Patent ID: 6892026

Claim:
An electronic equipment controlled by a first control unit and a second control unit, comprising: a start switch for switching between an unusable mode and a usable mode of the electronic equipment; a mode monitor for monitoring the start switch to identify a mode of the electronic equipment, and outputting an activation signal at least when the electronic equipment has been switched from the unusable mode to the usable mode; a plurality of function performing elements for performing various functions of the electronic equipment; and a function switch for operating a function performing element of the plurality of function performing elements, wherein; (1) when the mode monitor has identified that the electronic equipment is placed in the usable mode; if the function switch has been operated, the first control unit issues an instruction to the second control unit to perform a function associated with the function switch, and in response to the instruction, the second control unit performs an operation control of the function performing element associated with the function; (2) when the mode monitor has identified that the electronic equipment is placed in the unusable mode, the first control unit is set to the unusable mode and the second control unit is set to the standby mode with respect to the activation signal; and (3) when the mode monitor has recognized that the electronic equipment has been switched from the unusable mode to the usable mode, the mode monitor outputs the activation signal to the second control unit, and the second control unit, after releasing an unusable mode of the first control unit, performs an operation control of a specific function performing element of the plurality of function performing elements without receiving an instruction from the first control unit.