JPH117345A - Information equipment and power supply control method for information equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] The present invention realizes power saving by effectively using power supply control to a communication device, and prepares a plurality of power saving modes to allow a user to select a mode. The main features of the present invention are to construct a power supply control method for a communication device capable of realizing power saving according to an application and a communication system realizing the method. An information apparatus supplies a power to a communication device in a mode in which power is always supplied to the communication device, a mode in which power is limited to a communication device (a mode in which power is completely cut off, and a device in which power is supplied only when the communication device is used). An active-only mode is prepared, and power saving is realized by switching modes using the GUI device 6. The mode once set is set as a default unless a switching request is made during operation. The setting can be easily made using the GUI depending on whether the user gives priority to power saving or usability.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information device and a power supply control method for the information device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of personal computers, notebooks that are small, light, and easy to carry have become popular in place of conventional desktops. In this type of personal computer, a PC card is inserted into a slot to connect optional equipment. The system is extended with. S used when expanding a LAN (Local Area Network) card, a fixed disk device, and an optical disk device as communication devices
The CSI card is a representative.

By the way, power is always supplied to the LAN card connected to the above information equipment. This is because there is a possibility that the information may be accessed from another information device that constructs the network at any time when realizing the LAN, and it is necessary to always set the device to a usable state.

[0004]

According to the conventional example described above, especially in a battery-powered information device, it is necessary to prepare for access from another information device which is not known when it occurs.
There is always a finite battery supply obligation, which is not desirable from the viewpoint of battery life. Further, even in a situation where communication is not possible due to disconnection of the LAN cable, power is always supplied to the LAN card, which is very wasteful.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and realizes power saving by effectively using power supply control to a LAN card, and prepares a plurality of power saving modes for a user. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information device and a power supply control method for the information device capable of realizing power saving according to a use by being selected.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An information device and a power supply control method for the information device according to the present invention include a first mode in which power is always supplied to a communication device in an information device having a communication device; And a power saving control is performed by setting or switching the mode.

As a second mode for limiting power supply,
There is a mode in which power is supplied only when the information device performs communication, and a mode in which power supply to the communication device is cut off. The mode setting and switching are performed at the time of environment setting or during use of the information device in accordance with the user's request, the information device main body displays a screen for prompting the user to input the mode setting or switching, and the user performs the instruction input This is achieved by:

[0008] Thus, power saving is realized by restricting power supply according to the usage state of the communication device. In particular, the effect of power saving obtained in battery-powered information equipment is great.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, only the blocks related to the present invention are extracted and shown from the internal configuration of the notebook type information device. In the figure, 1 is a CP which is a control center.
U. The CPU 1 executes a program stored in the ROM 2 and the RAM 3 using a work area allocated to the RAM 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a flash memory, which stores system configuration information. 5 is LA as a communication device
N card. The LAN card 5 performs communication such as data exchange with another information device connected via the communication path 11 under the control of the CPU 1. Reference numeral 6 denotes an input / output device which includes a keyboard, a mouse, and a display and is necessary for realizing a GUI described later. Reference numeral 7 denotes a large-capacity file device such as a fixed disk.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a power supply control device (PCS). The power supply control device 8 receives power supply from the power supply device 9 and
Power supply distribution and supply control to each input / output device including 1 are performed. The power supply control device 8 has a built-in one-chip microcomputer,
While performing data exchange with the CPU 1 by polling, an optimal power supply control described later is performed. Reference numeral 10 denotes a system bus. The power supply device 9 is configured to convert AC power (AC) supplied from the outside into DC and supply the power, or to supply DC power supplied from an external AC adapter. The battery 13 is configured to supply power from the battery 13.

FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3 to 5 are views cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 to 5
1 are the same as those in FIG. 1, in which a LAN card 5 is inserted into an information device, and a LAN line is illustrated as a communication path 11.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the information equipment has three power modes. One is a normal mode, in which the LAN card 5 is always supplied with power,
Transmission and reception using the AN card 5 is possible. The other is an active-only mode, in which power is supplied to the LAN card 5 only when the information device intends to perform communication such as data exchange with another information device using the LAN. Supply. Therefore, in this mode, access from another information device to this information device is not guaranteed.
Note that this mode includes a case where the state shifts to a low power consumption state, that is, a so-called standby state when the LAN card 5 is not used. The other is a LAN prohibition mode, in which case no power is supplied to the LAN card 5.

In the flowchart shown in FIG.
The mode setting for power supply to the N card 5 (step S1) is performed according to an environment setting screen at the time of system initialization, or the environment setting screen is displayed by pressing a specific key while the system is operating, and the user setting is performed. (Steps S2, S3, S4). In either case, the contents are recorded in the flash memory 4 (step S
5) The mode is reflected as a default in subsequent operations. The power supply control device 8 always supplies power to the LAN card 5 in the normal mode, and supplies power to the LAN card 5 only when using the LAN in the active-only mode. In the case of the mode, control is performed so that power supply to the LAN card 5 is prohibited (step S6).

FIG. 3 is a model diagram showing a state where power is always supplied to the LAN card 5 when power is supplied to the information equipment from the outside. That is, the power supply device 9 operates to convert the AC power supplied from the outside into DC and supply the power to the LAN card 5 or supply the DC power supplied from the external AC adapter to the LAN card 5. In other words, in other words, a model diagram when power is not supplied from the battery is shown. As described above, when power is supplied from the outside and power is not supplied from the internal battery, power is supplied in the normal mode in which power is always supplied to the LAN card 5 under the control of the power supply control device 8. At this time, the information equipment can mutually perform communication such as data exchange with the external information equipment via the LAN card 5 and the communication line 11. As described above, it is assumed that information equipment is installed on a desk in an office and used as a case where power is always supplied to the LAN card 5 in the normal mode.

FIG. 4 shows that the power is supplied from the battery to the LAN card 5 only when the information device is not supplied with power from the outside and only communicates with the external information device using the LAN card 5. FIG. 7 is a model diagram showing a state in which the operation is performed. As described above, when the power is not supplied from the outside and the power is supplied from the internal battery, the LAN card 5 communicates with the external information device under the control of the power supply control device 8. Power is supplied in an active-only mode in which power is supplied from the battery only in those cases. Only when communication is performed with an external information device using the LAN card 5 as described above, the
As a case of supplying power to the AN card 5, it is assumed that the LAN card 5 is connected to the LAN at the point where the information device is carried to communicate with other information devices.

FIG. 5 shows that the information equipment is not supplied with power from the outside, the information equipment is driven by a battery,
FIG. 4 is a model diagram showing a state where power is not supplied to the LAN card 5; As described above, when power is not supplied from the outside and power is supplied from the internal battery, the LAN card 5 is controlled by the power control device 8.
No power is supplied to the LAN prohibition mode.
As described above, as a case where power is not supplied to the LAN card 5, a case where the information device is used without carrying out communication using the LAN card 5 is assumed.

When the power control device 8 detects that power is not supplied to the information device from outside, it is determined that the information device is carried. In this case, LAN
There is a high possibility that the card 5 is not connected to the LAN. Therefore, when the power supply control device 8 detects that power is not supplied from the outside to the information device, it is an opportunity to switch from the normal mode to the active only mode or the LAN prohibition mode. At this time, whether to switch to the active-only mode or the LAN prohibition mode is set by the user using a GUI (Graphical User Interface) and designated by the mouse.

The above three modes can be changed at any time by the user's specification. For example, if the user wants to use the LAN even in the LAN prohibition mode, a means for changing to the normal mode or the active only mode is prepared. doing. These means can be instructed by the user with a mouse click or the like by using a GUI. These modes provide a means by which the information device can be stored as a default, and do not require the user to reset the settings each time the information device is powered down.

That is, the mode information selected and input here is stored in the flash memory 4 together with other configuration information, and thereafter, is reflected as a default unless the setting is changed. When the system is initialized, an environment setting screen is displayed by the CPU 1 via the GUI device 6, and the CPU 1 prompts the user to set a power supply mode for the LAN card 5 as part of the environment setting. The user is initially set to one of the three power saving modes displayed on the environment setting screen by selecting and inputting the mode using a mouse.

The above-mentioned mode setting and switching can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, use is stopped in the limited mode by the battery drive (power is temporarily turned off), and the use environment changes later to
When restarting (power ON) with C supply,
It is conceivable that the power supply control device 8 checks the AC supply state and forcibly sets the normal mode, or sets the normal mode by displaying a screen prompting the user every time through the GUI. The reverse is also true.

Further, in the embodiments of the present invention, only a LAN card is exemplified as a communication device, but the present invention is not limited to this. It can be applied to all communication devices.

As described above, the present invention relates to an information device having a mode for always supplying power to a communication device and a mode for limiting power supply to a communication device, and enabling switching between these modes. This is a feature that realizes power saving and has the following features.

(1) As a mode for restricting power supply, for example, a mode in which power is supplied only when a LAN card is used and a mode in which power is not supplied completely are prepared, and the information device is initialized or operated. G inside
Use the UI to leave the selection to the user.

(2) The mode switching is automatically performed when the external power supply to the information device is not performed as a trigger.

(3) The mode selected by the user is reflected as a default in subsequent operations.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, LA
Communication that realizes power saving by effectively using the control of power supply to the N card and that can realize power saving according to the application by preparing a plurality of power saving modes and allowing the user to select the mode. Power supply control method for the device, and to build a communication system that realizes the method,
In particular, the expected effect is large in a battery-driven type information device, and the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Power saving can be achieved by controlling the power supply according to the usage status of the LAN card.

(2) The user can select whether to prioritize power saving or to prioritize usability of the information device according to the purpose of use.

(3) By using the GUI, an unskilled user can easily set or switch modes.

(4) When the battery is used, the life of the battery can be extended by automatically shifting to a mode in which the power consumption by the LAN card is reduced.

(5) By default setting of the mode selected by the user, it is not necessary to reset the mode once set every time the information equipment is started.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a power supply situation cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a power supply state cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a power supply state cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 2 ... ROM, 3 ... RAM, 4 ... Flash memory, 5 ... LAN card, 6 ... GUI device, 7 ... Large capacity memory, 8 ... Power supply control device, 9 ... Power supply device, 10
... system bus, 11 ... communication path.

Claims (13)

[Claims] An information device having a communication device has a first mode for constantly supplying power to the communication device, and a second mode for restricting power supply to the communication device,
A power supply control method for an information device, characterized in that the first mode and the second mode are controlled so as to be switchable. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second mode is a third mode in which power is supplied only when the communication device is used, or a fourth mode in which power supply to the communication device is cut off. The power supply control method for an information device according to claim 1. 3. The mode switching setting according to a user's request, wherein the information device displays a screen for inputting a user instruction for mode setting or switching, and the user inputs the instruction. 1. A power supply control method for an information device according to item 1. 4. The power supply control method for an information device according to claim 1, wherein the switched mode is set as a default mode thereafter. 5. A first mode for operating on the basis of a power supplied from outside and a power supplied from an internal battery, and for constantly supplying power to the communication device in an information device having the communication device. And a second mode for restricting power supply to the communication device, wherein the first mode and the second mode are controlled to be switchably settable. . 6. The second mode is one of a third mode in which power is supplied only when the communication device is used and a fourth mode in which power supply to the communication device is cut off. The power supply control method for an information device according to claim 5. 7. The mode switching setting according to a user's request, wherein the information device displays a screen for inputting a user instruction for mode setting or switching, and the user inputs the instruction. 5. A power supply control method for an information device according to item 5. 8. The power supply control method for an information device according to claim 5, wherein the switched mode is set as a default mode thereafter. 9. The power supply for an information device according to claim 5, wherein the power supply from the outside is stopped, and the mode is switched from the first mode to the second mode based on the detection. Supply control method. 10. A screen which prompts the user to input a user instruction for mode setting or switching based on the detection that the external power supply is stopped. A power supply control method for an information device according to claim 5, 11. A communication device for communicating with an external device via a communication path, a first mode for constantly supplying power to the communication device, and a second mode for restricting power supply to the communication device. An information device comprising: power supply control means having a mode of: 12. The second mode is one of a third mode in which power is supplied only when the communication device is used and a fourth mode in which power is not supplied to the communication device. The information device according to claim 11, wherein 13. A communication device for performing communication between an external power supply means, a battery, and an external device via a communication path, and a first control mode for constantly supplying power to the communication device. Power supply control means having a second control mode for restricting power supply to the communication device; detection means for detecting that power supply from the power supply means has stopped; and detection results of the detection means. An information device comprising: a mode switching unit configured to switch from the first control mode to the second control mode based on the first control mode.