Electronic apparatus and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10401939-B2
Application number	US-201715470438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2017
Priority date	Jul 9, 2007
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An electronic apparatus and a control method are provided that are capable of reducing power consumption. The electronic apparatus having a normal mode in which first electric power is consumed and a power-saving mode in which second electric power lower than the first electric power is consumed includes a first sensor and a second sensor whose power consumption is lower than that of the first sensor. In the power-saving mode, supply of power to the first sensor is restricted, the second sensor is set to the power-saving mode, a trigger for restoring the power-saving mode to the normal mode is detected by using the second sensor set to the power-saving mode, and the power-saving mode is restored to the normal mode based on the detected trigger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
circuitry configured to:
set an operating state of a specific sensor, which includes an optical sensor configured to acquire an image of a surrounding view of the apparatus, to either a first operating state or a second operating state, wherein power supplied to the specific sensor in the second operating state is higher than power supplied to the specific sensor in the first operating state;
control an energy source to supply, to a motion sensor, enough power to cause the motion sensor to send a motion signal while the specific sensor is in the first operating state, wherein the motion sensor has a consumption current lower than that of the specific sensor;
set the specific sensor to the first operating state based on the motion signal during a predetermined time period;
receive the motion signal from the motion sensor; and
change the operating state of the specific sensor from the first operating state to the second operating state based on the received motion signal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the specific sensor includes at least one of an infrared sensor, a gyro sensor, or a touch sensor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the apparatus is a mobile device,
wherein the specific sensor includes the touch sensor, and
wherein the motion sensor includes at least one of the gyro sensor or the acceleration sensor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
determine whether the mobile device is operated based on the motion signal; and
change the operating state of the specific sensor from the first operating state to the second operating state based on the determination that the mobile device is operated.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
determine whether the motion signal is equal to or more than a predetermined value;
determine whether the mobile device is in a moving condition based on the determination that the motion signal is equal to or more than the predetermined value; and
change the operating state of the specific sensor from the first operating state to the second operating state based on the moving condition.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an infrared sensor, a pressure sensor, a GPS sensor, or a rotary encoder.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the motion sensor includes at least one of the gyro sensor, the acceleration sensor, or the rotary encoder.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
determine whether the motion signal is lower than a predetermined value;
determine whether the apparatus is in a still condition based on the determination that the motion signal is lower than the predetermined value; and
change the operating state of the optical sensor from the second operating state to the first operating state based on the still condition.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether the apparatus is moved by a user based on the acquired image.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether a specific object is in the acquired image.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to determine a surrounding landscape based on the acquired image and location data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the apparatus is an autonomous travel system for an automobile,
wherein the autonomous travel system includes the circuitry, the optical sensor, the motion sensor, and the power source, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to perform autonomous traveling based on the acquired image.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
the specific sensor connected to the circuitry;
the motion sensor connected to the circuitry; and
the power source configured to supply power to the circuitry, the specific sensor, and the motion sensor.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising an indicator configured to indicate the operating state of the specific sensor with a light.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a specific sensor configured to detect an object motion, wherein the specific sensor includes an optical sensor configured to acquire an image of a surrounding view of the apparatus;
an energy source configured to supply power to the specific sensor; and
circuitry configured to:
set an operating state of the specific sensor to either a first operating state or a second operating state, wherein power supplied to the image sensor in the second operating state is higher than power supplied to the image sensor in the first operating state;
set the specific sensor to the first operating state based on the motion signal during a predetermined time period; and
change the operating state of the specific sensor from the first operating state to the second operating state based on the detected object motion.

16. A power-saving control method, comprising:
setting an operating state of a specific sensor, which includes an optical sensor configured to acquire an image of a surrounding view of the apparatus, to a first operating state, wherein the operating state is either the first operating state or a second operating state,
controlling power supplied to the specific sensor in the first operating state to become lower than power supplied to the specific sensor in the second operating state;
controlling an energy source to supply, to a motion sensor, enough power to cause the motion sensor to send a motion signal while the specific sensor is in the first operating state, wherein the motion sensor has a consumption current lower than that of the specific sensor;
set the specific sensor to the first operating state based on the motion signal during a predetermined time period; and
changing the operating state of the specific sensor from the first operating state to the second operating state based on the received motion signal.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Kabasawa Hidetoshi
• Hachisu Kenji
• Yamamato Kazuyuki
• Masuda Takashi

Classifications

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• H04Q2209/883

  where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode · CPC title

• H04M2250/10

  including a GPS signal receiver · CPC title

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title