JP2006338174A - Information processor, and start control method and power supply control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor and a power supply control method, enabling a user to continue operation, even if an AC adaptor not matched to an information processor of an object is connected, while recognizing the fact. <P>SOLUTION: When an AC adaptor is connected to an information processor, whether this AC adaptor is matched to the information processor or not is discriminated. When it is mismatched, the user selectively sets an operation mode of information processor at the user's desire. Even if the user connects an AC adaptor for other equipment, operation can be continued with a battery, and the convenience can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that enables power control according to the characteristics of an AC adapter and a user's request, a startup control method thereof, and a power control method.

In recent years, information processing apparatuses such as notebook personal computers have been widely used. In an information processing apparatus such as a notebook type personal computer, a built-in battery is used as a driving power source and an AC adapter is used as an AC power source. Depending on the type of information processing apparatus, the rated voltage and current values required for the drive power supply differ, and therefore it is recommended to use an AC adapter suitable for each information processing apparatus.

However, it is difficult for the user to determine the type of the AC adapter from the appearance of the AC adapter, and there is a problem that the AC adapter for different information processing apparatuses may be used while being connected by mistake. When an AC adapter other than the recommended AC adapter is connected to a certain information processing device, there is a possibility that the information processing device will not be able to fully demonstrate its performance or that the information processing device will not operate. is there.

As a countermeasure when an AC adapter other than the recommended AC adapter is connected to the information processing apparatus, a method of detecting the characteristic of the AC adapter and notifying the user is proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-134677 proposes a DC power supply device having warning output means for issuing a warning when the voltage level and polarity at the output of the AC adapter are not desired.

According to this proposal, the user can recognize that the AC adapter needs to be replaced by receiving a warning.
JP 2003-134777 A

In the conventional power supply control, there is no viewpoint of using the built-in battery, and only the driving by the AC adapter is performed. Therefore, if the connected AC adapter is inappropriate, the operation desired by the user cannot be performed. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an information processing apparatus, a startup control method thereof, and a power supply control method.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus to which an AC adapter can be connected, the detecting means for detecting the connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus is activated, and the detecting means When determining that the AC adapter is compatible with the information processing apparatus when the connection is detected, and when the determination means determines that the AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing apparatus, It is characterized by comprising receiving means for receiving information relating to the operation of the information processing apparatus, and stopping means for stopping activation of the information processing apparatus based on the information received by the receiving means.

  The present invention is also an information processing apparatus to which an AC adapter can be connected, the detection means for detecting the connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus, and when the detection means detects the connection, the AC adapter Judgment means for judging whether or not the adapter is compatible with the information processing device, a battery, a remaining amount judgment device for judging the remaining amount of the battery, a judgment result of the judgment unit and a judgment result of the remaining amount judgment device And setting means for setting the operation of the information processing apparatus according to the above.

  Furthermore, the present invention is an information processing apparatus activation control method to which an AC adapter can be connected, wherein a detection step of detecting connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus and a connection detected in the detection step A determination step for determining whether the AC adapter is compatible with the information processing device, and an operation of the information processing device when the determination step determines that the AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing device. A reception step of receiving information on the information processing device, and a stop step of stopping activation of the information processing apparatus based on the information received in the reception step.

  Furthermore, the present invention is an operation control method for an information processing apparatus having a battery and to which an AC adapter can be connected, the detection step for detecting connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus, and the detection step A determination step for determining whether or not the AC adapter is compatible with the information processing apparatus, a remaining amount determination step for determining a remaining amount of the battery, a determination result of the determination step, and the remaining A setting step for setting the operation of the information processing apparatus according to the determination result of the quantity determination step is provided.

According to the present invention, since the user can select and set the operation mode after determining whether the AC adapter connected to the information processing apparatus is compatible with the information processing apparatus, the AC adapter is connected to the information processing apparatus. The user can recognize and use that the AC adapter is not suitable for the apparatus, and the convenience can be further improved.

  A first embodiment of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing apparatus 10 can be electrically connected to a battery 11 as shown in the figure. The information processing apparatus 10 is a general notebook type personal computer. Here, a notebook type personal computer that can be driven by a battery will be described as an example.

  A keyboard 14 for inputting information from a user is disposed on the upper surface of the main body 13 of the information processing apparatus 10, and a display unit 15 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the main body 13. The display unit 15 is provided with an LCD 16 which is a device for displaying data. The display unit 15 is rotatable between a closed position that covers the keyboard 14 and an open position where the keyboard 14 can be used.

  Next, FIG. 2 shows a hardware configuration diagram of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the information processing apparatus 10 includes a CPU 21, a graphic / memory controller hub 22, a memory (main storage device) 23, a graphic controller 24, an I / O hub 25, a BIOS-ROM 26, and a hard disk drive (HDD) 27. , An embedded controller / keyboard controller (hereinafter referred to as EC / KBC) 28, a keyboard 14, a battery 11, and the like.

  The CPU 21 is a device that refers to the operation control of the entire information processing apparatus 10 and the contents of the memory 23 and executes data processing or the like based on the operation control. Although not shown, the CPU 21 is operated by a clock supplied from a clock generator to the outside, and a supply clock from the clock generator can be supplied intermittently.

  The memory 23 stores an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS), an execution application, and the like, and data is read / written according to instructions from the CPU 21.

  The graphic controller 24 is connected to the VRAM 241. Under the control of the OS executed by the CPU 21, the display drive control of the LCD 16 provided in the display unit 15 is performed, and the display is connected through connection interfaces of various external displays such as a CRT terminal, a DVI terminal, a TV terminal (not shown). Display drive control of the external display device.

  The VRAM 241 is a memory device controlled by the graphic controller 24 and temporarily stores display data displayed on the LCD 16. The graphic controller 24 writes / reads video data transmitted from the graphic / memory controller hub 22.

  The I / O hub 25 is a bridge circuit that performs data conversion between a device on an LPC (Low Pin Count) bus connected to the I / O hub 25 and the graphic / memory controller hub 22. / O controller is built-in.

  A BIOS-ROM (Basic I / O System-Read-Only Memory) 26 is a program that organizes a function execution routine for accessing various hardware in a personal computer, and is configured by a flash ROM so that the program can be rewritten. ing. In addition to executing initialization of various hardware when the information processing apparatus 10 is started up, a part of the program of the BIOS-ROM 26 is copied to the memory 23 at the time of starting up, and input / output control to various hardware is executed even during OS execution. Do.

  The HDD 27 is a non-volatile storage device that stores data, and can hold data even when the information processing apparatus 10 is powered off. The HDD 27 stores an OS, various applications, drivers, utility software, content data such as music and video. The HDD 27 also stores warning display utility software used in the second embodiment of the present invention. These data are appropriately read by the CPU 21 to the memory 23, and the read data are further processed by the CPU 21.

  The EC / KBC 28 includes a plurality of registers 281 that can be read / written by the CPU 21. By using the register 281, communication between the CPU 21 and a device connected to the EC / KBC 28 is possible. From the viewpoint of software, by using these registers, it is possible to notify the BIOS of the connection state of the AC adapter and the battery and the power supply state of the information processing apparatus. This register 281 includes various registers for storing information relating to the battery connection status and its remaining amount, the AC adapter connection status, information relating to parameters of the AC adapter suitable for driving the information processing apparatus, and the like. . This will be described later. In addition, a keyboard controller function is also built in, a signal input from the keyboard 14 connected to the EC / KBC 28 is processed, and a higher-level device (CPU 21 or the like) is notified.

  A power supply controller (hereinafter referred to as PSC) 29 is further connected to the EC / KBC 28. The PSC 29 controls the power supply of the information processing apparatus 10 as a whole, and supplies a power supply from the battery 11 that is a secondary battery and an AC adapter 30 that is suitable as an external power supply to devices in the information processing apparatus 10. As will be described later, the information processing apparatus 10 selectively performs power supply from the battery 11 or power supply using the AC adapter 30 according to each condition. The PSC 29 also controls this power supply. Furthermore, the PSC 29 performs charge / discharge control of the battery and also monitors the remaining amount of the battery 11 and the like. Further, when power is supplied from the AC adapter 30, charging control is performed according to the remaining amount of the battery 11.

  A characteristic detection circuit 31 is provided between the EC / KBC 28 and the PSC 29, and this circuit detects the characteristic of the AC adapter 30 connected to the information processing apparatus 10. The characteristic detection circuit 31 may be incorporated in the EC / KBC 28 or in the PSC 29.

  Next, FIG. 3 shows a configuration of various registers included in the register 281 in the EC / KBC 28 according to the present embodiment. The AC adapter connection status register 282 is a register for notifying the BIOS of the connection state of the AC adapter. When the AC adapter is connected to the information processing apparatus 10 in a state where the AC adapter is not connected, the BIOS is connected to the BIOS. Used to notify information. The AC adapter parameter register 283 stores various parameters of an AC adapter that is suitable for the information processing apparatus 10 in advance, and determines whether an AC adapter connected later is compatible with the information processing apparatus 10. To be referenced. The brightness setting register 284 is a register used for adjusting the brightness of the LCD 16 mounted on the display unit 15. The adjustment of the luminance affects the power consumption, and is consequently reflected in the driving time of the information processing apparatus. The battery connection status register 285 is a register that stores information indicating whether or not the battery 11 is connected to the information processing apparatus 10. The battery remaining amount status register 286 is a register for notifying the BIOS of the remaining amount of power of the battery 11 when the battery 11 is connected to the information processing apparatus. The battery drive switching request notification register 287 is a register used by the BIOS to notify the EC / KBC 28 of a request to switch the drive power source to the battery. When the EC / KBC 28 receives a notification from the BIOS 26 via this register, if the AC adapter is connected when the battery can be driven, the EC / KBC 28 normally supplies power from the AC adapter. The operation setting is switched so that power is supplied from the battery.

  Further, since the EC / KBC 28 notifies the BIOS 26 of the remaining power level of the battery 11 through the remaining battery level status register 286, the BIOS 26 outputs an instruction to perform throttling to the CPU 21 in accordance with the remaining power level of the battery 11. By doing so, the power consumption of the information processing apparatus 10 can be suppressed. Such an instruction is realized by setting a predetermined value to a register (not shown) in the CPU 21, and as a result, the speed of the CPU 21 can be changed. Such a mode is inferior in processing capacity than normal, but has lower power consumption than normal, and therefore has an advantage that the information processing apparatus 10 can be used for a long time, particularly when driven by the battery 11.

  The information processing apparatus 10 has three types of operation settings, “normal AC adapter drive”, “abnormal AC adapter drive”, and “battery drive”, depending on the type of drive power supply. Using the EC / KBC 28 described above, control according to these settings is performed. This control is mainly performed by adjusting the processing speed of the CPU 21, the brightness of the LCD 16, and the thermal control by the operation of a cooling device such as a fan in the housing. For example, in the setting for normal AC adapter driving, so-called full power driving is possible, and the CPU 21 is driven with the clock frequency of the CPU 21 and the brightness and thermal control of the LCD 16 at the highest level. On the other hand, in the “battery drive” setting, for the purpose of power saving drive, the CPU 21 is driven with the clock frequency of the CPU 21 and the brightness and thermal control of the LCD 16 being set to a low level. The “abnormal AC adapter driving” setting is an intermediate setting between the “normal AC adapter driving” setting and the “battery driving” setting. That is, the CPU 21 is driven with the speed of the CPU 21, the brightness of the LCD 16, and the thermal control being set to a medium level. Further, the setting for “abnormal AC adapter driving” can be brought close to the setting for “battery driving”. This is to suppress the occurrence of an abnormal operation such as suddenly turning off the power when the parameters of the connected AC adapter 30 are significantly different from those suitable for the information processing apparatus 10.

Next, the processing flow of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 as follows. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing flow of activation control of the information processing apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flow relating to an abnormality check of the AC adapter of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

When the user turns on the power of the information processing apparatus 10 (step S401), the CPU 21 performs a POST (Power On Self Test) process mounted on the BIOS 26. First, the BIOS 26 initializes the memory 23 (step S402). Next, the BIOS 26 checks the abnormality of the AC adapter 30 (step S403). This abnormality check is to determine whether or not the AC adapter 30 is compatible with the information processing apparatus 10.

Here, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the AC adapter abnormality check process will be described as follows. When the abnormality check of the AC adapter is started by the BIOS (step S501), the BIOS 26 refers to the AC adapter connection status register 282 in the EC / KBC 28 and acquires the AC adapter connection status (step S502). Based on this information, the BIOS 26 determines the connection state of the AC adapter 30 (step S503). When it is determined that the AC adapter 30 is not connected, the BIOS 26 sets the operation of the information processing apparatus 10 to be a battery-driven operation (No in step S503 to step S604 in FIG. 6). By performing this setting, the AC adapter abnormality check is completed (step S605).

If it is determined that the AC adapter 30 is connected, the BIOS 26 acquires the parameter of the AC adapter 30 detected by the characteristic detection circuit 31 by referring to the AC adapter parameter register 283 in the EC / KBC 28 (step). S504). The BIOS 26 compares the parameter of the AC adapter 30 detected by the characteristic detection circuit with the value of the AC adapter parameter register in the EC / KBC 28 to determine whether the AC adapter 30 is abnormal, that is, whether the AC adapter 30 is the information processing apparatus 10. (Step S505). Here, if the AC adapter 30 is compatible with the information processing apparatus 10, that is, not abnormal, the BIOS 26 sets the operation of the information processing apparatus 10 to be a normal AC adapter driving operation (step S505). No. in step S601 in FIG. 6). By performing this setting, the AC adapter abnormality check is completed (step S605).

If the BIOS 26 determines that the AC adapter 30 is abnormal by comparing the parameter of the AC adapter 30 detected by the characteristic detection circuit with the value of the AC adapter parameter register in the EC / KBC 28, the BIOS 26 then continues with the EC. The battery connection status is acquired by referring to the battery connection status register 285 in / KBC 28 (from step S505 Yes to step S506). The BIOS 26 determines whether or not the battery 11 is connected based on the battery connection status (step S507). When the battery 11 is not connected, that is, when the AC adapter 30 is abnormal that does not fit the information processing apparatus 10 but the battery 11 is not connected, the BIOS 26 operates the information processing apparatus 10. Is set to be an operation for driving an abnormal AC adapter (No in step S507 to step S602 in FIG. 6). Further, the BIOS 26 requests to output a warning message so as to warn the user that there is an abnormal situation (step S603). Thereby, the AC adapter abnormality check is completed (step S605).

If it is determined in step S507 that the battery 11 is connected, the BIOS 26 continuously obtains the battery remaining status by referring to the battery remaining status register 286 in the EC / KBC 28 (step S507: YES from step S507) S508). Based on the acquired information on the remaining amount of the battery 11, the BIOS 26 determines whether or not there is a remaining battery amount necessary to drive the information processing apparatus 10 (step S509). In this determination, for example, 10% to 20% of the full charge state can be set as a threshold value for determining that the remaining battery level is present. If it is less than that, there is no remaining amount. When the BIOS 26 determines that there is no remaining battery 11, the BIOS 26 sets the operation of the information processing apparatus 10 to be an abnormal AC adapter driving operation (from No in step S509 to step S602 in FIG. 6). Thereafter, processing is performed in the same flow as the above-described processing in step S603 and step S605.

If it is determined in step S509 that the battery 11 has a remaining amount, the BIOS 26 switches the drive power supply to the battery drive switching request notification register in the EC / KBC 28 so as to switch the drive power supply to the battery drive instead of the power supply by the AC adapter 30. By setting a value to 287, a battery drive switching request is made (from Yes in step S509 to step S510). Further, the BIOS 26 requests to output a warning message so as to warn the user that there is an abnormal situation (step S511). Thereafter, setting for battery driving is performed (step S511 to step S604), and the abnormality check is finished (step S605).

Returning to FIG. 4, the description will be continued. After checking the abnormality of the AC adapter (step S403), the BIOS 26 next determines whether or not a warning message output request has been made in step S403 (step S404). If it is determined that there is no warning message output request, that is, there is no abnormality, the BIOS 26 subsequently performs various initialization processes (No from step S404 to step S408), and then the BIOS 26 starts the OS (step S409).

If it is determined in step S404 that a warning message output request has been made, that is, there is an abnormality, the BIOS 26 displays a warning message on the LCD 106 of the display unit 105 (from step S404 Yes to step S405). This warning message is, for example, “AC adapter type is different”, “Please replace the AC adapter with an appropriate one”, “Operation is possible but performance may not be fully demonstrated”, “AC adapter You can use different messages depending on the situation. Further, the warning message includes a message such as “Do you want to start up the OS? Y / N” and prompts the user to select whether to start up. This selection can be input by the user using the keys on the keyboard 14. If the user does not make a selection within a predetermined time, it may be automatically switched to the off state, or may be temporarily activated to continue displaying the message.

  After displaying the warning message, the information processing apparatus 10 waits for an input from the user (step S406). And it is discriminate | determined whether the starting request | requirement of OS was received from the user (step S407). When there is an OS activation request from the user, the BIOS 26 performs various initialization processes, and then activates the OS (Yes in step S407, steps S408 and S409). When the user selects not to start the OS, the BIOS 26 performs processing for powering off the information processing apparatus (No in step S407 to step S410), and turns off the power (step S411).

In this way, even when the user connects an AC adapter that is not compatible with the information processing apparatus 10, the information processing apparatus 10 issues a warning message to the user during the activation process, so that the user is in that state. Can be grasped. Even if the AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing apparatus 10, since the information processing apparatus 10 includes the battery 11, the activation process can be continued according to the user's wishes. In that case, since the user recognizes that the battery 11 is driven instead of the AC adapter 30, an appropriate response (replace the AC adapter or shorten the use time to save the battery) later. Can do.

Next, the processing flow of the information processing apparatus in the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The first embodiment relates to processing at the time of starting the information processing apparatus, but the second embodiment relates to power supply control processing when the AC adapter is connected after the startup processing of the information processing apparatus is completed. .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a processing flow relating to control when the AC adapter is connected in the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. When the AC adapter 30 is connected during the operation of the information processing apparatus 10, an AC adapter connection interrupt is generated from the EC / KBC 28, and the CPU 21 executes an AC adapter connection change interrupt process installed in the BIOS 26 (step S701). . Here, as described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the BIOS 26 performs an AC adapter abnormality check (step S <b> 702). Based on the result, the BIOS 26 determines whether or not there is a warning message display request (step S703). If there is no warning message display request, the BIOS 26 ends the process (from step S703 No to step S705). When there is a warning message display request, warning display utility software operating on the OS displays the warning message. The user who sees this can recognize that the connected AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing apparatus, and can select an appropriate operation setting.

In the above-described embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to a notebook computer has been described. However, in addition to this, any information processing device that can be driven by a battery and to which an AC adapter can be connected is used. Not necessarily.

Further, the above-described embodiments include inventions at various stages, and inventions at various stages can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements or a plurality of processes. For example, even if some constituent requirements or some steps are deleted from all constituent requirements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effect of the invention When the effects described in the column of [1] are obtained, a configuration in which this configuration requirement or process is deleted can be extracted as an invention.

The perspective view which shows the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the structure in the register | resistor of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart figure which shows the power supply control processing of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart figure which shows the power supply control processing of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart figure which shows the power supply control processing of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart figure which shows the power supply control processing of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Information processing apparatus 11 Battery 13 Main body 14 Keyboard 15 Display part 16 LCD
21 CPU
22 graphic memory controller hub 23 memory 24 graphic controller 25 I / O hub
26 BIOS-ROM
27 Hard Disk Drive 28 Embedded Controller / Keyboard Controller 29 Power Supply Controller 30 AC Adapter 31 Characteristic Detection Circuit 241 VRAM
281 registers

Claims (7)

An information processing apparatus to which an AC adapter can be connected,
Detecting means for detecting connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus is activated;
A determination unit that determines whether the AC adapter is compatible with the information processing apparatus when the detection unit detects a connection;
Receiving means for receiving information relating to the operation of the information processing apparatus when the determining means determines that the AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing apparatus;
An information processing apparatus comprising: a canceling unit that cancels activation of the information processing apparatus based on the information received by the receiving unit. An information processing apparatus to which an AC adapter can be connected,
Detecting means for detecting connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus;
A determination unit that determines whether the AC adapter is compatible with the information processing apparatus when the detection unit detects a connection;
Battery,
A remaining amount determining device for determining the remaining amount of the battery;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a setting unit configured to set an operation of the information processing apparatus according to a determination result of the determination unit and a determination result of the remaining amount determination apparatus. The information processing apparatus further includes receiving means for receiving information related to the operation of the information processing apparatus when the determination means determines that the AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing apparatus, and the setting means An information processing apparatus that sets an operation based on information received by the reception unit when a determination result of the remaining amount determination apparatus satisfies a predetermined condition. The receiving means is at least
Information about the setting of the first action, or
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information processing apparatus receives information related to setting of a second operation that consumes less power than the first operation setting. 5. The information processing apparatus further comprises warning means for issuing a warning to a user when the determination means determines that the AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus described in 1. An activation control method for an information processing apparatus to which an AC adapter can be connected,
A detection step of detecting connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus;
A determination step of determining whether or not the AC adapter is compatible with the information processing apparatus when a connection is detected in the detection step;
A receiving step of receiving information related to the operation of the information processing apparatus when the determination step determines that the AC adapter is not compatible with the information processing apparatus;
An activation control method, comprising: a cancellation step of canceling activation of the information processing apparatus based on the information received in the reception step. An operation control method for an information processing apparatus having a battery and connectable to an AC adapter,
A detection step of detecting connection of the AC adapter to the information processing apparatus;
A determination step of determining whether or not the AC adapter is compatible with the information processing apparatus when a connection is detected in the detection step;
A remaining amount determining step for determining the remaining amount of the battery;
A power supply control method comprising a setting step for setting an operation of the information processing apparatus according to a determination result of the determination step and a determination result of the remaining amount determination step.

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