is later than the current time enabled. This allows the user to perform flexible operations, such as stopping the alarm notification that is currently running while allowing the subsequent snooze notification to run, by performing a predetermined action.

[0034] Furthermore, if the CPU 11 determines that the relative altitude H3 meets a predetermined condition and the current time is before the alarm time, it disables both the alarm notification and the snooze notification in the disabling control. This allows the user to perform a predetermined action if they wake up before the alarm time, thereby preventing both the alarm notification and the snooze notification from being executed.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the information processing method of this embodiment, the CPU 11 executes the above process, thereby enabling the alarm notification to be disabled at the timing intended by the user. The program 131 of this embodiment causes the CPU 11 to execute the above process. This enables the alarm notification to be disabled at the timing intended by the user.

[0036] Next, a second embodiment will be described. The conditions for performing the deactivation control in the second embodiment differ from those in the first embodiment. The differences from the first embodiment will be explained below, and the points common to the first embodiment will not be explained. In the first embodiment described above, the predetermined action by the user to stop the alarm notification was stretching, but in the second embodiment, the user can freely decide on a predetermined action to stop the alarm notification and register it in advance with the electronic clock 10. The CPU 11 of the electronic clock 10 then executes deactivation control when it determines that the user has performed a registered action. The predetermined action includes the action of moving the part of the body (wrist) where the electronic clock 10 is worn by the user. The predetermined action is registered with the electronic clock 10 by storing the detection data of the sensor unit 17 (hereinafter referred to as "first detection data D1") during the period in which the user is performing the action as reference data 133 in the storage unit 13. For example, as shown in Figure 7, while the user is performing a predetermined action, the motion sensor 172 detects acceleration at a predetermined sampling rate over a predetermined recording time T, and the time-dependent change of this first detected acceleration data D1 is recorded as reference data 133.

[0037] Subsequently, when the notification setting is turned "on," the CPU 11 acquires detection data from the sensor unit 17 (hereinafter referred to as "second detection data D2") over a period of time T or longer. The CPU 11 then performs a deactivation control if it determines that the time-series change of the acquired second detection data D2 and the time-series change of the first detection data D1 recorded in the reference data 133 satisfy predetermined approximation conditions. For example, if acceleration data as shown in Figure 8 is acquired as the second detection data D2, the CPU 11 determines whether the time-series change of acceleration satisfies the approximation conditions with the time-series change of the first detection data D1 for each of several periods T1, T2, T3… of the same length as the recording time T. The periods T1, T2, T3… are, for example, periods shifted by the acceleration sampling interval. In the example shown in Figure 8, the time-series change of acceleration in period T3 of the second detection data D2 almost matches the time-series change of the first detection data D1 shown in Figure 7. Therefore, the CPU 11 determines that the user has performed a predetermined action during period T3 and executes deactivation control after the end of period T3. The approximation condition may also be defined as the condition being met when, for the portion of the second detection data D2 included in the recording time T, a predetermined percentage (e.g., 80% or more) of the data in that portion falls within a predetermined error range (e.g., within ±20%) relative to the corresponding data in the first detection data D1. In the examples of Figures 7 and 8, each of the data is acceleration detection data recorded at a certain sampling timing.

[0038] Furthermore, the physical quantity recorded as the first detection data D1 is not limited to the change in acceleration over time; the change in angular velocity over time may also be recorded, as may the change in relative altitude H3 detected by the altitude sensor 171 over time. When using relative altitude H3, it is preferable to measure and update the reference altitude H1 before measuring the relative altitude H3 which will become the first detection data D1. For example, the reference altitude H1 may be measured and updated while the user is lying down, and then the time-series change of the first detection data D1 of relative altitude H3 may be recorded while performing a predetermined operation to obtain the reference data 133. When recording acceleration and / or angular velocity as the first detection data D1, operations that involve large changes in the movement of the electronic clock 10 are less likely to result in false detections. Operations with large changes in movement refer to, for example, operations in which the magnitude of the change in the direction of the speed of the electronic clock 10 and / or the magnitude of the change in speed are large. Therefore, the CPU 11 may prompt the user to register movements that involve large changes in the movement of the electronic watch 10 (wrist) by displaying a guidance screen on the display unit (for example, displaying a guidance screen on the display unit 14). Also, when recording relative altitude H3 as the first detection data D1, movements that involve large changes in the altitude of the electronic watch 10 are less likely to result in false detections. Therefore, the CPU 11 may prompt the user to register movements that involve large changes in the altitude of the electronic watch 10 (wrist) by displaying a guidance screen on the display unit. Since the movements performed in accordance with these notifications involve large movements of the arm, the actions taken to stop the alarm notification also have the effect of promoting health, such as improving blood flow.

[0039] Furthermore, the storage unit 13 may store multiple different first detection data D1 (multiple reference data 133) corresponding to different user actions. In this case, the CPU 11 performs invalidation control when it determines that the time-series change of any of the multiple first detection data D1 and the time-series change of the acquired second detection data D2 satisfy the approximation condition. For example, a first detection data D1 corresponding to a complex action and a first detection data D1 corresponding to a simpler action may be registered, and the user may be able to select which first detection data D1 to use. For example, if the user wants to be reliably awakened at the alarm time, the user should select the first detection data D1 corresponding to the complex action so that the alarm notification will not stop unless the user performs the complex action. Alternatively, if the user wants to simply stop the alarm notification, the user should select the first detection data D1 corresponding to the simple action. Also, when multiple users share the electronic clock 10, different first detection data D1 corresponding to different actions may be registered for each user. In this case, the CPU 11 executes a disabling control when it determines that the acquired second detection data D2 satisfies the approximation condition with any of the first detection data D1. This allows any user using the electronic clock 10 to disable the alarm notification according to the action they have registered.

[0040] When registering a predetermined action by the user, the CPU 11 executes the action registration process shown in Figure 9. The action registration process starts when a predetermined operation to start registering an action is performed on the operation unit 15. Figure 9 explains the case where acceleration and relative altitude H3 are used as the first detection data D1. When the action registration process starts, the CPU 11 acquires the altitude detected by the altitude sensor 171 and stores it in the storage unit 13 as the reference altitude H1 (step S301). The CPU 11 sets the length of the recording time T for the action (step S302). The length of the recording time T may be a value input by the user's operation on the operation unit 15. The CPU 11 repeatedly determines whether a predetermined operation to instruct the start of recording the action has been performed (step S303). In step S303, as described above, the CPU 11 may have the display unit 14 display a message prompting the user to register an action that causes a large change in the movement of the electronic watch 10 (wrist), or a message prompting the user to register an action that causes a large change in the altitude of the electronic watch 10 (wrist). If it is determined that the operation has been performed ("YES" in step S303), the CPU 11 determines whether the sampling timing according to the predetermined sampling rate has been reached (step S304). The sampling rate can be determined as appropriate, but for example, it may be set so that the sampling interval is several hundred milliseconds to about 1 second. If it is determined that the sampling timing has been reached ("YES" in step S304), the CPU 11 records the acceleration detected by the motion sensor 172 in the RAM 12 or storage unit 13 (step S305). The CPU 11 also derives the relative altitude H3 based on the altitude and reference altitude H1 detected by the altitude sensor 171, and records the relative altitude H3 in the RAM 12 or storage unit 13 (step S306). The CPU 11 determines whether the acceleration and relative altitude H3 have been recorded successfully (step S307). If an abnormal value is obtained, or if it is determined that acceleration or relative altitude H3 could not be recorded properly ("NO" in step S307), the CPU 11 returns to step S301.If the CPU determines that the acceleration and relative altitude H3 have been recorded successfully ("YES" in step S307), the CPU 11 determines whether the recording time T has ended (step S308). If the CPU determines that the recording time T has not ended ("NO" in step S308), the CPU 11 returns to step S304. If the CPU determines that the recording time T has ended ("YES" in step S308), the CPU 11 stores the first detected data D1 of the acceleration and relative altitude H3 for the recording time T in the storage unit 13 as reference data 133 (step S309). When step S309 is completed, the CPU 11 terminates the operation registration process.

[0041] In the second embodiment, the CPU 11 executes the notification control process shown in Figure 10 when the notification setting is set to "on" in the notification setting data 132. The processes in steps S401 to S406 in Figure 10 are the same as the processes in steps S101 to S106 in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted. When step S406 is completed, the CPU 11 starts acquiring second detection data D2 of acceleration and relative altitude H3 at a predetermined sampling rate (step S407). The CPU 11 compares the second detection data D2 from the previous recording time T minutes with the first detection data D1 recorded in the reference data 133 (step S408) and determines whether they satisfy the approximation condition (step S409). If it is determined that the approximation condition is satisfied ("YES" in step S409), the CPU 11 determines that the user has performed a pre-registered action (the user has woken up) and switches the notification setting in the notification setting data 132 to "off" (step S411). In other words, since the user has voluntarily woken up before the alarm time, the CPU 11 changes the notification settings so that the alarm is not notified at the alarm time. When step S411 is completed, the CPU 11 terminates the notification control process. If it is determined that the approximation condition is not met ("NO" in step S409), the CPU 11 determines that the user has not performed the pre-registered action and that the user has not woken up. The CPU 11 then determines whether or not the alarm time has arrived (step S410), and if it is determined that the alarm time has not arrived ("NO" in step S410), it returns to step S408. In step S408, when the CPU 11 acquires acceleration and relative altitude H3 at the next sampling timing, it compares the latest recording time T minutes of the second detection data D2 with the first detection data D1.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined that the alarm time has arrived ("YES" in step S410), the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to start the alarm notification (step S412). When the CPU 11 acquires acceleration and relative altitude H3 at the next sampling timing, it compares the second detection data D2 from the previous recording time T minutes with the first detection data D1 recorded in the reference data 133 (step S413) and determines whether they satisfy the approximation condition (step S414). If it is determined that the approximation condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S414), the CPU 11 determines that the user has not performed the pre-registered action and that the user has not woken up. Then, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the notification end time has arrived (step S415). If it is determined that the notification end time has not arrived ("NO" in step S415), the CPU 11 returns to step S413. In step S413, when the CPU 11 acquires acceleration and relative altitude H3 at the next sampling timing, it compares the latest recording time T minutes of the second detection data D2 with the first detection data D1. On the other hand, if it determines that the notification end time has arrived (YES in step S415), the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the notification unit 16 to stop the alarm notification (step S416). Also, if it determines in step S414 that the approximation condition is met (YES in step S414), the CPU 11 determines that the user has performed a pre-registered action (the user has woken up), and stops the running alarm notification regardless of whether the notification end time has arrived or not (step S416). After that, if there are remaining snooze notifications (YES in step S417), the CPU 11 sets the alarm time to the next snooze time (step S418) and returns the process to step S408. If there are no remaining snooze notifications (NO in step S417), the CPU 11 terminates the notification control process.

[0043] As described above, the electronic clock 10 according to the second embodiment includes a motion sensor 172 for detecting the movement of the electronic clock 10, a notification unit 16, and a CPU 11. The CPU 11 stores first detection data D1 from the sensor in a storage unit 13 during a period in which a user wearing the electronic clock 10 performs a certain action, and when the notification setting is enabled to have the notification unit 16 make an alarm notification at the alarm time, it acquires second detection data D2 from the sensor, and when it determines that the time-series change of the acquired second detection data D2 and the time-series change of the first detection data D1 satisfy predetermined approximation conditions, it performs disabling control to disable at least a part of the alarm notification that is performed according to the notification setting. As a result, a user wearing the electronic clock 10 can stop an alarm notification that is in progress or cancel an alarm notification that is scheduled to be performed by performing a predetermined action.Therefore, compared to the conventional technology that simply disables the notification when the acceleration of the electronic clock 10 exceeds a predetermined value, it is possible to disable the alarm notification at the timing intended by the user more reliably. Furthermore, since any action can be registered as a predetermined action, the alarm notification can be disabled according to the action desired by the user. By using the first detection data D1 and second detection data D2 from the motion sensor 172 for determination, actions that could not be determined in the first embodiment using relative altitude H3 can also be determined. For example, even if the action registered as a predetermined action is an action that causes little change in the height of the electronic clock 10 (such as the user stretching while lying down), it can be appropriately determined that the predetermined action has been performed and the disabling control can be performed.

[0044] Furthermore, if the notification setting is enabled, the CPU 11 causes the notification unit 16 to issue an alarm notification when the alarm time arrives. During the execution of the alarm notification, the CPU 11 acquires the second detection data D2, and if it determines that the time-series changes of the acquired second detection data D2 and the time-series changes of the first detection data D1 satisfy the approximation condition, it performs disabling control, which includes control to stop the ongoing alarm notification. This allows the ongoing alarm notification to be stopped at the timing intended by the user.

[0045] Furthermore, the CPU 11 stores multiple different first detection data D1 in the storage unit 13, and performs disabling control when it determines that the time-series change of the second detection data D2 and the time-series change of any of the multiple first detection data D1 satisfy the approximation condition. This allows the alarm notification to be disabled according to the operation desired by the user from among multiple operations. In addition, by storing multiple first detection data D1 corresponding to multiple users, the alarm notification can be disabled according to the operation registered by each user, regardless of which user uses the electronic clock 10.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the information processing method of this embodiment, the CPU 11 executes the above process, thereby enabling the alarm notification to be disabled at the timing intended by the user. The program 131 of this embodiment causes the CPU 11 to execute the above process. This enables the alarm notification to be disabled at the timing intended by the user.

[0047] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, if the electronic clock 10 can communicate with an external terminal device such as a smartphone, the external terminal device may control at least a part of the notification operation of the electronic clock 10. That is, the processing unit of the external terminal device may execute at least a part of the invalidation control in the above embodiment.

[0048] Furthermore, the electronic device is not limited to the electronic clock 10. For example, the electronic device may be a wearable device such as a sensing device that detects body movements or an activity tracker, or it may be a small portable device such as a smartphone.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an alarm notification indicating the wake-up time was given as an example of a notification executed by the electronic clock 10, but it is not limited to this. Also, the notification is not limited to one executed at a set time, but may be a notification executed according to the results of a determination of the user's state or the external environment. For example, in order to encourage the user to move when the user has been working at a desk for a long time, the electronic clock 10 may make a notification when it has been in a predetermined stationary state for a predetermined time or longer. In response to this notification as well, the CPU 11 executes a disabling control when it determines that the user has performed the predetermined action.

[0050] Furthermore, the second sensor that detects the movements of the electronic clock 10 and the user is not limited to the motion sensor 172, but may also be a tilt switch that switches on / off according to the tilt state of the electronic clock 10, or a position detection sensor that detects changes in the position of the electronic clock 10, etc.

[0051] Furthermore, while examples of notifications performed by the electronic clock 10 include those by sound and / or vibration, the notification is not limited to these. For example, the notification may be the illumination of a light-emitting unit or a display on the display unit 14.

[0052] Furthermore, while the above description discloses an example in which the flash memory of the storage unit 13 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, a carrier wave can also be used as a medium for providing program data according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0053] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the detailed configuration and operation of each component of the electronic clock 10 in the above embodiment can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. While 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]

[0054] 10...Electronic clock (electronic device), 11...CPU (processing unit), 16...Notification unit, 171...Altitude sensor (first sensor), 172...Motion sensor (second sensor), D1...First detection data, D2...Second detection data, H1...Reference altitude, H3...Relative altitude

Claims

1. A first sensor that detects altitude, The news department and, Processing unit and Electronic equipment equipped with, The aforementioned processing unit, Based on the altitude detected by the first sensor, the relative altitude of the electronic device is derived with respect to a predetermined reference altitude. When a notification setting is enabled that causes the notification unit to issue a notification at a predetermined time, and it is determined that the relative altitude satisfies a predetermined condition, disabling control is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is made according to the notification setting. electronic equipment.

2. The aforementioned processing unit, When the notification setting is enabled and the predetermined time has arrived, the notification unit will issue the notification. If it is determined that the relative altitude satisfies the predetermined conditions during the execution of the notification, the disabling control is performed, which includes control to stop the notification that is currently being executed. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The processing unit, when the predetermined time is within a predetermined time, acquires the altitude detected by the first sensor and stores the acquired altitude in the storage unit as the reference altitude. The electronic device according to claim 1.

4. It includes a second sensor that detects the movement of the electronic device, The processing unit determines, based on the detection data of the second sensor, whether or not the electronic device is in a predetermined stationary state. If the predetermined time is still within the predetermined time and the electronic device is determined to be in a stationary state, the altitude detected by the first sensor is stored in the storage unit as the reference altitude. The electronic device according to claim 3.

5. The processing unit determines that the predetermined condition is met when the relative altitude is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, The threshold is set to be less than or equal to the range of change in the height of a predetermined part when a user wearing the electronic device on that part performs a predetermined action. The electronic device according to claim 1.

6. The processing unit determines that the predetermined condition is met when the relative altitude has been continuously above the threshold for a predetermined reference time or longer. The electronic device according to claim 5.

7. The notification setting includes a setting to cause the notification unit to issue an alarm notification at a predetermined time, and a setting to cause the notification unit to issue a snooze notification at a snooze time later than the predetermined time. If the current time at which the processing unit determines that the relative altitude satisfies the predetermined conditions is later than the predetermined time, the disabling control disables the currently running alarm notification and keeps the snooze notification enabled for the snooze time later than the current time. The electronic device according to claim 1.

8. The notification setting includes a setting to cause the notification unit to issue an alarm notification at a predetermined time, and a setting to cause the notification unit to issue a snooze notification at a snooze time later than the predetermined time. If the current time at which the processing unit determines that the relative altitude satisfies the predetermined conditions is earlier than the predetermined time, the disabling control disables both the alarm notification and the snooze notification. The electronic device according to claim 1.

9. Detection that detects the movement of the device itself, The news department and, Processing unit and Electronic equipment equipped with, The aforementioned processing unit, The first detection data of the sensor during a period in which a user wearing the electronic device performs a certain action is stored in the storage unit. When the notification setting that causes the notification unit to issue a notification at a predetermined time is enabled, the second detection data of the sensor is acquired, When it is determined that the time-series changes of the acquired second detection data and the time-series changes of the first detection data satisfy predetermined approximation conditions, disabling control is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is performed according to the notification setting. electronic equipment.

10. The aforementioned processing unit, When the notification setting is enabled and the predetermined time has arrived, the notification unit will issue the notification. During the execution of the notification, the second detection data is acquired. If it is determined that the time-series changes of the acquired second detection data and the time-series changes of the first detection data satisfy the approximation condition, the invalidation control is performed, which includes control to stop the notification that is currently running. The electronic device according to claim 9.

11. The aforementioned processing unit, Multiple different first detection data are stored in the storage unit. The invalidation control is performed when it is determined that the time-series change of the second detection data and the time-series change of any of the first detection data among the plurality of first detection data satisfy the approximation condition. The electronic device according to claim 9.

12. A notification control method executed by a computer, Based on the altitude detected by a first sensor installed in the electronic device that detects altitude, the relative altitude of the electronic device is derived with respect to a predetermined reference altitude. When a notification setting is enabled in the electronic device that causes a notification to be made at a predetermined time, if it is determined that the relative altitude satisfies a predetermined condition, disabling control is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is made according to the notification setting. Notification control method.

13. A notification control method executed by a computer, The first detection data of the sensor during a period when a user wearing an electronic device equipped with a sensor that detects the movement of the device performs a certain action is stored in the storage unit. When the notification setting is enabled for the notification unit provided in the electronic device to make a notification at a predetermined time, the second detection data of the sensor is acquired, When it is determined that the time-series changes of the acquired second detection data and the time-series changes of the first detection data satisfy predetermined approximation conditions, disabling control is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is performed according to the notification setting. Notification control method.

14. On the computer, A process for deriving the relative altitude of an electronic device with respect to a predetermined reference altitude, based on the altitude detected by a first sensor installed in the electronic device that detects altitude. When a notification setting is enabled in the electronic device that causes notification to be made at a predetermined time by a notification unit, if it is determined that the relative altitude satisfies predetermined conditions, a process is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is made according to the notification setting. A program that executes the command.

15. On the computer, A process to store first detection data of the sensor in a storage unit during a period in which a user wearing an electronic device equipped with a sensor that detects the movement of the device performs a certain action. When the notification setting that causes the notification unit provided in the electronic device to make a notification at a predetermined time is enabled, the process of acquiring the second detection data of the sensor, When it is determined that the time-series changes of the acquired second detection data and the time-series changes of the first detection data satisfy predetermined approximation conditions, a process is performed to disable at least a portion of the notification that is performed according to the notification setting. A program that executes the command.

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