Abstract:
To provide a technology for stopping recording in an improper state by detecting whether an electronic device is in the process of being carried or not, and so on. Data signals that have been broadcast are received, the data signals are recorded on a storage unit at preset time, a state related to the recording of the data signals is detected, the data signals are recorded, and the recording of the data signals is stopped corresponding to a result of the detection.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a technology for receiving and recording a TV broadcast and a radio broadcast.  
         [0002]     Over the recent years, there has been wide spread of a personal computer (PC) loaded with a TV broadcast receiving function and capable of recording a TV broadcast by reservation. Along with this spread, there increasingly appear portable type electronic devices such as notebook type PCs loaded with the TV function.  
         [0003]     Further, there are technologies disclosed in the following patent documents as the prior arts related to the invention of this application.  
         [0004]     [Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 9-200671  
         [0005]     [Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-219296  
         [0006]     [Patent document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-251408  
         [0007]     [Patent document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-283958  
         [0008]     [Patent document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 8-84440  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In the conventional portable type electronic device having the TV broadcast reservation recording function, the reservation recording might be conducted in an unintentional state to a user who happens to forget the reservation of the recording, and so on.  
         [0010]     For instance, if the user forgets the reservation of the recording and goes out while carrying the portable type electronic device and if the recording is performed during this user unconscious recording situation, the device must be operated by a battery, and there is a case of causing a problem such as being unable to completely record or becoming deficient of power when using the device at a go-out destination after recording, and so forth.  
         [0011]     Further, if the recording is started during walking while carrying the device put into a bag, etc., the heat is not sufficiently radiated from the portable type electronic device in the bag, etc., and there might be a case of causing a damage to the device.  
         [0012]     Moreover, though the user intends that the reservation for recording is made by connecting an external antenna, if the user forgets the reservation of this recording and goes out while carrying the portable type electronic device, the antenna is not connected even when starting the recording, and it follows that a picture is recorded in an ill-received state, resulting in futility.  
         [0013]     Note that the prior art shown in patent document 1 discloses that a failure in the timer reservation recording is prevented due to power deficiency of the battery by preventing the power source from being cut off during the timer recording. In this prior art, for preventing the failure in recording, if driven by the battery when an indication of the timer reservation is given from the user, this reservation is not accepted.  
         [0014]     This prior art is capable of preventing the failure in recording, however, the user is unable to, even in a case where the device can be driven by an AC power source at want-to-reserve recording start time in, e.g., a user&#39;s home, etc., make even this timer reservation when driven by the battery. Hence, there arises a problem that the user forgets the timer reservation, and the necessary recording is not made.  
         [0015]     Moreover, during such recording, a CPU and a hard disc for recording the picture are always kept in an operating state with the result that a lot of heat is emitted therefrom. For example, in a device such as the notebook type PC in which an openable/closable (foldable) display unit is connected through a hinge to a computer body, if the recording process is executed for a long period of time when the display unit is in the closed state, as described above, a problem is that the heat emission from the CPU and the hard disc causes a high temperature in the interior of the computer body, and as a result the CPU gets thermal runaway that hinders an execution of the normal recording process.  
         [0016]     Such being the case, the invention provides a technology for detecting a predetermined state about whether an electronic device is in the process of being carried or not, and stopping a process of recording, etc. in an improper state.  
         [0017]     For solving the problems, the invention adopts the following configurations.  
         [0018]     Namely, an electronic device of the invention comprises: a receiving unit for receiving data signals that have been broadcast; a control unit for recording the data signals on a storage unit at preset time; and  
         [0019]     a state detection unit for detecting a state related to the recording of the data signals,  
         [0020]     wherein the control unit stops recording the data signals in accordance with a result of the detection by the state detection unit.  
         [0021]     In the electronic device, the state detection unit, when starting the recording of the data signals, may detect whether or not the electronic device is in the process of moving, and if in the process of moving, the control unit stops to start recording of the data signals.  
         [0022]     Further, in the electronic device, the electronic device can be driven by both of a battery and an external power source, the state detection unit, when starting the recording of the data signals, may detect whether the battery is used or not, and if the battery is used, the control unit may stop the recording of the data signals.  
         [0023]     The electronic device may further comprise a display unit capable of switching over a using state and a non-using state, the state detection unit, when starting the recording of the data signals, may detect which state, the using state or the non-using state, is displayed on the display unit, and in the case of the non-using state, the control unit may stop the recording of the data signals.  
         [0024]     Moreover, the electronic device may be a computer utilizing BIOS and OS, and the BIOS may instruct the state detection unit to execute the detection, and may switch OFF a power of the computer without starting up the OS in the case of stopping the recording of the data signals in accordance with a result of the detection.  
         [0025]     Furthermore, according to the invention, a recording control method for making a computer execute:  
         [0026]     a step of receiving data signals that have been broadcast;  
         [0027]     a step of recording the data signals on a storage unit at preset time; and  
         [0028]     a step of detecting a state related to the recording of the data signals,  
         [0029]     wherein the data signal recording step involves stopping the recording of the data signals in accordance with a result of the detection.  
         [0030]     In the recording control method, when starting the recording of the data signals, it may be detected whether or not the computer is in the process of moving, and if in the process of moving, the recording of the data signals may be stopped.  
         [0031]     In the recording control method, the computer can be driven by both of a battery and an external power source, when starting the recording of the data signals, it may be detected whether the battery is used or not, and if the battery is used, the recording of the data signals may be stopped.  
         [0032]     Further, in the recording control method, the computer may include a display unit capable of switching over a using state and a non-using state, when starting the recording of the data signals, it may be detected which state, the using state or the non-using state, is displayed on the display unit, and in the case of the non-using state, the recording of the data signals may be stopped.  
         [0033]     Further, the present invention may be a program to execute the above-mentioned steps of the recording control method by a computer. Moreover, the present invention may be a recording medium storing the program that is readable by the computer. Then, by causing the computer to read out the program from the recording medium and to execute the program, it is possible to provide a function of the program.  
         [0034]     Here, the computer readable recording medium refers to a recording medium, in which information such as data or a program can be accumulated by an electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical or chemical action, and the information can be read out by the computer. Examples of the recording media among such recording media, which are capable of being removed from the computer, include a flexible disc, a magneto-optical disc, a CD-ROM, a CD-R/W, a DVD, a DAT, an 8 mm tape, and a memory card.  
         [0035]     In addition, a hard disc, a read only memory (ROM) and the like may be given as the recording media to be fixed to the computers.  
         [0036]     The invention can provide a technology for stopping recording in an improper state by detecting whether an electronic device is in the process of being carried or not, and so on. Further, the invention enables a user to indicate a timer reservation at an arbitrary point of time, and makes it possible to restrain a timer-reserved process from being executed with futility while preventing the user from forgetting a timer reserving operation. Moreover, the invention can actualize the normal timer reservation recording without causing thermal runaway of the electronic device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0037]      FIG. 1  is a view of an outline of configuration of an electronic device in a first embodiment.  
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a view of an external configuration of the electronic device in the first embodiment.  
         [0039]      FIG. 3  is a view of an outline of configuration of a tuner unit.  
         [0040]      FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram of a recording reservation setting method.  
         [0041]      FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram of the recording reservation recording method.  
         [0042]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing a display example a program table for reservation.  
         [0043]      FIG. 7  is a diagram showing a screen for query about possibility of stopping a recording process. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0044]     A best mode for carrying out the invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings. A configuration of the embodiment is an exemplification, and the invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment.  
         [0045]      FIG. 1  is a view of an outline of configuration of an electronic device in the embodiment.  FIG. 2  is a view of an external configuration of the electronic device. As shown in  FIG. 1 , an electronic device  1  is an general type of computer (a note book type PC in this example) including a main body  11  accommodating a calculation processing unit  12  constructed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory, etc., a storage unit (a hard disc)  13  stored with data and software for a calculation process, an input/output port  14 , a communication control unit (CCU)  15 , a CMOS memory  16 , a tuner unit (receiving unit)  17 , a timer  18 , a power source unit  19 , and so on.  
         [0046]     Connected properly to the I/O port  14  are input devices such as a keyboard  54 , a CD-ROM drive  62 , an opening/closing sensor (state detection unit)  51  of a display unit, etc., and output devices such as a display (display unit)  14   a , a speaker, etc.  
         [0047]     The CCU  15  serves to perform communications with other computers via a network.  
         [0048]     The CMOS memory  16  is stored with a program serving as BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and with setting information about an operation of the BIOS.  
         [0049]     The storage unit  13  is installed with operating system (OS) and application software. Further, the storage unit  13  is recorded with data signals received by the tuner unit  17 .  
         [0050]     The calculation processing unit  12 , when started up, executes a startup process such as authenticating a password by reading the BIOS from the CMOS memory  16 , effecting POST (Power On Self Test), initializing the device, starting up (booting) the OS, and so on. With this operation, the calculation processing unit also functions as a control unit according to the invention. Further, the calculation processing unit  12  properly reads the OS and the application program from the storage unit  13  and executes the OS and the application program, and executes a calculation process of information inputted from the I/O port  14  and the CCU  15  and information read from the storage unit  13 , thereby functioning also as a reservation setting module, a recording execution module and a reproducing module.  
         [0051]     The reservation setting module accepts an input of reserving the recording from a user by displaying an input screen on the display device  14   a  and so forth, stores the storage unit  13  with the inputted reservation information, and stores the CMOS memory with startup time of a PC  1  for this recording.  
         [0052]     The recording execution module compares the reservation time set by the reservation setting module with the present time of the timer  18  and, when reaching the reservation time, records the data signals of a TV broadcast received by the tuner unit  17  on the storage unit  13 , thus conducting the recording.  
         [0053]     The reproducing module, when reproduction of the recorded TV broadcast is indicated by a user&#39;s operation, reads the data signals from the storage unit  13 , displays images on the display unit  14   a  and simultaneously outputs voices from the speaker, etc.  
         [0054]     The power source unit  19  is constructed of a battery  19   a , an AC power circuit  19   b , a power source control circuit  19   c , etc. The AC power circuit  19   b  is, when connecting an unillustrated plug to a plug socket of a commercial power source, supplied with the electric power and supplies the power to the respective units with a predetermined voltage value and a predetermined current value by making rectification, transformation and so on.  
         [0055]     The power source control circuit  19   c  executes switchover of, when the AC power circuit  19   b  is connected to the commercial power source, i.e., when the electric power is outputted from the AC power circuit  19   b , supplying the electric power to the respective units, and, when the electric power is not outputted from the AC power circuit, supplying the electric power to the respective units from the battery  19   a . Further, the power source control circuit  19   c  detects a residual power quantity of the batter  19   a . The power source control circuit  19   c , if this residual power quantity is less than a predetermined value, performs charging by supplying the electric power to the battery  19   a  from the AC power circuit  19   b , and, when this power quantity reaches a full charge, stops charging. Then, the power source control circuit  19   c  notifies the calculation processing unit  12  of state information such as information about which side, the AC power circuit  19   b  or the battery  19   a , the electric power is supplied from, and information about the residual power quantity of the battery  19   a , thus functioning also as the state detection unit.  
         [0056]     Further, in  FIG. 2 , the notebook PC  1  is constructed of a computer body  11  and the display unit  14   a  connected in an openable/closable manner through a hinge  52  to the computer body  11 . Note that when closing (folding) the display unit  14   a , a front surface of the display unit presses down a contactor of the opening/closing sensor  51 , thereby detecting a closed state. The opening/closing sensor  51  notifies the calculation processing unit  12  of a detection signal showing whether the display unit  14  is in the closed state or not.  
         [0057]     Arrows X 1 , X 2  represent a widthwise direction of the notebook PC  1 , arrows Y 1 , Y 2  represent a depthwise direction, and arrows Z 1 , Z 2  represent a heightwise (thicknesswise) direction. The computer body  11  has a keyboard unit on its upper surface and a CPU, etc. in the interior thereof, and an extension bay accommodating extension units is formed on the right side in a lower part thereof. The extension bay  56  has an aperture  58  serving as an insertion port for the extension unit, which is formed in a right-side surface  57  of the computer body  11 . The extension bay  56  takes a slit-like shape extending from this aperture  58  to the middle of the device in the direction of the arrow X 2 , and a connector  59  is provided at an edge portion on the X2-side thereof. Note that the connector  59  is located inwardly of the computer body  11 , and hence, in  FIG. 2 , the body  51  is illustrated in a way that cuts off part of the upper surface of the body  51 .  
         [0058]     Moreover, the tuner unit  17 , a FD unit  61 , a CD-ROM unit  62 , etc. are prepared as the extension units. Each of these extension units  17 ,  61 ,  62  takes a plate-like shape fittable (insertable) into the extension bay  56 , and has a connector  63  fitted to the connector  59  at a front edge portion in an inserting direction (X 2 ). Each of the units  17 ,  61 ,  62  is exclusively mounted into the extension bay  56 . With this contrivance, the notebook PC  1  becomes accessible to the extension unit via the connector  59 , thus enabling the function thereof to be extended.  
         [0059]     Namely, the user selects any one of the tuner unit  17 , the FD unit  61  and the CD-ROM unit  62  according to a want-to-utilize function and inserts the extension unit into the extension bay  56 . Note that the extension bay  56  may be given a variety of terms in designation, and might be called a bay, an extension slot, a multi-bay and a multi-purpose bay.  
         [0060]      FIG. 3  is a view of an outline of configuration of the tuner unit  17 . As described above, a box body  10  takes substantially a plate-like shape in its external configuration, and the connector  63  is provided protruding from a front edge surface in its inserting direction (the direction X 2 ). Further, a headphone antenna jack (connecting member)  60 , an S-video input terminal  65  and a composite input terminal  66  are provided in alignment on an external packaging surface  64  that is positioned outwards and becomes flush with a right-side surface  57  of the notebook PC  2  when fitted to a rear edge surface in the inserting direction, i.e., inserted into the extension bay  56 . A headphone antenna  3 HA or an antenna  3 A is connected to this headphone antenna jack  60 , wherein the data signals of the TV broadcast are received via this antenna  3 A/ 3 HA.  
         [0061]     A recording reservation setting method and a recording reservation recording method executed on the thus-constructed notebook PC  1 , will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  
         [0062]     To begin with, in the startup state of the notebook PC  1 , when the user starts up (boots) the software for recording and then selects the reservation setting, a program table for reservation as shown in  FIG. 6  is obtained via a network such as the Internet, etc. and is displayed as a reservation screen  71  (step  1 , which will hereinafter be abbreviated such as S 1 ). When the user selects (clicks) a reservation button  72  for a want-to-reserve program from this program table, the notebook PC 1  acquires pieces of reservation information such as program reservation time (start time, end time), possibility of extension, a title of the program, a channel number, etc. from the server (S 2 ).  
         [0063]     The notebook PC  1  displays the reservation information on the display unit  14   a  and simultaneously stores the reservation information on the storage unit  13  (S 3 ). Note that the reservation information input method is not limited to this method and may involve displaying an input screen for the reservation information such as the reservation time, the channel number, etc. and arbitrarily inputting the reservation time and the channel number from the keyboard.  
         [0064]     Then, the notebook PC  1 , when instructed to move to a shutdown status, a standby status and an idle status, reads the reservation information from this storage unit  13  and registers, on the CMOS memory, time earlier by a predetermined period of time (i.e., the time expended for the startup) than the start time of a next reservation as startup time (S 4 ), thus coming to the shutdown status, the standby status or the idle status.  
         [0065]     The built-in timer  18  of the notebook PC  1 , in the shutdown-status, the standby status or the idle status, as shown in  FIG. 5 , compares the present time of the timer  18  with the startup time, and, when reaching the startup time, initiates the startup of the notebook PC  1  (S 11 -S 12 ).  
         [0066]     When the notebook PC  1  is started up, at first, the BIOS acquires the information about the opening/closing state of the display unit  14   a  through the opening/closing sensor  51  as the state information and the information showing whether driven by the battery through the power control unit  19   c  (S 13 ).  
         [0067]     Then, the notebook PC  1 , when in the predetermined state, i.e., the display unit  14   a  is closed or when driven by the battery through the function of the control unit or when in both of these states, judges that the user keeps carrying, e.g., the notebook PC  1 , and returns to the pre-startup status without executing the startup process such as reading the OS, and so on. Namely, the notebook PC  1  stops executing the recording process (S 14 -S 15 ). Thereafter, the notebook PC  1  returns to the pre-startup status (the shutdown status, the standby status and the idle status) (S 20 ).  
         [0068]     Moreover, the notebook PC  1 , when the display unit  14   a  is not closed or when driven by the AC power source, judges that the user does not carry, e.g., the notebook PC  1 , and continues the startup process (S 14 , S 16 ).  
         [0069]     Then, after starting up the OS, through the function of the recording execution module, the notebook PC  1  starts recording at the recording start time (S 17 -S 18 ), and, when the present time of the timer  18  reaches the end time stored on the storage unit  13 , finishes the recording (S 19 ). Then, the notebook PC  1  returns to the pre-startup status (the shutdown status, the standby status and the idle status) (S 20 ).  
         [0070]     Thus, according to the embodiment, the on-carrying state is judged from whether driven by the battery  19   a  or the display unit  14   a  is in the closed state, and if in the on-carrying state of the PC  1 , the recording can be stopped. With this contrivance, it is possible to prevent the battery power from becoming deficient at a go-out destination after carelessly starting the recording, the recording from being started in a state of removing the antenna and also the device from being heated up.  
         [0071]     Moreover, in the embodiment, the recording process is stopped in the closed state of the display unit  14   a  but is executed only in the opened state of the display unit  14   a  when the heat generated from the CPU and the hard disc is radiated from the surface of the body unit, thereby making it possible to avoid occurrence of thermal runaway and to actualize the normal recording process.  
       Other Embodiment  
       [0072]     The invention is not limited to only the illustrated examples given above and can be, as a matter of course, changed in a variety of forms within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the invention.  
         [0073]     In the embodiment, the on-carrying state is judged by detecting the opening/closing state of the display unit  14   a  and detecting whether driven by the battery or not as the state information, however, the judgment is not limited to this method and may be made based on other information such as a temperature of the CPU by use of a temperature sensor, positional information based on GPS (Global Positioning System), a vibrated or non-vibrated state by using a vibration sensor, an amount of ambient light by use of an optical sensor, a connected or non-connected state of the antenna, and so forth.  
         [0074]     Namely, for example, if the temperature of the CPU is higher than a predetermined value in the closed state of the display unit, it may be judged that the device is carried while being put into a bag, etc. Moreover, if the positional information based on the GPS is beyond a predetermined positional range of a home, a company, etc., it may be judged that the user goes out (the on-carrying state). If the vibrations (detected) by the vibration sensor are coincident with predetermined patterns of walking, (traveling by) train and soon, or if the vibrations are greater than normal-operating vibrations of the notebook PC  1 , it may be judged that the PC  1  is in the on-carrying state. The on-carrying state may also be judged from a non-connected state when detecting whether or not the antennas  3 HA,  3 A are connected to the headphone antenna jack  60 . When the amount of received light of the optical sensor is less than a predetermined amount of light and when the present time of the timer  18  is in a daytime zone, it may also be judged that the device is carried while being put into the bag.  
         [0075]     Moreover, the reservation setting module may register, together with the startup time, a piece of information indicating a purport that this startup time is the recording reservation time on the CMOS memory. Then, the BIOS, when started up upon reaching this startup time, refers to the information showing whether this startup time represents the recording reservation or not, and, if representing the recording reservation, executes a process (S 13 -S 18 ) about whether the recording is stopped as described above. Whereas if the startup time does not represent the recording reservation, the BIOS may switch over the processing sequence so as to execute the startup process without doing the process (S 13 -S 18 ). This makes it possible to prevent the startup from being stopped by the process described above if the startup time is set by other scheduling software.  
         [0076]     Further, the state information is acquired, and, when the display unit  14   a  is closed or when driven by the battery as in the predetermined state (S 14 ), as shown in  FIG. 7 , a query message about whether the recording process can be stopped or not, may also be displayed on the screen. If the user selects permission of the stoppage in response to this message (in the case of selecting [Yes] on the screen), or if none of indicative inputs are inputted within a predetermined period of time, the recording process is stopped (S 15 ). If the user selects rejection of stopping the recording (in the case of selecting [No] on the screen), the startup process may continue (S 16 ). Thus, the user is queried about whether the recording can be stopped or not in the state of stopping the timer reservation recording, thereby enabling the user to judge that the recording reserved by the timer can be completed within the residual quantity of power of the battery even in, e.g., the driven-by-the-battery state. Moreover, if the state of stopping the timer reservation recording is the unconnected state of the antenna, the user can make a preparation for the recording process by connecting the antenna, whereby the recording can be done.  
         [0077]     Still further, instead of prompting the user to select the stoppage/continuation of the timer reservation recording by displaying the message on the screen as described above, the timer reservation recording may be stopped by displaying a purport of stopping on the screen. This configuration (scheme) enables the user to recognize that the reservation recording is to be stopped and to execute the recording process by making again the timer reservation or by the manual operation after being stopped.  
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
       [0078]     The invention can be widely applied to a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a cellular phone, etc. in addition to the personal computer given above.  
       INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE  
       [0079]     The disclosures of Japanese patent application No. JP2004-380597 filed on Dec. 28, 2004 including the specification, drawings and abstract are incorporated herein by reference.