KR20010020990A - Method and apparatus for automatically controlling power to an electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An automatic power controller for the electronic device and its method are provided to preserve the energy and to prolong the device life by turning on or turning off the peripheral devices on the basis of the main computer's power status. CONSTITUTION: The automatic power controller(100) comprises an AC plug(90), an input terminal(92) to the main computer, a sensor(330) for detecting the power supply status and turn on or turn off status of the main computer, a voltage comparator(340), and an electronic switch to turn on or to turn off the peripheral devices based on the main computer's power status.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING POWER TO AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE}

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for automatically adjusting power to one or more electronic devices. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an apparatus or method for automatically turning on or off one or more peripheral devices connected to a computer or a basic device. Moreover, the device according to the present invention can be used inside or outside the computer, and the computer peripheral equipment can be turned on and off depending on the power state of the computer.

Electronic devices used in homes and businesses have increased the need for efficient methods of using electrical energy. Years ago, when electronics weren't used much, they were plugged directly into a wall outlet and each electronic device was turned on and off by hand. However, with increasing interest in computers in recent years, there is a high demand for devices and methods that efficiently and safely use power and turn electronic devices on and off.

Common computer systems typically include a computer / host, monitor, printer, scanner, external modem, speaker, and the like. Power must be supplied to use all peripheral devices connected to the computer / main unit. Each device was usually large or large using a hand, since it usually pushed or rotated the on / off button / switch.

Power strips are well known and allow each device to be conveniently connected to a computer. Power strips also allow multiple devices to receive power from the power outlet without connecting each device to a wall. For example, U. S. Patent No. 5,708, 554, registered January 13, 1998 by Liner, discloses a power strip that allows various devices to be powered. However, power strips do not provide a way to turn the electronics on or off automatically.

When the user turns on the computer, the user usually turns on a monitor, printer, scanner, etc., connected to the computer. In situations where there is no need for a breaker or scanner, you will not need to turn on the printer or scanner. However, in most cases, computers and monitors are almost always on and used at the same time. To turn on the computer and the monitor, the user usually turns it on by hand.

On the other hand, when the user finishes using the computer, the user generally turns off the computer and peripherals at the same time. Computers and peripherals should be turned off to save energy and extend the life of the device. The user typically turns each device off by hand, or instead uses an on / off switch on a power strip that connects all the devices. In many cases, however, one or more peripheral devices do not turn off because the user is insane, forgotten, or in a hurry. Therefore, many hours or days after many peripheral devices are turned on, the user realizes that the device must be turned off.

Many conventional computers have receptacles that allow one or more peripherals to be directly connected to the computers. For example, FIGS. 1A and 2A show a rear view and an internal view of a conventional computer 2 having an AT power supply. On the back of the computer 2, a conventional fan 4, a male receptacle 6 and a female receptacle 8 are attached or mounted. The fan 4 is used to cool the internal components of the computer 2, such as the motherboard 10. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, AT power supplies are used in computers that use Pentium I microprocessors. A power cord (not shown) preferably connects the male receptacle 6 to an AC source that supplies power to the computer 2. The female receptacle 8 can be used to connect a peripheral such as a monitor to the back of the computer 2.

The computer 2 is turned on by switching a hardware switch (locker switch) 12 which supplies power. Meanwhile, the power supply device 14 supplies DC power to the main board 10. On the other hand, the monitor is turned on when the rocker switch 12 is switched to supply power to the monitor. Thus, when the rocker switch 12 is switched in position, AC power can be supplied simultaneously to the computer 2 and the peripheral device, for example a monitor, via the female receptacle 8.

1B and 2B show back and internal views of another conventional computer 22 having a fan 24 and male receptacle 26. Unlike a computer having an AT power supply, the computer 22 of FIGS. 1B and 2B uses a conventional ATX power supply. ATX power supplies are typically used in computers that use Pentium II or III (Intel®) microprocessors. The computer 22 includes an electronic switch 32 directly connected to the main board 30. Unlike the hardware rocker switch 12, the electronic switch 32 is a push buttom software switch. When the user presses the switch 32, the main board 30 receives DC power from the power supply 34. Computers using an ATX power supply cannot power both the computer and the peripheral at the same time because no peripherals are directly supplied with AC power through the computer.

Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method for automatically adjusting power to a peripheral device. The present invention provides an accurate and inexpensive and reliable device and method for automatically turning on and off peripheral devices connected to a computer / main unit. Moreover, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of conventional apparatus and methods for providing automatic power regulators.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for automatically turning on and off power to a peripheral device in accordance with the power state of a computer or host device.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for conserving energy and extending the life of an electronic device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for providing a permanent and reliable power control device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method which can be manufactured efficiently and inexpensively.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

Various objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus and method for automatically adjusting power to one or more peripheral devices. This is implemented by providing a power controller with a sensor, a comparator, and a switch to turn on or off one or more electronic devices magnetically. The power regulator of the present invention may be external or internal to the computer or host device.

1A is a back view of a conventional computer having an AT power supply.

1B is a rear view of a conventional computer having an ATX power supply.

2A is an internal view of a conventional computer having an AT power supply.

2B is an internal view of a conventional computer having an ATX power supply.

3 is a schematic diagram of a computer system having a power regulator according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a perspective view of a power regulator according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a plan view of a power regulator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a computer having a power regulator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram of a power regulator according to the present invention.

8A is a first circuit diagram of a power regulator according to the present invention;

8B is a second circuit diagram of a power regulator according to the present invention.

9 is a schematic representation of the sense mechanism of FIG. 8A in accordance with the present invention.

10A is a flowchart of a method for automatically turning on an electronic device using the power regulator of the present invention.

10B is a flowchart of a method for automatically turning off an electronic device using the power regulator of the present invention.

Various objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from and elucidated by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments in the filing of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. In this case, the same components use the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for automatically regulating power for devices connected to a power regulator. The invention also includes other embodiments using a power regulator. The present invention can be used in all electronic devices, but is particularly suitable for computer systems having a host computer, monitor, printer, scanner, and the like. Moreover, although the present invention is described with respect to a computer system, other electronic devices using video, audio, lighting, and the like may also apply the present invention.

3 shows a schematic diagram of a computer system having an automatic power regulator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The power regulator 100 includes an AC power input terminal 90, a computer power input terminal 92, and an output terminal 94. In other embodiments, the power regulator 100 may include one or more output terminals. AC input cord 102 supplies AC power to power regulator 100 from an AC source (e.g., a wall outlet). The computer code 106 connects the power regulator 100 and the computer 104 to provide AC power to the computer 104 via the computer code 106. The power regulator 100 also connects with the output cord 108 to supply AC power to one or more peripherals, such as the monitor 110, printer 112, scanner 114, and / or modem 116. do. Other peripheral devices not shown in the figure, such as a video camera, a DVD device, or the like, may also replace the peripheral devices. For simplicity and a more detailed description of the invention, it is assumed that the peripheral device connected to the power regulator is one monitor 110.

The power regulator 100 may be used to automatically adjust the power to the monitor 110. When the computer 104 is turned on, power is automatically supplied to the monitor 110 through the power regulator 100. Conversely, when the computer 104 is turned off, power is automatically cut off to the monitor 110. The power regulator 100 automatically turns on or off the monitor 110 and / or other devices using sensors, comparators, and switches located within the power regulator. These components will be described in more detail later.

4 and 5 are a perspective view and a plan view of a power regulator according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the AC input cord 102 and the computer cord 106 extend from one end 130 of the power regulator 100 and the output cord 108 is the other end 140 of the power regulator 100. ). In other embodiments, AC input cord 102, computer code 106 and output cord 108 may extend from other portions of power regulator 100. Output code 108 may be used to connect multiple devices using one device, such as monitor 110 or power strip 120. When the power strip 120 is used, the power regulator 100 can automatically adjust the power to a plurality of devices. Although the power regulator 100 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 is shown in a box shape, it may have various shapes such as a spherical shape and a cylindrical shape. Importantly, AC cord 102, computer cord 106 and output cord 108 are connected to power regulator 100, which may have a shape different from that shown in the specification and drawings.

6 shows a computer having an internal power regulator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the first embodiment of the present invention in which the power regulator is an external device, the power regulator 210 having the receptacle 250 is an internal device of the computer 200. The computer 200 includes a main board 220 connected to the electronic pushbutton switch 230. The electronic switch 230 is a software switch as described above. Input receptacle 240 is used to provide computer 200 with AC power from an AC source. The power regulator 210 is connected to the input receptacle 240 and the receptacle wire 260 to detect whether the electronic switch 230 is turned on and whether AC power is provided to the computer 260. Thus, when computer 200 is turned on, power regulator 210 is used to automatically supply AC power to the monitor via receptacle 250.

The power regulators 100 and 210 are preferably used for electronic devices using 90V to 135V. However, the present invention may be used in devices using voltages in the range of 185V to 270V. Of course, devices outside the above-mentioned voltage range can also be used with the present invention.

7 shows a block diagram of a power regulator according to the present invention. The power regulators 100 and 210 include an AC input terminal 90 for connecting to an AC cord, and a computer input (AC output) terminal 92 for connecting to a computer via a computer cord. AC output terminal 92 is further connected to a peripheral device such as a monitor. The power regulators 100 and 210 further include a sensor 330 connected to the AC input terminal 90. Sensor 330 is used to detect whether the computer is on / larger and whether AC power is provided to the computer. The voltage comparator 340 is further connected to the sensor 330 to compare the reference voltage and the actual voltage of the wire in the AC input terminal 60. The electronic comparator 350 connected to the voltage comparator 340 and the monitor is used to turn on or off the monitor according to the on / off state of the computer.

8A shows a first circuit diagram of a power regulator according to the present invention. Three wires are used to supply AC power to the computer and the monitor. The first wire L refers to live or positive poles, the second wire N refers to neutral or negative poles, and the third wire refers to ground. The sensing coil L1 of the sensor 330 is used to sense the input voltage of the wire L. The sensing coil L1 measures the magnetic flux of the input current. An example of the sense coil L1 used in the present invention is a 20mH coil manufactured by TKD Core Company. The rectifying diode CR1 (1N918) manufactured by Motorola is connected to the sensing coil L1. The input voltage measured from the sense coil L1 will be transferred to pin 2 of the IC comparator IC1. If the input voltage is above the reference voltage, for example DC 0.6V, pin 1 of IC comparator IC1 will generate a signal to switch on TRIAC IC3. An opto isolater (IC2) is also connected between the voltage comparator (IC1) and TRIAC (IC3). IC1 is preferably manufactured by National Semiconductor (LM393), and IC2 and IC3 are preferably manufactured by Motorola (MOC3011 and 2N6343). Other components of power regulators 100 and 210 include Motorola's switching diode CR2 1N4002 and Zener diode CR3 1N5231, along with resistors, capacitors and other components.

Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the sensor plot of Figure 8B in accordance with the present invention. Sense coil (L1) It measures the magnetic flux connected to the live wire (L), so it detects the voltage of the live wire. As soon as the magnetic flux is measured, the signal is sent to pin 2 of the IC comparator (IC1).

8B shows a second circuit diagram of a power regulator according to the present invention. Instead of using the sensing coil L1 shown in Figs. 8A and 9, the resistor R1 (for example, 0.1 to 20 mA, but preferably between 1.2 to 1.5 mA or 2.4 to 3.0 mA) is shown in Fig. 8B. Used in the schematic of In this embodiment, the voltage is measured with respect to resistor R1 via wire N (neutral or negative) to determine whether the computer is on or off. The measured voltage is transferred to pin 2 of the IC comparator (IC1). When the input voltage is greater than the reference voltage, for example, DC 0.6V, the IC comparator IC1 generates a signal for turning on the TRIAC IC3. On the other hand, if the voltage is less than the reference voltage, for example, DC 0.6V, the IC comparator IC1 generates a signal to switch off the TRIAC IC3. The reference voltage can be any value less than or greater than DC 0.6V.

As mentioned above, when the computer / main unit is turned on, the power supply current will increase to the computer / main unit, and a voltage sensing current will be provided to pin 2 of IC comparator IC1. This allows the peripherals connected to the power regulator to be turned on automatically. Conversely, when the computer is turned off, the measured voltage will be OV and IC comparator IC1 will provide a signal to turn off the peripheral device to TRIAC IC3. In this case, the peripheral device, for example the monitor, will be turned off automatically.

Figure 10A shows a flowchart of a method for automatically turning on a monitor or peripheral using the power regulator of the present invention. The computer or peripheral is turned on (400). Then, the power regulator measures the voltage of the computer or the host device via the sense coil or resistor R1 (410). The power regulator compares the measured voltage with the reference voltage and determines if the computer or the host is on (420). Thereafter, the power regulator supplies AC power and turns them on because it supplies AC power to the monitor or peripheral device (430).

10B shows a flowchart of a method for automatically turning off a monitor or peripheral using a power regulator in accordance with the present invention. First, the computer or host is turned off (500). The power regulator then detects whether it is approximately OV from the computer or the host (510). As soon as the OV is detected, the power regulator cuts AC power to the monitor or peripheral device (520).

In the foregoing, a number of details have been described to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention is not limited to those specifically described in detail.

Although the above embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many variations of the embodiments are possible without substantially departing from the novel teachings or advantages of the invention. .

The present invention provides a device and method for automatically turning on and off power to peripheral devices according to the power state of a computer or a main device, thereby saving energy and extending the life of the electronic device, and providing a permanent and reliable power regulator. It can be produced efficiently and inexpensively.

Claims (13)

A sensor used to sense a voltage supplied to the host device; A comparator coupled to the sensor and used to generate a comparator signal by comparing the sensed voltage with a reference voltage; A device coupled to said comparator, said switch having a switch used to power up or power off a peripheral device in accordance with said comparator signal. The method of claim 1, And the sensor has a resistance used to determine the voltage supplied to the main device, wherein the power supply of the peripheral device is adjusted in accordance with the on-off state of the main device. The method of claim 2, Wherein the resistance has a value between 0.1 and 20 kΩ, wherein the power supply of the peripheral device is adjusted according to the on-off state of the main device. The method of claim 2, The resistor has a value between 1.2 and 1.5 kW, wherein the power supply of the peripheral device is adjusted according to the on-off state of the main device. The method of claim 2, Wherein the resistance has a value between 2.4 and 3.0 kW, wherein the power supply of the peripheral device is adjusted according to the on-off state of the main device. An input unit used to receive power; A first output unit used to supply power to the first electronic device; A second output unit used to supply power to the second electronic device; A sensor used to sense a voltage supplied to the second electronic device; A comparator coupled to the sensor and used to generate a comparator signal by comparing the sensed voltage with a reference voltage; A power source of the first electronic device according to an on-off state of the second electronic device, the switch being connected to the comparator and the first output unit and having a switch used to turn on or off the first electronic device according to the comparator signal; Automatic power regulator to adjust. The method of claim 6, And the sensor is a resistor, the automatic power regulator adjusting the power of the first electronic device according to the on-off state of the second electronic device. Sensing a voltage associated with the host device; And changing a peripheral device from one of on and off states to another in accordance with the sensed voltage. The method of claim 8, Sensing the voltage further comprises determining a voltage of a resistor, wherein the power supply of the peripheral device is automatically adjusted according to the on-off state of the host device. The method of claim 9, Wherein the resistance has a value between 0.1 and 20 mA, and automatically adjusts the power of the peripheral device according to the on-off state of the main device. The method of claim 9, The resistance has a value between 1.2 ~ 1.5kW, the method of automatically adjusting the power of the peripheral device in accordance with the on-off state of the host device. The method of claim 9, The resistance has a value between 2.4 ~ 3.0 kΩ, the method of automatically adjusting the power supply of the peripheral device in accordance with the on-off state of the main device. Means for sensing a voltage connected to the host device; And means for automatically supplying or disconnecting power to the peripheral device in accordance with the sensed voltage.