electronic machines

Abstract

To provide an electronic device that is capable of both Wi-Fi and LiFi communication and can be miniaturized. [Solution] The electronic device includes a Wi-Fi antenna capable of transmitting and receiving communication radio waves, a Li-Fi antenna capable of transmitting and receiving communication optical signals, a communication module connected to the Wi-Fi antenna or the Li-Fi antenna, and a switch for switching between a Wi-Fi communication mode in which the communication module and the Wi-Fi antenna are connected, and a Li-Fi communication mode in which the communication module and the Li-Fi antenna are connected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, electronic devices capable of communicating via Wifi (registered trademark) are known. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses an optical communication technology so-called Lifi (Light Fidelity).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When mounting both Wifi and Lifi communication functions on one electronic device, it is conceivable to respectively implement a communication module dedicated to Wifi and a communication module dedicated to Lifi. However, implementing a communication module for Lifi in addition to the communication module for Wifi that has been conventionally mounted will cause the electronic device to become larger in size compared to the conventional one.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device capable of both Wifi and Lifi communications and capable of being miniaturized.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an electronic device according to one embodiment includes a Wi-Fi antenna capable of transmitting and receiving communication radio waves, a Li-Fi antenna capable of transmitting and receiving communication optical signals, a communication module connected to the Wi-Fi antenna or the Li-Fi antenna, and a switch for switching between a Wi-Fi communication mode in which the communication module and the Wi-Fi antenna are connected, and a Li-Fi communication mode in which the communication module and the Li-Fi antenna are connected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the electronic device described above, the connection state between the Wi-Fi antenna or Li-Fi antenna and the communication module is switched by a switch. Furthermore, a common communication module is used for both Wi-Fi and Li-Fi. This enables both Wi-Fi and Li-Fi communication, and allows for a smaller electronic device compared to cases where different communication modules are used for Wi-Fi and Li-Fi. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication unit relating to the first embodiment, and is a diagram illustrating the Wi-Fi communication mode. [Figure 3] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication unit according to the first embodiment, and is a diagram illustrating the LiFi communication mode. [Figure 4] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the communication unit according to the second embodiment, and is a diagram illustrating the Wi-Fi communication mode. [Figure 5] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the communication unit according to the second embodiment, and is a diagram illustrating the LiFi communication mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment. The electronic device 10 has wireless communication functions using Wi-Fi and Li-Fi communication. To perform Wi-Fi communication, the electronic device 10 is equipped with Wi-Fi antennas 11 and 12 (see Figure 2). The Wi-Fi antennas are capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves for communication. In addition, to perform Li-Fi communication, the electronic device 10 is equipped with Li-Fi antennas 13 and 14 (see Figure 2). The Li-Fi antennas 13 and 14 are capable of transmitting and receiving optical signals for communication.

[0010] The electronic device 10 includes a communication unit 102, a display unit 112, an operation unit 114, a storage unit 116, and a processor 118. These components are connected to each other by wires (e.g., a bus (baseline)) to enable input and output of various types of data. The electronic device 10 is, for example, a PC (personal computer), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc.

[0011] The communication unit 102 performs Wi-Fi or LiFi communication with other devices based on the control of the processor 118. For Wi-Fi communication, a method described in, for example, IEEE 802.11 is used. When the electronic device 10 is the receiving side, the communication unit 102 treats the electrical signal based on the communication radio waves transmitted from the other device and incident on the Wi-Fi antennas 11 and 12 as the received signal. The communication unit 102 demodulates the received signal using a predetermined demodulation method and outputs the demodulated received signal to the processor 118. When the electronic device 10 is the transmitting side, the communication unit 102 modulates the transmission signal input from the processor 118 using a predetermined modulation method and supplies it to the Wi-Fi antennas 11 and 12. Communication radio waves based on this transmission signal are radiated from the Wi-Fi antennas 11 and 12.

[0012] For LiFi communication, a method described in, for example, IEEE 802.11bb is used. When performing LiFi communication, optical signals are transmitted and received between the electronic device 10 and other devices. When the electronic device 10 is the receiving side, the communication unit 102 converts the optical signal transmitted from the other device and incident on the LiFi antennas 13 and 14 into an electrical signal. The communication unit 102 treats this electrical signal as the received signal. The communication unit 102 demodulates the received signal using a predetermined demodulation method and outputs the demodulated received signal to the processor 118. When the electronic device 10 is the transmitting side, the communication unit 102 modulates the transmission signal input from the processor 118 using a predetermined modulation method. The LiFi antennas 13 and 14 radiate an optical signal based on this transmission signal to the outside.

[0013] The display unit 112 displays visible information such as images and text. The display may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LED: Light Emitting Display) or an organic electroluminescent display (OLED: Organic Electroluminescence Display). The display unit 112 displays information based on display data input from the processor 118.

[0014] The operation unit 114 receives user input, generates an operation signal based on the received input, and outputs the generated operation signal. The operation unit 114 may include dedicated components such as buttons and dials, or it may include general-purpose components such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch sensor. The touch sensor may be a touch panel integrated with a liquid crystal display panel that functions as a display unit 112.

[0015] The storage unit 116 includes a storage medium for storing various types of information used in the processing of the electronic device 10. These types of information include programs, parameters, images, and the like. The storage unit 116 may also include, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Read-Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0016] The processor 118 executes processing based on instructions written in various programs stored in the memory unit 116, and controls the operation of each part of the electronic device 10. The processor 118 may be one of the following, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), or a combination of either. The CPU executes software-based processing, such as an OS (Operating System), BIOS, or application program (sometimes referred to as an "app" in this application). Executing processing instructed by commands written in software is sometimes referred to as "executing software." In the following description, executing processing instructed by instructions written in a program is sometimes referred to as "executing a program." The information processing executed may work in cooperation with one of the hardware resources, including the memory unit 116, or a combination of either, to perform each function of the electronic device 10.

[0017] Next, the configuration of the communication unit 102 will be described using Figures 2 and 3. The communication unit 102 includes a first Wifi antenna 11, a second Wifi antenna 12, a first Lifi antenna 13, a second Lifi antenna 14, a switch 15, a trigger 16, and a communication module 17. In this embodiment, there are two Wifi antennas and two Lifi antennas, but the number of these antennas can be changed, and there may be one, three or more.

[0018] The communication unit 102 can switch between a Wifi communication mode M1 (see FIG. 2) and a Lifi communication mode M2 (see FIG. 3). In the Wifi communication mode M1, the communication module 17 and the Wifi antennas 11 and 12 are connected by the switch 15. In the Lifi communication mode M2, the communication module 17 and the Lifi antennas 13 and 14 are connected by the switch 15. Thus, the switch 15 has an internal circuit capable of switching the connection destination of the communication module 17 (the Wifi antennas 11 and 12 or the Lifi antennas 13 and 14).

[0019] The switching between the Wifi communication mode M1 and the Lifi communication mode M2 is performed by the trigger 16 and the switch 15. The trigger 16 may be, for example, a structure manually operated by the user. In this case, for example, a slide switch, a push button switch, etc. can be adopted as the trigger 16. In the case of a slide switch or a push button switch, indications such as "Lifi communication mode" and "Wifi communication mode" may be provided corresponding to the positions of the movable parts thereof.

[0020] The trigger 16 may be a so-called software switch. The software switch as the trigger 16 functions, for example, when the processor 118 executes a predetermined program. In this case, when the user operates the operation unit 114 of the electronic device 10 to give an instruction to the computer system or satisfies a condition preset in an application or the like, the "Lifi communication mode" or the "Wifi communication mode" may be selected.

[0021] By the user operating the structure as the trigger 16 or by the software switch as the trigger 16 being activated, the "Lifi communication mode" or the "Wifi communication mode" is selected. When the "Lifi communication mode" is selected, the switch 15 connects the communication module 17 to the Lifi antennas 13 and 14. When the "Wifi communication mode" is selected, the switch 15 connects the communication module 17 to the Wifi antennas 11 and 12.

[0022] When the communication module 17 receives a received signal from the Wifi antennas 11 and 12 or the Lifi antennas 13 and 14, it performs predetermined processing and outputs the processed received signal to, for example, the processor 118. Also, the communication module 17 outputs a transmission signal to the Wifi antennas 11 and 12 or the Lifi antennas 13 and 14 in accordance with an instruction from, for example, the processor 118. Here, the output intensity setting when outputting a transmission signal to the Wifi antennas 11 and 12 is different from the output intensity setting when outputting a transmission signal to the Lifi antennas 13 and 14. More specifically, the output intensity setting for the Lifi antennas 13 and 14 may be lower than the output intensity setting for the Wifi antennas 11 and 12. The output intensity settings in the Wifi communication mode M1 and the Lifi communication mode M2 are determined, for example, to satisfy the respective communication standards.

[0023] As described above, the electronic device 10 of the present embodiment includes the Wifi antennas 11 and 12 capable of transmitting and receiving communication radio waves, the Lifi antennas 13 and 14 capable of transmitting and receiving communication optical signals, the communication module 17 connected to the Wifi antennas 11 and 12 and the Lifi antennas 13 and 14, and the switch 15 for switching between the Wifi communication mode M1 and the Lifi communication mode M2. In the Wifi communication mode M1, the communication module 17 is connected to the Wifi antennas 11 and 12. In the Lifi communication mode M2, the communication module 17 is connected to the Lifi antennas 13 and 14.

[0024] According to the electronic device 10 of this embodiment, both Wi-Fi and Li-Fi communication are possible using a single communication module 17. Therefore, compared to the case where two types of communication modules, one dedicated to Wi-Fi and one dedicated to Li-Fi, are provided, this embodiment makes it possible to miniaturize the electronic device 10.

[0025] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described, which has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment. For this reason, the same reference numerals are used for similar components, and their descriptions are omitted; only the differences will be described. This embodiment describes a configuration for setting different output strengths for the signals output from the communication module 17 in Wi-Fi communication mode M1 and Li-Fi communication mode M2.

[0026] The electronic device 10 of this embodiment includes a communication unit 102A, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, instead of the communication unit 102 described in the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the communication unit 102A is connected to an embedded controller (EC) 18 mounted on the electronic device 10. The embedded controller 18 is a one-chip microcomputer that monitors and controls various devices (peripheral devices, sensors, etc.) regardless of the operating state of the host system of the electronic device 10. The embedded controller 18 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and multiple input / output terminals (none of which are shown), separately from the processor 118.

[0027] The input / output terminals of the embedded controller 18 are connected to the switch 15, the trigger 16, and the processor 118. In Figures 4 and 5, the OS 19 is shown as one function realized by the processor 118, conceptually illustrating the cooperation between the embedded controller 18 and the OS 19. The embedded controller 18 gives a command to the OS 19 to change the output strength setting of the communication module 17. Based on the command from the embedded controller 18, the OS 19 changes the output strength setting of the communication module 17. When changing the output strength setting of the communication module 17, the OS 19 may read a setting value pre-stored in the memory unit 116 and use that setting value. In this case, the memory unit 116 pre-stores setting values ​​corresponding to Wifi communication mode M1 and Lifi communication mode M2, respectively.

[0028] Here, we will describe the commands issued by the embedded controller 18 to change the output intensity setting of the communication module 17. The commands issued by the embedded controller 18 may be executed by the first or second method described below, or by any other method. Furthermore, the commands generated by the embedded controller 18 may be input to the communication module 17 via the OS 19, or they may be input directly from the embedded controller 18 to the communication module 17.

[0029] <Method 1> Trigger 16 outputs a switching signal to the embedded controller 18 regarding the switching between Wifi communication mode M1 and Lifi communication mode M2. Trigger 16 may be a software switch programmed to generate such a switching signal. Based on the switching signal output from trigger 16, the embedded controller 18 issues a command to the OS 19. For example, if the switching signal is related to switching from Wifi communication mode M1 to Lifi communication mode M2, the embedded controller 18 issues a command to the OS 19 to set the output strength to match Lifi communication mode M2.

[0030] <Second Method> The embedded controller 18 recognizes the connection status between the communication module 17 and the Wifi antennas 11, 12 and Lifi antennas 13, 14, as determined by the switch 15. The embedded controller 18 provides commands to the OS 19 based on the recognized connection status. For example, if the embedded controller 18 recognizes that the state of the switch 15 is Wifi communication mode M1, it provides a command to the OS 19 to set the output strength to the setting corresponding to Wifi communication mode M1.

[0031] In the first method, the embedded controller 18 may issue a command to the OS 19 only when the trigger 16 is activated and a switch occurs between communication modes M1 and M2. In this case, since the process of changing the output intensity setting is performed only when the trigger 16 is activated, there is an advantage in that the processing load on the processor 118 and other components can be reduced.

[0032] In the second method, the embedded controller 18 may recognize the state of the switch 15 at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every few minutes) and issue a command to the OS 19 based on the recognized state. In this case, the appropriate output intensity setting according to modes M1 and M2 is automatically performed without the cooperation of the trigger 16. Therefore, it becomes possible to simplify the structure or function of the trigger 16, or even omit the trigger 16 altogether.

[0033] As described in the first embodiment, in the second embodiment as well, the output strength setting of the signal output from the communication module 17 to the LiFi antennas 13 and 14 in LiFi communication mode M2 ​​may be lower than the output strength setting of the signal output from the communication module 17 to the WiFi antennas 11 and 12 in WiFi communication mode M1.

[0034] As described above, the electronic device 10 according to the second embodiment includes an embedded controller 18 and a trigger 16. The embedded controller 18 generates a command to change the output strength setting of the communication module 17.

[0035] Trigger 16 is connected to the embedded controller 18 and switches the state of switch 15 between Wi-Fi communication mode M1 and Li-Fi communication mode M2. When the embedded controller 18 receives a switching signal from trigger 16 regarding the state switch between Wi-Fi communication mode M1 and Li-Fi communication mode M2, it may output a command.

[0036] Alternatively, the embedded controller 18 may recognize the connection status between the communication module 17 and the Wifi antennas 11, 12 and Lifi antennas 13, 14 via the switch 15, and output a command based on the recognized status.

[0037] According to the electronic device 10 of the second embodiment, when the state of the switch 15 is switched by the trigger 16, it becomes possible to set an appropriate output strength corresponding to each of the communication modes M1 and M2.

[0038] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0039] For example, the electronic device 10 may include elements other than those shown in Figures 1 to 5. Alternatively, it may not include some of the components shown in Figures 1 to 5.

[0040] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10…Electronic devices 11…Wi-Fi antenna 13…Li-Fi antenna 15…Switch 16…Trigger 17…Communication module 18…Embedded controller

Claims

1. A Wi-Fi antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves for communication, A LiFi antenna capable of transmitting and receiving optical signals for communication, A communication module connected to the Wi-Fi antenna or the Li-Fi antenna, An electronic device comprising: a switch for switching between a Wi-Fi communication mode in which the communication module and the Wi-Fi antenna are connected, and a Li-Fi communication mode in which the communication module and the Li-Fi antenna are connected.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the output strength setting of the signal output from the communication module differs between the Wi-Fi communication mode and the Li-Fi communication mode.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the output strength setting of the signal output from the communication module to the Wi-Fi antenna in the Wi-Fi communication mode is lower than the output strength setting of the signal output from the communication module to the Wi-Fi antenna in the Wi-Fi communication mode.

4. An embedded controller that generates a command to change the output intensity setting of the communication module, The embedded controller is connected to a trigger that switches the state of the switch between the Wi-Fi communication mode and the Li-Fi communication mode, The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the embedded controller outputs the command when it receives a switching signal from the trigger relating to switching between the Wi-Fi communication mode and the Li-Fi communication mode.

5. The system includes an embedded controller that generates a command to change the output strength setting of the communication module, The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the embedded controller recognizes the connection status between the communication module, the Wi-Fi antenna, and the Li-Fi antenna via the switch, and outputs the command based on the recognized result.

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