Patent Publication Number: US-2012042183-A1

Title: Apparatus for adjusting computer power mode

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to power adjusting apparatuses and, particularly, to an apparatus for adjusting a computer&#39;s power mode. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Cost-effective computer systems using power adjusting circuits to save energy have been developed to replace ordinary computer systems. However, most of the computer systems using power adjusting circuits need to manually switch operations, as the users usually forget to do it, resulting in wasting the electrical energy. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for adjusting computer power mode, the apparatus is connected to a computer and a power source. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure, including the drawings, is illustrated by way of example and not by limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of an apparatus  100  for adjusting computer power mode, the apparatus  100  includes a setting module  110 , a sensing module  120 , a control module  130 , a display module  140 , a power interface  60 , and an output interface  70 . The control module  130  includes an internal storage device to store a preset time. In one embodiment, the output interface  70  is a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The sensing module  120  is an infrared body sensor. 
     The power interface  60  is connected to a power source  200 , to receive voltages from the power source  200  and provide the received voltages to the apparatus  100 . The apparatus  100  is connected to a computer  300  through the output interface  70 , to output a control signal to a motherboard of the computer  300 , to control the computer  300  to enter a sleep mode or return a working mode. A user of the computer  300  sets a preset time through the setting module  110  before the user leaves, and starts a counting function of the apparatus  100  after the preset time is set. 
     The sensing module  120  detects whether the user has left. When the sensing module  120  detects the user has not left, the sensing module  120  does not output a sensing signal. When the sensing module  120  detects that the user has left, the sensing module  120  outputs a sensing signal to the control module  130 . The control module  130  receives the sensing signal and counts down the preset time stored in the internal storage device, and outputs a display signal to the display module  140  to display current states of the computer  300 . 
     When the preset time of the internal storage device of the control module  130  is reduced to zero, and the control module  130  does not receive a sensing signal from the sensing module  120 . The control module  130  outputs a sleep signal to the motherboard of the computer  300  through the output interface  70 , to control the computer  300  to enter a sleep mode, and outputs a display signal to the display module  140  to display “user left, the computer is in a sleep mode.” In the sleep mode, when the sensing module  120  detects the user comes back, the control module  130  outputs a wake signal to the motherboard of the computer  300  to control the computer  300  to return to a working mode. At the same time, the control module  130  outputs a display signal to the display module  40  to display “the computer is in a working mode.” 
     The display module  140  includes a liquid crystal display (LCD)  50 . The LCD  50  is configured to display the preset time set by the user and current states of the computer  300 , such as a sleep mode or a working mode. 
     The setting module  110  includes a “Clear” button  10 , an “Up” button  20 , a “Down” button  30 , and an “Enter” button  40 . In one embodiment, the “Clear” button  10 , the “Up” button  20 , the “Down” button  40 , the “Enter” button  40 , and the LCD  50  are set on a surface of the apparatus  100 . The preset time can be added by pressing the “Up” button  20 . The preset time can be reduced by pressing the “Down” button  30 . The counting function can be started by pressing the “Enter” button  40 . Display information of the LCD  50  can be cleared by pressing the “Clear” button, and the apparatus  100  can be turned off by pressing the “Clear” button  10 . 
     In use, the apparatus  100  is connected to a power source  200  through the power interface  60 , and connected to the computer  300  through the output interface  70 . A preset time is set by pressing the “Up” button  20  or the “Down” button  30  of the setting module  110 , and the counting function of the apparatus  100  can be started by pressing the “Enter” button  40 . The sensing module  110  detects whether the user has left. When the user has left the computer  300 , the sensing module  120  outputs a sensing signal to the control module  130 . The control module  130  receives the sensing signal and counts time, and outputs a display signal to the LCD  50  to display “user left, count started.” 
     When the preset time of the internal storage device of the control module  130  is not reduced to zero, the control module  130  receives the sensing signal from the sensing module  120  and resets the count time of the internal storage device of the control module  130 , and then outputs a display signal to the LCD  50  to display “user back.” When the preset time of the internal storage device of the control module  130  is reduced to zero, and the control module  130  does not receive the sensing signal from the sensing module  120 . The control module  130  outputs a sleep signal to the motherboard of the computer  300  through the output interface  70 , to control the computer  300  to enter the sleep mode, and outputs a display signal to the display module  140  to display “user left, the computer is in a sleep mode.” In the sleep mode, when the user comes back, the sensing module  120  detects the user comes back and outputs a sensing signal to the control module  130 . The control module  130  outputs an awake signal to the motherboard of the computer  300  according to the received sensing signal, to control the computer  300  to return a working mode. At the same time, the control module  130  outputs a display signal to the display module  140  to display “the computer is in a working mode.” 
     The sensing module  120  detects whether the user leaves after the preset time is set, and outputs a sensing signal to the control module  130 . The control module  130  controls the computer  300  to enter the sleep mode or the working mode, and controls the display module  140  to display the current mode of the computer  300 . The apparatus  100  can automatically control the computer  300  to enter a sleep mode when no body is using the computer  300 , to save energy. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.