Method and system for controlling power in a computer system

Abstract: In a computer system in which a plurality of peripheral devices connected to it are driven by virtue of a battery power source accommodated in a computer body, a method of controlling device power includes the steps of: displaying SET-UP menu information for setting operating conditions of the devices, said information including a device selection item; selecting one or more devices in accordance with the device selection item; and supplying electric power to the selected device or devices.

Description: The present invention relates to a method of supplying electric power to one or more peripheral devices in a computer system driven by a battery, and to a computer system utilizing such a method. In a personal computer system, a personal computer is generally connected to a plurality of peripheral devices, for example, a CRT display, a MODEM and the like. When such a computer system is driven by an AC power source, there is no problem even if it is supplied with electricity at all times irrespective of its use. In recent years, the personal computer has tended to be formed into a compact size and become portable. Nowadays, there is an increased demand to use the personal computer anywhere, resulting in the necessity of driving the computer system with the use of a battery. The conventional computer system is always supplied with electricity irrespective of the use of peripheral devices, since it is generally driven by the AC power source. Even in the computer system driven by the battery, the peripheral devices are always supplied with electricity after the system has been turned on, resulting disadvantageously in unnecessary consumption of the battery. EP-A-0 172 344 discloses an arrangement for interrupting the supply of power to devices of a computer system, by means of a user command (whose manner of generation is not specified) in the case of a floating point processor, and by means of an operating system in the case of an external storage device (floppy disc unit/controller) and a modem. The present invention has been developed with a view to substantially eliminating the above described disadvantage of unnecessary consumption of battery power, and therefore has for its object to provide a method of controlling device power in a computer system in which a battery power source accommodated within a computer body may be effectively used. In one aspect the present invention provides a method of controlling device power in a computer system in which a plurality of peripheral devices connected thereto, externally with respect to the body of a central computer unit, are driven by virtue of a battery power source accommodated within said computer unit body, the method comprising: generating and displaying SET-UP menu information for setting operating conditions of said devices, said information including a user-operable device selection item; selecting any of said devices in accordance with said device selection item; and supplying electric power from said battery power source to the selected device or devices; said device selection being executed at the time of initial setting after the computer system has been powered ON, each of said devices being at that time powered OFF. In another aspect, the present invention provides a computer system in which a plurality of peripheral devices connected or connectable thereto, externally with respect to the body of a central computer unit, are adapted to receive power from a battery power source accommodated within said computer unit body, the computer system including means for causing power to be supplied from the battery power source selectively to the or any peripheral device, and means for generating and displaying on a display of the system a menu from which an instruction for selectively powering ON a desired peripheral device can be input by a user, the or each peripheral device being powered OFF when the computer system is initially powered ON. According to the invention, since only the or each selected device is supplied with electric power, and since the or each device is powered OFF when the system is initially powered ON, unnecessary consumption of battery power is efficiently prevented. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit of the system of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of a switching circuit provided in a power unit of the system of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a flow-chart showing the processing in the system of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a view showing an example of the display of SET-UP menu information. Referring first to Fig. 1, a computer system according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a portable personal computer body 1 to which several peripheral devices, for example, a CRT display 5, a printer 6 and a telephone circuit (not shown) are connected through respective connector cables. The computer body 1 is provided with a keyboard 2, a liquid crystal display unit 3 and a floppy disc 4 detachably mounted therein. The keyboard 2 is provided with a plurality of alphanumeric keys, a function key and the like. The peripheral devices can be selected by the keyboard 2 or through software processing so as to be out of operation unless occasion demands. The computer body 1 accommodates a control unit for controlling the peripheral devices and is driven by either an AC power source or the secondary battery. Fig. 2 depicts a block diagram of the system of Fig. 1. In the block diagram of Fig. 2, a CPU 10 controls the system on the basis of a system program and an application program which are stored in a ROM 11 and a RAM 12, respectively. The RAM 12 is backed up at all times by the secondary battery. Reference numeral 13 is a VRAM (Video RAM) which develops into a dot pattern various data produced by the aforementioned programs and stores therein display data correspondingly to a display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 3. Reference numeral 14 is a floppy disc drive unit. The keyboard 2 is further provided with a SET-UP key, a SPACE key and a CURSOR key as the keys related to the present invention for setting operating conditions for the computer system. The liquid crystal display unit 3 is a large-sized one of a large number of dot segments and is provided with a back light of an EL panel, a cold cathode ray tube or the like. Reference numeral 17 is a parallel interface unit, to which the printer 6 is connected, for performing interface control. The parallel interface unit 17 may be replaced by a serial interface as occasion demands. Reference numeral 18 is a CRT adapter unit which is capable of changing a coloured screen to a monochromatic one or the latter to the former by virtue of unit replacement. This adapter unit 18 is the unit for converting digital data produced by the computer system into video signals, for example, composite signals. Reference numeral 19 is a MODEM unit which is connected to a telephone circuit and may be replaced through unit replacement by an SIO (serial I/O) for connecting an external MODEM. Reference numeral 20 is a power unit containing therein a secondary battery circuit and a power supply circuit. The CPU 10 controls the switching of DC supply lines ℓ3, ℓ4 and ℓ5 connecting the power unit 20 with the parallel interface unit 17, the CRT adapter unit 18 and the MODEM 19, respectively. The power unit 20 supplies the above described circuit units with DC power through a DC supply line ℓ2. The RAM 12 is always supplied with the DC power irrespective of the condition of a power switch. ℓ1 is a bus line for executing data interchange between the CPU 10 and the other units. Fig. 3 depicts a switching circuit provided in the power unit 20. A latch circuit 30 holds the condition of switching control signals PVCRT, PVMDM and PVPRT supplied from the CPU 10 and is reset by a reset signal at the time of initialization. Output terminals of the latch circuit 30 are connected to base terminals of switching transistors Tr1 to Tr3, which are further connected to base terminals of switching transistors Tr4 to Tr6. Upon turning on these transistors Tr4 to Tr6, the DC voltage is supplied to the CRT adapter 18, the MODEM 19 and the parallel interface 17, until the latch circuit 30 is reset or turned off. Reference numeral 31 is a power circuit provided with the secondary battery, which is charged by AC power source and outputs the DC voltage. With reference to Fig. 3 and a flow-chart of Fig. 4, the system operation will be explained hereinafter. When the computer body 1 is turned on, the system is set to the initial condition at step s100 on the basis of an initialization processing program previously stored in the ROM 11 and an OS (operating system) program is commenced. Such a condition enables the user program to start or to be formed. In this event, an operator operates the SET-UP key provided on the keyboard 2 to set the operating conditions of the computer body 1 and other devices (step s101). When any key other than this key is operated, the system executes the processing corresponding to the key which has been operated. Upon operation of the SET-UP key, the procedure proceeds to step s102 at which SET-UP menu data are produced on the basis of the system program of the ROM 11 and are developed into a certain dot pattern to be stored in the VRAM 13. The data stored in the VRAM 13 are displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 3. Setting items of each condition are stored in the RAM 12. These items are decided definitely and displayed as shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, the names of the setting items are displayed on the left side and those of newly set condition are displayed on the right side. For example, when time is newly set, an item name "Time" is initially selected using the CURSOR key. The time is then newly set by inputting appropriate condition using the numeral keys and the like. The item names related to the present invention are designated by the reference numerals 51, 53, 55 and 57. Whenever the CURSOR key is operated at step s103, a cursor counter provided in the RAM 12 is renewed at step s106 and the cursor is set on each of the item names. When the cursor is positioned at "Display Mode 51", the operator can set any one of a monochrome mode, a colour mode and an off mode in which the display 5 is not used. When the cursor is set on "COM1 53" or "COM2 55" related to the MODEM, the operator can select any one of an internal MODEM, an SIO for application of an external MODEM and an off mode. Furthermore, when the cursor is set on "Interface 57", any one of a "Parallel" mode, a "Serial" mode and an off mode can be set. If each control unit is not accommodated in the computer body 1, the aforementioned three items are automatically set. Subsequent to such CURSOR key operations, upon operation of the SPACE key at step s104, the conditions 1 to 3 are changed according to the number of key operations. More specifically, steps s110 to s112, steps s113 to s115 or steps s116 to s118 are processed so that each menu register may be renewed. The aforementioned messages 1 to 3 are then read out in compliance with the register, and are changed and displayed. At the time of completion of the condition establishment, the operator operates an "ENTER" key provided on the keyboard 2 at step s105. At step s120, the contents of each register are stored in an area for condition establishment which has been determined in advance in the RAM 12. If the setting condition is other than the off mode, the signals PVCRT, PVMDM and PVPRT are supplied to the latch circuit 30 to reset it at step s121, thereby turning on or off the transistors Tr1 to Tr6 to switch the power supply to each control unit. The above processes are followed by a data processing routine in which these processes are again performed upon operation of the SET-UP key at step s122. As described above, the peripheral device or devices to be used are selected on the basis of the SET-UP menu at the time the computer system is powered on. This selection initiates the power supply to the desired devices, thus resulting in effective use of the battery power source. Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted here that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the claims.

Claims: A method of controlling device power in a computer system in which a plurality of peripheral devices (5,6) connected thereto, externally with respect to the body (1) of a central computer unit, are driven by virtue of a battery power source (20) accommodated within said computer unit body (1), the method being characterized by comprising: generating and displaying SET-UP menu information (50) for setting operating conditions of said devices, said information including a user-operable device selection item; selecting any of said devices (5,6) in accordance with said device selection item; and supplying electric power from said battery power source (20) to the selected device or devices (5,6); said device selection being executed at the time of initial setting after the computer system has been powered ON, each of said devices (5,6) being at that time powered OFF. A computer system in which a plurality of peripheral devices (5,6) connected thereto, externally with respect to the body (1) of a central computer unit, are adapted to receive power from a battery power source (20) accommodated within said computer unit body (1), the computer system including means (10,30,Tr1-Tr6) for causing power to be supplied from the battery power source (20) selectively to the or any peripheral device (5,6), the system being characterized by comprising means for generating and displaying on a display (3) of the system a SET-UP menu (50) including a user-operable device selection item, means for selecting any of said devices in accordance with said device selection item, and means for selectively powering ON said or each peripheral device selected by a user, the or each peripheral device (5,6) being powered OFF when the computer system is initially powered ON.

Inventors: FUJIKAWA YOSHIYUKI, YABE YASUJI, FUJIKAWA, YOSHIYUKI, YABE, YASUJI
Applicants: SHARP KK, SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G06F1
IPC codes: G06F1