JPH1115573A - Information equipment and control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an information equipment and a power control method therefor capable of saving power consumption by enabling a user to freely select the ON/OFF control of power supply and prolonging battery life especially in a notebook-sized information equipment by adding a means for turning-ON /OFF power supply for every input/output device or by functions. SOLUTION: An information equipment mainbody 1 and a system power device 9 provided by the information equipment mainbody consist of plural input/output devices 5 which are respectively connected with power supply switches 81-85 and the mainbody controls power supply at every input/output device by controlling the respective power supply control switches. Power FET switches connected between a power output terminal provided by the power device and power pins provided by the respective input/output devices are used as the power supply control switches.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to control of power supply to functional units such as input / output devices in information equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Advances in semiconductor technology have made it possible to supply input / output control LSIs including microprocessors and memories at a very low price. These can be appropriately combined and compared by simply connecting appropriate input / output devices. A high-performance personal computer can now be constructed.

In the field of this type of personal computer, a portable type notebook type has spread in place of a conventional desktop type computer, and is mostly driven by a battery. Therefore, power saving is the most important design item. In a conventional notebook computer, when the life of a battery mounted on the computer has expired, the user is warned by displaying a property indicating that the life has expired or by beeping.

[0004]

According to the above-mentioned conventional example, since only the battery life is warned, there is no room for the user to select the life extension of the battery. Therefore, the job is interrupted to replace the battery or charge the battery. Could only take measures. In addition, some input / output devices connected to the system are always supplied with power even though they are infrequently used, which is not desirable in order to save power and provides flexible power supply control. I was missing.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a means for turning on / off a power supply for each input / output device connected to a system or for each function is added, and the user can turn on / off the power supply. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information device and a power control method in the information device, which can save power by making control selectable, and in particular, extend the life of a battery in a notebook type information device. I do.

[0006]

An information apparatus according to the present invention comprises a power supply device and a plurality of input / output devices each connected via a power supply switch, and controls the respective power supply control switches. Thus, power supply control for each input / output device is performed. As the power supply control switch, a power FET switch connected between a power supply output terminal of the power supply device and a power supply pin of each input / output device is used.

Further, the information equipment displays a screen of the power supply state to each input / output device through a man-machine device to notify the operator according to the request of the operator, and further informs the operator via the display screen. Prompt for power supply ON / OFF instruction to input / output device,
Power supply control for each input / output device is performed after an operator inputs an instruction via a man-machine device. Further, the information equipment monitors the use status of each input / output device at regular time intervals, and informs the operator of the power supply cutoff for the unused input / output device even though the power is continuously supplied. It is also characterized by prompting instructions.

As a result, flexible power supply control to the input / output device is enabled, and power saving is achieved. In particular, the life of the battery is extended in a notebook-type battery-operated information device.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU serving as a control center of the system. 2
Is a main memory, and 3 is a ROM. The CPU 1 controls arithmetic operations or controls input / output devices connected to the system according to programs stored in the memories 2 and 3. 4 is a timer LSI. Reference numeral 5 denotes an input / output device that receives power supply control according to the present invention, and is connected to the CPU 1 via a system bus 10. In the embodiment of the present invention, as the input / output devices, a serial interface controller (SIO) 51, a parallel interface controller (PIO) 42, a LAN controller 5
3, a modem controller 54, and a PC card controller 55 such as SCSI.

In addition, as input / output devices, a man-machine device 6 such as a keyboard (mouse) display and an SIO 7 for connecting a power supply controller to be described later are also connected. 8
Reference numeral denotes a power supply controller which controls power supply to the power supply device 9 and each of the blocks 1 to 7 constituting information equipment. In the embodiment of the present invention, a one-chip microprocessor is incorporated. The one-chip microprocessor performs power supply control described later by communicating with the CPU 1 via a serial interface.

Power FETs 81 to 85 are inserted between the output terminal Vcc of the power supply device 9 and the power supply pins of the input / output devices 51 to 55 to which the power supply device 9 is connected. The signal P1
To P5. The ON / OFF of the power FET switches 81 to 85 is performed by the user arbitrarily setting. Specifically, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) is displayed on the man-machine device 6 so that the user can input an ON / OFF instruction to supply power to each functional unit in the GUI display. . Based on this instruction input, the power supply controller 8 turns on / off the power FET switches 81 to 85.
Controls FF.

FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 are diagrams cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. Examples of the properties of the power supply state for each input / output device, and the operation flowchart in the state monitoring by the timer LSI 3 shows examples of property displays that prompt the user to determine whether the power is on or off.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, power FETs 81 to 85 are added between each input / output device 5 and the power supply device 9,
The FET 8 under the control of the power supply controller 8
By turning on / off 185, power can be supplied or cut off for each function or device. By reflecting the states of the switches 81 to 85,
In the property display shown in FIG. 2, the power supply state for each function can be clearly indicated in a timely manner. The state of power supply by function is determined by a one-chip microprocessor incorporated in the power supply controller 8 according to a user request, for example, pressing a specific key.
By communicating with the CPU 1 of the system via the IO 7, it is possible to know by notifying the power supply status to each input / output device each time.

Further, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, the usage status of each function is monitored using the timer LSI 4 to determine whether or not a certain function (input / output device) has been unused for a certain period of time (step A) If not, the CPU 1 generates a screen requesting that the power supply to the input / output device be prohibited from being cut off, and displays a property prompting the user to input (step B).
The determination of N / OFF can be entrusted. FIG. 4 shows an example of the property display.

As described above, the present invention provides the power supply 9
And a plurality of input / output devices 5 each connected to the power supply 9 via a power supply switch, and controlling the power supply control switches to control power supply for each input / output device. The power supply control switch is a power FET connected between a power supply output Vcc of the power supply device 9 and a power supply pin of each input / output device 5.
Switches 81 to 85 are used. Then, in accordance with the request of the operator, the information equipment main body displays the state of power supply to each input / output device 5 on the screen via the man-machine device 6 to notify the operator.

Further, the operator is instructed to turn on / off the power supply to each of the input / output devices 5 through the display screen, and waits for the operator to input an instruction through the man-machine device 6 to supply power to each of the input / output devices 5. It controls the supply. In addition, the use state of each input / output device 5 is monitored at regular time intervals based on the timer LSI 4,
It is also possible to prompt the operator to instruct an unused input / output device to turn off the power supply even though the power is continuously supplied.

[0018]

As described above, the present invention adds a means for turning on / off the power supply for each input / output device connected to the system or for each function, and selects the ON / OFF control for the user. The power supply control system for information devices is designed to be able to save power by making it flexible, and to extend the life of the battery especially for notebook type information devices.
Further, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Fine-grained power consumption management by function or for each input / output device is possible, and the effect obtained particularly in battery-powered information equipment is great.

(2) It is possible to timely notify the user of the power supply state of each function or each input / output device to the user.

(3) By allowing the user to determine ON / OFF of the function or power supply to the input / output device, it is possible to extend the life of the battery to the user, particularly in battery-powered information equipment.

(4) By constantly monitoring the use status of the function or the input / output device and clearly indicating the power-off request to the user, it is possible to similarly extend the life of the battery to the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a property display used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a property display used in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU, 2 main memory, 3 ROM, 4 timer LS
I, 5 input / output device, 6 man-machine device, 7 S
IO, 8 power supply controller, 9 power supply device, 10 system bus.

Claims (8)

[Claims] In an information device having a plurality of function units and a power supply, a switch unit is provided between the plurality of function units and the power supply, and switches connection or disconnection between the plurality of function units and the power supply. Control means for controlling the supply of power to each of the plurality of functional units. 2. The information device according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying a power supply state to each of the plurality of functional units. 3. An instruction input means for inputting an instruction to supply or shut off power to each of the plurality of functional units, wherein the control means responds to an instruction to supply or not supply power by the instruction input means. 2. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the switch unit is controlled based on the information. 4. A use status determining unit for determining that the functional unit has not been used for a predetermined period, and shutting off power supply to the functional unit determined to be unused based on the determination by the determining unit. Display means for displaying a screen for prompting, and instruction input means for inputting an instruction to cut off power supply to the functional unit determined to be unused, the control means,
2. The information device according to claim 1, wherein the switch unit is controlled to cut off power supply to the functional unit determined to be unused based on an input of the instruction input unit. 5. In an information device having a plurality of function units and a power supply, connection or disconnection between the plurality of function units and the power supply is switched to control supply of power to each of the plurality of function units. A power supply control method for an information device, comprising: 6. The power control method for an information device according to claim 5, wherein a power supply state to each of the plurality of functional units is displayed. 7. An instruction to supply or cut off power to each of the plurality of functional units is input, and connection or disconnection between the plurality of functional units and the power supply is performed based on the input instruction. 6. The power supply control method for an information device according to claim 5, wherein switching is performed to control supply of power to each of the plurality of functional units. 8. A screen for prompting a cutoff of power supply to the functional unit determined to be unused based on the determination that the functional unit has not been used for a predetermined period, and 6. The information device according to claim 5, wherein an instruction to cut off power supply to the function unit determined to be used is input, and power supply to the unused function unit is cut off based on the input. Power supply control method.