JP7647295B2 - Electronic device, electronic device system, and status checking method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device, an electronic device system, and a status checking method.

In recent years, electronic devices using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) have come into widespread use (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, some of these electronic devices are known to be capable of displaying various types of information on a display unit such as electronic paper.

JP 2017-215837 A

In electronic devices such as those described above, for example, if the display unit is a non-volatile display unit such as electronic paper, it may take time to change the display, and the display change may not be executed correctly. In such cases, electronic devices such as those described above do not have a means to confirm that the display change has been executed correctly, and manual visual confirmation is required.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an electronic device, an electronic device system, and a status checking method that can automate checking whether a display change has been made normally.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is an electronic device comprising a display unit that provides a display having non-volatile memory properties, a wireless communication unit that receives power via wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device via wireless communication, and a control unit that changes the display of the display unit in response to a display change request that changes the display of the display unit, the display change request being based on received information received by the wireless communication unit , and causes the display unit to display a code image indicating the changed display state, wherein the display states include a display state in which the entire display of the display unit has been erased, and the control unit causes the display unit to display the code image indicating the display state in which the entire display of the display unit has been erased when the changed display state is a display state in which the entire display of the display unit has been erased .

Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is an electronic device comprising: a display unit that provides a display having non-volatile memory properties; a wireless communication unit that receives power via wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device via wireless communication; a status information storage unit that stores status information indicating a state of the display unit in response to a display change request to change the display of the display unit; and a control unit that changes the display of the display unit in response to the display change request based on received information received by the wireless communication unit, and stores the status information in the status information storage unit in response to a change in the state of the display unit when changing the display of the display unit, wherein when the wireless communication unit receives a transmission command from the higher-level device via wireless communication requesting the transmission of the status information, the wireless communication unit transmits the status information stored in the status information storage unit to the higher-level device via the wireless communication, and the status information includes normal completion information indicating that the display change of the display unit has been completed normally, abnormal completion information indicating that the display change of the display unit has been interrupted midway, and abnormal status information indicating that an abnormal state is present in which it is impossible to change the display of the display unit.

Another aspect of the present invention is an electronic device system that includes the electronic device described above, a detection unit that detects the code image displayed on the display unit, and the higher-level device that determines a state regarding a display change of the electronic device based on the code image detected by the detection unit.

Another aspect of the present invention is an electronic device system including the electronic device described above and the higher-level device that determines the state of the electronic device related to display changes based on the state information acquired from the electronic device.

Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is a status checking method for an electronic device having a display unit that provides a display having non-volatile memory properties, and a wireless communication unit that receives power via wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device via wireless communication, the status checking method including a processing step in which a control unit changes the display of the display unit in response to a display change request that changes the display of the display unit, the display change request being based on received information received by the wireless communication unit, and causes the display unit to display a code image indicating the changed display state, and a confirmation step in which the higher-level device confirms the state of the changed display of the display unit based on the code image displayed on the display unit, the display state including a display state in which the entire display of the display unit has been erased, and in the processing step, if the changed display state is a display state in which the entire display of the display unit has been erased, the control unit causes the display unit to display the code image indicating the display state in which the entire display of the display unit has been erased.

Moreover, one aspect of the present invention is a status checking method for an electronic device having a display unit that provides a display having non-volatile memory properties, a wireless communication unit that receives power via wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device via wireless communication, and a status information storage unit that stores status information indicating a status related to the display unit in response to a display change request to change the display of the display unit, the status checking method including a processing step in which a control unit changes the display of the display unit in response to the display change request based on received information received by the wireless communication unit, and stores the status information in the status information storage unit in response to a change in the status related to the display unit when changing the display of the display unit, and a confirmation step in which the higher-level device checks the status of the display change of the display unit based on the status information stored in the status information storage unit, wherein the status information includes normal completion information indicating that the display change of the display unit has been completed normally, abnormal completion information indicating that the display change of the display unit has been interrupted midway, and abnormal status information indicating that an abnormal status is present in which it is impossible to change the display of the display unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to automate the process of checking whether a display change has been made correctly.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electronic device system according to a first embodiment. 5 is a diagram showing an example of data in a two-dimensional code storage unit according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of the electronic device system according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of a control unit of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a higher-level device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device system according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of a control unit of the electronic device according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a higher-level device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a first diagram showing an example of an operation of the electronic device system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a second diagram showing an example of the operation of the electronic device system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a third diagram showing an example of the operation of the electronic device system according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, electronic devices and electronic device systems according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device system 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device system 100 includes an electronic device 1 and a higher-level device 2 .

The electronic device 1 is, for example, an electronic device such as an RFID tag having a display function, and receives, for example, a command (processing command) transmitted by the higher-level device 2 via a wireless communication unit 11 and executes processing (command processing) according to the received command. Then, the electronic device 1 transmits (replies) a response (processing response) that is the execution result of the command processing to the higher-level device 2 via the wireless communication unit 11.
The electronic device 1 includes an RF integrated circuit (RFIC) 10 , a control unit 30 , a non-volatile storage memory 35 , and a display unit 40 .

The RFIC 10 is an IC that receives power through wireless power supply and communicates with the higher-level device 2 through wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication). The RFIC 10 receives various commands from the higher-level device 2 through wireless communication, processes the received commands, and transmits a response to the command processing to the higher-level device 2 through wireless communication.
The RFIC 10 includes a wireless communication unit 11 , a user memory unit 12 , and a management memory unit 13 .

The wireless communication unit 11 receives power through wireless power supply and communicates with the higher-level device 2 through wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication). The wireless communication unit 11 executes command processing according to various commands received from the higher-level device 2 and transmits a response to the command processing to the higher-level device 2 through wireless communication. The wireless communication unit 11 supplies the power supplied by wireless power supply from the higher-level device 2 to each part as power to operate the electronic device 1.

The user memory unit 12 is composed of an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), and stores various information used by the user.

The management memory unit 13 is composed of, for example, an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a RAM (random access memory), and stores management information. The management memory unit 13 is a highly secure storage area that cannot be accessed by users.

The display unit 40 is, for example, electronic paper, and performs display with non-volatile memory properties. The display unit 40 includes a driver unit (not shown) that writes display data such as characters and images to the electronic paper, and a display panel (not shown).

The non-volatile storage memory 35 is, for example, an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM, and is a storage unit that stores various data such as image data. The non-volatile storage memory 35 includes a two-dimensional code storage unit 351.

The two-dimensional code storage unit 351 (an example of a code image storage unit) stores a display state and a two-dimensional code in association with each other. The two-dimensional code here is, for example, a QR code (registered trademark). The display state is, for example, the display state after a display change on the display unit 40. Here, an example of data stored in the two-dimensional code storage unit 351 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Note that the code image is, for example, image data in which information indicating the display state is coded, and in this embodiment, an example of the code image being a two-dimensional code will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the two-dimensional code storage unit 351 in this embodiment.
2, the two-dimensional code storage unit 351 stores a "display state" in association with a "two-dimensional code." The "display state" includes, for example, a state in which the display is erased (full screen clear state) and a state in which the display has been changed to that for process A. The "two-dimensional code" includes a two-dimensional code in which information indicating the display state is coded, and the type of information displayed as a two-dimensional code in the display state.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, when the "display state" is "display cleared," it is shown that "Code CLR" corresponds as the "two-dimensional code." Here, "display cleared" indicates a display state in which all display on the display unit 40 has been cleared (full screen clear state). Also, when the "display state" is "process A," it is shown that "Code A" corresponds as the "two-dimensional code." Here, "Code A" is a two-dimensional code that indicates manufacturing information such as a lot number, for example.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 1, the control unit 30 is, for example, a processor including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and performs overall control of the electronic device 1. The control unit 30 performs control to change the display on the display unit 40 in response to a display change request based on received information received by the wireless communication unit 11, for example, which is a display change request to change the display on the display unit 40. The control unit 30 also causes the display unit 40 to display a two-dimensional code indicating the display state after the change.

For example, in response to a display change request from the wireless communication unit 11, the control unit 30 acquires a two-dimensional code corresponding to the display state from the two-dimensional code storage unit 351. If the display change request is, for example, a request to erase the display (clear the entire screen), the control unit 30 acquires the two-dimensional code of "Code CLR" from the two-dimensional code storage unit 351 and transmits display data including the two-dimensional code to the display unit 40. As a result, the display unit 40 clears the entire screen and then displays the two-dimensional code of "Code CLR" indicating display erasure (clear the entire screen). The control unit 30 causes the two-dimensional code to be displayed at a predetermined position on the display unit 40.

Here, a display example of the display unit 40 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
3A shows an example of a display when the electronic device 1 is used in, for example, a production management system and is attached to a mailing box for carrying various products, parts, etc. In this case, for example, a lot number or a two-dimensional code is displayed on the display unit 40. Note that the two-dimensional code may include different information for each process, or may include identification information for identifying the product or lot number.

Also, FIG. 3(b) shows an example of a display when the display state of FIG. 3(a) is changed to display erasure (full screen clear). In this case, the display unit 40 erases the display information from the display screen of the display unit 40, and then displays a two-dimensional code corresponding to the display erasure state (full screen clear state).

1 , the higher-level device 2 instructs the electronic device 1 to change the display on the display unit 40, and checks the state of the electronic device 1, including the state of the display change. The higher-level device 2 checks the state of the display change based on, for example, a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 40.
The higher-level device 2 includes an R/W section 21 (reader/writer section), an imaging section 22 , and a device control section 23 .

The R/W unit 21 includes a wireless communication unit and a wireless power supply unit (not shown), and supplies power to the electronic device 1 via wireless power supply, and transmits commands via wireless communication to cause the electronic device 1 to execute processing according to the commands. The R/W unit 21 transmits, for example, a command (instruction) to the electronic device 1, including a display change request that requests a change to the display on the display unit 40 of the electronic device 1.

The imaging unit 22 (an example of a detection unit) has, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, and captures an image including the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 40 of the electronic device 1. In other words, the imaging unit 22 is an example of a detection unit that detects the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 40.

The device control unit 23 is, for example, a processor including a CPU, and performs overall control of the higher-level device 2. For example, the device control unit 23 controls display changes on the electronic device 1 and executes a confirmation process to confirm the status of the display change. When changing the display on the electronic device 1, the device control unit 23 transmits a command including a display change request to the electronic device 1 via the R/W unit 21 by wireless communication.

The device control unit 23 also checks the state of the display change based on the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 40. That is, after the device control unit 23 receives a response to a command including a display change request via the R/W unit 21, the device control unit 23 acquires the two-dimensional code included in the image detected by the imaging unit 22 after a predetermined period of time (for example, a period of about 2 seconds required to change the display on the display unit 40) has elapsed. The device control unit 23 determines whether the information indicated by the acquired two-dimensional code matches information indicating the display state after the display change. If the information indicated by the two-dimensional code matches information indicating the display state after the display change, the device control unit 23 determines that the display change on the display unit 40 has been successfully completed.

Furthermore, if the information indicated by the two-dimensional code does not match the information indicating the display state after the display change (including the case where the two-dimensional code cannot be detected), the device control unit 23 determines that the display change on the display unit 40 was not performed normally and that an abnormal termination has occurred. Note that, if the device control unit 23 confirms an abnormal termination based on the two-dimensional code, it executes an abnormality response process such as a retry process for the display change. Note that the abnormality response process may include a process of automatically rejecting (removing) the electronic device 1 that has abnormally terminated.

Next, the operation of the electronic device 1 and the electronic device system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the electronic device system 100 according to this embodiment. Here, an example of a display change process of the electronic device system 100 will be described. Note that the display state before the display change is the display state shown in FIG. 3A, and a display change to erase the display (clear the entire screen) from this display state will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, when a display change is to be made, the higher-level device 2 first transmits a command including the display change to the RFIC 10 of the electronic device 1 (step S101). The device control unit 23 of the higher-level device 2 transmits the command including the display change to the RFIC 10 via the R/W unit 21.

Next, RFIC10 transmits a display change request to the control unit 30 (step S102). The wireless communication unit 11 of RFIC10 determines that the display change request is a display change request corresponding to erasing the display of the display unit 40 (clearing the entire screen). Note that RFIC10 and the control unit 30 are connected, for example, via a serial interface, and RFIC10 transmits the display change request to the control unit 30 using the serial interface.

Next, the RFIC 10 transmits a response (ACK) to the higher-level device 2 (step S103). The wireless communication unit 11 transmits a response including an acknowledgement (ACK) to the command to the higher-level device 2.

Next, the control unit 30 receives the two-dimensional code from the storage non-volatile memory 35 (step S104). Here, in response to the display change request, the control unit 30 obtains a two-dimensional code corresponding to the display state after the display change (for example, a two-dimensional code of "Code CLR") from the two-dimensional code memory unit 351 of the storage non-volatile memory 35.

Next, the control unit 30 transmits the display data to the display unit 40 (step S105). The control unit 30 transmits the two-dimensional code to the display unit together with data for erasing the display (clearing the entire screen). Note that the control unit 30 and the display unit 40 are connected, for example, by a serial interface, and the control unit 30 transmits the display data to the display unit 40 using the serial interface.

Next, the display unit 40 executes a display change process (step S106). The display unit 40 executes a display change based on the display data received from the control unit 30. Here, the display unit 40 changes the display to the display state shown in FIG. 3(b).

Next, the higher-level device 2 executes a process for confirming the display change (step S107). For example, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since receiving the response, the higher-level device 2 checks the state of the electronic device 1 (the display state of the display unit 40) based on the two-dimensional code displayed by the display unit 40. Details of the process for confirming the display change by the higher-level device 2 will be described later.

Next, the display change process of the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control unit 30 of the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, when performing the display change process, the control unit 30 first determines whether or not a display change request has been received (step S201). The control unit 30 determines whether or not a display change request has been received from the wireless communication unit 11 of the RFIC 10. If the control unit 30 has received a display change request (step S201: YES), the control unit 30 proceeds to step S202. If the control unit 30 has not received a display change request (step S201: NO), the control unit 30 returns the process to step S201. Note that the control unit 30 may detect that a display change command has been received from the higher-level device 2 by, for example, interrupt processing, and obtain the display change request from the wireless communication unit 11.

In step S202, the control unit 30 acquires a two-dimensional code corresponding to the display state after the display change. The control unit 30 acquires the two-dimensional code corresponding to the display state after the display change based on the display change request from the two-dimensional code storage unit 351 of the storage non-volatile memory 35.

Next, the control unit 30 transmits display data to the display unit 40 to change the display (step S203). The control unit 30 transmits display data including the two-dimensional code to the display unit 40 to change the display on the display unit 40. After the processing of step S203, the control unit 30 ends the display change processing.

Next, the display change and confirmation process of the electronic device 1 by the higher-level device 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the higher-level device 2 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, when changing the display of the electronic device 1 and performing a confirmation process, the higher-level device 2 first transmits a display change command to the electronic device 1 (step S301). The device control unit 23 of the higher-level device 2 transmits a command (instruction) including a display change request to the electronic device 1 via the R/W unit 21.

Next, the device control unit 23 receives a response (ACK) from the electronic device 1 (step S302). The device control unit 23 receives the response (ACK) to the transmitted command via the R/W unit 21.

Next, the device control unit 23 determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed (step S303). The device control unit 23 determines whether a predetermined period of time (e.g., about 2 seconds) required for changing the display on the display unit 40 has elapsed since receiving the response (ACK). If the predetermined period of time has elapsed (step S303: YES), the device control unit 23 advances the process to step S304. If the predetermined period of time has not elapsed (step S303: NO), the device control unit 23 returns the process to step S303.

In step S304, the device control unit 23 acquires an image of the display screen from the imaging unit 22. That is, the device control unit 23 acquires an image of the display screen of the display unit 40 including the two-dimensional code captured by the imaging unit 22.

Next, the device control unit 23 determines whether the two-dimensional code matches the display state (step S305). The device control unit 23 converts the two-dimensional code included in the acquired image into data, and determines whether the data matches the data indicating the display state after the display change. If the two-dimensional code matches the display state (step S305: YES), the device control unit 23 determines that the display change on the display unit 40 has been successfully completed, and ends the display state confirmation process. If the two-dimensional code does not match the display state (step S305: NO), the device control unit 23 advances the process to step S306.

In step S306, the device control unit 23 executes anomaly handling processing for the display change. The device control unit 23 executes, for example, a retry processing for the display change (for example, a re-execution processing of the processing from step S301 to step S305 described above). After the processing of step S306, the device control unit 23 ends the display state confirmation processing.

As described above, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment includes a display unit 40, a wireless communication unit 11, and a control unit 30. The display unit 40 displays an image having non-volatile memory properties. The wireless communication unit 11 receives power via wireless power supply and communicates with the higher-level device 2 via wireless communication. The control unit 30 changes the display of the display unit 40 in response to a display change request that changes the display of the display unit 40 and is based on received information received by the wireless communication unit 11, and causes the display unit 40 to display a two-dimensional code (code image) indicating the changed display state.

As a result, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment displays a two-dimensional code indicating the display state after the change on the display unit 40, so that the higher-level device 2 can detect the two-dimensional code to confirm the display change, and there is no need to visually confirm the display change on the display unit 40. In other words, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment can automate the confirmation of whether the display change has been made successfully. The electronic device 1 according to this embodiment can automatically confirm whether the display change has been made successfully even if, for example, the power supply via wireless power supply is interrupted or a power shortage occurs in the middle of the display change.

The electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a two-dimensional code storage unit 351 (code image storage unit) that stores a display state and a two-dimensional code in association with each other. The control unit 30 acquires a two-dimensional code corresponding to the display state from the two-dimensional code storage unit 351, and displays the acquired two-dimensional code at a predetermined position on the display unit 40.
As a result, the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment can appropriately display a two-dimensional code corresponding to a preset display state by utilizing the two-dimensional code storage unit 351. Furthermore, the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment can display a two-dimensional code at a predetermined position that can be used in a system that uses two-dimensional codes, such as a production management system, and can therefore utilize the existing production management system to confirm display changes.

In the present embodiment, the display state includes a display state in which all display on the display unit 40 is erased (full-screen clear state). When the display state after the change is a display state in which all display on the display unit 40 is erased (full-screen clear state), the control unit 30 causes the display unit 40 to display a two-dimensional code indicating the display state in which all display on the display unit 40 is erased (full-screen clear state).
As a result, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment can properly check the display state after the display change, even if the display state after the display change is a display state in which all display on the display unit 40 has been erased (full-screen clear state).

Moreover, the electronic device system 100 according to the present embodiment includes the above-mentioned electronic device 1, an imaging unit 22 (detection unit), and a higher-level device 2 (device control unit 23). The imaging unit 22 detects a two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 40. The higher-level device 2 (device control unit 23) determines a state related to a display change of the electronic device 1 based on the two-dimensional code detected by the imaging unit 22.
As a result, the electronic device system 100 according to the present embodiment has the same effect as the electronic device 1 described above, and can automate the confirmation of whether or not the display has been changed normally.

Furthermore, the status checking method according to the present embodiment is a method for checking the status of the electronic device 1 described above, and includes a processing step and a checking step. In the processing step, the control unit 30 changes the display on the display unit 40 in response to a display change request for changing the display on the display unit 40, the display change request being based on received information received by the wireless communication unit 11, and causes the display unit 40 to display a two-dimensional code indicating the changed display state. In the checking step, the higher-level device 2 checks the changed display state of the display unit 40 based on the two-dimensional code displayed on the display unit 40.
As a result, the state checking method according to the present embodiment has the same effect as the electronic device 1 described above, and can automate the checking of whether the display change has been performed normally.

Second Embodiment
Next, an electronic device 1a and an electronic device system 100a according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, an example of checking the status of the electronic device 1a using a status code (status information) will be described.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device system 100a according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, an electronic device system 100a includes an electronic device 1a and a higher-level device 2a.
In FIG. 7, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The electronic device 1 a includes an RFIC 10 a , a control unit 30 a , a non-volatile storage memory 35 , and a display unit 40 .
The basic functions of the RFIC 10a are similar to those of the RFIC 10 of the first embodiment.
The RFIC 10a includes a wireless communication unit 11, a user memory unit 12, and a management memory unit 13a.

The management storage unit 13a is configured, for example, by an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a RAM, and stores management information. The management storage unit 13a is a high-security storage area that cannot be accessed by users.
The management storage unit 13 a includes a status code storage unit 131 .

The status code storage unit 131 (an example of a status information storage unit) is configured, for example, with a RAM, which is a volatile memory, and stores a status code (status information, status code) that indicates the status of the display unit 40 in response to a display change request.

The control unit 30a is a processor including a CPU and the like, and performs overall control of the electronic device 1a. The control unit 30a performs control to change the display of the display unit 40 in response to a display change request, for example, a display change request for changing the display of the display unit 40, which is based on received information received by the wireless communication unit 11. The control unit 30a also stores a status code in the status code storage unit 131 in response to a change in the status of the display unit 40 when changing the display of the display unit 40.

Here, the status code includes a normal termination code (normal termination information) indicating that the display change on the display unit 40 was completed normally, an abnormal termination code (abnormal termination information) indicating that the display change on the display unit 40 was interrupted midway, and an abnormal condition code (abnormal condition information) indicating that an abnormal condition exists in which the display change on the display unit 40 is impossible.
For example, when the display change on the display unit 40 has ended normally, the control unit 30a causes the status code storage unit 131 to store a normal end code (for example, 0x01).

In addition, for example, when an abnormal state occurs in which the display of the display unit 40 cannot be changed, the control unit 30a stores an abnormal state code (e.g., 0x0F) in the state code storage unit 131. Note that abnormal state codes include, for example, a state in which there is insufficient power to change the display of the display unit 40, or a state outside the temperature range in which the display of the display unit 40 can be changed.

In addition, if, for example, wireless power supply from the higher-level device 2a is interrupted during the display change and the display change on the display unit 40 is interrupted midway, the control unit 30a does not store a status code in the status code storage unit 131. In this case, the status code storage unit 131 stores NULL (null, for example, 0x00), which is the initial state. Here, NULL (for example, 0x00) is an abnormal termination code.

In addition, when the wireless communication unit 11 in this embodiment receives a transmission command (transmission instruction) requesting the transmission of a status code from the higher-level device 2a via wireless communication, the wireless communication unit 11 transmits the status code stored in the status code storage unit 131 to the higher-level device 2a via wireless communication.

The higher-level device 2a instructs the electronic device 1a to change the display on the display unit 40, and checks the status of the electronic device 1a including the status of the display change. The higher-level device 2a checks the status of the display change based on the status code stored in the above-mentioned status code storage unit 131. That is, the higher-level device 2a determines the status of the display change of the electronic device 1a based on the status code acquired from the electronic device 1a.
The higher-level device 2a includes an R/W section 21 (reader/writer section), an imaging section 22, and a device control section 23a.

The device control unit 23a is, for example, a processor including a CPU, and performs overall control of the higher-level device 2a. The device control unit 23a, for example, controls display changes of the electronic device 1a and executes a confirmation process to confirm the status of the display changes. The basic functions of the device control unit 23a are similar to those of the device control unit 23 of the first embodiment described above.

After changing the display of the electronic device 1a, the device control unit 23a sends a read command (the above-mentioned transmission command) for reading a status code to the electronic device 1a via the R/W unit 21. The device control unit 23a also receives a response to the transmission command from the electronic device 1a via the R/W unit 21, and as a display change confirmation process, determines the status of the display change of the electronic device 1a based on the status code included in the received response.

When the status code is "0x01", the device control unit 23a determines that the display change ended normally. When the status code is "0x0F", the device control unit 23a determines that the display change was not performed due to an abnormal condition. When the status code is "0x00" (NULL), the device control unit 23a determines that the display change ended abnormally.

Next, the operations of the electronic device 1a and the electronic device system 100a according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
Here, first, the display change processing of the electronic device 1a according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control unit 30a of the electronic device 1a according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, when performing the display change process, the control unit 30a first determines whether or not a display change request has been received (step S401). If the control unit 30a has received a display change request (step S401: YES), the control unit 30a advances the process to step S402. If the control unit 30a has not received a display change request (step S401: NO), the control unit 30a returns the process to step S401.

In step S402, the control unit 30a determines whether the display can be changed. The control unit 30a determines whether the display can be changed based on, for example, whether the voltage of the display unit 40 detected by a voltage detection unit (not shown) is a voltage at which the display can be changed, or whether the temperature of the display unit 40 detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) is a temperature at which the display can be changed. If the display can be changed (step S402: YES), the control unit 30a advances the process to step S403. Also, if the display cannot be changed (step S402: NO), the control unit 30a advances the process to step S405.

In step S403, the control unit 30a transmits display data to the display unit 40 to change the display.
Next, the control unit 30a stores the normal end code in the status code storage unit 131 (step S404). The control unit 30a stores the normal end code (0x01) in the status code storage unit 131 of the RFIC 10a. After the process of step S404, the control unit 30a ends the display change process.

In addition, in step S405, the control unit 30a stores the abnormal state code in the state code storage unit 131. The control unit 30a stores the abnormal end code (0x0F) in the state code storage unit 131 of the RFIC 10a. After processing in step S405, the control unit 30a ends the display change processing.

Next, the display change and confirmation process of the electronic device 1a by the higher-level device 2a will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the higher-level device 2a according to the present embodiment.

9, when performing a display change and confirmation process for the electronic device 1a, the higher-level device 2a first transmits a display change command to the electronic device 1a (step S501). The device control unit 23a of the higher-level device 2a transmits a command (instruction) including a display change request to the electronic device 1a via the R/W unit 21.
In addition, in FIG. 9, the processes from step S501 to step S503 are similar to the processes from step S301 to step S303 shown in FIG. 6 described above, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

In step S504, the device control unit 23a sends a command to read the status code (the above-mentioned transmission command) to the electronic device 1a via the R/W unit 21, and obtains the status code included in the response received to the transmission command.

Next, the device control unit 23a determines whether the status code indicates a normal end (step S505). The device control unit 23a determines whether the acquired status code is, for example, "0x01". If the status code indicates a normal end (step S505: YES), the device control unit 23 determines that the display change on the display unit 40 has ended normally, and ends the display status confirmation process. If the status code does not indicate a normal end (step S505: NO), the device control unit 23a advances the process to step S506.

In step S506, the device control unit 23a executes anomaly handling processing for the display change. The device control unit 23a executes, for example, a retry processing for the display change (for example, a re-execution processing of the processing from step S501 to step S505 described above). After the processing of step S506, the device control unit 23a ends the display state confirmation processing.

Next, a specific example of the operation of the electronic device system 100a according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Figures 10 to 12 are diagrams showing an example of the operation of the electronic device system 100a according to this embodiment.

First, with reference to FIG. 10, an operation when a display change in the electronic device system 100a according to this embodiment ends normally will be described.
In FIG. 10, the processes from step S601 to step S603 are similar to the processes from step S101 to step S103 shown in FIG. 4, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

In step S604, the control unit 30a transmits the display data to the display unit 40.
Next, the display unit 40 executes a display change process (step S605). The display unit 40 executes a display change process based on the display data received from the control unit 30a.

Next, the control unit 30a transmits a normal end code (0x01) to the RFIC 10a (step S606).
Next, the RFIC 10a executes a process of storing the normal end code (0x01) (step S607). The RFIC 10a stores the normal end code (0x01) in the status code storage unit 131.

Next, the higher-level device 2a transmits a status code read command to the RFIC 10a (step S608). The device control unit 23a of the higher-level device 2a transmits the status code read command to the RFIC 10a via the R/W unit 21.

Next, the RFIC 10a transmits a response (0x01) to the higher-level device 2a (step S609). In response to the status code read command, the wireless communication unit 11 of the RFIC 10a reads a status code from the status code storage unit 131. In this case, the status code is a normal end code (0x01). The wireless communication unit 11 transmits a response including the normal end code (0x01) to the higher-level device 2a.

Next, the higher-level device 2a executes a status determination process (step S610). The device control unit 23a of the higher-level device 2a determines the status of the electronic device 1a (the display status of the display unit 40) based on the status code included in the received response. In this case, since the status code is a normal end code (0x01), the device control unit 23a determines that the display change on the display unit 40 has ended normally.

Next, with reference to FIG. 11, an operation in a case where a display change cannot be performed in the electronic device system 100a according to this embodiment due to an abnormal state will be described.
In FIG. 11, the processes from step S611 to step S613 are similar to the processes from step S601 to step S603 shown in FIG. 10, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the control unit 30a does not transmit display data to the display unit 40 because, for example, there is insufficient power to change the display on the display unit 40, and instead transmits an abnormal status code (0x0F) to the RFIC 10a (step S614).

Next, the RFIC 10a executes a process of storing the abnormal status code (0x0F) (step S615). The RFIC 10a stores the abnormal status code (0x0F) in the status code storage unit 131.

Next, the higher-level device 2a transmits a status code read command to the RFIC 10a (step S616). The device control unit 23a of the higher-level device 2a transmits the status code read command to the RFIC 10a via the R/W unit 21.

Next, the RFIC 10a transmits a response (0x0F) to the higher-level device 2a (step S617). In response to the status code read command, the wireless communication unit 11 of the RFIC 10a reads a status code from the status code storage unit 131. In this case, the status code is an abnormal status code (0x0F). The wireless communication unit 11 transmits a response including the abnormal status code (0x0F) to the higher-level device 2a.

Next, the higher-level device 2a executes a status determination process (step S618). The device control unit 23a of the higher-level device 2a determines the status of the electronic device 1a (the display status of the display unit 40) based on the status code included in the received response. In this case, since the status code is an abnormal status code (0x0F), the device control unit 23a determines that the display change of the display unit 40 ended abnormally.

Next, with reference to FIG. 12, an operation in a case where a display change in the electronic device system 100a according to this embodiment cannot be executed due to an abnormal termination will be described.
In FIG. 12, the processes from step S621 to step S623 are similar to the processes from step S601 to step S603 shown in FIG. 10, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the control unit 30a transmits the display data to the display unit 40, but the display change process is interrupted due to an abnormality, such as a wireless power supply being interrupted midway through.

Next, the higher-level device 2a transmits a status code read command to the RFIC 10a (step S624). The device control unit 23a of the higher-level device 2a transmits the status code read command to the RFIC 10a via the R/W unit 21.

Next, the RFIC 10a transmits a response (0x00, "NULL") to the higher-level device 2a (step S625). In response to the status code read command, the wireless communication unit 11 of the RFIC 10a reads a status code from the status code storage unit 131. Here, the status code is an abnormal termination code (0x00, "NULL"). The wireless communication unit 11 transmits a response including the abnormal termination code (0x00, "NULL") to the higher-level device 2a.

Next, the higher-level device 2a executes a status determination process (step S626). The device control unit 23a of the higher-level device 2a determines the status of the electronic device 1a (the display status of the display unit 40) based on the status code included in the received response. Here, because the status code is an abnormal termination code (0x00, "NULL"), the device control unit 23a determines that the display change of the display unit 40 has terminated abnormally.

As described above, the electronic device 1a according to this embodiment includes the display unit 40, the wireless communication unit 11, the status code storage unit 131 (status information storage unit), and the control unit 30a. The display unit 40 displays information having non-volatile memory properties. The wireless communication unit 11 receives power from wireless power supply and communicates with the higher-level device 2a via wireless communication. The status code storage unit 131 stores status information indicating the status of the display unit 40 in response to a display change request for changing the display of the display unit 40. The control unit 30a changes the display of the display unit 40 in response to a display change request based on the received information received by the wireless communication unit 11, and stores status information in the status code storage unit 131 in response to a change in the status of the display unit 40 when changing the display of the display unit 40. Then, when the wireless communication unit 11 receives a transmission command (e.g., a read command) requesting the transmission of a status code (status information) from the higher-level device 2a via wireless communication, the wireless communication unit 11 transmits the status code stored in the status code storage unit 131 to the higher-level device 2a via wireless communication.

As a result, the electronic device 1a according to this embodiment can confirm the display change by the higher-level device 2a acquiring the status code stored in the status code storage unit 131, and there is no need to visually confirm the display change on the display unit 40. In other words, the electronic device 1a according to this embodiment can automate the confirmation of whether the display change has been performed normally. The electronic device 1a according to this embodiment can automatically confirm whether the display change has been performed normally, for example, even if the power supply via wireless power supply is interrupted or a power shortage occurs in the middle of the display change.

In addition, in this embodiment, the status data includes a normal end code (normal end information) indicating that the display change on the display unit 40 has been completed normally, an abnormal end code (abnormal end information) indicating that the display change on the display unit 40 has been interrupted midway, and an abnormal state code (abnormal state information) indicating that an abnormal state exists in which the display change on the display unit 40 is not possible.

As a result, the electronic device 1a according to this embodiment can check not only whether the display change was performed normally, but also the reason why the display change was not performed normally (abnormal termination or abnormal state).

In this embodiment, the abnormal state includes a state in which there is insufficient power to change the display on the display unit 40, or a state in which the temperature is outside the range in which the display on the display unit 40 can be changed.
As a result, the electronic device 1a of this embodiment can properly recognize when a display change cannot be performed normally due to an abnormal condition, such as a condition in which there is insufficient power to perform the display change or a condition in which the temperature range in which the display can be changed on the display unit 40 is outside the range, at which the display can be changed.

The electronic device system 100a according to this embodiment includes the electronic device 1a and a higher-level device 2a. The higher-level device 2a determines the state of the electronic device 1a with respect to display changes based on a status code acquired from the electronic device 1a.
As a result, the electronic device system 100a according to this embodiment has the same effect as the electronic device 1a described above, and can automate the confirmation of whether or not the display has been changed normally.

Moreover, the status checking method according to the present embodiment is a status checking method for electronic device 1a including display unit 40, wireless communication unit 11, and status code storage unit 131 described above, and includes a processing step and a checking step. In the processing step, control unit 30a changes the display of display unit 40 in response to a display change request based on received information received by wireless communication unit 11, and stores status information in status code storage unit 131 in response to a change in status related to display unit 40 when changing the display of display unit 40. In the checking step, higher-level device 2a checks the status of the display change of display unit 40 based on the status code stored in status code storage unit 131.
As a result, the state checking method according to the present embodiment has the same effect as the electronic device 1a described above, and can automate the checking of whether the display change has been performed normally.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, although the above embodiments have been described as being implemented independently, the present invention is not limited to this, and the embodiments may be implemented in combination of part or all of the embodiments.

For example, the second embodiment may be implemented in combination with the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the electronic device system 100 (100a) may execute both types of confirmation processing, the two-dimensional code and the status code, or may switch between the two types depending on the configuration of the higher-level device 2 (2a).

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the two-dimensional code storage unit 351 is provided in the non-volatile storage memory 35, but this is not limited to the above, and the two-dimensional code storage unit 351 may be provided in other configurations (e.g., the RFIC 10 (10a) or the control unit 30 (30a)).

In the above second embodiment, the status code storage unit 131 is provided in the RFIC 10a, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided in the control unit 30 (30a). In addition, the status code storage unit 131 is provided in a RAM, which is a volatile memory, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM. If the status code storage unit 131 is provided in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM, the control unit 30a must store an abnormal termination code (0x00) in the status code storage unit 131 every time before changing the display.

In the above embodiment, the status code memory unit 131 is included in the management memory unit 13a, but the user memory unit 12 may also include the status code memory unit 131. The RFIC 10 (10a) may also be configured to divide the memory unit into the user memory unit 12 and the management memory unit 13 (13a).

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the code image is a two-dimensional code, and the two-dimensional code is a QR code (registered trademark), but this is not limited to this, and other types of two-dimensional codes such as two-dimensional barcodes may also be used. In addition, the code image may be, for example, a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a character string that can be subjected to OCR (optical character recognition).

Each component of the electronic device system 100 (100a) described above has a computer system inside. A program for implementing the functions of each component of the electronic device system 100 (100a) described above may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to perform processing in each component of the electronic device system 100 (100a) described above. Here, "reading a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into the computer system. The "computer system" referred to here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.
Furthermore, a "computer system" may include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including the Internet or communication lines such as a WAN, LAN, or dedicated line. Furthermore, a "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, or a CD-ROM, and a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

The recording medium also includes an internal or external recording medium accessible from a distribution server to distribute the program. The program may be divided into multiple parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined by the components of the electronic device system 100 (100a), or each divided program may be distributed by a different distribution server. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" includes a recording medium that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that becomes a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network. The program may also be a recording medium for implementing part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

In addition, some or all of the above-mentioned functions may be realized as an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each of the above-mentioned functions may be individually processed, or some or all of the functions may be integrated into a processor. The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI appears due to advances in semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit based on that technology may be used.

1, 1a Electronic equipment 2, 2a Host device 10, 10a RFIC
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 wireless communication unit 12 user memory unit 13, 13a management memory unit 21 R/W unit 22 imaging unit 23 device control unit 30, 30a control unit 35 non-volatile storage memory 40 display unit 100, 100a electronic device system 131 status code memory unit 351 two-dimensional code memory unit

Claims (10)

A display unit having a non-volatile memory function;
a wireless communication unit that receives power through wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device through wireless communication;
a control unit that changes the display of the display unit in response to a display change request based on reception information received by the wireless communication unit, and causes the display unit to display a code image indicating a display state after the change ,
The display state includes a display state in which all display on the display unit is erased,
When the changed display state is a display state in which all display on the display unit is erased, the control unit causes the display unit to display the code image indicating the display state in which all display on the display unit is erased.
1. An electronic device comprising: a code image storage unit that stores the display state and the code image in association with each other,
The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit acquires the code image corresponding to the display state from the code image storage unit, and displays the acquired code image at a predetermined position on the display unit. a state information storage unit that stores state information indicating a state of the display unit in response to the display change request,
the control unit changes the display of the display unit in response to the display change request, and causes the state information storage unit to store the state information in response to a change in a state related to the display unit when the display of the display unit is changed;
The electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that when the wireless communication unit receives a transmission command requesting the transmission of the status information from the higher-level device via the wireless communication, the wireless communication unit transmits the status information stored in the status information storage unit to the higher - level device via the wireless communication. The electronic device according to claim 3, characterized in that the status information includes normal completion information indicating that the display change of the display unit was completed normally, abnormal completion information indicating that the display change of the display unit was interrupted midway , and abnormal status information indicating that an abnormal status is present in which the display change of the display unit is impossible. 5. The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the abnormal state includes a state in which there is insufficient power for changing the display on the display unit, or a state in which the temperature on the display unit is outside a temperature range in which the display can be changed. A display unit having a non-volatile memory function;
a wireless communication unit that receives power through wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device through wireless communication;
a state information storage unit that stores state information indicating a state of the display unit in response to a display change request that changes the display of the display unit;
a control unit that changes the display of the display unit in response to the display change request based on the reception information received by the wireless communication unit, and stores the state information in the state information storage unit in response to a change in a state related to the display unit when the display of the display unit is changed;
when receiving a transmission command requesting transmission of the status information from the higher-level device via the wireless communication, the wireless communication unit transmits the status information stored in the status information storage unit to the higher-level device via the wireless communication;
The status information includes normal end information indicating that the display change on the display unit has been normally ended, abnormal end information indicating that the display change on the display unit has been interrupted midway, and abnormal status information indicating that the display change on the display unit is in an abnormal status in which it is impossible to change the display.
1. An electronic device comprising: An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ;
a detection unit that detects the code image displayed on the display unit;
and the host device that determines a state regarding a display change of the electronic device based on the code image detected by the detection unit. An electronic device according to any one of claims 3 to 6 ;
and the higher-level device that determines a state of the electronic device related to a display change based on the state information acquired from the electronic device. A method for checking the status of an electronic device including a display unit that displays a non-volatile memory and a wireless communication unit that receives power through wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device through wireless communication, comprising:
a processing step of causing a control unit to change the display of the display unit in response to a display change request based on reception information received by the wireless communication unit, and to display on the display unit a code image indicating a display state after the change;
a confirmation step of the upper device confirming a state of the display change of the display unit based on the code image displayed on the display unit ,
The display state includes a display state in which all display on the display unit is erased,
In the processing step, when the changed display state is a display state in which all display on the display unit is erased, the control unit causes the display unit to display the code image indicating the display state in which all display on the display unit is erased.
A status checking method comprising: A method for checking a state of an electronic device including a display unit that performs a display having a non-volatile memory property, a wireless communication unit that receives power by wireless power supply and communicates with a higher-level device by wireless communication, and a state information storage unit that stores state information indicating a state of the display unit in response to a display change request that changes the display of the display unit,
a processing step of changing the display of the display unit in response to the display change request based on the reception information received by the wireless communication unit, by the control unit, and storing the state information in the state information storage unit in response to a change in a state related to the display unit when changing the display of the display unit;
a confirmation step in which the higher-level device confirms a state of a display change on the display unit based on the state information stored in the state information storage unit ,
The status information includes normal end information indicating that the display change on the display unit has been normally ended, abnormal end information indicating that the display change on the display unit has been interrupted midway, and abnormal status information indicating that the display change on the display unit is in an abnormal status in which it is impossible to change the display.
A status checking method comprising:

Images