Abstract:
An energy saving switch device for an electronic apparatus, including: a power control unit, determining whether to provide an external power to the electronic apparatus according to an external control signal; a switch unit, coupled to the power control unit and the external power, and when receiving a power off signal, electrically disconnecting the external power from the electronic apparatus; and a detection unit, detecting whether a user is inside a predetermined range when the power control unit is not providing the external power to the electronic apparatus, and generating the power off signal when the user is not inside the predetermined range.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 100124553, filed on Jul. 12, 2011, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The disclosure relates generally to an energy saving switch device, and more particularly relates to an energy saving switch device operating based on the status of a user and an electronic apparatus. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Nowadays many family electric appliances have a standby mode for reducing power consumption. However, even though these family electric appliances enter the standby mode or power off mode, parts of the modules in the family electric appliance remain working in order to enable a user to reuse the family electric appliance immediately. Thus, some power is still consumed, and the energy is consumed in vain when the family electric appliance is not used for a long time. Also, a user must pull a plug out when making the power consumption of a conventional family electric appliance become zero, it is inconvenient for a use to pull the plug out every time. Thus, a convenient energy saving switch device is needed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An embodiment of an energy saving switch device for an electronic apparatus is provided, comprising: a power control unit, determining whether to provide an external power to the electronic apparatus according to an external control signal; a switch unit, coupled to the power control unit and the external power, and when receiving a power off signal, electrically disconnecting the external power from the electronic apparatus; and a detection unit, detecting whether a user is inside a predetermined range when the power control unit is not providing the external power to the electronic apparatus, and generating the power off signal when the user is not inside the predetermined range. 
         [0007]    An embodiment of an energy saving switch device for an electronic apparatus, comprising: a power control unit, determining whether to provide an external power to the electronic apparatus according to an external control signal; a switch unit, coupled to the power control unit and the external power, and when receiving a power off signal, electrically disconnecting the external power from the electronic apparatus; and a detection unit, detecting whether the external control signal has been received during a predetermined period of time when the power control unit is not providing the external power to the electronic apparatus, and generating the power off signal when the external control signal has not been received during the predetermined period of time. 
         [0008]    An embodiment of an energy saving switch method is provided, comprising: determining whether a power control unit provides an external power to an electronic apparatus according to an external control signal; detecting whether a user is inside a predetermined range when the power control unit is not providing the external power to the electronic apparatus; generating the power off signal when the user is not inside the predetermined range; and electrically disconnecting the external power from the electronic apparatus when receiving a power off signal. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention will become more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an energy saving switch device  100 ; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for the energy saving switch device  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The making and using of the embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the embodiments provide many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an energy saving switch device  100 . The energy saving switch device  100  comprises a power control unit  110 , a switch unit  120  and a detection unit  130 . The power control unit  110  determines whether to provide an external power  140  to an electronic apparatus  150  according to an external control signal CTL (for example, from a remote controller or a power button on the electronic apparatus  150 ), such that the electronic apparatus  150  (for example, a display or a television) is turned on or off accordingly. The switch unit  120  is coupled to the power control unit  110  and the external power  140  respectively, and controls the connection/disconnection between the power control unit  110  and the external power  140 . When the switch unit  120  receives a power off signal PWoff, the switch unit  120  electrically disconnects the power control unit  110  from the external power  140 , such that a shut down operation is performed. For example, the switch unit  120  can be a snap switch, electromagnetic switch, solid state relay, or any switch device which can physically perform electrically disconnection. 
         [0014]    When the power control unit  110  is not providing an external power  140  to the electronic apparatus  150  (such as, in a standby mode or in a power off mode), the power control unit  110  turns on the detection unit  130  for detecting whether a user is inside the predetermined range. For example, the detection unit  130  can be an infrared sensor device, image capture device, light sensor device, electromagnetic detector device, or any detection device which can detect whether a user is inside a specific zone. The detection unit  130  generates the power off signal PWoff when there is no user inside the predetermined range, and then the switch unit  120  electrically disconnects the power control unit  110  from the external power  140  according to the power off signal PWoff. On the other hand, when the detection unit  130  detects that there is a user inside the predetermined range, the switch unit  120  keeps the power control unit  110  electrical connected to the external power  140 , and the electronic apparatus  150  keeps operating in a standby mode or a power off mode. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, when the power control unit  110  is not providing an external power  140  to an electronic apparatus  150 , the power control unit  110  turns on the detection unit  130 . The detection unit  130  generates the power off signal PWoff when there is continually no user inside the predetermined range during a period of time, and then the switch unit  120  electrically disconnects the power control unit  110  from the external power  140  according to the power off signal PWoff. On the other hand, when the detection unit  130  detects that there is a user inside the predetermined range during a period of time, the switch unit  120  keeps the power control unit  110  electrical connected to the external power  140 , and the electronic apparatus  150  keeps operating in a standby mode or a power off mode. Thus, power consumption is reduced, and a user does not need to take extra time to power on the apparatus repetitiously when the user merely shutdowns the apparatus temporarily. 
         [0016]    In some embodiments, when the power control unit  110  is not providing an external power  140  to an electronic apparatus  150  (such as, in a standby mode or in a power off mode), the power control unit  110  turns on the detection unit  130 . The detection unit  130  detects whether the external control signal CTL has been received. The detection unit  130  generates the power off signal PWoff when the external control signal CTL is continually not detected during a period of time, and then the switch unit  120  electrically disconnects the power control unit  110  from the external power  140  according to the power off signal PWoff. On the other hand, when the detection unit  130  detects that the external control signal CTL has been received during a period of time, the switch unit  120  keeps the power control unit  110  electrical connected to the external power  140  until the detection unit  130  does not detect the external control signal CTL during a period of time, and the electronic apparatus  150  keeps operating in a standby mode or a power off mode. Thus, power consumption is reduced, and a user does not need to take extra time to power on electrical apparatus  150  repetitiously when the user merely shutdowns the apparatus temporarily. For example, if the electrical apparatus  150  is a display, a user can use a remote controller to transmit the external control signal CTL to the power control unit  110  for turning on/off the electrical apparatus  150 . After the electrical apparatus  150  shuts down, the switch unit  120  can electrically disconnect the power control unit  110  from the external power  140  if the user does not transmit the external control signal CTL during a period of time, such that power consumption is reduced. Due to the external power  140  remaining electrical connected to the electronic apparatus  150  during the period of time, the user still can use the remote controller to transmit the external control signal CTL to the power control unit  110  for turning on/off the electrical apparatus  150  during the period of time. 
         [0017]    It should be noted, that the external power  140  provides power to the energy saving switch device  100  and the electrical apparatus  150  via the switch unit  120 , and the electrical apparatus  150  further needs the power control unit  110  for obtaining the power from the external power  140 . Thus, when the power control unit  110  does not provides power to the electrical apparatus  150 , namely the electrical apparatus  150  turns off, the external power  140  still can provide power to the energy saving switch device  100 , and the power control unit  110  can turn on the electrical apparatus  150  when the control signal is received, such that the energy saving switch device  100  remains operating. Also, when the switch unit  120  electrically disconnects the power control unit  110  from the external power  140 , the energy saving switch device  100  and the electrical apparatus  150  can not obtain power, such that power consumption is zero. The user should manually turn on the switch unit  120  to electrically connect the power control unit  110  to the external power  140 , when the user wants to turn on the energy saving switch device  100  and the electrical apparatus  150 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for the energy saving switch device  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . In the step S 202 , the power control unit  110  sets the electronic apparatus  150  to a power off mode or a standby mode according to the external control signal CTL, and does not provide the external power  140  to the electronic apparatus  150 . In step S 204 , the detection unit  130  is turned on and detects whether a user is inside the predetermined range. When the detection unit  130  detects that there is no user inside the predetermined range, the step proceeds to step S 206 A. When the detection unit  130  detects that there is a user inside the predetermined range, the step proceeds to step S 206 B. 
         [0019]    In step S 206 A, the detection unit  130  generates the power off signal PWoff. In step S 208 , the switch unit  120  electrically disconnects the power control unit  110  from external power  140  according to the power off signal PWoff. In step S 206 B, the switch unit  120  keeps power control unit  110  electrically connected to the external power  140 , and the electronic apparatus  150  keeps operating in a standby mode or a power off mode, and the step returns to step S 204  for continually detecting whether a user is inside the predetermined range. 
         [0020]    In another embodiment, in the step S 204 , the detection unit  130  can detect whether a user is inside the predetermined range for a predetermined period of time. When the detection unit  130  detects that there is continually no user inside the predetermined range during the predetermined period of time, the step proceeds to step S 206 A, otherwise the step proceeds to step S 206 B. 
         [0021]    In another embodiment, in the step S 204 , the detection unit  130  can detect whether the external control signal CTL has been received. When the detection unit  130  continually does not detect the external control signal CTL during a predetermined period of time, the step proceeds to step S 206 A, otherwise the step proceeds to step S 206 B. 
         [0022]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those who are skilled in this technology can still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.