JP2000308256A - Electronic equipment having power-saving function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize power saving by adding the condition detect whether or not the date and time of the clock unit are set to two kinds of modes, including the condition where the power supply is turned on and the condition of power saving mode where the power supply is turned off. SOLUTION: In an electronic equipment including a clock unit 8, a control unit 7 shifts when the date and time are not set in the clock unit 8, to the second power saving mode, where the power consumption is saved further compared to that in the ordinary power saving mode to monitor the clock unit 8, when the power supply is turned off. Moreover, when the date and time are set to the clock unit 8, whether the mode setting is conducted using the function of the clock unit 8 is determined. When the mode setting is conducted using the function of the clock unit 8, ordinary power saving mode is set and if it is not, the second power saving mode is set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device having a clock section, and more particularly, to an electronic device having a power saving function for saving power when a power supply is turned off.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, power saving has been required for consumer electronic devices, and various methods of power saving have been proposed. For example, the data processing device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-134236 shifts to a low power consumption operation mode for reducing power consumption of an internal device when a predetermined input signal is not detected for a certain period of time. I have. Further, in the apparatus having such a low power consumption operation mode, a detecting means for detecting the presence of an operator is further provided, and only when it is confirmed that the operator is not near by the detecting means, the low power consumption after a predetermined time has elapsed. By shifting to the power operation mode, the usability is improved.

A power supply time control device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-139127 discloses a power supply time control device in which a certain time elapses immediately after a final operation performed on a device or immediately after a final operation performed on a device. After that, the power supply to the device is cut off. In such a device with low power consumption, a plurality of time values to be set in the timer unit are prepared, and one of the prepared plurality of time values is set in the timer unit according to a final operation. As a result, the power consumption is further reduced by reducing the average value of the energizing time as a whole.

[0004]

Each of the above-described devices is intended to reduce power consumption while the device is operating, and is not intended to reduce power consumption (power saving) when the power is off. . For example, current video and televideo (video-integrated television) predict and wait for many processes during standby. In these processes, setting of date and time such as timer recording (TIMER RECORDING) and power-on after a certain period of time (WAKE UP TIMER) is indispensable, except for some processes such as key input process and tape cassette reception process. However, these functions are functions that are unlikely to operate at all unless the date and time of the clock section are set.

In other words, if the date and time have not been set, the microcomputer only needs to monitor some of the keys (for example, the POWER key and the cassette sensor). I can do it. Further, even when the date and time are set, if there is no setting for using the function of the clock unit such as timer reservation, power saving settings more advantageous than the normal power saving mode may be performed.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point of view, and its purpose is to add to two modes of the conventional power-on state and power-off mode in the power saving mode. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device having a power saving function that enables further power saving by adding a new condition such as whether or not a date and time of a clock unit is set.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus having a clock section, wherein when the date and time of the clock section are not set, the power supply is turned off. Then, the mode shifts to a second power saving mode in which power consumption is further suppressed than in a normal power saving mode for monitoring the clock section.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the first invention.
In the electronic device having the power saving function described in (1), in the second power saving mode, all the other ports are shut off except for the port of the microcomputer that controls the second power saving mode. .

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is the first invention.
Or in an electronic device having a power saving function according to 2,
When the power is turned off, the mode shifts to a normal power saving mode when the mode setting using the function of the clock section is performed, and when the mode setting using the function of the clock section is not performed, the second power saving mode is set. The feature is that it shifts to.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device having a power saving function according to the present invention.
1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment applied to R).

In the figure, 1 is an antenna terminal, 2 is a tuner circuit, 3 is a loaded video cassette, 4 is a video tape recorded on a video tape of the loaded video cassette 3, and the recorded video signal is reproduced. 5, a monitor for a television receiver or the like, 6 a drive circuit for driving the video tape of the video cassette 3, 7 a control unit (microcomputer) for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, 8 a current Reference numeral 9 denotes a timer unit, reference numeral 9 denotes a memory unit, and reference numeral 11 denotes a key input unit provided with various keys for setting the current time of the clock unit 8 and setting timer reservation and the like. The memory unit 10 stores the content of timer reservation input from the key input unit 11, and the like. In addition, the timer unit 9 measures a timer reserved time and the like.

[0012] In the video cassette recorder having such a configuration, as described above, many processes are predicted in the standby mode after the power is turned off, and the video cassette recorder is on standby. In these processes, except for some processes such as a key input process and a tape cassette 3 receiving process, the setting of the date and time of the clock unit 8 such as timer recording and power-on after a certain time is indispensable. In other words, if the date and time have not been set,
The control unit 8 only needs to monitor some of the keys (the presence / absence of the power-on key and the input of the sensor for detecting the loading of the tape cassette 3) except for the processing that requires the date and time setting. More advantageous power saving settings can be performed.

Usually, when a user purchases a video cassette recorder, the user operates the key input unit 11 to set the date and time of the clock unit 8 when setting the video cassette recorder. However, for a user who does not use the clock function such as timer reservation, there is no point in setting the date and time of the clock section 8 of the video cassette recorder, and therefore the user often uses the clock section 8 without setting the date and time from the beginning. In addition, when the power is restored after the power supply is cut off due to a power failure or the like once set, it is necessary to set the date and time of the clock unit 8 again.
In many cases, it is bothersome.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the power saving mode is classified into two stages depending on whether or not the date and time of the clock unit 8 is set. Hereinafter, the power saving processing operation at this time will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

Normally, when a user purchases a video cassette recorder, the user operates the key input unit 11 to set the date and time of the clock unit 8. However, some users do not set the date and time of the clock unit 8. At this time, the control unit 7 can confirm whether or not the date and time of the clock unit 8 has been set.

Therefore, when the power is turned off from the power-on state (step S1), the control unit 7 checks whether or not the clock unit 8 has set the date and time (step S2). If the date and time have been set, the operation proceeds to step S3 to shift to the normal power saving mode. That is, the clock for the clock is operated to perform the count-up of the clock unit 8 and various standby processes using the clock function, and the clocks other than the clock are stopped to stop the operation.

On the other hand, when the power is turned off, if the date and time are not set in the clock section 8 (No in step S2), there is no point in operating various standby processes using the clock function. In this case, the operation proceeds to step S4 to shift to the second power saving mode in which the power consumption is further reduced than in the normal power saving mode. For example, a clock for a clock is operated so that the clock unit 8 can count up, but various standby processes using the clock function are not performed (or power consumption is reduced to such an extent that it cannot be performed). Transition. Here, the power consumption (standby power) in the normal power saving mode can be, for example, about 0.7 to 0.8 W slightly lower than 1 W, and the power consumption in the second power saving mode (standby power). The standby power can be, for example, about 0.1 to 0.2 W.

In this case, in the second power saving mode, if all the other ports are cut off except for the port of the microcomputer (control section 7) for controlling the second power saving mode, Effective power saving can be achieved. In the above-described embodiment, the power saving mode is classified into two stages depending on whether the date and time of the clock unit 8 is set. However, even when the date and time are set, the clock unit 8 such as a timer reservation is used. If the mode setting that uses the function is not set, the power saving setting that is more advantageous than the normal power saving mode may be performed.

Therefore, in the following embodiment, the clock unit 8
Even when the date and time are set, the power saving mode is distinguished in two stages depending on whether or not a mode setting that uses the function of the clock unit 8 such as timer reservation is set.

Hereinafter, the power saving processing operation at this time will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The user
Normally, when a video cassette recorder is purchased, the date and time of the clock unit 8 is set by operating the key input unit 11, but the date and time of the clock unit 8 may not be set depending on the user. At this time, the control unit 7 can confirm whether or not the date and time of the clock unit 8 has been set.

Therefore, when the power is turned off from the power-on state (step S11), the control unit 7 confirms whether or not the date and time of the clock unit 8 has been set (step S12).
Here, if the date and time has been set, the operation proceeds to step S13, and it is confirmed whether or not the mode has been set so as to use the function of the clock unit 8 next. If a mode setting that uses the function of the clock unit 8 has been set, the operation proceeds to step S14 to shift to a normal power saving mode. That is, the clock for the clock is operated to perform the count-up of the clock unit 8 and various standby processes using the clock function, and the clocks other than the clock are stopped to stop the operation.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the mode setting for using the function of the clock unit 8 has not been set, there is no point in operating various standby processes using the clock function. In this case, the operation proceeds to step S15 to shift to the second power saving mode in which power consumption is further reduced than in the normal power saving mode. For example, a clock for a clock is operated so that the clock unit 8 can count up, but various standby processes using the clock function are not performed (or power consumption is reduced to such an extent that it cannot be performed). Transition. If it is determined in step S12 that the date and time of the clock unit 8 has not been set, there is no point in performing various standby processes using the clock function. Therefore, the operation proceeds to step S15 to proceed to the second step.
To the power saving mode.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to a video cassette recorder is described. However, the present invention is not limited to the video cassette recorder and the tele-video, but may be various kinds of standby such as timer reservation using a clock function. Naturally, the present invention is applicable to all electronic devices that perform processing.

[0024]

According to the electronic device having the power saving function of the present invention, when the date and time of the clock section are not set, the power consumption is further reduced when the power is turned off than in the normal power saving mode for monitoring the clock section. Since the apparatus is configured to shift to the suppressed second power saving mode, it is possible to further reduce power consumption compared to a conventional electronic apparatus having a power saving function. Further, the electronic device having the power saving function of the present invention is configured such that in the second power saving mode, all the other ports are shut off except for the port of the microcomputer that controls the second power saving mode. Therefore, the current can be reliably shut off even for a port through which a small amount of current flows in the circuit configuration, and more effective power saving can be achieved. Further, the electronic device having the power saving function of the present invention has a timer reservation function using a clock unit. When the power is turned off, the timer shifts to a normal power saving mode when the timer reservation is set, and the timer reservation is performed. Since it is configured to shift to the second power saving mode when it is not set, it is possible to further reduce power consumption compared to a conventional electronic device having a power saving function.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment in which an electronic device having a power saving function of the present invention is applied to a video cassette recorder (VCR).

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a power saving processing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a power saving processing operation according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 control section (microcomputer) 8 clock section 9 timer section 10 memory section 11 key input section

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In an electronic device having a clock unit, when the date and time of the clock unit are not set, power consumption is further reduced at power-off compared to a normal power saving mode for monitoring the clock unit. An electronic device having a power saving function, wherein the electronic device shifts to a second power saving mode. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein in the second power saving mode, all ports other than the port of the microcomputer that controls the second power saving mode are shut off.
An electronic device having a power saving function according to item 1. 3. When the power is off, the mode shifts to a normal power saving mode when the mode setting using the function of the clock section is performed, and when the mode setting using the function of the clock section is not performed, the second power saving mode is set. 3. The electronic device having a power saving function according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device shifts to a second power saving mode.