JP2009129305A - Electronic equipment suited for use in aircraft and operation method of electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electronic equipment operated in an operation mode suited for use in an aircraft. <P>SOLUTION: An operation method for the electronic equipment comprises: initial judgment steps (107, 109, 111) for judging whether the electronic equipment is operated in the aircraft or on the ground based on the pressure information of an operation environment; an additional judgment step (125) for judging whether the electronic equipment is operated in the aircraft or on the ground based on the noise information of the operation environment; and a step (127) for operating the electronic equipment in an aircraft mode suited to use in the aircraft or a step (115) for operating the electronic equipment in a ground mode suited to use on the ground based on the results of the initial judgment steps (107, 109, 111) and the additional judgment step (125). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for causing an electronic device to perform an operation suitable for use in an aircraft.

  Portable information devices such as notebook personal computers (hereinafter referred to as notebook PCs) and PDAs may also be used in airplanes. In an airplane, wireless communication is restricted or the room is dark, and the usage environment of the notebook PC is different from the ground. When using a notebook PC equipped with a wireless device in an aircraft, the user needs to make settings so that the wireless device does not operate in accordance with instructions from the cabin crew.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for turning off a power supply when a wireless terminal including a sensor circuit for detecting a surrounding situation is placed in an environment where wireless communication such as a transportation facility or a hospital adversely affects the wireless terminal. Examples of the sensor include an atmospheric pressure sensor and a sound wave sensor. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for detecting a use state such as movement, restraint, and movement change of a mobile phone device, determining a use mode, and shifting to an operation mode corresponding to the use mode. Examples of the sensor include a vibration sensor and an acceleration sensor.
JP 2002-359870 A JP 2003-204390 A

  Notebook PCs are equipped with various wireless devices such as WAN, LAN, and wireless USB. And these wireless devices also work in mobile environments. In addition to the system-off state and the system-on state, the notebook PC operates in a plurality of power supply modes such as a suspend state and a hibernation state for shortening the time until startup. In some cases, the wireless device is operated and the access point search and connection are continued even in the suspended state or the hibernation state.

  In an aircraft, a notebook PC can be used except during takeoff and landing, but the function of a wireless device mounted on the notebook PC is required to stop. However, a user who is unfamiliar with the operation may not be able to properly stop the function of the wireless device in the aircraft. Particularly in the suspended state, since the lid of the notebook PC is closed and the system is stopped, the user may misunderstand that the wireless device is also stopped and leave it in the bag. The notebook PC brought into the aircraft is preferably configured not to emit radio waves even when the user does not perform an appropriate stop operation on the wireless device. Further, it is desirable not to emit radio waves from the wireless device, other than when operating in the power mode in which the power of the wireless device is turned off, or at any transition between the power modes.

  The aircraft seat is provided with an outlet for supplying power to the notebook PC, and the user can connect the AC / DC adapter to the outlet and use the notebook PC for a long time. The maximum power consumption of the notebook PC is smaller than the capacity of the AC / DC adapter, but when the battery charging and the high load operation of the system overlap, the power is received from the outlet until the capacity limit of the AC / DC adapter, and the power circuit of the outlet May be blocked. Therefore, it is desirable for the notebook PC to operate within the power range allowed for the outlet without the user's special attention.

  Since the interior of an aircraft is dark, setting the brightness of the display in the same way as on the ground will cause the display to be dazzled or disturb the surroundings, so it is necessary to set the brightness low. Thus, when bringing a notebook PC into an aircraft, various settings must be made so as to be suitable for use in the aircraft. It is not easy for the user to change the setting of the notebook PC so that it is suitable for use in the aircraft within a short time after sitting because the interior is dark or the seat is narrow.

  Therefore, the notebook PC automatically operates so as to be suitable for use in the aircraft when brought into the aircraft without any operation by the user, and operates on the ground when taken away from the aircraft to the ground. It is desirable to operate automatically so as to suit. However, in the case of automatically operating, unless the operating environment of the notebook PC is accurately detected, the user eventually stops such a function. Furthermore, since it is necessary for the notebook PC to suppress battery consumption as much as possible, it is desirable that the circuit for distinguishing whether the operating environment of the notebook PC is in the aircraft or on the ground should not consume the battery as much as possible.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that operates in an operation mode suitable for each environment by accurately determining whether the operation environment is on the ground or in an aircraft. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic device that operates in an operation mode suitable for use on the ground or in an aircraft without any special setting or operation by the user. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic device that can prevent radio waves from being emitted in an aircraft in any power mode of an electronic device having a plurality of power modes or in any transition between power modes. . Furthermore, the objective of this invention is providing the operating method and program of such an electronic device.

  The electronic device according to the present invention automatically operates in an operation mode suitable for each operating environment by determining whether to operate in an aircraft or on the ground. Aircraft mode refers to the state in which each device of a computer operates to be suitable for use in an aircraft. The aircraft mode includes, for example, an item for controlling power consumption so that the electronic apparatus operates at a capacity equal to or less than the outlet capacity for an AC / DC adapter provided in an aircraft seat. The aircraft mode includes an item for controlling the operation of the electronic device so that the power consumption is smaller than that when the battery mode is operated by receiving power from the AC / DC adapter.

  In addition, the aircraft mode includes items that lower the brightness of the display than when operating on the ground or turn on the keyboard lights. In addition, the aircraft mode includes an item that sets the wireless device to disabled. The items constituting the aircraft mode may be executed by the user's operation even when the electronic device operates on the ground. However, in the present invention, the electronic device is used for both initial judgment and additional judgment. Runs when it is determined that it is operating in an aircraft. The control unit can be configured by a processor or other device and a computer program. The control unit may include a plurality of devices such as a device that performs initial determination, a device that performs additional determination, and a device that operates in an aircraft mode, or includes devices that partially overlap. May be.

  The electronic device includes an atmospheric pressure sensor and a microphone, and operates in the aircraft mode when it is determined that the electronic device is operating in the aircraft in both the initial determination using the atmospheric pressure information and the additional determination using the noise information. In the initial determination, it can be determined that the electronic device is operating in the aircraft when the atmospheric pressure information indicates the atmospheric pressure in the aircraft cabin during level flight. Further, in the initial judgment, it can be determined that the electronic device is operating in the aircraft when the rate of change in the atmospheric pressure information per hour indicates the rate of change in the atmospheric pressure information in the aircraft that increases or decreases. .

  Further, the electronic device includes an acceleration sensor, and the initial determination may include determination using acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor. The electronic device operates in the aircraft mode when it is determined that the electronic device is operating in the aircraft both in the initial judgment based on one of the atmospheric pressure information, the atmospheric pressure change rate, or the acceleration information and in the additional judgment based on the noise information This can reduce the possibility of erroneously recognizing the ground and the aircraft. In addition, a plurality of initial judgments can complement each other, and the operating environment can be accurately recognized in response to various aviation conditions from when the aircraft starts to run to landing and stopping.

  The control unit sets the wireless device to disabled based on the initial determination, and based on the additional determination, after that, it maintains the disabled setting and operates in the aircraft mode or enables it to operate in the ground mode. You can make it. Since the user can usually disable the wireless device in the system-on state, if the system is started without the wireless device being disabled in advance, the system is turned on and the user can disable it. Radio waves may be emitted before starting. In the present invention, radio waves are emitted even when the user cannot set the wireless device to be disabled by making the initial determination until the electronic device transitions from the system-off state to the system-on state. Can be prevented.

  In addition, the electronic device can perform an initial determination while operating in the suspended state to set the wireless device to disabled. Therefore, even when the user brings an electronic device that emits radio waves in the suspended state into the aircraft in the suspended state, the wireless device is set to disabled when the initial condition is satisfied. The electronic device operates in the ground mode when it is determined in the initial determination and / or the additional determination that the electronic device is operating on the ground. Therefore, even if it is determined in the initial judgment that it is operating in the aircraft, if it is determined in the additional judgment that it is operating on the ground, the electronic device operates in the ground mode. Even when used in a similar ground environment, the possibility of selecting an incorrect operation mode is reduced.

  If noise detection using a microphone is performed only when it is determined that it is operating in an aircraft in the initial judgment, it is necessary to measure the noise level by operating the microphone periodically when operating on the ground. The battery can be prevented from being consumed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device that operates in an operation mode suitable for each environment by accurately determining whether the operation environment is on the ground or in an aircraft. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device that operates in an operation mode suitable for use on the ground or in an aircraft without any special setting or operation by the user. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device that can prevent radio waves from being emitted in an aircraft in any power mode of an electronic device having a plurality of power modes or in any transition between power modes. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an operation method and a program for an operation mode of such an electronic device.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of a notebook PC 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The notebook PC 10 includes a main body side casing 11 and a display side casing 13. The main body side casing 11 includes an input unit 15 including a keyboard and a pointing device, and the display side casing 13 includes a liquid crystal display 17. Furthermore, the main body side case 11 and the display side case 13 are connected by hinges 19 at their respective ends, and are rotatable in a direction to open and close these cases. When the main body side case 11 and the display side case 13 are closed, the input unit 15 and the liquid crystal display 17 are hidden and covered.

  In addition, a LAN and WAN for connecting to a network, Bluetooth for connecting to a mouse or a keyboard, and a wireless USB for connecting a notebook PC and peripheral devices are provided on the outer edge of the display-side casing 13. A plurality of corresponding antennas are built in. A keyboard light 21 for illuminating the keyboard when the display side housing 13 is opened is provided at the center of the upper frame of the display side housing 13. The keyboard light 21 can be turned on by operating a key of the keyboard when operating the notebook PC 10 in an aircraft or other dark room.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of hardware mounted on the notebook PC 10. The CPU 31 is an arithmetic processing unit having a central function of the notebook PC 10 and executes an OS, a BIOS, a device driver, an application program, or the like. The CPU 31 controls each device connected to the chip set of the CPU bridge 33 and the I / O bridge 41 via various buses. The CPU bridge 33 includes a memory controller function for controlling an access operation to the main memory 35 and a data buffer function for absorbing a difference in data transfer speed between the CPU 31 and another device. .

  The main memory 35 is a writable memory used as an area for reading a program executed by the CPU 31 and a work area for writing process data. The video controller 39 is connected to the CPU bridge 33 and has a graphic accelerator and a VRAM. In response to a drawing command from the CPU 31, the video controller 39 generates an image to be drawn, writes the image to the VRAM, and reads the image read from the VRAM as drawing data. To the liquid crystal display device 17.

  The wireless module 47 is adapted to, for example, multi-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication conforming to IEEE802.11n, via a PCI Express X1 bus and a bus dedicated to access point detection provided separately from the PCI Express X1 bus. It is connected to the I / O bridge 41 and performs data communication with a wireless network such as WAN or LAN via the antenna 48. The wireless module 47 has a function of receiving an access point detection command transmitted from the I / O bridge 41 via the access point detection dedicated bus, detecting a connectable access point, and maintaining the connection.

  The audio controller 43 is connected to the I / O bridge 41 via the PCI Express X1 bus, processes the noise detected by the microphone 45, and measures the noise level. The I / O bridge 41 also includes functions as a serial ATA interface and a USB interface, and is connected to a hard disk drive (HDD) 42 via the serial ATA. In addition to known programs such as an operating system (OS), device driver, and application program, the HDD 42 stores a utility manager program according to the present embodiment. The utility manager will be described later.

  Further, the I / O bridge 41 is connected via the PCI bus or LPC bus 50 to legacy devices conventionally used in the notebook PC 10 or devices that do not require high-speed data transfer. Connected to the LPC bus 50 are an embedded controller (EC) 49, an I / O controller 65, and a flash ROM 63 storing BIOS. The EC49 is a microcomputer composed of an 8- to 16-bit CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and further includes a multi-channel A / D input terminal, a D / A output terminal, a timer, and a digital input / output terminal. Yes. A power controller 53 for controlling the atmospheric pressure sensor 51, the acceleration sensor 52, and the power supply device is connected to the EC 49 via the input / output terminals, and a program for managing the internal operating environment of the notebook PC 10 is connected to the CPU 31. Can be run independently.

  The atmospheric pressure sensor 51 measures the atmospheric pressure in the surrounding environment where the notebook PC 10 operates and outputs it as a digital signal to the EC 49. The atmospheric pressure sensor 51 only needs to be able to measure the atmospheric pressure range on the ground and in the aircraft of about 1 to 0.8 atm. The EC 49 stores the atmospheric pressure information received from the atmospheric pressure sensor 51 and the temporal change rate of the atmospheric pressure calculated from the atmospheric pressure information (this is called the atmospheric pressure change rate) in the internal RAM. The barometric rate of change is calculated for the purpose of detecting the state until the aircraft takes off and enters level flight and the state from level flight to landing. When power is first supplied, the EC 49 always sets the wireless module 47 to disabled.

  The acceleration sensor 52 detects the acceleration when the notebook PC 10 is carried by an aircraft and outputs the detected acceleration to the EC 49 as an analog signal. The EC 49 converts acceleration information received from the acceleration sensor 52 into a digital signal and stores the digital signal in an internal RAM. The EC 49 and the power controller 53 are connected by an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) which is a dedicated bus.

  A lid sensor 54 and a DC-DC converter 55 are connected to the power controller 53. A permanent magnet is embedded in the display side housing 13, and the permanent magnet approaches a lid sensor 54 provided in the main body side housing 11 with the notebook PC 10 closed. The lid sensor 54 can detect whether the notebook PC 10 is closed or opened by sensing the magnetic force from the permanent magnet.

  The DC-DC converter 55 converts the DC power supplied from the AC / DC adapter 61 or the battery 57 into a plurality of voltages necessary for operating the notebook PC 10, and further supplies the power defined according to the power mode. Power is supplied to each device based on the partition. The AC / DC adapter 61 has a primary side connected to a commercial power source or an outlet of an aircraft seat to convert an AC voltage into a DC voltage, and a secondary side that is detachable from the notebook PC 10. When connected to the notebook PC 10, the AC / DC adapter 61 supplies power to the charger 59 that charges the battery 57 and the DC-DC converter 55.

  A keyboard and mouse are connected to the I / O controller 65. The flash ROM 63 is a non-volatile memory in which stored contents can be electrically rewritten, and manages the system BIOS (SSO Shell Bios), which is a basic program used for starting and managing the system, the power supply, the temperature in the housing, and the like. Various utilities that are software, POST (Power-On Self Test) that is software for performing a hardware test and initialization when the notebook PC 10 is activated, and the like are stored.

  The EC 49 can control the DC-DC converter 55 via the power controller 53 and supply power to each device from four power systems defined according to the power supply mode of the notebook PC 10. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a power system and power supply ranges corresponding to the four power modes of the notebook PC 10. FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram showing state transitions between the four power supply modes in the notebook PC 10. Here, as a power mode of the notebook PC 10, a first system off state (first off state) 71, a second system off state (second off state) 73, a suspend state 75, and a system on state (ON state) 77 is defined, and the notebook PC 10 operates in these power supply modes both in the aircraft and on the ground. In this specification, it is expressed that the notebook PC operates even when the notebook PC 10 is not in a state of being used by the user, such as the first off state 71, the second off state 73, and the suspend state 75.

  FIG. 4 shows that transitions 79a, 79b, 80a, 80b, 81a, 81b, 82a, and 82b occur between the respective power supply modes. The first off state 71 is a state in which the AC / DC adapter 61 is not connected when the system is off, and the notebook PC 10 supplies power only to the power controller 53 that is turned on at the time of startup. The first off state 71 is defined such that the power supply range is the narrowest among the four power supply modes, and prevents the battery from being consumed in the system off state.

  The second off state 73 is a state in which the AC / DC adapter 61 supplies power to the notebook PC 10 when the system is off. The second off state 73 is used to charge the battery 57 or operate the wireless module. Electric power is supplied in a wider range than the off state of 1. The hibernation state (hibernation state) in which the state of the system being executed before the system is turned off is stored in the HDD 42 corresponds to the first off state 71 or the second off state 73. The suspended state is a state in which the storage of the main memory 35 is retained, and then the power supply to the circuits other than the circuit necessary for the resume is stopped. The on state is a state in which power is supplied to all devices and any device can operate in response to a request from the application or the OS. The DC-DC converter 55 includes first to fourth power systems in order to supply power to necessary devices in accordance with these four power modes.

  The first power system supplies power to the power controller 53 and is turned on in all power modes. The power controller 53 can control the DC / DC converter 55 in all power modes by being connected to the first power system. When the power switch of the notebook PC 10 is turned on, each device is sequentially Can be supplied with power.

  The second power system is turned on in the upper three power modes except for the first off state 71. The second power system supplies power to the EC 49, the I / O bridge 41, the wireless module 47, the lid sensor 54, the atmospheric pressure sensor 51, and the acceleration sensor 52. The third power system is turned on in the suspend state 75 and the on state 77. The third power system supplies power to the main memory 35 that needs to retain the stored contents even in the suspended state 75 and to the devices that are necessary for storing the main memory 35. The fourth power system is a system that supplies power only in the ON state 77 in which the user can use the notebook PC 10. The fourth power system supplies power to all devices that are not supplied with power by the first to third power systems such as the CPU 31, the HDD 42, the keyboard light 21, the LCD 17, and the microphone 45.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the power controller 53 may store information about the power supply system corresponding to the power supply mode in advance and control the DC-DC converter 55 to change the power supply classification according to the operation mode. it can. The power controller 53 has a register for recording the contents of an event when an event for changing the power mode occurs.

  The EC 49 is connected to the power controller 52 via an SPI, which is a dedicated bus, and can read the contents of the register of the power controller 52. For example, when a transition is made from the first off state to the second off state or the on state, power is supplied to the EC 49 to which power has not been supplied. The EC 49 that has started operation upon being supplied with power can read the contents of the register and thereby know what event the operation has started. Further, the EC 49 can send a signal to the wireless module 47 through a dedicated control line to cause the wireless module 47 to detect an access point, or enable or disable the wireless module 47.

  The I / O bridge 41 and the wireless module 47 are connected to the second power system, and can detect an access point during the suspended state 75 and connect to the wireless LAN. Therefore, the user can use the wireless module 47 immediately when the notebook PC 10 is shifted from the suspended state 75 to the on state 77 (transition 81a). The I / O bridge 41 sends the access point detection command received from the EC 49 to the wireless module 47. The wireless module 47 that has received the detection command periodically searches for an access point and establishes a connection to a connectable access point. Then, the magic packet received through the wireless LAN in the second off state 73 and the suspend state 75 is sent to the EC 49 to realize wireless WOL (Wake On Lan). The notebook PC 10 further includes wireless devices such as a wireless USB and Bluetooth (Bluetooth) and other devices not shown in FIG.

  The notebook PC 10 is to operate in any one of the power modes of the first off state 71, the second off state 73, the suspend state 75, and the on state 77 shown in FIG. The system is controlled on or off. The notebook PC 10 operates on the ground or in an aircraft in each power supply mode. On the ground, it is possible to cover use at altitudes of 2000 m or less, which is about 0.8 atm. Hereinafter, a state in which the device operates so that the notebook PC is suitable for use on an aircraft is referred to as an aircraft mode, and a state in which the device operates so as to be suitable for use on the ground is referred to as a ground mode. The notebook PC 10 operates in the ground mode or the aircraft mode by recognizing whether the operating environment is the ground or in the aircraft in any power mode or when transitioning from any power mode to another power mode. be able to.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of the utility manager 91 that causes the notebook PC 10 to operate in the aircraft mode or the ground mode. The utility manager 91 is a utility program that runs on the OS, is stored in the HDD 42, and is read into the main memory 35 and executed by the CPU 31 in the on state 77. The aircraft mode table 93 is a data structure that defines the operating state of the notebook PC 10 in the aircraft mode. When the utility manager 91 recognizes that the notebook PC 10 operates in the aircraft, the utility manager 91 adds the items defined in the aircraft mode table to the ground mode and operates the notebook PC 10 in the aircraft mode. When the utility manager 91 recognizes that the notebook PC 10 operates on the ground, the utility manager 91 operates the notebook PC 10 in the ground mode without correcting the items defined in the aircraft mode table 93.

  The aircraft mode table 93 includes a first item that sets all wireless devices mounted on the notebook PC 10 to disabled in the aircraft. The aircraft mode table 93 performs device control of the notebook PC 10 so as to limit the power received by the AC / DC adapter 61 within a predetermined value when the notebook PC 10 can use the AC / DC adapter 61 in the aircraft. Includes items. The aircraft mode table 93 consumes less power than when the AC / DC adapter 61 can be used to extend the battery operation time when the notebook PC 10 cannot use the AC / DC adapter 61 in the aircraft. Thus, the third item for performing device control of the notebook PC 10 is included.

  The contents of the device control in the second item and the third item include reduction of the operating frequency of the CPU 31, reduction of the brightness and refresh rate of the LCD 17, reduction of the frequency of the VRAM and graphic accelerator of the video controller 39, A known method such as reduction of the refresh rate of the main memory 35 can be adopted. Aircraft mode table 93 includes a fourth item in which the brightness of LCD 17 is lowered to a setting suitable for darkness than when used in the ground mode. Further, the aircraft mode table 93 includes a fifth item for turning on the keyboard light 21. The first item to the fifth item can be executed by the user setting even when the notebook PC 10 operates on the ground, but in the present embodiment, when the notebook PC 10 recognizes that the notebook PC 10 operates by itself in the aircraft. It is supposed to run automatically.

  Although emission of radio waves from the wireless device occurs even when the notebook PC 10 is in a power mode other than the on-state 77, all or any of the second to fifth items occurs only when the notebook PC 10 is in the on-state 77. In addition, it is an important matter not to emit radio waves from a wireless device in an aircraft. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the aircraft mode is defined as the first to fifth items described above, but the execution start conditions for the first item are different from the execution start conditions for the other items. However, as will be described with reference to FIG. 6, the first item is finally executed based on the same determination as that of the second to fifth items, and thus constitutes a part of the aircraft mode. When the utility manager 91 recognizes that the notebook PC 10 is operating in the aircraft, the utility manager 91 disables all radio devices mounted on the notebook PC 10 to stop the emission of radio waves, and The wireless device cannot be enabled even by the operation of.

  Note that there is a possibility that the use of a wireless device is permitted during stable flight of the aircraft, but in order to deal with such a case, the wireless device to be used is temporarily enabled in the notebook PC 10. A circuit may be provided. Since power is supplied to the wireless module 47 when the second power system is on, when the notebook PC 10 operates in the aircraft, the second off state 73, the suspend state 75, and the on state of FIG. 77 and transitions 79a, 81a, 81b, 80a, 80b, 82b toward them need to prevent radio waves from being emitted from the wireless device.

  The aircraft mode selection screen providing program 94 provides a screen for allowing the user to select the contents of device control that can be selected for each item in the aircraft mode, whether or not the keyboard light 21 is lit, and the setting of the LCD brightness. The aircraft mode selection screen providing program 94 provides a setting screen for the rated power of the outlet for the AC / DC adapter prepared in the seat of the aircraft. Further, the aircraft mode selection screen providing program 94 displays this on the LCD 17 when the notebook PC 10 operates in the aircraft mode. Further, the aircraft mode selection screen providing program 94 provides a setting screen for the user to enable or disable the automatic switching between the aircraft mode and the ground mode. The contents set by the user for the aircraft mode selection screen providing program 94 are reflected in the contents of the aircraft mode table 93.

  The aircraft mode determination program 95 measures the noise level by the microphone 45 based on the event received from the EC 49, and determines whether the notebook PC 10 operates on the ground or in the aircraft. The maximum power management program 96 performs device control based on the maximum power that can be received by the AC / DC adapter 61 set by the user. The battery operation management program 97 is configured so that when the notebook PC 10 is operating on a battery, the power consumption is lower than when the AC / DC adapter 61 is connected to extend the operation time.・ Control.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation when the notebook PC 10 shifts from the first off state 71 to the on state 77 via the transition 79a. As long as the notebook PC 10 is operated in the first off state 71 in the aircraft, radio waves are not emitted from the wireless module 47. However, if the user performs an incorrect operation when the use of the notebook PC 10 is permitted, radio waves may be emitted from the wireless module 47 in the aircraft. When the notebook PC 10 determines that the operating environment is in the aircraft, the notebook PC 10 prevents the radio module 47 from emitting radio waves due to an erroneous operation by the user and performs an operation suitable for use in the aircraft.

  In block 101, the power switch of the notebook PC 101 is turned on by the user. The power controller 53 turns on the second power system, the third power system, and the fourth power system in a predetermined order. When the second power system is turned on, the EC 49 always disables all wireless devices including the wireless module 47 mounted on the notebook PC 10 in block 103. When the notebook PC 10 receives power from the EC 49, all wireless devices are set to be disabled once, so that radio waves are inadvertently emitted in the aircraft while the notebook PC 10 power mode changes. Can be prevented.

  In particular, the user cannot disable the wireless device during the power mode transition, so if the power switch is turned on without the wireless device being disabled in advance, radio waves will be emitted during the transition. Therefore, the EC 49 can prevent such a state. In the following description, all wireless devices are represented by the wireless module 47. The CPU 31 reads the BIOS of the flash ROM 63, executes POST, recognizes each device, and performs testing and initialization. Even if the CPU 31 initializes the wireless module 47, the wireless module 47 has already been set to disabled, so no radio waves are emitted.

  When the second power system is turned on, the atmospheric pressure sensor 51 and the acceleration sensor 52 operate in block 105, and the EC 49 periodically stores atmospheric pressure information and acceleration information in the internal RAM. The EC 49 further calculates the atmospheric pressure change rate, periodically stores it in the RAM, moves to blocks 107, 109, and 111 to determine whether the notebook PC 10 is operating in the aircraft or on the ground. Each of the three conditions of blocks 107, 109, and 111 is referred to as an initial determination, and the initial condition is satisfied when it is determined that the notebook PC 10 operates in the aircraft as a result of the initial determination. The EC 49 periodically makes three initial decisions when the second power system is on.

  In block 107, when the EC 49 determines that the atmospheric pressure information indicates the indoor atmospheric pressure of an aircraft flying horizontally at a predetermined altitude, the EC 49 determines that the initial condition is satisfied and proceeds to block 121. When it is determined that the atmospheric pressure information indicates other than that, the process proceeds to block 113. Incidentally, the aircraft cabin is pressurized to about 0.8 hPA, which is lower than the ground. This atmospheric pressure corresponds to an altitude of 2000 m on the ground. In the present embodiment, when the atmospheric pressure information is in the vicinity of 0.8 hPA, it is possible to distinguish between the ground of less than 2000 m and the aircraft if it is determined that the notebook PC 10 is operating in the aircraft.

  In block 109, when the EC 49 determines that the acceleration indicates the acceleration at the time of takeoff and landing of the aircraft, it determines that the initial condition is satisfied, and proceeds to block 121. If the acceleration indicates other than that, the process proceeds to block 113. When the notebook PC 10 falls on the ground, a large acceleration is generated. Therefore, when such acceleration information is generated, it is desirable to determine that the notebook PC 10 is operating on the ground. Further, when the acceleration information indicates between the maximum acceleration of the ground transportation system and the maximum acceleration of the aircraft, it can be determined that the initial condition is satisfied. The acceleration decreases as the aircraft approaches the state of cruise at a constant speed after takeoff, and the negative acceleration increases before landing from a constant speed. By using the acceleration information, it is possible to distinguish between the inside of the aircraft and the ground in the flight state from take-off to a constant altitude and from the constant altitude to the landing.

  In the initial determination of block 111, when the EC 49 determines that the atmospheric pressure change rate indicates the change rate during the ascending or descending of the aircraft, the EC 49 determines that the initial condition is satisfied, and proceeds to block 121. When the atmospheric pressure change rate indicates other than that, the process proceeds to block 113. In the initial determination of block 107, it is determined whether or not the atmospheric pressure information measured by the atmospheric pressure sensor corresponds to the atmospheric pressure of the aircraft flying at a predetermined altitude. In some cases, it is impossible to completely distinguish the inside. In particular, while the altitude of the aircraft is low, it is impossible to distinguish between the ground and the inside of the aircraft only by atmospheric pressure. In the initial judgment of block 109, the ground and the inside of the aircraft are distinguished based on a positive acceleration before the aircraft approaches take-off after starting takeoff or a negative acceleration at the time of landing. However, in some cases, the acceleration information cannot distinguish between the aircraft and the ground when the aircraft approaches a certain speed.

  In the initial judgment of block 111, the aircraft is in a state of navigating to a predetermined altitude or for landing based on the rate of decrease in air pressure per hour due to aircraft rise or the rate of increase in air pressure per hour due to descent. It is determined whether or not it is in a state of sailing. In this way, the block 107 mainly detects a state of flying at a constant cruising altitude, the block 109 mainly detects a landing state during take-off and landing, and the block 111 mainly detects an ascending or descending state during take-off and landing, thereby taking notes from takeoff to landing An initial determination is made as to whether the PC 10 is operating in the aircraft or on the ground.

  The three initial judgments make inconsistent decisions in various flight states. In this embodiment, when it is judged that the initial condition is established in any of the three initial judgments, the process proceeds to block 121. When initial conditions are not satisfied in all initial determinations, the process proceeds to block 113. Instead of this method, the process may move to block 121 when the initial condition is established in the initial determination of block 107 and any one of the other initial determinations.

  In block 121 and block 113, the CPU 31 reads the OS, device driver, application program, and the like into the main memory 35, and the activation of the notebook PC 10 is completed. At this time, the utility manager 91 is also read into the main memory 35.

  When the EC 49 determines that the initial condition is established in any one of the blocks 107, 109, and 111, after the start of the notebook PC 10 is completed in the block 121, the EC 49 notifies the utility manager 91 of the notebook PC 10 in the aircraft. Notifies an event indicating that it is operating. Upon receiving the event, the aircraft mode determination program 95 of the utility manager 91 controls the driver of the audio controller 43 to cause the microphone 45 to measure the noise level of the surrounding environment at block 123.

  The microphone 45 measures the indoor noise level due to the engine sound unique to the aircraft. The noise measurement by the microphone 45 is performed only when the initial condition is satisfied as a result of the initial determination in any of the blocks 107, 109, and 111. When the initial condition is not satisfied, the EC 49 does not measure the noise. Therefore, when the notebook PC 10 is operating on the ground, the CPU 31 consumes less battery than when the microphone 45 measures the noise by polling. I can hold it down.

  When the audio controller 43 measures the noise level and communicates it to the utility manager 91, in block 125, the aircraft mode determination program 95 determines whether the notebook PC 10 is operating in the aircraft or on the ground based on the noise level. Make additional decisions. In addition to the noise level, the frequency of the sound of the aircraft engine may be added to the criterion. If the noise level is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the aircraft mode determination program 95 determines that the notebook PC 10 is operating in the aircraft. In this case, the additional condition is satisfied.

  When the additional condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to block 127, and the utility manager 91 operates the notebook PC 10 according to the item having the contents defined in the aircraft mode table 93. The wireless module 47 is already disabled, but the disabled setting is maintained based on the initial and additional conditions established at block 125 and it is determined that the aircraft mode has been set. Thereafter, when the use of the notebook PC 10 ends, the user operates the keyboard or mouse to shift the notebook PC 10 to the first off state 71 (block 131) or the suspend state 75 (block 129) (transitions 81b and 79b).

  If it is determined in block 125 that the additional condition is not satisfied, the aircraft mode determination program 95 determines that the notebook PC 10 is operating on the ground. Then, the utility manager 91 sends an event to the EC 49 in block 114 to enable the wireless module 47, and operates the notebook PC 10 in the ground mode in block 115. Thereafter, when the use of the notebook PC 10 ends, the user operates the keyboard or mouse to shift the notebook PC 10 to the first off state 71 (block 131) or the suspend state 75 (block 129) (transitions 81b and 79b).

  According to the procedure of FIG. 6, the notebook PC 10 determines whether the notebook PC 10 is operating on the ground or an aircraft by determining any one of the atmospheric pressure, the acceleration, and the atmospheric pressure change rate and the noise level. Therefore, in various flight states from the start of take-off to landing, the operating environment in the aircraft and the ground can be distinguished. Further, since the wireless module 47 is always disabled by default at the same time when the EC 49 is powered on, it is possible to reliably prevent radio waves from being emitted from the wireless module 47 at the moment POST is completed. Therefore, radio waves are not emitted from the wireless module 47 while the notebook PC 10 transitions from the first off state 71 of FIG. 4 to the on state 77 via the transition 79a between takeoff and landing.

  Further, even when the notebook PC 10 operates on the ground, since the initial determination is made until the start of the notebook PC 10 is completed, the start of the operation is not delayed in normal use on the ground. Furthermore, the user does not need to perform an operation to change the operation mode on the notebook PC 10 before boarding the aircraft and after getting off the aircraft. Even if the EC 49 erroneously determines that the initial condition is satisfied in any of the three initial determinations, the notebook PC 10 operates in the aircraft mode or the ground mode after the aircraft mode determination program 95 determines that the additional condition is satisfied. As a result, there will be no erroneous operation.

  In the transition 82b, the setting of the wireless module 47 is performed in the same manner as the procedure of FIG. 6 when the second power system is turned on. In transitions 81b and 80b, the second power system is kept on and power is continuously supplied to the wireless module 47, but power is also supplied to the EC 49, the atmospheric pressure sensor 51, and the acceleration sensor 52, and the EC 49 is periodically The atmospheric pressure information, acceleration information, and atmospheric pressure change rate are updated. As long as the EC 49 determines that any of the initial conditions is satisfied, the wireless module 47 continues to be in a disabled state. In transitions 79b and 82a, the second power system is turned off in the power supply stop sequence, so that radio waves are not emitted from the wireless module 47 in the aircraft during the transition.

  The notebook PC 10 operates in an on state 77 on the ground or in an aircraft. When the notebook PC 10 operates in the ground mode in the on state 77 and then shifts to the suspend state 75 via the transition 81b, the system state is stored in the main memory 35 and operates in the ground mode after being resumed. Therefore, the notebook PC 10 needs to operate in the aircraft mode even after resuming in the aircraft after shifting to the suspended state 75 on the ground. In the suspend state 75, since the second power system is on, the wireless module 47 needs to be appropriately set when transitioning from the suspend state 75 and the suspend state 75 to the on state 77.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation when the notebook PC 10 shifts from the suspended state 75 to the on state 77. It is assumed that the user operates the notebook PC 10 in the suspend state 75 on the ground, brings it into the aircraft, and makes a transition to the on state 77 via the transition 81a. In the suspended state 75, the second power system is turned on and radio waves are emitted from the wireless module 47. Since the lid of the notebook PC 10 is closed in the suspend state 75, it is expected that the user will take off in the suspend state 75 while judging that the power is off. It is expected that the user cannot appropriately disable the operation of the wireless module 47 for the notebook PC 10 operating in the suspend state 75.

  The notebook PC 10 in which the second power system is on operates in the ground mode or the aircraft mode by performing three initial determinations and additional determinations even when operating in the suspended state 75, and further in the aircraft Then, it is possible to prevent radio waves from being emitted from the wireless module 47. In block 201, the notebook PC 10 is operating in the suspend state 75, and radio waves are emitted from the wireless module 47 that is enabled, and the connection with the access point is maintained. Such a situation occurs when the process moves to block 129 via block 115 in FIG.

  The initial determination of the blocks 203, 205, and 207 corresponds to the blocks 107, 109, and 111 of FIG. 6. If any of the initial determinations satisfies the initial condition, the process proceeds to block 209, and the EC 49 is the wireless module 47. Set to disabled. If all the initial conditions are not satisfied, the operation of the wireless module 47 is maintained at block 231.

  In blocks 215 and 233, the user operates the keyboard of the notebook PC 10 to restore (resume) the notebook PC 10 to the system-on state before entering the suspended state. Thereafter, the blocks 217, 219, 221, 223, 225, and 235 perform operations corresponding to the blocks 123, 125, 127, 129, 131, and 115 in FIG. According to the procedure of FIG. 7, in the suspended state 75, the EC 49 periodically determines three initial conditions, and if any of the initial conditions is met, the radio module 47 is disabled, so the aircraft begins to take off. It is possible to prevent radio waves from being emitted from the wireless module 47 during the period from landing to landing. In addition, after the initial condition is satisfied, the noise level as an additional determination is determined, and if the additional condition is satisfied or not satisfied, it is finally determined whether it is in the aircraft or the ground and the aircraft mode or the ground mode is determined. Are less likely to be erroneously determined, and the operation in the ground mode is not hindered.

  Even in the second off state 73, the second power system is turned on and radio waves are emitted from the wireless module 47. The user operates the notebook PC 10 in the first off state 71 on the ground, brings it into the aircraft, inserts the AC / DC adapter 61 into the seat outlet, and shifts to the second off state 73 via the transition 82b. Further, the ON state 77 may be shifted via the transition 80a. A user who brings the notebook PC 10 into the cabin in the first off state 71 and plugs the AC / DC adapter 61 into the outlet of the seat does not emit radio waves because the notebook PC 10 is not in the system-on state 77. Judgment is also expected.

  Also in the case of the transition 80a, if the block 201 is replaced with the second off state 73 and the blocks 215 and 233 are replaced with the system start-up operation, the notebook PC 10 performs the same procedure as that when transitioning from the suspended state 75 to the on state 77. Works with. When the notebook PC 10 is brought into the aircraft in the on state 77 and the user does not stop the power supply, the wireless module 47 is disabled as soon as the EC 49 determines that any of the initial conditions of the block 203 to the block 207 is satisfied. To do. If any initial condition is met on the ground when operating in the on state 77, the aircraft mode determination program 95 measures the noise level at block 219 to make an additional determination as to whether the additional condition is met. . When the additional condition is not satisfied, the EC 49 that has received a command from the CPU 31 that executes the utility manager 91 enables the wireless module 47 in block 234 and operates the notebook PC 10 in the ground mode (block 235). .

  In the aircraft, it is necessary to stop the wireless device, stop the power supply, or confirm it according to the flight attendant's instructions. According to this embodiment, the user mistakenly performed an appropriate process. Even in such a case, the possibility that radio waves are emitted from the electronic device can be extremely reduced. Although the present invention has been described with the specific embodiments shown in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, and is known so far as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved. It goes without saying that any configuration can be adopted.

1 is an external view of a notebook PC according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the hardware mounted in notebook PC. It is a figure which shows the electric power system corresponding to four power supply modes of notebook PC, and the supply range of electric power. It is a state transition diagram which shows the state transition between four power supply modes in notebook PC. It is a figure which shows the structure of a utility manager. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement when notebook PC transfers from a 1st OFF state to an ON state. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement when a notebook PC transfers to an ON state from a suspended state.

Explanation of symbols

91 ... Utility Manager

Claims (18)

An electronic device that operates in a ground mode suitable for use on the ground or an aircraft mode suitable for use in an aircraft,
A wireless device;
An atmospheric pressure sensor;
A microphone,
The electronic device is determined when the electronic device is determined to be operating in an aircraft both in the initial determination using the atmospheric pressure information detected by the atmospheric pressure sensor and in the additional determination using the noise information detected by the microphone. An electronic device having a control unit that operates in an aircraft mode.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the initial determination determines that the electronic device is operating in an aircraft when the atmospheric pressure information indicates an atmospheric pressure in the aircraft during a horizontal flight.   The said initial judgment determines that the said electronic device is operate | moving in an aircraft, when the change rate of the said atmospheric | air pressure information per time shows the change rate of the atmospheric | air pressure information in an aircraft which rises or falls. Item 3. The electronic device according to Item 2.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an acceleration sensor, wherein the initial determination includes determination using acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor.   The control unit sets the wireless device to disabled when the electronic device is determined to be operating in the aircraft in the initial determination, and the electronic device is operating in the aircraft in the additional determination. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a setting of the wireless device set to disabled is maintained when the determination is made.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes the initial determination before the electronic device shifts from a system-off state to a system-on state.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes the initial determination while the electronic device is operating in a suspended state.   The control unit causes the electronic device to operate in a ground mode when it is determined in the initial determination and / or the additional determination that the electronic device is operating on the ground. The electronic device according to Crab.   The electronic device can be connected to an AC / DC adapter, and the aircraft mode supplies power to the AC / DC adapter while the electronic device is operating with power supplied from the AC / DC adapter. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an item for controlling power consumption so that the electronic device operates at a capacity equal to or less than a capacity of an outlet to be operated.   The electronic device is capable of battery operation. In the aircraft mode, the electronic device consumes power from the AC / DC adapter while the electronic device operates while receiving power from the battery. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an item for controlling power consumption so as to be smaller than a case where the power supply is operated.   11. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an item that includes a display, and wherein the aircraft mode includes an item that reduces a brightness of the display as compared with a case where the electronic device operates in the ground mode.   The electronic device according to claim 1, comprising a keyboard light, wherein the aircraft mode includes an item for turning on the keyboard light.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit measures a noise level by the microphone only when it is determined in the initial determination that the electronic device is operating in an aircraft. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a wireless device in a ground mode suitable for use on the ground or in an aircraft mode suitable for use on an aircraft, comprising:
An initial determination step of determining whether the electronic device is operating in an aircraft or operating on the ground based on atmospheric pressure information detected from an operating environment;
An additional determining step of determining whether the electronic device is operating in an aircraft or operating on the ground based on noise information detected from an operating environment;
A method of operating in the aircraft mode when the electronic device is determined to be operating in an aircraft in both the initial determining step and the additional determining step. Performing the initial determination step from the system off state to the system on state;
Setting the wireless device to disabled based on a result of the initial determination step;
The control method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of maintaining the setting of the wireless device set to disabled based on the result of the addition determination step. The electronic device operating in a suspended state;
Performing the initial determination step while operating in the suspended state and setting the wireless device to disabled based on a result of the initial determination step;
The operation method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of enabling the wireless device that has been disabled based on a result of the additional determination step. The electronic device operating in a system-on state;
Performing the initial determination step while operating in the system-on state and setting the wireless device to disabled based on a result of the initial determination step;
The operation method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, further comprising: enabling the wireless device that is disabled based on a result of the addition determination step. Working with the operating system on the computer,
A function of initially determining whether or not the electronic device is operating in an aircraft based on atmospheric pressure information detected from the operating environment;
A function of additionally determining whether or not the electronic device is operating in an aircraft based on noise information detected from an operating environment;
A program for realizing a function of operating in an operation mode suitable for operation in an aircraft rather than operation on the ground when it is determined in both the initial determination and the additional determination that the electronic device is operating in the aircraft.

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