CN101964835B - Electronic system with extended functionality and related method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses an electronic system with extended functions and a related method thereof. Specifically, an electronic system with extended functionality includes: a first electronic device comprising a first transmission interface; a function module for performing a first function; the control module is coupled with the first transmission interface and the functional module and is used for controlling the first transmission interface and the functional module; and a second electronic device comprising: the second transmission interface is used for being coupled with the first transmission interface so as to exchange signals with the first electronic device; and a storage module, coupled to the second transmission interface, for storing an operation program; when the second transmission interface is coupled with the first transmission interface, the control module controls the function module to execute a second function according to the operation program stored in the storage module. The invention utilizes the original components of the first electronic device and the operation procedure of the second electronic device to make the first electronic device exert the expansion function except the original function.

Description

Electronic system with extended functionality and related method

technical field

The invention relates to an electronic system with extended functions and a related method thereof, in particular to an electronic system capable of achieving environmental protection and effectively utilizing resources and a related method thereof.

Background technique

With the advancement of technology, the functions and appearance of portable electronic products such as mobile phones and PDAs are constantly being updated, attracting consumers to purchase new models. However, when a consumer replaces a new mobile phone or an old mobile phone fails, the old mobile phone becomes useless and can only be recycled as resources or left idle. Such a method is neither environmentally friendly nor a waste of resources, and runs counter to the trend of energy saving and carbon reduction, and there is a need for improvement.

Contents of the invention

Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide an electronic system with extended functions and related methods.

The invention discloses an electronic system with extended functions, which includes a first electronic device and a second electronic device. The first electronic device includes a first transmission interface; a function module, used to perform a first function; and a control module, coupled to the first transmission interface and the function module, used to control the first transmission interface with this function module. The second electronic device includes a second transmission interface coupled to the first transmission interface to exchange signals with the first electronic device; and a storage module coupled to the second transmission interface for storing a operating procedures. Wherein, when the second transmission interface is coupled to the first transmission interface, the control module controls the function module to execute a second function according to the operation program stored in the storage module.

The present invention also discloses a method for extending functions of a first electronic device, the first electronic device is used to execute a first function, the method includes a second electronic device storing an operation corresponding to a second function a program; and when the second electronic device is coupled to the first electronic device, the first electronic device executes the second function according to the operation program.

The system and method of the present invention utilize the original components of the first electronic device, and use the operating program stored in the second electronic device to enable the first electronic device to perform extended functions other than the original functions.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4 are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of a functional module in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a control module in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a storage module in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an operation process of an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of main component symbols:

10 electronic system 300 image capture unit

100 first electronic device 302 video processor

102 second electronic device 400 clock generator

104 first transmission interface 402 timing control unit

106 function modules 500 transmission interface controller

108 Control module 502 Basic input and output system module

110 second transmission interface 504 processor

112 storage modules 600 storage units

200 microphone 602 storage controller

202 Horn 70 Operation process

204 audio controller 700, 702, 704, 706, 708 steps

Detailed ways

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a functional block diagram of an electronic system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic system 10 has extended functions, and includes a first electronic device 100 and a second electronic device 102 . The first electronic device 100 can be a portable electronic product such as a mobile phone or a PDA, and includes a first transmission interface 104 , a function module 106 and a control module 108 . The function module 106 is used to execute a first function, and the control module 108 can control the operation of the first transmission interface 104 and the function module 106 . The second electronic device 102 can be a memory card, or a base with a memory function, a fixing piece, etc., which includes a second transmission interface 110 and a storage module 112 . The second transmission interface 110 matches the first transmission interface 104 and is used to couple the first transmission interface 104 so that the first electronic device 100 and the second electronic device 102 can exchange signals. The storage module 112 is coupled to the second transmission interface 110 and stores an operation program corresponding to a second function.

The operation of the electronic system 10 is further described. When the first transmission interface 104 is not coupled to the second transmission interface 110 , the function module 106 is used to execute the first function. On the contrary, when the first transmission interface 104 is coupled with the second transmission interface 110 , the control module 108 controls the function module 106 to execute the second function according to the operation program stored in the storage module 112 . In short, when the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 are coupled together, the function module 106 does not perform the original function (ie, the first function) but an extended function (ie, the second function). In this case, the functions of the first electronic device 100 are expanded to expand its application range. In this way, taking a mobile phone as an example, when a user buys a new mobile phone, the functions of the old mobile phone can be expanded through the above mechanism, so as to achieve the purpose of environmental protection and efficient use of resources.

It should be noted that the electronic system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is used to illustrate the concept of the present invention, and those skilled in the art may make various modifications accordingly, and are not limited thereto. For example, in the electronic system 10, the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 are not limited to specific types of interfaces, as long as they can be matched with each other. Taking the wired communication method as an example, the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 can meet specifications such as USB, PCMCIA, IEEE 1394, and SPI; and taking the wireless communication method as an example, the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 It can comply with Bluetooth, WLAN and other specifications.

In addition, according to different transmission interfaces, the power supply mode of the second electronic device 102 also needs to be changed correspondingly. If the signal is transmitted between the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 through wired communication, the power required by the first electronic device 100 and the second electronic device 102 can be supplied in three ways. The first way is that the power supply module (not shown in FIG. 1 ) of the first electronic device 100 can be further coupled to the second transmission interface 110 in addition to supplying power to the first transmission interface 104, the function module 106 and the control module 108. At the first transmission interface 104 , power is supplied to the second electronic device 102 (that is, the second transmission interface 110 and the storage module 112 ) through the signal connection line between the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 . The second method is that the power supply module of the first electronic device 100 can supply power to the second electronic device 102 (that is, the second transmission interface 104, the function module 106 and the control module 108 by means of electromagnetic induction) in addition to supplying power to the second electronic device 100. interface 110 and storage module 112). The third way is that the first electronic device 100 and the second electronic device 102 respectively have a power supply module, so as to supply the required power respectively. In contrast, if the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 perform signal transmission through wireless communication, the power required by the first electronic device 100 and the second electronic device 102 can be transmitted through the above-mentioned wired communication method. When the second and third power supply methods to supply.

On the other hand, in the foregoing description, the first function refers to the original function that the function module 106 can execute, and the second function refers to the expansion achieved by the function module 106 after the second electronic device 102 is connected to the first electronic device 100 Function. Therefore, when designing the second function, those skilled in the art should balance the components of the functional module 106 and design appropriate extended functions.

For example, if the components of the functional module 106 are as shown in FIG. 2 , including a microphone 200, a speaker 202 and an audio controller 204 for performing audio processing functions, as long as the operations stored in the storage module 112 are properly designed program, the electronic system 10 can achieve the alarm function. That is to say, when the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 are coupled together, the control module 108 can control the audio controller 204 to control the audio signal received by the microphone 200 according to the operation program stored in the storage module 112. When the volume is greater than a preset value, the speaker 202 is driven to emit a warning sound. In this case, after the electronic system 10 is installed in a proper place, the alarm function can be achieved.

In addition, if the components of the functional module 106 are as shown in FIG. 3 , including an image capture unit 300 and a video processor 302, the video processor 302 processes the image signal captured by the image capture unit 300 to To perform the image processing function, the electronic system 10 can realize the automatic video recording function as long as the operation program stored in the storage module 112 is properly designed. That is to say, when the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 are coupled together, the control module 108 can display the image capture unit 300 on the processing result of the video processor 302 according to the operation program stored in the storage module 112 When the variation degree of the captured image signal is greater than a preset value, the image capture unit 300 is driven to record the captured image signal. In other words, when the difference between the image signal currently captured by the image capture unit 300 and the previously captured image signal is greater than a preset value, the control module 108 can drive the image capture unit 300 to record the captured video signal. In this way, after the electronic system 10 is installed in a proper position, an automatic video recording function can be achieved, and further effects such as security and home protection can be achieved.

Furthermore, if the components of the functional module 106 are as shown in FIG. 4 , including a clock generator 400 and a timing control unit 402 for performing the clock generation function, as long as the operating program stored in the storage module 112 is properly designed, the electronic The system 10 can achieve a timing function. That is to say, when the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 are coupled together, the control module 108 can control the timing control unit 402 according to the clock generated by the clock generator 400 according to the operation program stored in the storage module 112 The signal starts timing. In this way, the electronic system 10 can achieve the timing function. Further, if the function module 106 includes a display module, the control module 108 can control the display module to display the timing result of the timing control unit 402 .

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 are used to illustrate possible implementations of the functional module 106, but are not limited thereto. The main purpose is to emphasize that the concept of the present invention is not how to realize the functional module 106, but to use the functional module 106 The original components, through the operating program of the second electronic device 102 , enable them to perform extended functions other than the original functions. Therefore, all changes imitating this concept should belong to the scope of the present invention, and are not limited to the aforementioned examples.

Besides, FIG. 1 only shows the basic structure of the first electronic device 100 , and its detailed components may vary according to different applications. For example, referring to FIG. 5 , in general, the control module 108 can be simplified to be composed of a transmission interface controller 500 , a BIOS module 502 and a processor 504 . The transmission interface controller 500 is used for controlling the signal connection operation between the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 . The BIOS module 502 is coupled to the transmission interface controller 500 and used for storing a specific program corresponding to the first function. The processor 504 is the computing core of the first electronic device 100 for executing programs. In detail, when the second transmission interface 110 is coupled to the first transmission interface 104, the processor 504 executes the operation program stored in the storage module 112 to control the function module 106 to perform the corresponding second function; When the interface 110 is not coupled to the first transmission interface 104 , the processor 504 executes the program stored in the BIOS module 502 to control the function module 106 to execute the original first function.

Of course, FIG. 5 is only used to illustrate one of the possible architectures of the control module 108, however, it is not the focus of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can properly implement the control module 108 according to requirements, and are not limited thereto. Similarly, there are many different implementations of the second electronic device 102 . Taking FIG. 6 as an example, the storage module 112 is composed of a storage unit 600 and a storage controller 602 . The storage unit 600 can be a common non-volatile memory, and is used to store the application program corresponding to the second function, and the storage controller 602 is used to output the storage when the second transmission interface 110 is coupled to the first transmission interface 104. The operating program stored in the unit 600 is sent to the first electronic device 100 to achieve the second function.

In short, the present invention utilizes the original components of the first electronic device 100, and uses the operating program of the second electronic device 102 to enable it to perform extended functions other than the original functions. Therefore, taking the mobile phone and the memory card respectively realizing the first electronic device 100 and the second electronic device 102 as an example, after the user uses a new mobile phone, the memory card that stores the operating program of the specific function can be stored in the memory card through the aforementioned mechanism. The old mobile phone can be inserted into the old mobile phone, so that the old mobile phone can achieve new functions other than the original functions, and achieve the purpose of environmental protection and efficient use of resources. In addition, when designing new functions, in addition to the components of the first electronic device 100, whether the relevant components can operate normally should also be considered. For example, if the original image capture function of the first electronic device 100 fails, then The electronic system 10 certainly cannot achieve the automatic video recording function. In other words, if the communication function of the old mobile phone is broken but other functions are normal, the present invention can be used to achieve functions such as alarm, automatic video recording, and timing, which can also achieve the goals of environmental protection and efficient use of resources.

Further, the operation manner of the electronic system 10 can be summarized into an operation process 70 , as shown in FIG. 7 . Operational flow 70 comprises the following steps:

Step 700: start.

Step 702: The control module 108 determines whether the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 are coupled together. If yes, go to step 704; if not, go to step 708.

Step 704: The control module 108 determines whether the storage module 112 stores an operation program corresponding to an extended function. If yes, go to step 706; if not, go to step 708.

Step 706: The control module 108 controls the function module 106 to execute the extended function according to the operation program stored in the storage module 112 .

Step 708: the control module 108 controls the function module 106 to execute the original function.

Therefore, according to the operation process 70, when the first transmission interface 104 and the second transmission interface 110 are coupled together, if the storage module 112 stores an operation program corresponding to the extended function, the control module 108 will control the function module 106 accordingly. Execute the extension. Otherwise, the control function module 106 executes the original function.

In the known technology, when a consumer replaces a new mobile phone or an old mobile phone breaks down, the old mobile phone becomes useless and can only be used as resource recycling or idle, causing environmental problems and wasting resources. In contrast, through the mechanism of the present invention, the user can insert the memory card storing the operating program of the specific function into the old mobile phone, so that the old mobile phone can achieve new functions other than the original functions, and achieve environmental protection and effective The purpose of using resources.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present application shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

1. An electronic system with extended functionality, comprising: A first electronic device, the first electronic device comprising: a first transmission interface; a functional module for performing a first function; and a control module, coupled to the first transmission interface and the functional module, for controlling the first transmission interface and the functional module; and A second electronic device, the second electronic device comprising: a second transmission interface, used to couple the first transmission interface to exchange signals with the first electronic device; and a storage module, coupled to the second transmission interface, for storing an operation program; Wherein when the second transmission interface is coupled to the first transmission interface, the control module controls the function module to execute a second function according to the operation program stored in the storage module; wherein the second electronic device is a base or a holder with a memory function; and Wherein the first electronic device is a mobile phone. 2. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission interface and the second transmission interface exchange signals through wired or wireless communication. 3. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the first electronic device further comprises a power supply module for supplying power to the first transmission interface, the function module and the control module, and in the When the second transmission interface is coupled to the first transmission interface, power is supplied to the second transmission interface and the storage module through wired communication. 4. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electronic device further comprises a power supply module for supplying power to the first transmission interface, the function module and the control module, and in the When the second transmission interface is coupled to the first transmission interface, it uses electromagnetic induction to supply power to the second transmission interface and the storage module. 5. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the first electronic device further comprises a power supply module for supplying power to the first transmission interface, the function module and the control module, and the The second electronic device further includes a second power supply module for supplying power to the second transmission interface and the storage module. 6. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first function is an audio processing function, and the function modules include: a microphone for receiving sound signals; a speaker for outputting sound signals; and an audio controller, coupled to the microphone and the speaker, for controlling the operation of the microphone and the speaker; Wherein the second function is an alarm function, the control module controls the volume of the sound signal received by the microphone by the audio controller to be greater than a preset value according to the operation program stored in the storage module , drive the horn to emit a warning sound. 7. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first function is an image processing function, and the function modules include: an image capture unit, used to capture image signals; and a video processor, coupled to the image capture unit, for processing the image signal captured by the image capture unit to generate a processing result; Wherein the second function is an automatic video recording function, the control module displays the image captured by the image capture unit in the processing result of the video processor according to the operation program stored in the storage module When the variation degree of the image signal is greater than a preset value, the image capture unit is driven to record the captured image signal. 8. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first function is a clock generation function, and the function module comprises: a clock generator for generating a clock signal; and a timing control unit, coupled to the clock generator, for controlling the clock generator; Wherein the second function is a timing function, the control module controls the timing according to the operation program stored in the storage module when the second transmission interface is coupled to the first transmission interface The control unit starts timing according to the clock signal. 9. The electronic system according to claim 8, wherein the function module further comprises a display module, and the control module is further used to control the display module to display the timing result of the timing control unit. 10. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the control module comprises: a transmission interface controller, used to control the signal connection operation between the first transmission interface and the second transmission interface; a BIOS module, coupled to the transmission interface controller, for storing a specific program corresponding to the first function; and A processor, coupled to the transmission interface controller, used to execute the operation program stored in the storage module when the second transmission interface is coupled to the first transmission interface, so as to control the The function module executes the second function, and when the second transmission interface is not coupled to the first transmission interface, executes the specific program stored in the BIOS module to control the A functional module performs the first function. 11. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the storage module comprises: a storage unit for storing the operating program; and a storage controller, coupled to the storage unit and the second transmission interface, for outputting the storage unit stored in the storage unit when the second transmission interface is coupled to the first transmission interface Operating the program to the first electronic device. 12. A method for extending functions of a first electronic device, the first electronic device is used to perform a first function, the method comprising: A second electronic device stores an operating program corresponding to a second function; and When the second electronic device is coupled to the first electronic device, the first electronic device executes the second function according to the operation program; wherein the second electronic device is a base or a holder with a memory function; and Wherein the first electronic device is a mobile phone. 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second electronic device is coupled to the first electronic device through wired or wireless communication. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing the first function by the first electronic device when the second electronic device is not coupled to the first electronic device.

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