JP2013101699A - Electronic device and power supply method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power supply technology capable of supplying power to a device of a power supply object without taking time and labor of a user.SOLUTION: An electronic device includes: a port capable of connecting an external device; a power feeding circuit capable of supplying power to the external device connected to the port; storage means for storing setting information for power supply of respective parts of the present device, for switching to the state capable of charging the external device; and power supply control means for supplying the power to the respective parts and the power feeding circuit of the present device on the basis of the setting information in order to supply the power to the external device when the present device is shifted to a non-operable state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for supplying power to a device, and more particularly to an electronic apparatus and a power supply method for supplying power to a device via a bus.

  Information processing apparatuses such as PCs (Personal Computers) in recent years have a bus interface defined by a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) (registered trademark) or IEEE 1394 as an interface for connecting to various devices. It is possible to supply power (referred to as power supply) to the device via this bus interface. For example, in Patent Document 1, even when a power source of an information processing apparatus is turned off or when the information processing apparatus is in a power saving state, when a device is connected to the bus interface, power supply to the device is started. Technology is disclosed. By the way, there are a plurality of types of modes in which the information processing apparatus supplies power to the device (referred to as power supply mode) depending on the device, and if the power supply mode is not correctly selected for the device at the time of power supply, On the other hand, there is a possibility that power cannot be correctly supplied.

JP 2006-53748 A

  However, when the user himself / herself needs to select a power supply mode suitable for the device to be supplied with power, the user is required to have knowledge and effort for that purpose, which is difficult for general users to use.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus and a power supply method capable of supplying power to a power supply target device without user's effort.

  The electronic device according to the embodiment includes a port to which an external device can be connected, a power supply circuit that can supply power to the external device connected to the port, and a self-device for switching the external device to a chargeable state. Storage means for storing setting information for power supply of each unit and power supply to each unit and power supply circuit of the self device based on the setting information so as to supply power to the external device when the self device shifts to a non-movable state Power supply control means.

  Further, the power supply method executed by the electronic device of the embodiment stores setting information for power supply of each part of the electronic device for switching the external device to a chargeable state in the storage unit of the electronic device, When the electronic device shifts to a non-movable state, the power supply control means of the electronic device is connected to each part of the device and the external device based on the setting information in order to supply power to the external device. Power is supplied to a power supply circuit that can supply power to the port.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer 101 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the power supply mode stored in the storage unit 1044. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power supply mode stored in the external hardware illustrated in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration of the USB power supply mode DB 10440. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the computer 101 is connected to the USB device 111. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure when the USB device 111 is detached from the computer 101.

  Exemplary embodiments of an information processing apparatus and a power supply method according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(1) Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer 101 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, a computer 101 includes a CPU 102, a memory 103, a BIOS-ROM 104, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) controller 105, an endbed controller 106, a power supply microcomputer 107, a power supply circuit 108, The power supply circuit 109, the USB port 110, and the external hardware 112 are included. In the following description, the medium that receives power supply from the computer 101 is described as the USB device 111. However, for example, a medium based on a standard other than USB, such as IEEE1394, may be used. Further, supplying power to the USB device 111 is referred to as USB power supply or simply power supply.

  The CPU 102 is a processor that controls the operation of the computer 101. The CPU 102 loads a system BIOS (Basic Input Output System) stored in the BIOS-ROM 104 to the memory 103 and controls various hardware. The CPU 102 loads an OS (Operating System) stored in a hard disk (not shown) or the like into the memory 103 and executes the OS. In addition, various application programs other than the system BIOS and OS are executed.

  The memory 103 is a main memory for expanding and executing the OS and application programs stored in the system BIOS, hard disk, etc. (not shown) stored in the BIOS-ROM 104.

  The BIOS-ROM 104 is a memory that stores a system BIOS that mainly performs various settings for hardware.

  The storage unit 1044 stores various settings for performing USB power feeding. Specifically, the storage unit 1044 stores a current threshold, a power supply mode effective for performing USB power supply, and a supply current value for each power supply mode, and sets a combination of power supply modes for each USB port 110. Remember.

  The power supply mode defines a combination of conditions of each part of the computer 101 such as the USB controller 105, the power supply circuit 108, or the external hardware 112 in order to switch the USB device 111 to a state where the USB device 111 can be charged (referred to as a charging mode). It is. For example, combinations of control signal states (ON / OFF or H (High) / L (Low)) of each part of the computer 101 such as the USB controller 105, the external hardware 112, and the power supply circuit 108 are defined.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the power supply mode stored in the storage unit 1044. In FIG. 2, each part of the USB controller 105, the external hardware 112, and the power supply circuit 108 is defined as a combination for determining the power supply mode. Specifically, when the power supply mode is “mode 0”, the power supply circuit 108 is set for USB power supply, and the USB controller 105 and the external hardware 112 do not perform settings for USB power supply. . “Mode 1” sets the USB controller 105 and power supply circuit 108 for USB power supply, “Mode 2” sets the external hardware 112 and power supply circuit 108 for USB power supply, and “Mode 3” , The USB controller 105, the external hardware 112, and the power supply circuit 108 are set for USB power feeding. The external hardware 112 is included in one of the combinations for determining the power supply mode because the hardware that controls the normal power supply, such as the BIOS-ROM 104, the USB controller 105, the power supply circuit 108, etc. This is because there is a case where effective power supply to the USB device 111 cannot be performed.

  In the following description, the above-described setting for USB power supply of each unit is described as being performed by a combination of “ON”, “OFF”, and the like, but actually, for example, in the case of the external hardware 112 As shown in FIG. 3, the signal level of the signal line 1 (clock line) and the signal line 2 (data line) of the USB device 111 is set to “H” or “L” in association with each power supply mode. ing.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of modes are defined as the power feeding mode. The reason is that depending on the USB device 111, the setting of the computer 101 required for switching to the charging mode is different.

  In addition, the storage unit 1044 stores a USB power supply flag indicating whether or not the setting is to enable USB power supply. The USB power supply flag indicates ‘1’ when the USB power supply is enabled (ON), and indicates ‘0’ when the USB power supply is disabled (OFF). Furthermore, the storage unit 1044 stores a USB power supply mode DB 10440. The USB power supply mode DB 10440 stores USB device information for identifying a USB device and an optimal power supply mode for supplying power to the USB device in association with each other. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a data configuration of the USB power supply mode DB 10440. In the figure, the USB power supply mode DB 10440 stores “mobile phone A”, “mobile audio B”, and “mobile audio C” as USB device information for identifying the USB device. "Mode 1" is stored as the optimal power supply mode for "Mobile Audio B", "Mode 3" is stored as the optimal power supply mode for "Mobile Audio B", and power is not supplied to "Mobile Audio C". It is possible that the power supply mode is not stored.

  Returning to the description of FIG. The USB port 110 is a port that mediates connection between the power supply circuit 109 and the USB device 111.

  When the USB device 111 is connected to the USB port 110 and the USB device 111 is connected to the computer 101, the USB controller 105 detects a signal indicating that the USB device 111 is connected, or from the USB port 110 to the USB device 111. Is removed and the USB device 111 and the computer 101 are disconnected from each other. The USB controller 105 controls transmission / reception of various commands and data for the connected USB device 111. In the present embodiment, the USB controller 105 receives the USB device information described above from the USB device 111 and passes it to the power supply control unit 1043 described later.

  The endbed controller 106 performs power management of the computer 101. Specifically, when the power supply control unit 1043 to be described later cannot select an optimal power supply mode for the USB device 111 connected to the USB port 110, the endbed controller 106 connects the power supply circuit 109 and the USB port 110. Settings are made to disable USB power supply to the USB port 110, such as blocking the connection.

  The power supply microcomputer 107 not only supplies a supply current to the power supply circuit 109 and each part in the computer 101 but also supervises the voltage state of each part in the computer 101. Further, when a power switch (not shown) is pressed and the power supply circuit 108 detects the signal, the power supply microcomputer 107 instructs the starter 1041 of the BIOS-ROM 104 to perform start-up processing.

  The power supply circuit 108 is a circuit that detects the signal when a power switch (not shown) is pressed and controls the power supply of the computer 101 main body.

  The power supply circuit 109 is a circuit for supplying power to the USB port 110 even when the stop unit 1042 performs various hardware stop processing.

  The USB device 111 is a medium that can communicate and exchange data by a method defined by the USB standard. For example, a flash memory, a hard disk, a mobile phone, or a mobile audio. The USB device 111 stores USB device information for identifying which of the USB devices, and when the USB device 111 is inserted into the USB port 110 and connected to the computer 101, the USB device 105 is connected to the USB controller 105 described above. USB device information is transmitted.

  Here, an external circuit other than the hardware that normally controls the power supply, such as the BIOS-ROM 104, the USB controller 105, and the power supply circuit 108, is referred to as an external hardware 112.

  Next, the system BIOS stored in the BOIS-ROM 104 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the system BIOS functionally includes an activation unit 1041, a stop unit 1042, a power supply control unit 1043, and a storage unit 1044.

  The activation unit 1041 performs activation processing of various hardware in the computer 101 in response to an instruction from the power supply microcomputer 107, and supplies power to the USB controller 105 and the power supply circuit 109 although the computer 101 itself is not operating. The state in which the computer 101 is in operation is shifted to a state in which the computer 101 is in operation. Specifically, the activation unit 1041 performs initialization processing of various hardware inside the computer 101. The initialization process is, for example, a process of initializing settings such as VGA (Video Graphic Array) and IDE (Integrated Device Electronics). After performing the initialization process, the activation unit 1041 subsequently activates an OS (Operating System) so that the user can use the computer 101.

  The stop unit 1042 performs various hardware stop processing of the computer 101 in response to an instruction from an application such as an OS (Operating System), and the computer 101 itself is in a non-operating state from the state in which the computer 101 is operating. The controller 105 and the power feeding circuit 109 are shifted to a state where power is supplied. Specifically, when a shutdown process of an application such as an OS is performed, the stop unit 1042 performs a process such as saving settings such as VGA and IDE.

  The power supply control unit 1043 acquires USB device information from the USB device 111 via the USB controller 105, refers to the USB power supply mode DB 10440 using the USB device information, and determines the USB device 111 according to the reference result. The optimum power supply mode for supplying power is selected. Then, the power supply control unit 1043 sets the value of the USB power supply flag stored in the storage unit 1044 to “1” and performs setting to enable USB power supply, and the USB controller 105 and the external device according to the selected power supply mode. Each unit such as the hardware 112 and the power supply circuit 108 is set. If the optimum power supply mode for supplying power to the USB device 111 cannot be selected, the power supply control unit 1043 disables USB power supply to the USB port 110 via the endbed controller 106. Set up.

(2) Operation Next, a procedure of processing performed by the computer 101 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, a processing procedure when the computer 101 is connected to the USB device 111 will be described with reference to FIG. When the USB device 111 is inserted into the USB port 110 and the USB device 111 is connected to the computer 101, the computer 101 detects a signal indicating that the USB device 111 is connected by the function of the USB controller 105 (step S1). ), USB device information for identifying the USB device 111 is received from the USB device 111 (step S2). Then, the computer 101 refers to the USB power supply mode DB 10440 by the function of the power supply control unit 1043, searches the USB device information received in step S2, and determines whether there is corresponding USB device information ( Step S3). If it is determined that there is the corresponding USB device information (step S4: YES), the computer 101 refers to the power supply mode corresponding to the USB device information (step S5) and determines whether there is the corresponding power supply mode. Judgment is made (step S6). If it is determined that there is a corresponding power supply mode (step S6: YES), the computer 101 selects the corresponding power supply mode as the optimal power supply mode for the USB device 111, sets the USB power supply flag to '1', A setting to enable power supply (ON) and a setting of the selected power supply mode are performed (step S7). Thereafter, after the computer 101 is turned off, USB power supply in the power supply mode set in step S7 is started.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no corresponding USB device information (step S4: NO) or when it is determined that there is no corresponding power supply mode (step S6: NO), the computer 101 determines the optimum for the connected USB device 111. The power supply mode cannot be determined. In this case, the computer 101 sets the USB power supply to the USB port 110 to be disabled (OFF) by the function of the endbed controller 106 (step S8).

  As described above, by using the information stored in the USB power supply mode DB 10440, it is possible to select an optimal power supply mode for the connected USB device 111 without any user effort. For this reason, even a general user who has little knowledge about USB can easily supply power to the USB device 111 in the computer 101 without trouble. Therefore, user convenience can be improved.

  Next, a processing procedure when the USB device 111 is detached from the computer 101 will be described with reference to FIG. When the USB device 111 is removed from the USB port 110 and the connection between the USB device 111 and the computer 101 is released, the computer 101 detects this by the function of the USB controller 105 (step S20) and stores it in the storage unit 1044. By determining whether or not the USB power supply flag is “1”, it is determined whether or not the USB power supply setting is enabled (step S21). If it is determined that the USB power supply is set to be enabled (step S21: YES), the computer 101 determines whether power has been supplied to the removed USB device 111 (step S22). If it is determined that power is being supplied to the USB device 111, the computer 101 sets the USB power supply flag stored in the storage unit 1044 to “0”, and the USB power supply to the USB port 110 is performed by the function of the endbed controller 106. Is set to disable (step S23). If it is determined in step S21 that the USB power supply is disabled (step S21: NO), or if it is determined in step S22 that power is not supplied to the USB device 111 (step S22: NO), the computer 101 ends the process.

  As described above, after the target USB device 111 to which power is being supplied is removed, the power supply to the USB port 110 is automatically disabled so that power can be supplied without user trouble. Later wasteful power consumption can be suppressed.

[Modification]
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined. Further, various modifications as exemplified below are possible.

  In the above-described embodiment, various programs executed by the computer 101 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. The various programs are recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) in a file in an installable or executable format. The computer program product may be provided.

  In the above-described embodiment, the USB power supply mode DB 10440 may be configured to be updatable. For example, the USB power supply mode DB 10440 may be updated by downloading all or part of the USB power supply mode DB 10440 from an external computer connected to a network such as the Internet. Further, the USB device information and the power supply mode that are determined not to be in the USB power supply mode DB 10440 in step S4 in FIG. 5 are requested to be transmitted to the external computer, and the USB device information and the power supply mode are acquired from the external computer. Then, this may be stored in the USB power supply mode DB 10440. According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to store in the USB power supply mode DB 10440 as to which power supply mode should be selected for a newly released USB device, and the convenience of the user is further increased. Become.

  In the embodiment described above, the USB power supply mode DB 10440 stores the USB device information for identifying the USB device in association with the optimum power supply mode for supplying power to the USB device. . However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, identification information such as the model number of the USB device or the manufacturer of the USB device is stored in the USB device 111, and the USB power supply mode DB 10440 is associated with the identification information and the optimum power supply mode. The power supply control unit 1043 may select an optimal power supply mode using the identification information.

101 Computer 103 Memory 105 USB Controller 106 Endbed Controller 107 Power Microcomputer 108 Power Supply Circuit 109 Power Supply Circuit 110 USB Port 111 USB Device 112 External Hardware 1041 Start Unit 1042 Stop Unit 1043 Power Supply Control Unit 1044 Storage Unit 10440 Power Supply Mode DB

Claims (6)

A port to which an external device can be connected;
A power supply circuit capable of supplying power to the external device connected to the port;
Storage means for storing setting information for power supply of each part of the own device for switching the external device to a chargeable state;
An electronic device comprising power supply control means for supplying power to each part of the device and the power supply circuit based on the setting information to supply power to the external device when the device moves to a non-movable state.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the setting information includes information indicating whether power supply to the external device is enabled or disabled. Detecting means for detecting that the external device is connected to the port;
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply to the power supply circuit by the power supply control unit is performed when connection of the external device to the port is detected. 4. The power supply control unit according to claim 1, wherein the power supply control unit stops supplying power to the power supply circuit when it is detected that the connection of the external device to the port is released. 5. Electronic equipment. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an updating unit that updates the storage unit by acquiring the setting information from another electronic device and storing the setting information in the storage unit. machine. A power supply method executed in an electronic device,
Storing the setting information for power supply of each part of the electronic device for switching the external device into a chargeable state in the storage means of the electronic device;
When the electronic device shifts to a non-movable state, the power supply control unit of the electronic device is connected to each part of the own device and the external device based on the setting information to supply power to the external device. Power supply method for supplying power to a power supply circuit capable of supplying power to a designated port.

Images