INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND POWER SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD

• US 20150001952A1
• Filed: 06/12/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiba, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to perform short distance wireless communication and a power reception unit configured to receive wirelessly transmitted power. The information processing apparatus provides a user interface for prompting a user to designate a function which an external apparatus is to be instructed, via the communication unit, to execute, and controls power reception by the power reception unit based on the function designated through the user interface.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for controlling a communication unit configured to perform short distance wireless communication and a power reception unit configured to receive wirelessly transmitted power, comprising:

a providing unit configured to provide a user interface for prompting a user to designate a function which an external apparatus is to be instructed, via the communication unit, to execute; and

a control unit configured to control power reception by the power reception unit based on the function designated through the user interface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface presents a plurality of types of functions which the external apparatus is to be instructed to execute, and prompts the user to select at least one of the plurality of types of functions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

a table in which information for specifying a function which enables the power reception unit or a function which disables the power reception unit among the plurality of types of functions is described and which is referred to by said control unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

an edit unit configured to cause the user to edit a function which enables the power reception unit or a function which disables the power reception unit among the plurality of types of functions.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the designated function is accompanied by a mechanical operation in the external apparatus, said control unit determines to disable a power reception function using the power reception unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the function accompanied by the mechanical operation includes at least one of a printing function and a scanning function of reading a document.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a unit configured to acquire a power supply state of the external apparatus by communication using the communication unit,

wherein based on the acquired power supply state, said control unit further determines whether to enable a power reception function using the power reception unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a unit configured to acquire a billing state by communication using the communication unit,

wherein based on the acquired billing state, said control unit further determines whether to enable a power reception function using the power reception unit.

9. An information processing apparatus for controlling a communication unit configured to perform short distance wireless communication and a power transmission unit configured to wirelessly transmit power, comprising:

a control unit configured to control power transmission by the power transmission unit based on a function which is instructed to be executed by information received from an external apparatus via the communication unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising

a table in which information for specifying, in said information processing apparatus, a function which enables the power transmission unit or a function which disables the power transmission unit is described and which is referred to by said control unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

an edit unit configured to cause a user to edit a function which enables the power transmission unit or a function which disables the power transmission unit, which is described in said table.

12. A power supply control method for an information processing apparatus which controls a communication unit configured to perform short distance wireless communication and a power reception unit configured to receive wirelessly transmitted power, the method comprising:

a providing step of providing a user interface for prompting a user to designate a function which an external apparatus is to be instructed, via the communication unit, to execute; and

a control step of controlling power reception by the power reception unit based on the function designated through the user interface.

13. A storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a power supply control method according to claim 12.