JPH04211819A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To save power without impairing operability by solving a problem that the usable duration of a battery is short at the time of drive by the battery in a portable information processor provided with an input part like a keyboard, etc. CONSTITUTION:A first processing block 1 connected to an information input block 97 including the keyboard 201 is provided, and it is connected to a second processing block 98 to which a display part 2 provided with a memory effect is connected. In response to the input of the keyboard, etc., the first processing block 1 starts the second processing block 98 being in a standstill state, and after changing the display of the display part 2, it stops the power supply or the operation of the both. At that time, the display of the display part 2 is held by the memory effect. Thus, the information processor whose power consumption is drastically reduced without impairing the display characteristic of the display part 2 can be obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus equipped with a display element.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as personal computers have become smaller and lighter, portable personal computers powered by batteries have appeared and are rapidly becoming popular. These are called notebook computers, and although they are small and lightweight, they have the same functionality as stationary computers and laptop computers. Since it can be used with batteries, a new form of use has emerged in which it can be brought and used in places where it is difficult to secure a power source, such as conference rooms and lecture halls.

[0003] However, in this type of usage, the problem is that the usable time of the battery is short. When used for recording meetings in a conference room or lectures at a university, it is desirable that the battery can be used continuously for about 10 hours in a single use. Looking at margins, a minimum battery life of 20 to 30 hours is required, ideally 100 hours or more, which is comparable to a calculator.

[0004] In contrast, the battery usage time of notebook computers that are actually available is only 2 to 3 hours. Therefore,
Problems have occurred during long meetings, such as the battery running out and the power turning off, interrupting input work. Moreover, the battery usable time is short, so it is necessary to charge it frequently, which is troublesome.

Although notebook computers are small and lightweight, their battery usage time is short, making it inconvenient to use notebook computers as portable devices.

[0006] If we consider existing pocket-type portable information devices such as calculators and electronic notebooks, their processing speeds are much slower than personal computers, and their power consumption is correspondingly lower. Therefore, even if the current primary battery is used, it can be used for several years, and there is no need to worry about the battery life. On the other hand, laptop computers consume a lot of power because their processing speeds are as fast as stationary computers. Therefore, the power consumption is two to four orders of magnitude higher than that of existing pocket-type portable information devices. Even with high performance rechargeable batteries, current technology has a maximum battery life of 2-3 hours. As mentioned before, users are not satisfied with this battery life. Various measures have been considered as power saving techniques to compensate for this short battery life, and some of these measures have already been implemented.

[0007] The conventional technology will be explained below. First, some notebook computers have what is commonly called a "resume" function. This system saves the information needed to restart the computer in non-volatile IC memory and automatically turns off the power to the CPU, display, etc. if the computer is not in use for a certain period of time. When you want to use the device again, when you turn on the power switch, the processing status and display contents before the power was turned off are restored in a short time based on the saved information in the IC memory. This method has the effect of substantially extending the usage time and is practical.

However, if no key input is made for a certain period of time, for example 5 minutes, all power to the device is forcibly turned off. Since the display disappears, the operator cannot check the displayed content and the operation is interrupted. If you want to check the displayed content or continue inputting again, you need to turn on the power switch. This is troublesome for the user. This power saving method substantially extends battery life, but
The drawback was that it was quite difficult to use.

[0009]

In the conventional configuration described above, as a means to reduce power consumption, almost all power supplies including the main processing circuit section and display circuit section are simply stopped. For this reason, as mentioned above, the power will automatically turn off if the user does not use it for a certain period of time.
In the case of intermittent processing operations, it was necessary to turn on the equipment frequently. In the case of notebook computers, this drawback is exacerbated by the fact that most users perform intermittent processing.

[0010] The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problem, and at the time when it is detected that the non-use state has continued for a certain period of time or when the main processing is completed, the power to the main processing section is stopped and the display is displayed at the same time. An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device that allows continuous display of a section.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] To achieve this object, the information processing apparatus of the present invention includes an information input section for inputting information from the outside, and a first input section for processing the information input from the information input section. a processing section; a second processing section that processes at least the information input from the information input section or the information from the first processing section; and displaying information processed by the first processing section or the second processing section. The apparatus is configured to detect no input, which detects that the input information to the information input section has been interrupted for a certain period of time. In particular, it is characterized by the use of a memory-type display element in the display section, which allows the display to continue even when there is no power supply.

0012

[Operation] With this configuration, if the no-input state continues, the processing of the processing section or the display section is stopped or its function is degraded, and power wave consumption is reduced. However, in the present invention, the displayed content is maintained even in this case. Further, when key input is resumed, the processing of the drive circuit is restarted according to the main processing section and the display. For the user, the operation can be performed as if the power supply had not been interrupted. As a result, significant power savings can be achieved without compromising operability at all.
The continuous use time when using batteries can be significantly extended.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing apparatus in a first embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device is composed of four blocks: an information input section 3, a first processing block 1, and a second processing block 99.

First, when the information processing device receives a key input from a user or an external input from an information input means such as a communication interface on the information input section 3 such as a keyboard, the first
Information is conveyed to processing block 1. The first processing unit 4 detects which key has been pressed or what information has been input from the outside, and determines the next process based on the information in the first memory 5.

First, as shown in FIG. Then, the clock signal is stopped and/or power saving processing is forcibly performed on the display circuit unit 8.

The power saving method will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2a, at t=t1, the information input unit 3
When there is an nth key input, this information is sent from the information input section 3 to the first processing section 4.

Then, the first processing section 4 judges the content of the key input, and only when the processing of the second processing section 7 is necessary, the content is sent to the second processing section 7 via the interruption control section 6 and the start command line 80. Sends a start command to forcibly start the second processing section 7 and starts the second processing section 7.
Send information to. As shown at t=t3 in c of FIG. 2, the second processing section 7 performs processing according to the input after being activated, and also sends an end signal to the first processing section 4 after the processing of the second processing section 7 is completed. The first feed processing unit 4 or the interruption control unit 6 uses the start command line 8
A termination command is sent to the second processing unit 137 via 0. Then, the second processing section 7 temporarily transfers information regarding the final processing content, such as the contents of the RAM memory and the contents of the registers, to the second processing section 7.
It was evacuated to memory 9. Thereafter, as shown at t=t5 in c of FIG. 2, the processing of the second processing section 7 is stopped or its functionality is reduced to significantly reduce power consumption and enter a power saving mode. Even after t=t5 when the second processing section 7 is stopped, the second memory 9 is backed up by a battery or uses non-volatile memory, so the memory contents are saved. If a display change is necessary, the second processing section 7 sends display change information to the first processing section 4. The first processing unit 4 has a display start command line 81
A display activation command is sent to the display circuit 8 via the display circuit 8 to activate the display circuit. As shown in d of FIG. 2, the information processed at t=t4 is sent to the display circuit section 8, and the display circuit 8 reads the image of the previous display content from the video memory 82 or the second memory 9, and 2 A new image is created based on the display changes and information sent from the processing unit 7. Then, the processing information is displayed on the display unit 2. Thereafter, at t=t6, the display circuit 8 sends its own command or end signal to the first processing section 4 via the interruption control section 6, and stops the operation of the clock, etc. of the display circuit 8 based on the instruction from the first processing section 4. Alternatively, the speed is reduced and the display power saving mode is entered, and the power consumption of the display circuit 8 thereafter is significantly reduced as shown after t=t6 in d of FIG.

After t=t6, the display circuit section 8 is stopped or almost stopped, but the display contents are retained because the display section 2 is composed of elements with a memory effect such as ferroelectric liquid crystal. . Here, the contents of the display section 2 will be explained. In the case of a simple matrix liquid crystal, the display section 2 has a matrix of electrodes as shown in FIG. It is composed of horizontal drive lines 13 and vertical drive lines 14 in two horizontal and vertical directions connected to a horizontal drive section 11 and a vertical drive section 12. FIG. 4 shows one state of the pixel as voltage is applied. In each pixel, a signal is applied to a ferroelectric liquid crystal 17 through electrodes formed by a horizontal drive line 13 and a vertical drive line 14 provided on glasses 15 and 16.

FIG. 4(a) shows the state when no light is transmitted. By applying a signal, the direction of the ferroelectric liquid crystal 17 changes, and the polarization angle of the transmitted light changes, and by forming a polarizing plate, light is transmitted in this state.

Next, when a voltage in the opposite direction is applied, the direction of the ferroelectric liquid crystal 17 changes, and the polarization angle of the transmitted light is rotated by 90 degrees.
The polarizing plate prevents light from passing through as shown in FIG. 4(b). One of the features of ferroelectric liquid crystals is the memory effect. As shown in FIG. 4(c), even if the power is turned off, the same state as in FIG. 4(b) is maintained. Therefore, the display continues even if the display circuit 8 is not operated at all from t=t6 to t=t14, which will be described next. In this way, after t=t6, the power saving mode is entered, and only the information input section 3 and the first processing section 4 are operating.

The first processing section 4 only performs processing such as converting key input into character codes. Since this key input is performed manually by a human, it can only be input several dozen times per second at most. Human input speed is several orders of magnitude slower than microcomputer processing speed. Therefore, the processing speed of the first processing section 4 may be as slow as that of a calculator. Therefore, the power consumption is several orders of magnitude lower than that of a stationary PC CPU. As shown in FIG.
Although it operates while it is turned on, it consumes less power, so overall power consumption can be kept low.

Next, when there is an N+1 key input at t=t11, the first processing unit 4 determines the content of the key input at t=t12, and if necessary, it A start command is directly sent to the second processing section 7 to start it. The second processing section 7 restarts the clock-based processing based on the activation command, and stores the information that has entered the second memory section 9, that is, the information when it was stopped last time at t=t5, such as memory contents, register information, display contents, etc. The information is read out and the CPU environment at time t=t5 is completely restored. After this, at t=t13, the information from the first processing section 4 is transferred to the second
The data is sent to the processing unit 7 and processing is restarted. The second processing section 7 has a high processing speed to enable high-speed calculations, so its power consumption is close to that of a general personal computer. If operated continuously, the battery life is short, as is the case with existing laptops. However, in the present invention, the power saving mode is entered intermittently, so
Power consumption is correspondingly lower.

To explain this power saving mode, for example, W
In the case of P software, etc., the time required for one process is usually 1 m.
s or less. On the other hand, human key input takes several tens of milliseconds at the fastest. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2C, although the peak power consumption of the second processing section 7 from t13 to t15 is large, the average power consumption is from several tenths to several hundredths of this peak value. In other words, the power saving mode allows for significant power savings.

At t=t14, the second processing section 7 sends to the display section 2 information only about the changed portion of the display contents.

Before t=t14, the display section 2 continues to display the display content changed at t=t6 due to the memory effect of the ferroelectric liquid crystal 17 even if the display circuit 8 is not operating. There is. Only the portion whose display content has been changed based on the key input at t=t11 is partially rewritten at t=t14. This partial rewriting changes the displayed content of one to several lines by applying voltage to a specific horizontal drive line 13 and a specific vertical drive line 14. In this case, the processing time is shorter than when rewriting the entire data, and the power consumption is reduced accordingly.

At t=t15 in FIG. 2C, the second processing section 7 stops operating and enters the power saving mode again. When the processing of the second processing unit 7 is completed before t=t15 in c of FIG.
Or, at the time when the termination command is received from the first processing section 4, the second
The processing unit 7 saves the final processing information to the second memory 9.

Next, at t=t14, the second processing section 7 stops or slows down its operation and enters the input saving mode. t=t2
When input information comes at short intervals such as 1, t31, t41, t51, for example, in the case of multiple key inputs or input from a communication port, t=t23, t as shown in c in Figure 2.
33, t43 and enters power saving mode. If the first processing 4 determines that the interval of input information is shorter than a certain interval, the first
A power saving mode stop command is issued from process 4, and t in c in Figure 2 is issued.
= As shown after t43, the second processing unit 7 is not forcibly terminated and the input saving mode is not entered. Then, when the input information interval becomes longer, the power saving mode is started again.

Further, when the first processing section 4 detects that no key input has been made for a certain period of time, the main operations including the first processing section 4 are stopped and the power is turned off, thereby entering a power-off mode. However, the memory contents are backed up by a battery. The power is almost completely turned off. However, before turning off the power, the first processing section 4 directly or through the second processing section 7 sends a power stop display command to the display circuit 8, displays the seventh display 21 as shown in FIG. 5(b), and turns off the power. After displaying the stop display, enter power stop mode. Since the display section 2 has a memory effect, this display is displayed even after the power is turned off, so that the user can distinguish between the power saving mode and the power stopping mode.

In the power saving mode, operation is restarted by key input, and the user does not need to be aware that the operation has been interrupted.

However, in the power-off mode, since the power-off display is displayed, the user sees this and turns on the power switch 20 to cause the second processing section 7 to retrieve the previous processing from the second memory 9. You can restore the state and start the next task that is continuous with the previous one. This part is the existing “Re
This is the same as "sume" mode.

The above operation will now be explained using the flowchart of FIG. In step 101, the power supply S
When WON is performed, the first processing section 4 starts operating in step 102. In step 103, input information such as key input from the information input section 3 is sent to the first processing section 4, and in step 104, it is determined whether there has been an input interruption state for a certain period of time. Input interruption time: Step 105 if t is large
If the second processing section 7 is in operation, the process returns to step 103, and if it is not in operation, the entire power source is turned off in step 106.
The FF is turned on and the operation is stopped in step 107 until the power switch in step 101 is pressed.

Returning to step 104, if the input interruption time t is several minutes, the process proceeds to step 108, where the first processing unit 4 and the second
If the processing frequency of the processing unit 7 is low, the backlight power is turned off in step 108 and the backlight power saving mode is entered.

[0034] Returning to step 104, if the input interruption time t is small, the process of the first processing section in step 110 is checked in step 110a to see if the display continues for a long time, and if it continues for a long time, The display on the display section 2 is refreshed in step 110b to prevent display fixation and burn-in, and the processing frequency of the second processing section is determined in step 112a. If it is small, proceed to step 111. If it is determined in step 111 that the processing by the second processing unit 7 is not necessary, the process returns to step 103.

If it is determined in step 111 that the processing by the second processing section 7 is necessary, the process proceeds to step 112. a
If the second processing section 7 is not operating in step 112, the process proceeds to step 113a, and a command to start the second processing section 7 is issued to the second processing section 7. In response to this, step 11
3, the second processing section 7 is activated by the first processing section 4 and the interruption control section 6, and the processing of the second processing section is started at step 114. If it is determined in step 115 that there is a change in the display, the second processing unit 7
Display change information is given to the interruption control section 6 and first processing section 4 at step a. Then, in step 116b, the interruption control section 6 sends a display section activation command to the display block 99. Step 116c
The display circuit 8 is activated in step 117, the display is changed including partial rewriting of the display section 2, and after confirming the display change in step 118, display completion information is sent to the first processing section 4 in step 117a, and step At step 117b, a display completion command is received, and at step 119, the operation of the display section is stopped.

At this point, the process returns to step 115 if there is no display change. After confirming the completion of processing by the second processing unit 7 in step 120, completion information for the second processing unit is generated in step 120a, and upon receiving a processing unit termination command, the function of the second processing unit 7 is stopped in step 121. After step 1
Return to state 03.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are block diagrams showing a concrete configuration of the first embodiment as a notebook computer.

Referring to FIG. 8, the information input block 97 is composed of a keyboard 201, an RS232C communication port 51, and a floppy disk controller 202. In addition, there is a hard disk 203. The first processing block is mainly composed of the first processing section 4 . The second processing block 98 includes a second processing section 7 that employs a CPU that enters a power saving mode when the clock is stopped and returns to the power saving mode when the clock is supplied, and is connected to the bus line 210. The bus line 210 includes a ROM 20 for startup.
4, a second memory 9 made up of DRAM, and a backup RAM 205 made up of SRAM that stores information on returning each part from the resume state at the time of resume. The first processing section 4 and the display block 99 are connected to the bus line 210. The display block 99 includes a graphic controller 20 as a display circuit.
6 and a liquid crystal controller/driver 207. There is also a video RAM 209 and a liquid crystal 208. Power saving can be achieved by putting some of the above-mentioned components into an operating state and putting the rest into a stopped state as needed. This power saving method is shown in (Table 1).

[0039]

[Table 1]

[0040] During normal input such as WP, intermittent keyboard input is performed. Therefore, except for the communication input/output section, the power supply is
Turn it on. Then, a clock is applied to the first processing block 1, and no clock is applied to the second processing block 98 and display block 99. Therefore, power consumption occurs only in the first processing block. If necessary, a clock is supplied to the second processing block 98 and the display block 99 to activate them intermittently for short periods of time. Next, when performing frequent processing, the second processing block 98 is always in a clock operating state to increase the processing speed.

[0041] When there is no keyboard input for a certain period of time, the second
The power to the processing block 98 is stopped, the memory contents are backed up, and the process is restarted when the next keyboard input is received. FIG. 8 is almost the same as FIG. 7, but shows a case where the first processing section 4 with a low clock frequency is used as an overall "monitor" and the actual processing is performed by the second processing section 7 with a high clock frequency. . The first processing unit 4 is a keyboard 201
In response to the keyboard input, the second processing unit 7 is activated each time.
This is a method of event processing that causes the device to start and perform processing. After the processing is completed, the second processing section is stopped to save power. Pause until next keyboard input. The display block 99 is activated based on the display signal from the second processing section 7, and automatically stops after the display is completed. The method in Figure 8 is an OS that is close to the conventional OS.
This has the effect of allowing it to work with existing software, increasing compatibility with existing software. Traditional MS-DOS is designed to run on one CPU. In the system shown in FIG. 7, the number of CPUs can be considered as two, so when running conventional application software, there is a possibility that compatibility problems may occur. Furthermore, even if there is no compatibility problem, the power saving effect is reduced with a conventional OS. Therefore, by installing a conventional OS, a dedicated OS for the two CPUs of the present invention, and dedicated software, when used with WP software, the software for the dedicated OS of the present invention can be run, and dozens to
Aims to reduce power consumption by several hundredths. And the general purpose software is
A conventional OS is used. In this case, the power saving effect will be reduced. In reality, about 80% of notebook computers are used for WP, so this configuration can achieve a large power saving effect.

FIG. 9 is another specific block diagram of the first embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart. This is MS-
This discloses a method for operating on a conventional OS such as DOS. The second processing unit 7 uses a CPU that maintains information in registers, internal RAM, etc. even if the clock and power supply are stopped. If there is a key input in step 251, in step 252 the first processing section 4 sends a keyboard code signal from the keyboard 201 to the activation section 221 which is always in operation. Step 253 Starting part 22
1 sends a clock to the main processing unit 222 which is in a dormant state to bring it into an operating state. Register 224 and internal RAM 22
3 is backed up, so by clock supply,
Starts instantly. In step 254, the main processing unit 222
Since the program is stopped while waiting for input, the program will start from this state. Then, in step 255, keyboard input is received and program processing such as WP is performed. Depending on the process at step 256, if necessary, a display command is output at step 257 to rewrite the display. In step 256, the graphics controller 206
, rewrite the contents of the video RAM 209 in step 259, start the liquid crystal controller driver 207 in step 260, partially rewrite the ferroelectric liquid crystal 208 in step 261, and back up the VRAM 209 in step 262. Display block 9
9 stops and enters power saving mode in step 263. After the second processing unit 7 completes the processing in step 270, the running program is stopped in the "keyboard input standby state" in step 271, and step 2
At step 72, the contents necessary for recovery such as the register 223 and internal RAM 234 and the second memory 9 are backed up, and the CPU clock is stopped. In step 273, the second processing unit 7
stops and enters power saving mode. However, since the activation unit 221 is operating, it is placed in an input standby state until a new keyboard input or input from the communication port 5 is received in step 251. Therefore, in the second processing block 98, only the activation unit 221 is activated. The method in Figure 9 is based on this CP.
In U, even if the clock is stopped, the contents of registers etc. can be backed up and retained. A CPU is used that instantly returns to normal operation when the clock is restarted. There is one CPU that mainly operates. Therefore, it has the feature of being able to use a conventional OS. Conventional software such as WP can also be used with just a few changes, which has the great effect of allowing the use of conventional software assets. Therefore, it can be said that this is an extremely realistic method at present. By directly rewriting the display using the first processing unit 4 as in Example 2, which will be described later, power consumption can be further reduced significantly.

[0043] When there is no keyboard input for a long time, the computer enters resume mode and turns off most of the power supplies. In particular, ferroelectric liquid crystals have a memory effect, but when the same display content is displayed continuously, a permanent memory effect called metastabilization phenomenon occurs. To avoid this, the timer 22 is set in power saving mode or power stop mode.
If it is determined that the display has continued for a certain period of time,
A display change command is sent to the first processing section 4 and the power switch 20, and the display circuit 8 rewrites all or part of the display contents of the display section 2 to prevent the permanent memory phenomenon.

In the unlikely event that a permanent memory phenomenon occurs and a part of the display section 2 cannot be changed, the display reset switch 23 raises the temperature of the display section 2 via the heater 24 and adjusts the alignment of the liquid crystal. , it becomes possible to change the display contents of the display section 2 again.

Note that in the power saving mode, the power can be reduced by stopping the clock of the second processing section 7, but to further reduce the power, the interruption control section 6 stops the power supply to the second processing section 7 or the display circuit 8. By stopping this, more complete power savings can be achieved. In the power stop mode, only the power backup of the second memory 9 consumes power.

As shown in FIG. 1, when using batteries, the backlight 25 is turned off and the reflective element 27 is activated via the reflective circuit 26 to use the reflective mode.

As shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b), the reflective element 27
12(a) using the transmission mode and scattering mode of a film-like ferroelectric liquid crystal element.
The reflection shown in b) can be used to switch between reflection and transmission. The incident light 32 is diffusely reflected by the reflection section 27 and becomes reflected light 33. In this case, the polarizing film includes the display section 2 and the reflective element 2.
The number of parts can be reduced by using the polarizing plate No. 7 also. Furthermore, by using a film-like electrochromic display element, two modes can be realized: a transmission state and a white diffused reflection state like a blank sheet of paper.

Further, the reflective element 27 may be of a fixed type as shown in FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b). The reflective element 27 includes a light transmitting section consisting of a low refractive index light transmitting section 28 and a high refractive index light transmitting section 29, and a reflecting section 31 partially having an opening 30.

As shown in FIG. 13(a), the light from the backlight section 25 enters the high refractive index light transmitting section 29;
It is totally reflected at the interface with the low refractive index light transmitting section 28, enters the polarizing plate 35 through the opening 30 as shown in the figure, becomes polarized light, enters the liquid crystal section 17, and is emitted to the outside to produce a bright display. It will be done.

Next, when the battery is used in the reflection mode, as shown in FIG. 13(b), external light 32 passes through the liquid crystal part 17 and is reflected by the reflection part 31 made of vapor-deposited aluminum or the like. The reflected light 33 passes through the liquid crystal 17 and is displayed externally.

Since this reflecting section 27 does not require an external drive circuit, it has the effect of simplifying the overall configuration. This high refractive index and low refractive index can be easily created by the method of eroding molten salt, which is commonly used for gradient index lenses.

Transmissive/reflective liquid crystal displays have had the problem of inferior display quality compared to transmissive or reflective only liquid crystal displays, but by switching between reflective and transmissive, it is possible to display either the transmissive or reflective display. The effect is that the display can be equivalent to that of the dedicated type. Therefore, it is suitable for dual power source drive applications such as battery and AC.

When using an external power source, the backlight 25 is turned on according to a command from the first processing section 4, and the first
A transmission command is sent from the processing unit 4 to the reflection circuit 26, and the reflection element 27 enters the transmission state, and as shown in FIG. 12(a), the display becomes extremely bright due to the transmitted light.

Next, when using a battery, a reflection command is sent from the first processing section 4 to the reflection display circuit 26, and the reflection element 2
7 is in a reflective state including diffused reflection, and as shown in FIG. 12(b), display is performed using reflected light from external light. In this case, power consumption is reduced by the amount of backlight 25.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b), by using a reflective/transmissive plate 34 in which a tapered hole is provided in a metal plate such as aluminum,
) has the same effect.

By adopting the above configuration, the CPU operates intermittently in response to intermittent key inputs, and the average power consumption is effectively reduced.

Moreover, in this case, since the display continues, the user does not feel any strangeness at all even if the operation of the processing section stops. This has the effect of significantly reducing power consumption without impairing operability at all.

[0058] Specifically, the key input cycle is several tens of meters.
On the other hand, in the case of WP software, etc., the average CPU processing time is several tens to hundreds of microseconds, so it is sufficient to work for an operating time of 1/100 to 1/1000 of several tens of milliseconds. Therefore, by intermittent operation, power consumption is also reduced. However, if the CPU only operates intermittently, the display will consume 0.5 to 1 W, or about 10 to 20% of the total power, so even if the CPU's miscellaneous power is reduced to 1/1000, the display will not work. If so, 1/10 to 1/5 of before the measures.
The power consumption will remain. In the present invention, since a display element with a memory effect, such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal, is used in the display section, the power consumption required for display can be reduced by intermittent operation, similar to the CPU.

Therefore, in applications such as WP where key input is the main focus, the overall power consumption can be reduced to 1/100 to 1/1000.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 15 shows a block diagram of an embodiment. In Example 2,
The function of the first processing section 4 is strengthened, and the frequency of operation of the second processing section 7, which consumes a large amount of power, is further reduced, thereby further reducing power consumption.

The difference in configuration between the first embodiment and FIG. 1 is the first
There is a signal line 97 that transmits a display instruction signal from the processing block 1 to the display block 99. The first processing unit 4 in the first processing block 1 directly outputs an instruction change signal to the display circuit 8 in the display block 99 to change the display content of the display unit 2. Note that in the first embodiment, the second processing section 7 is the display circuit 8.
I mentioned the point of giving a display change signal.

FIG. 16 shows a block diagram related to the first processing section 4 in more detail.
The memory section 5 has three sections: a first font ROM section 40 for storing dot patterns of fonts such as alphabets and kana in a ROM, an image memory section 41, and a general memory section 42.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the second font ROM section 43 in the second memory section 9 can be used as the font memory. Therefore, the first processing section 4 alone can perform the following series of simple processes for changing the display. A character code is generated based on key input, and a font pattern corresponding to the character code is read from the first font ROM section 40 or the second font ROM section 43 and displayed on the display section 2 via the display circuit 8. Within the second memory 9 is a second general memory 44 .

In other words, when inputting a data character string that does not involve major processing, the first processing section 4 with low power consumption mainly performs display change processing. If a large amount of processing is required, the second processing section 7, which consumes a large amount of power, performs the processing. This reduces the frequency of operation of the second processing section 7 and further reduces power consumption. In this case, as shown in FIG. 16, by calling the font pattern of the second font ROM 43 in the second memory section 9, the memory of the first memory section 5 can be reduced.

The second embodiment will be explained using the flowcharts of FIGS. 18 and 19. The flowchart of FIG. 18 is basically the same as the flowchart of FIG. 6 of the first embodiment. The difference is that the first processing section 4 directly activates the display circuit 8. For this reason, step 130 and display flowchart 131 are added. If the first processing unit 4 determines in step 130 that the change is a simple display change that can be processed by the first processing unit 4, the process proceeds to a display flowchart 131. To briefly explain this, first, the display block 99 is activated in step 132, the display contents are changed in step 133, the display change is confirmed in step 134, and then the display block 99 is activated in step 132.
Turn off the power to the display block in step 35 and proceed to step 103.
Return to the standby state for information input. FIG. 19 shows a more detailed explanation of the change in display content in step 133. In step 132, is the activation of the first processing block 1? After activating the display block 99, step 14
If you only want to move the cursor at 0, just go to step 1.
Partial rewriting of the cursor number 41 is performed. If not, it is checked in step 142 whether a display already exists in the input planned area of the display unit 2. This allows the first processing section 4 to check the contents of the image memory section 41. NO
In this case, the partial rewriting process of step 143 is performed as is. If YES, proceed to step 144. In step 144, the display contents existing in the input planned area of the display section 99 are checked in the image memory 41, and it is determined whether the previous display contents are necessary for the current display change. In the case of NO, it is only necessary to perform overwriting by partial rewriting in step 143. If YES, in step 145, the image corresponding to the input planned area is stored in the image memory 41 or the second
It is called from the font ROM 9 and a new image to be displayed in the future is synthesized. In step 146, it is determined whether the black and white reverse mode is selected, and if YES, in step 147, the corresponding portion of the image is displayed in reverse. If NO, the part of the display corresponding to the display change is rewritten in step 148, the display change is confirmed in step 134, and the display block 99 is stopped in step 135. To explain specifically, FIG. 20 shows the processing status of each part in response to key input.
”, the first processing unit 4 converts the character code to “I”, reads the font pattern corresponding to this character code from the first font ROM 40 shown in FIG. 16, and drives the display circuit 8. 20e on the display section 2.
The display “I” shown in FIG. In this case, in the case of a memory effect display such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal, partial rewriting is possible. There are two methods for rewriting parts. One is dot partial rewriting, which rewrites one point, and the other is rewriting all dots for one horizontal or vertical line. There is some line rewriting. Naturally, dot rewriting consumes less power, but it requires high voltage and increases cost. Even when rewriting one dot, it is necessary to rewrite the entire line, but a low voltage can be used for line rewriting. In the embodiment, both display methods will be described.

If the horizontal drive unit 11 and the vertical drive 12 shown in FIG. 3 have a high withstand voltage, it is possible to partially rewrite only the "I" column point by point. Therefore, in this case, the first
The processing unit 4 only needs to generate information for one font corresponding to "I". However, the cost of ICs with high voltage resistance is high. In order to reduce costs, it is desirable that this breakdown voltage be low. Therefore, in current semiconductor processes, it is necessary to support partial rewriting in row units in order to lower the required withstand voltage.

In this case, the first processing section 4 uses the first memory 5
must have at least one line of image memory.

In the case of Japanese, the memory is for 640×24 dots. In this case, to rewrite “I”,
It is necessary to rewrite 24 lines of that one line, that is, 640 dots.

The previous image is read from the image memory 41 of the first processing section 5, and the "I" pattern is read from the first font ROM 40 and combined to create an image for one line. Based on this information, one line of the display section 2 is rewritten via the display circuit 8. At the same time, the image of the new line is stored in the image memory 41. This completes the display change of "I".

In this case, as shown in FIG. 16, when the second font ROM 43 is used, the first font ROM 40 and the image memory 41 are not necessary because only one line of code information is required. In this case, the data for one line is approximately 40 characters, 2-byte characters, and 40 x 2 characters per line.
=80B is sufficient. In this case, the first memory 5 can contain code information for the entire screen.

The display of "I" is completed by the above two methods. In this case, the process of the second processing section 7 is not performed at all as shown in c of FIG.

Similarly, only the first processing unit 4 displays "space" at t2, "L" at t3, "i" at t4, "v" at t5, and "e" at t6. It will be held in Although the processing speed of the first processing section 4 is significantly slower than that of the second processing section 7, the processing speed is sufficient for performing one line display processing. This reduces power consumption.

FIG. 20t7 shows a state in which a key input that instructs a large amount of processing, such as a spell check when inputting WP, a translation process from Japanese to English, a Japanese kana-kanji conversion process, a spreadsheet calculation command, etc. It shows.

In this case, the first processing section 4 determines that the processing of the second processing section 7 is necessary, and starts the second processing section 7 at t71. This starting state is the same as that described in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20c, the second processing unit 7
71 and returns to the processing state before interruption, receives character string information from the first processing unit 4 and processes it. If necessary, as shown in FIG. Change the display contents of section 2.

This process can be easily explained using an input example of translation processing from Japanese to English. In Figure 20f, t2
K is keyed in at , and K is displayed as it is in FIG. 20h. When a is input at t1, "ka" is displayed as shown in FIG. 20h.

Up to this point, the second processing section 7 does not operate as shown in FIG. 20c. When the translation conversion key is pressed at t7, the processing of the second processing unit 7 starts from t71, and the Japanese word "kareha" is changed to "He is" by the translation process.
This processing result is displayed in the display circuit 8.
The dots are rewritten.

As shown at h in FIG. 20, "He is" is displayed. As shown in FIG. 20G, the power consumption during dot rewriting is lower than the power consumption during line rewriting shown in FIG. 20D.

Next, using FIG. 21, in order to reduce power consumption when moving the cursor, if black and white inversion mode is used as shown in FIGS. 21(a) and (b), power consumption is large when rewriting lines. . Therefore, by displaying a horizontal bar cursor using lines between lines as shown in FIGS. 21(c) and 21(d), there is no need to rewrite the display of one line, and power can be saved. Furthermore, since the processing speed is increased, the response becomes faster even if the processing is performed by the slow first processing section 4. This is also effective in dot rewriting mode.

As shown in FIG. 22(a), a horizontal bar cursor is used only for cursor movement. In this case, it is more effective if the first processing unit 4 intermittently displays black and white inverted to make it more noticeable. Then, only when there is a key input as shown in (b), one character is displayed in reverse video. This switching reduces power consumption at least when moving the cursor.

22(a) to 22(h) correspond to t1 to t7 in FIG. 20, and (i) shows the display at the time of reconversion. Figure 23 shows the state in which (a) to (g) are inserted into a sentence when rewriting dots, and the second font ROM is shown in Figure 1.
6, since not all the kanji codes are stored in the first font ROM 40, it is necessary to store one line's worth of image information in the image memory 41. When retreating as shown in FIGS. 23(c) to 23(d), the image "n" is restored from the image memory 41, so the display as shown in (d) is obtained without using the second processing unit 7 or the two-font ROM 43. becomes possible. Figure 24
(a) to (g) show the state in which the character string "He is man" is copied. (a) to (f) are the first
The processing can be performed only by the processing section 4. Since the process (g) requires insertion processing, it can almost be processed using the capabilities of the first processing unit 4. The second processing section 7 operates.

In the case of the second embodiment, most of the processing performed by the second processing section 7 in the first embodiment is performed by the first processing section 7 with low power consumption.
Since the processing unit 4 performs the processing, there is an effect that the average power consumption is further reduced compared to the first embodiment.

However, depending on WP or spreadsheet software, the first
The optimum value of the sharing ratio between the processing section and the second processing section is different. Therefore, the first processing unit 4 can change the assignment content using software to optimize the balance between power consumption and processing speed. Further, as shown in FIG. 25, by adding the video memory 82 to the display block 99 and connecting the first processing section 4 to the connection line 96, the previous display image can be stored in the video memory 82.
The image memory 41 in FIG. 16(a) can also be omitted.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 26 is a block diagram of the third embodiment. Example 1
As is clear from FIG. 1, the difference from the second embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the first
Both a startup command and a termination command were sent from processing block 1 to second processing block 98 . Also, both a start command and an end command are sent from the first processing block 1 to the display block section 99 via the display start command line 81.

However, in the third embodiment, as is clear from FIG.
There is no 1. Next, on the start command line 80, only a start command is sent from the first processing block 1 to the second processing block 98, but no end command is sent. When the second processing section 7 completes the processing, it performs the stop processing itself and enters the power saving mode. The display block 99 is activated by issuing a display activation command to the display block 99 via the data line 84 when the second processing section 7 determines that a display change is necessary. When the display change of the display section 2 is completed, the display block 99
stops operating and enters display power saving mode. This is shown in Figure 2
This will be explained using the flowchart No. 7. This flowchart includes a first processing step group 151 and a second processing step group 15.
2 and a display step group 153. First, let's discuss the differences from the point of activation and termination of the second processing block 98.

The difference from the flowchart of the first embodiment in FIG. 6 is that the second processing block 98, that is, the second
There is no control flow from the processing step group 152 to the first processing block 1, that is, the first processing step group 151. That is, the first processing section 4 sends a command to start the second processing section 7 to the second processing section 7 in step 112, and the second processing section 7 is started. Only this point is common to the first embodiment. Regarding stopping, unlike the first embodiment, the function of the second processing section is automatically stopped in step 121 instead of stopping upon receiving a command from the first processing section 4. Then, in step 103, the information input standby state is entered.

Next, the differences from the first embodiment with respect to starting and stopping the display block 99 will be described. In the first embodiment, the second processing unit 7 sends display completion information to the first processing block 99 as a display activation command. However, in the third embodiment, step 11 in FIG.
In step 5a, the second processing block 98 sends an activation command to the display block 99, the display block 99 is activated in display step 116, and the display contents are changed in step 117. After confirming the display change in step 118, step 119
Then, the display block 99 is stopped by itself.

As described above, the third embodiment has the same functions as the first embodiment, but the second processing block 98 and the display block 99 are automatically stopped.

Furthermore, the activation command for the display block 99 is the second one.
Processing block 98 issues. Therefore, the burden on the first processing block 1 is reduced, the overall speed is increased, and the configuration is simplified.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 28 shows a block diagram of a fourth embodiment. Embodiment 4 discloses a power saving method according to the present invention when the device has input/output such as communication with the outside. The information processing device has an input/output section 50 that performs input/output with the outside in an information input block 97, and has a communication port 51 and an external interface section 52 therein. When there is input/output, the operation is as shown in the timing diagram of FIG. 29. This operation is similar to the timing diagram for key input shown in FIG. When the input from the communication port shown in FIG. At t1, the first processing section 4 sends input information to the display circuit 8, operates as shown in d of FIG. 29, and rewrites the display on the display section as shown in e of FIG. 29. Then, only when an input involving large processing comes at t7, the second processing section 7 is activated at t=t71 as shown in c of FIG.

The second processing section 7 sends a start command at t=t7 to start the display circuit 8 and rewrite the display section 2. In the third embodiment, when there is input/output via communication etc., the second processing unit 7 does not operate for input that does not involve major processing.
The first processing section 4 or the input/output section 50 performs input/output processing and display processing. Therefore, there is a power saving effect during input/output operations.

In Example 4, since a solar cell is used, the power consumption is further reduced and the device can be used for a long period of time.

[0092] Although the solar cells may not operate if there is no light, by arranging the solar cells 60 on the same surface as the display section 2, when the solar cells do not operate, the display section 2
I can't see what's displayed or the keys on the keyboard.

[0093] Therefore, in reality, there are no problems. In a dark environment, for example, when inputting WP at a lecture where slides are being shown, the power holding circuit is activated by key input, and the first
The processing unit 4 operates.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 30 shows a block diagram of a fifth embodiment, in which a solar cell 60 is added as a power source. First processing section 4
Since the speed is slow, power consumption is extremely low. Therefore, it can be driven by solar cells. This is almost the same as in Example 1, and the operation remains the same, but in the case of solar cells, power supply is stopped when the amount of incident light decreases. When stopped, first the power supply is switched to the power supply section 61. Also, if there is no key input or power supply from the solar battery 60 for a long period of time, the situation shown in Fig. 31
Enter the power stop mode as shown in t=t61 of b.
The first processing unit 4 saves the processing information to the first memory 5 and stops its operation. In this case power consumption is reduced. and t
It starts when power is supplied from the solar cell 60 or when there is a key input from the information input section 3 at t71, and the original operation is started again by a key input at t72.

[0095] Here, an example of a method of starting the first processing section 4 by key input will be described. As shown in FIG.
Send to 3. Therefore, when the key is pressed, the holding circuit 63 sends power to the first processing section 4 and starts the first processing section 4. At this time, the key input section 62 inputs the key input information in parallel.
The data is sent to the processing unit 4 and processing is restarted. FIG. 33 shows a block diagram when the first processing section 4 and the second processing section 7 are shared.

In this case, the key input section 62 may have two types of power SW and key input SW for each key.

Embodiment 5 aims to further reduce power consumption. The design also allows laptops to last several years or more without requiring battery replacement. In addition, as shown in FIG. 33, in Examples 1 to 5, the first processing section and the second processing section can also be combined into one.

(Embodiment 6) Embodiment 6 is a case in which the present invention is applied to an information processing apparatus using an optical disk such as an 8 mm CD-ROM.

FIG. 34 is a block diagram, and the information input block 97 includes the CD-ROM drive 3 of the CD-ROM.
01 and a keyboard 201 are connected.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view. The CD-ROM player 312 has a keyboard 201 and a liquid crystal display 208CD-R.
When an optical disc 315 such as an OM is inserted into the optical disc insertion section 316, a startup signal is generated in the startup section 221 shown in FIG. 34, and the second processing section 7 is started.

[0101] In addition, in response to an input from the keyboard 201, a code signal is sent from the first processing unit 4 to the activation unit 221, the second processing unit 7 is activated, and after the processing is completed, the second processing unit 7 is stopped. This is similar to the embodiment.

[0102] This feature extends the usable battery life of portable equipment such as CD-ROM players due to power consumption. In particular, the feature of this embodiment is that the activation section 221 activates upon receiving an insertion signal from the CD drive 301.
- The second processing section 7 is activated by inserting or removing the optical disk 315 such as a ROM.

(Example 7) Example 7 shows a case where the present invention is applied to a digital tape recorder. 36 and 37 are application examples of a digital audio tape recorder 312 such as a DAT.
08 and a cassette insertion slot 314. By inserting the digital audio tape 313 into the cassette insertion slot 314, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. The second processing section 7 is activated.

[0104] The second processing section 7 starts and stops when the digital audio tape 313 is put in and taken out, so that it starts operating in conjunction with the operator's putting in and taking out the tape.

According to our simulation calculation, W
If the average power consumption is 5W when operated with P software and the present invention is not used, it becomes several tens of mW by using the present invention. Therefore, even a conventional secondary battery can be used for several hundred hours, and by using a primary battery such as a highly efficient lithium battery, it can be used for more than 1000 hours. In other words, it is possible to have a notebook computer that can last for more than a year even if used for 5 hours every month, and can be used for long periods of time without changing batteries like a pocket calculator. At this time, the development direction is also increasing speed and increasing the number of pixels. Users are freed from the hassle of charging. The present invention frees notebook computers from power cords and chargers. Regarding the applications of ferroelectric liquid crystals, attention has traditionally been focused on high speed and high resolution. The present invention focuses on reducing power consumption, which has not received any attention in the past in ferroelectric liquid crystals.

[0106] This kind of focus has never been seen before, and it is highly effective in reducing the power consumption of high-performance portable information devices such as notebook computers, which are expected to grow in the future.

Although a ferroelectric liquid crystal was used as a display element with a memory effect in the embodiment, it can be used as other memory-type display elements such as a smectic liquid crystal or an electrochromic display element. Although the liquid crystal is a simple matrix drive type liquid crystal, a TFT liquid crystal drive can also be used.

[0108]

As described above, the present invention includes an information input section for inputting information from the outside, a first processing section for processing information input from the information input section, and at least an information input section for inputting information from the information input section. a second processing section that processes input information or information from the first processing section; and a display section that displays information processed by the first processing section or the second processing section; By using a display element with a memory effect, an excellent information processing device can be realized that can significantly reduce power consumption without impairing operability at all.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] Timing diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention

[Fig. 3] Configuration diagram of a display unit in an embodiment of the present invention

[Fig. 4] A sectional view of the operating principle of the display unit in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 5] Screen diagram of the display unit in the embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 6
]Flowchart diagram explaining the operation in the embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is another block diagram showing the configuration of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is another block diagram showing the configuration of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart diagram explaining the operation in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is another block diagram in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 12] Diagram of the operating principle of the reflective element in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 13] Diagram of the operating principle of the reflector in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram of the operating principle of another reflector in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram around the first processing unit in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram around another second processing unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart diagram for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart diagram for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a timing diagram for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a cursor display state diagram for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a front view of the display unit during translation processing to explain Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a front view of an additional input display section for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 24: Display diagram in copy mode for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram of a modification for explaining Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram for explaining Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart diagram for explaining Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a block diagram for explaining Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a timing diagram for explaining Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a block diagram for explaining Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a timing diagram for explaining Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a block diagram of an information section input section for explaining Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a block diagram of a case where the first processing section and the second processing section are used together to explain Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

[Figure 34]
Block diagram for explaining Embodiment 6 of the present invention

FIG. 35 is a perspective view for explaining Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

[
FIG. 36: Block diagram for explaining Embodiment 7 of the present invention

FIG. 37 is a perspective view for explaining Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 First processing block 2 Display section 3 Information input section 4 First processing section 5 First memory section 6 Interruption control section 7 Second processing section 8 Display circuit section 9 Second memory 11 Horizontal drive section 12 Vertical drive section 20 Power switch 24 Heater 25 Backlight 26 Reflection circuit 27 Reflection element 30 Opening 32 Incident light 33 Reflection light 34 Reflection-transmission plate 40 First font ROM 43 Second font ROM 82 Video memory 98 Second processing block 99 Display block 201 Keyboard 202 Floppy disk controller 204
ROM 205 Backup RAM 206 Graphic controller 207 LCD controller/driver 208 LCD 209 Bus

Claims (21)

[Claims] 1. An information input section that inputs a data string from the outside, a first processing section that processes the data string input from the information input section, and a second processing section that processes the information from the first processing section. A first device having a processing section and a display element with a memory effect.
It consists of a display section that displays information processed by the processing section and/or the second processing section on a display element, and the first processing section is set to a hibernation state as necessary when there is an external input to the information input section. an information processing apparatus comprising means for activating a second processing section located in the apparatus. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein a ferroelectric liquid crystal element is used as the display element having a memory effect. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing section has means for detecting completion of processing by the second processing section and forcibly stopping the second processing section. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing section includes means for activating a display section. 5. The second processing section generates a display start signal,
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing section has means for activating the display section based on the display start signal. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing section includes means for activating a display section. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing section has means for stopping the function of the second processing section itself after completion of its own processing. 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second processing section includes means for activating a display section. 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second processing section includes means for stopping the function of the second processing section after the display on the display section is completed. 10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing section includes means for activating a display section, and means for sending display information to the display section and changing the display on the display section. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second processing section includes means for activating a display section. 12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first processing section has means for storing a part of image information corresponding to the display on the display section. 13. An information input section for inputting a data string from the outside, a first processing section for processing the data string input from the information input section, and a second processing section for processing the information from the first processing section. a processing section, and a display section having a display element with a memory effect and displaying information processed by the first processing section and/or the second processing section, the first processing section or the second processing section; An information processing device comprising means for activating an upper display section. [Claim 14] The first processing unit is configured to activate and/or activate the display unit.
14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means for stopping the information processing apparatus. 15. Claim 1, wherein the display section has means for stopping the operation of the display section itself upon completion of display.
3. The information processing device according to 3. 16. The second processing unit starts and/or activates the display unit.
14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means for stopping the information processing apparatus. 17. The information input unit has at least a keyboard unit, the first processing unit converts the input signal from the keyboard into an input code signal, and the second processing unit operates intermittently with the activation unit operating constantly. When the input code signal reaches the activation section, the activation section activates the CPU.
Activate U to start processing the program, and after the CPU completes the processing, stop the program in a keyboard input standby state, and stop the clock of the CPU while retaining at least the contents of internal registers. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the CPU is activated again by the activation unit, the program processing is restarted from the keyboard input standby state. 18. The second processing section has a one-chip CPU having a register and an internal memory therein, and performs the second processing by stopping the CPU clock signal while holding at least the contents of the register and the internal memory. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing section is stopped and the operation of the second processing section is restarted when the clock is restarted. 19. An information input section that inputs a data string from the outside, a first processing section that processes the data string input from the information input section, and a second processing section that processes the information from the first processing section. a first processing section and/or a first processing section including a processing section and a display element;
Alternatively, the first processing section may display the information processed by the second processing section on a display element, and the first processing section may display the second processing section which is in a dormant state as necessary when there is an external input to the information input section. An information processing device having means for activating a processing section. 20. The information input unit has at least a keyboard unit, the first processing unit converts the input signal from the keyboard into an input code signal, and the second processing unit operates intermittently with the activation unit operating constantly. When the input code signal reaches the activation section, the activation section activates the CPU.
Activate U to start processing the program, and after the CPU completes the processing, stop the program in a keyboard input standby state, and stop the clock of the CPU while retaining at least the contents of internal registers. 20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein when the CPU is activated again by the activation unit, the program processing is resumed from the keyboard input standby state. 21. The second processing section has a one-chip CPU having a register and an internal memory therein, and performs the second processing by stopping the CPU clock signal while retaining at least the contents of the register and the internal memory. 20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the information processing apparatus stops the operation of the second processing section, and resumes the operation of the second processing section when the clock is restarted.