Patent ID: 6771250
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: G06F,Y02D,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of preventing unwanted, accidental launching of an application program and concomitant power consumption in a computer system, said system comprising a launcher program in which a plurality of application programs are registered, a launcher switch for generating a launching signal to cause an application program to begin execution, and a microcomputer which performs an interrupt in response to the launching signal, the method comprising steps of:(a) determining an operating mode of the computer system in response to the generated launching signal when the launcher switch is activated; (b) when the operating mode is determined to be a normal mode, executing said launcher program to display a menu list on a screen of the computer system, said menu list including menu items identifying said plurality of application programs and a blank menu item; (c) determining whether said launching switch is activated within a predetermined time period while said menu list is displayed; (d) if said launching switch is not activated within said predetermined time period, changing said operating mode from the normal mode to a sleep mode to conserve power; (e) if said launching switch is activated within said predetermined time period, determining whether one of said menu items identifying one of said plurality of application programs is selected; (f) if one of said menu items identifying one of said plurality of application programs is not selected, determining whether the generated launching signal is a menu scroll signal; (g) if said generated launching signal is not a menu scroll signal, returning to step (c) and determining whether said launching switch is activated again within said predetermined time period while said menu list is displayed, the launching of any of the application programs being prevented until it is determined in step (e) that one of said menu items identifying one of said plurality of application programs is selected; and (h) if it is determined in step (e) that one of said menu items identifying one of said plurality of application programs is selected; launching the selected application program.