JP2007200208A - Method of guaranteeing drive operation time of information device and device for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information device which guarantees a continuous availability time when the continuous availability time from a current time is set. <P>SOLUTION: A method of guaranteeing a drive operation time of the information device comprises an input step (a continuous availability time setting means) 16 for inputting a time for which continuous drive of the information device by a battery is required, a power saving state calculation step (a means for selecting components requiring power saving) 17 for calculating power saving states of various components, and a drive step (power saving control part) 20 for performing power saving drive of the information device on the basis of states calculated in the power saving state calculation step. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information device driven by a battery such as a notebook personal computer or a portable terminal, and also relates to a driving operation time guarantee method for an information device capable of being driven in a power saving mode and an apparatus therefor.

  In general, an information device driven by a battery such as a notebook computer or a portable terminal is configured such that driving in a power saving mode can be selected in order to extend the driving operation time. When this power saving mode is set, the power saving of each component of the information equipment, for example, in the information equipment using a liquid crystal display, the brightness level including the backlight is lowered, the CPU is driven. Various means are adopted such as performing power saving with power saving, setting the wireless LAN to a power saving mode, and performing HDD rotation control.

  In addition, when using information equipment, an estimated battery drive time calculation device and an expected battery drive time calculation method for predicting how much time can be driven from now on according to the remaining battery capacity at the present time are: Patent Document 1 discloses this. This prediction is possible even when the power saving mode is set. That is, measure the current consumption value and drive time under the power saving settings of each component of the information equipment in advance, store the results in the information equipment, and calculate the expected drive time in the power saving mode. Uses this value to calculate the estimated battery drive time.

JP 2000-214238 A

  In the conventional battery drive expected time calculation apparatus and method described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to know the available time from the present time based on the current remaining battery capacity. However, the power consumption of each component in the power saving mode adopted for calculating the estimated battery drive time is the result of calculation with the power consumption of all the components being minimized. Absent. In other words, even if the power saving mode is set, the battery drive in the usage state in accordance with the user's request such as calculating the expected battery drive time when there is a request to use only the brightness of the display unit in the normal state It is not an expected time calculation.

  On the other hand, if you are using a laptop computer, for example, if you are using it to record the minutes during a meeting, even if you are using it in power saving mode, the display unit will be used for character input. If there is a use state that is not in the power saving mode such as increasing the brightness of the battery for a predetermined time, the battery suddenly runs out and cannot be used for the intended purpose. That is, the inability to use the notebook computer occurs during the conference, which causes inconvenience that the conference progresses.

  However, considering the actual usage state, the user needs information on how much time an information device such as a notebook personal computer can use from the present time. Further, it is necessary to guarantee the driveable time. Moreover, instead of setting all the components to the power saving mode, for example, it is possible to arbitrarily set the conditions such as keeping the display section bright or not setting the power saving mode for the wireless LAN. There is a demand for obtaining an expected battery driving time in a state that matches the state.

  The present invention includes an input process for a time required to continuously drive an information device by a battery, a power saving state calculation process for calculating a power saving state of various components based on the input time and the remaining battery capacity, It comprises a driving process for performing power saving driving of the information device based on the state calculated in the power state calculating process.

  Therefore, by calculating the power-saving state of various components based on the time required for continuous drive of information equipment by battery and the remaining battery capacity, the time required for continuous drive of information equipment by battery is secured. As a result, the time required for this continuous driving is guaranteed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an inconvenient state in which when the information device is driven by a battery, the battery suddenly runs out and becomes unusable at the time of use.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, what is shown in FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an information device such as a notebook computer, and the information device main body 1 is composed of various components 2. These components 2 are a display unit 3 using a liquid crystal display, a CPU 4, a modem 5, an input unit 6 using a keyboard, a PC card control unit 7, a hard disk 8, a cooling fan 9, a sound control unit 10, a USB control unit 11, and the like. . Further, a power consumption storage unit 12 for each component 2 is provided. The power consumption storage unit 12 stores power consumption per unit time in a state where each component 2 is fully operated and power consumption per unit time in a state set in the power saving mode. . In this case, the power saving mode is set in multiple levels of a plurality of levels depending on the content of the component 2, and the power consumption at each level is stored.

  Next, a battery 13 is provided, and a remaining capacity detector 14 is connected to the battery 13. This remaining capacity detector 14 checks the discharge characteristics of the battery 13 from various information such as the voltage between terminals of the battery 13, current consumption, ambient temperature, and the like, and determines the ratio of the remaining capacity to the total amount of power that can be supplied at full charge. The result is shown as a percentage or graphic.

  In addition, even if the power saving mode is set, the component 2 that can be used without being partially saved can be set even if the whole is set to the power saving mode from the request for the use state. Means 15 are provided. Furthermore, when using the information device 1, a continuous use time setting means 16 is provided that can set the time that the user wants to use continuously from the present time.

  Thus, the remaining capacity detection unit 14, the power saving impossibility component setting means 15, and the continuous use time setting means 16 are connected to the component 2 selection means 17 that requires power saving. This selection means 17 saves which component 2 and how it saves power based on the continuous use time set by the continuous use time setting means 16 and the remaining capacity of the battery 13 from the present time. Thus, it is possible to obtain a state in which it is possible to secure time for which the information device 1 is desired to be used continuously from the present time. The answer ranges from an answer that does not require power saving to a plurality of combinations for setting various components 2 to the power saving mode, and this state is displayed on the display unit 3. The user selects the most desirable combination of power saving states according to the display content, and a selection means 18 is provided for this purpose. The power saving mode of each component 2 selected by the selection means 18 is set by the power saving setting unit 19, and each of the various components 2 described above is set by the power saving control unit 20 connected to the power saving setting unit 19. Is set to the power saving mode.

  The operation of such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG. That is, when using the information device 1, the user wants to know the time that he / she wants to use continuously from the present time. However, as a means for that purpose, the driving of various components 2 is included in the power saving mode. In order to set the component 2 that cannot be set in the power saving mode, the component 2 is input. For example, the condition setting is such that the brightness of the display unit 3 is not lowered in order to continuously input characters and the modem 5 is fully operated in order to continuously send and receive mail. After setting in this way, the continuous use time setting means 16 inputs the time that the user wants to use continuously from the present time (input process). That is, the user inputs how many hours the battery 13 is to be used when continuously driven.

  Based on the input “time” and the remaining capacity of the battery 13, a combination of power saving states of the various components 2 that can save power is calculated. That is, calculation of a state in which power saving can be performed in order to secure the driveable time required for the input information device 1 is performed by the selection unit 17 (power saving state calculation step) of the component 2 that requires power saving. . This is calculated without including setting of the power saving mode at all and including a sufficient remaining capacity of the battery 13. For example, only the brightness adjustment of the display unit 3 can be secured. A large number of combinations are calculated and displayed, such as the state and the state in which the drive state of the hard disk 8 must be set to the complete drive. In this combination calculation, as main requirements, in information equipment using a liquid crystal display, the luminance level including the backlight of the display unit 3 is reduced, the CPU 4 is driven with low power consumption, the modem Various means such as setting 5 to drive in the power saving mode and controlling the rotation of the hard disk 8 are selected individually and in combination. In addition, the priority of selection of these components 2 can be set in advance.

  Next, it is checked whether or not there is a component 2 that cannot be operated in the power saving mode. The main contents of this check are for reconfirming the input of the component 2 which should not be made to save power, which is set first. Then, a combination capable of power saving is selected from the combination examples for securing the driveable time displayed earlier, except for those including the component 2 that cannot be operated in the power saving mode. At this time, there are cases where the remaining capacity of the battery 13 is insufficient and there is no combination capable of saving power. In such a case, the time for returning to the initial state and continuously driving the battery 13 is reset. . In other words, it is unavoidable to reset the setting in a short time. If there is a combination that can save power, one of them is selected. Thus, the power saving state is specifically set, the power saving state is set, and the operation state is shifted to the operation state by the power saving control unit 20 (driving process).

By setting the time during which the battery 13 can be continuously driven in this way, the use of the information device 1 for the set time is guaranteed, and the battery does not run out during use.

It is a block diagram which shows the embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement.

Explanation of symbols

16 input process (continuous use time setting means), 17 power saving state calculation process (component selecting means requiring power saving), 20 driving process (power saving control unit)

Claims (5)

  An input process for a time required to continuously drive the information device by the battery, a power saving state calculation process for calculating the power saving state of various components based on the input time and the remaining battery capacity, and the power saving state calculation process A drive operation time guarantee method for an information device, comprising: a drive step of performing power-saving drive of the information device based on the state calculated in (1).   The method for guaranteeing the driving operation time of an information device according to claim 1, wherein the power saving state is calculated in a state in which components that should not be made power-saving are set and the set components are excluded.   In the power saving state calculation process that calculates the power saving state of various components based on the time required to continuously drive the input information device and the remaining battery capacity, all combinations that satisfy the condition settings are calculated. The method for guaranteeing the driving operation time of the information equipment according to claim 1 or 2.   A battery, a remaining capacity detection unit of the battery, a power consumption storage unit that stores the power consumption of each component of the information device, a setting unit for time required for continuous driving of the information device by the battery, and power saving A drive operation time guarantee device for information equipment, comprising: a component selection unit for the required information equipment; and a power saving control unit that drives the selected component for power saving. 5. The drive operation time guarantee device for an information device according to claim 4, further comprising: a component setting means that cannot set a power saving component in advance.

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