Electronic device wirelessly communicating with external device

• US 10,110,280 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US15/333,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An electronic device includes a proximity wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device through proximity wireless communication using power wirelessly received from the external device, a storage unit configured to be accessed by the external device via the proximity wireless communication unit, a control unit configured to control execution of a plurality of application processes, and a power source. In various embodiments, according to a condition of the power source, the control unit controls to store information for executing an application process related to charging of the power source in the storage unit, the application process being one among the plurality of application processes.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an antenna;

a proximity wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device via the antenna through proximity wireless communication using power wirelessly received from the external device;

a storage unit;

a battery; and

one or more processors configured to control execution of a plurality of application processes including a process for implementing a function executed without power consumption of the battery and a process for implementing a function executed with power consumption of the battery,

wherein the one or more processors store, into the storage, information regarding the function executed without power consumption of the battery in a case where the one or more processors determine that remaining power of the battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount, and store, into the storage, information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where the one or more processors determine that remaining power of the battery is enough,

wherein the proximity wireless communication unit transmits, to the external device, the information regarding the function executed without power consumption of the battery in a case where the proximity wireless communication with the external device is established in a state in which the information regarding the function executed without power consumption of the battery is stored in the storage, and

wherein the proximity wireless communication unit transmits, to the external device, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where the proximity wireless communication with the external device is established in a state in which the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery is stored in the storage;

wherein the one or more processors compare power that is necessary for completing the function executed with power consumption of the battery with the remaining power of the battery, and store, into the storage, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where it is possible to complete said function.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a connecting unit configured to get connected to an external power source;

wherein the one or more processors store, into the storage, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery irrespective of the remaining power of the battery in a case where there is power supply from the external power source, and

wherein the proximity wireless communication unit transmits, to the external device, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where the proximity wireless communication with the external device is established in a state in which the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery is stored in the storage and in addition there is power supply from the external power source.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the process for implementing the function executed without power consumption of the battery includes a process for charging the battery.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a wireless communication unit configured to perform communication at a distance longer than the proximity wireless communication unit,

wherein the process for implementing the function executed with power consumption of the battery includes a communication application process for controlling communication with the external device via the wireless communication unit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors compare power that is necessary for completing the function executed with power consumption of the battery with the remaining power of the battery, and store, into the storage, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where it is possible to complete said function.

5. A control method of an electronic device that includes a proximity wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device through proximity wireless communication using power wirelessly received from the external device, a storage, a battery, and one or more processors configured to control execution of a plurality of application processes including a process for implementing a function executed without power consumption of the battery and a process for implementing a function executed with power consumption of the battery, the control method comprising:

storing, into the storage, information regarding the function executed without power consumption of the battery in a case where remaining power of the battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount;

storing, into the storage, information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where remaining power of the battery is enough;

implementing, by the one or more processors, the function executed without power consumption of the battery in a case where the information regarding the function executed without power consumption of the battery is read by the external device; and

implementing, by the one or more processors, the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery is read by the external device;

wherein the one or more processors compare power that is necessary for completing the function executed with power consumption of the battery with the remaining power of the battery, and store, into the storage, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where it is possible to complete said function.

8. The control method according to claim 5, wherein

the electronic device has a connecting unit configured to get connected to an external power source, and

the control method further comprises:

storing, into the storage, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery irrespective of the remaining power of the battery in a case where there is power supply from the external power source, and

implementing, by the one or more processors, the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery is read by the external device in a state in which there is power supply from the external power source.

9. The control method according to claim 5,

wherein the process for implementing the function executed without power consumption of the battery includes a process for charging the battery.

10. The control method according to claim 5, wherein the electronic device has a wireless communication unit configured to perform communication at a distance longer than the proximity wireless communication unit, and

wherein the process for implementing the function executed with power consumption of the battery includes a communication application process for controlling communication with the external device via the wireless communication unit.

11. The control method according to claim 5,

wherein power that is necessary for completing the function executed with power consumption of the battery is compared with the remaining power of the battery,

wherein the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery is stored in a case where it is possible to complete said function, and

wherein the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery is not stored in a case where it is not possible to complete said function.

6. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program that, when executed, causes an electronic device to perform a control method, the electronic device including a proximity wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device through proximity wireless communication using power wirelessly received from the external device, a storage, a battery, and one or more processors configured to control execution of a plurality of application processes including a process for implementing a function executed without power consumption of the battery and a process for implementing a function executed with power consumption of the battery, the control method comprising:

storing, into the storage, information regarding the function executed without power consumption of the battery in a case where remaining power of the battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount;

storing, into the storage, information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where remaining power of the battery is enough;

implementing, by the one or more processors, the function executed without power consumption of the battery in a case where the information regarding the function executed without power consumption of the battery is read by the external device; and

wherein the one or more processors compare power that is necessary for completing the function executed with power consumption of the battery with the remaining power of the battery, and store, into the storage, the information regarding the function executed with power consumption of the battery in a case where it is possible to complete said function.