TW201506638A - Integrated circuit, electronic device and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides an electronic device comprising a first wireless module, a second wireless module, and a controller. The first wireless module is controlled by a chipset and can communicate with a portable device. The second wireless module is controlled by the controller and can communicate with the portable device. When the first wireless module and the chipset are disabled, the electronic device receives a signal from the portable device via the second wireless module.

Description

Integrated circuit, electronic device and operation method thereof

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to an electronic device that can communicate with another electronic device through a wireless interface.

Computers and handheld electronic devices have become a necessity for many consumers today. Users can access the Internet, send and receive emails, or handle business affairs through a computer or handheld electronic device. However, the application between computers and handheld electronic devices is relatively lacking. In addition, the computer must be turned on before it can be used. If the user wants to use the handheld electronic device to shut down the computer for data transmission or other control, the user still needs to turn on the computer to perform subsequent actions. It is inconvenient.

An embodiment of the invention provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a first wireless module, a second wireless module, and a controller. The first wireless module is controlled by a chip set and communicates with a handheld electronic device. The second wireless module communicates with the handheld electronic device. The controller is coupled to the second wireless module, wherein when the first wireless module and the chip set are disabled, the electronic device receives a signal of the handheld electronic device through the second wireless module .

Another embodiment of the present invention is an integrated circuit for processing An input/output signal of an electronic device. The integrated circuit includes a controller and a switching device. The switching device is coupled to the controller, a wireless module and a chip set in the electronic device, to establish a first connection between the wireless module and the chip set, or the controller and the wireless module A second connection to the group. When the electronic device is in a non-executive state, the switching device establishes the second connection, so that the controller receives and processes a signal from a handheld electronic device through the wireless module.

Another embodiment of the present invention is an operation method for an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a chipset, a controller, and a wireless module, and the wireless module is controlled by the chipset or the control Device. The operating method includes: detecting a state of the electronic device; establishing a first connection between the wireless module and the controller when the state is a non-executing state; establishing the state when the state is an execution state; The wireless module is second connected to one of the chipsets; and performs a corresponding function according to an input signal.

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11, 21, 31‧‧‧ electronic devices

12, 22, 32‧‧‧ Handheld electronic devices

101, 201, 301‧‧ ‧ processors

102, 202, 302‧‧‧ chipsets

103, 203, 303‧ ‧ controller

104, 304‧‧‧ first wireless module

204‧‧‧Switching device

105, 305‧‧‧ second wireless module

205‧‧‧Wireless Module

306‧‧‧Power Control Module

41‧‧‧Handheld electronic devices

42‧‧‧ computer

401‧‧‧BIOS

402‧‧‧ chipsets

403‧‧‧Super Input Output Controller

404‧‧‧Bluetooth Module

405‧‧‧SPI Flash Memory

61‧‧‧Electronic devices

62‧‧‧ chipsets

63‧‧‧ Controller

64‧‧‧Wireless Module

S51-S57‧‧‧Steps

1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having a wireless communication device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having a wireless communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having a wireless communication device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of BIOS update of a computer using a handheld electronic device.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The following description sets forth various embodiments of the invention. The following description sets forth the basic concepts of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention. The scope of the actual invention shall be defined in accordance with the scope of the patent application.

1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having a wireless communication device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 11, such as a computer, can communicate with a portable device 12, such as a tablet, a mobile phone, etc., via a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can be, for example, a Bluetooth communication device, a WiFi wireless network module, an infrared communication module, a near field communication module, a radio frequency (RF) communication module, a Bluetooth communication module, and a 3G. Communication modules (including CDMA modules, WCDMA modules or TD-SCDMA modules), 4G communication modules (including LTE modules or WiMax modules) or other wireless communication modules. In other embodiments, it can also be applied to two different wireless communication modules. In this embodiment, the module can be composed of a hardware, including a wafer, a controller, a storage device, and other necessary circuits.

The electronic device 11 includes a processor 101, a chipset 102, a controller 103, such as a super I/O controller or an embedded controller, a first wireless module 104, and a second Wireless module 105. The first wireless module 104 and the second wireless module 105 can be combined with The handheld electronic device 12 communicates. In an embodiment, only one of the first wireless module 104 and the second wireless module 105 can communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 at the same time. In another embodiment, a handheld device can communicate with the first wireless module 104 while another handheld device communicates with the second wireless module 105. In an embodiment, the processor 101 can generate a selection signal to determine to communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 by the first wireless module 104 or the second wireless module 105.

In another embodiment, the processor 101 can receive a selection signal from the handheld electronic device 12 and selectively communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 through the first wireless module 104 or the second wireless module 105. In another embodiment, the processor 101 can determine to communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 by the first wireless module 104 or the second wireless module 105 according to the current operating state of the electronic device 11. For example, if the workload of the processor 101 is below a threshold, the processor 101 can optionally communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 through the first wireless module 104. If the workload of the processor 101 is higher than the threshold, the processor 101 can selectively communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 through the second wireless module 105. At this time, the receiving and transmitting of the data can be processed by the controller 103. Non-processor 101. The workload of this embodiment may be related to the usage rate of the processor.

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is a computer power management specification that allows the operating system to directly manage the status of various devices. In the present embodiment, the electronic device 11 can use ACPI power management specifications. The power configuration in the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) includes S0, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5. The following is a description of the configuration. meaning.

S0 (general working state): The state under normal operation of the electronic device.

S1 (POS, Power on Suspend): In this state, the central processing unit in the computer is turned off by the control of a bus clock, but other hardware is still operating normally.

S2: At this time, the CPU and bus clock of the computer are all turned off, but other hardware can still operate normally.

S3 (sleeping state, standby state): In this state, the main memory (RAM), super input and output controller and embedded controller still have power supply, and almost the only one with power supply element. Because the status of the operating system, all applications, and open documents are stored in the main memory, when the computer returns from the S3 state, the content of the main memory and the content when it enters the S3 state are the same, so use You can restore your computer to the state they last maintained. In the S3 configuration, if any running application (opened documents, etc.) has private information, the information will not be written to non-volatile memory, such as hard disk or solid state hard disk (solid state) Disk).

S4 (sleep state): Both S3 and S4 are in a sleep state, but in these two sleep states, the hardware settings in the computer are not exactly the same. In the S4 state, most of the components of the electronic device are not powered. In this state, the contents of all the main memory are stored in non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk, to protect the current state of the operating system, including all applications, open documents, and the like. This means that when the computer is restored from S4, the user can return to the original working state, which is the same as S3. The difference between states S4 and S3 is that in addition to the time difference consumed to move the contents of the main memory into and out, at S3 In the state of the state, if there is a power outage, all the data on the main memory will be lost, including all unsaved documents. In the S4 state, since the data is stored on the hard disk, there is no effect.

S5 (soft off): The S5 status is mostly similar to S4 except that the operating system does not store any data. When the computer is in the S5 state, the computer may still be awakened through the network, keyboard, USB device, because in the S5 state, only some components (such as Southbridge, Super I/O controller or network chip) ) A small amount of power is supplied and the rest of the computer system is turned off.

In the power state, such as S3/S4/S5, the processor 101, the chipset 102, and the first wireless module 104 are in a disabled state because they are not powered. The controller 103 and the second wireless module 105 can still communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 through the second wireless module 105 because the power is still being supplied. In an embodiment, the power domain received by the controller 103 and the second wireless module 105 is different from the power domain accepted by other components in the electronic device 11.

In general, one or more power domains may be provided by one or more power sources within the electronic device. In this specification, a power domain includes at least one module, a circuit, a portion of a circuit, or a component device that shares the same power source, wherein the power source may provide at least one voltage level voltage to the power source. A plurality of circuits, modules or component devices within a domain. At least one module, circuit, part of the circuit, or component device in the same power domain may be turned on or turned off. In one embodiment, the power domain can be viewed as a processing unit, module, circuit, portion of a circuit, or a collection of different portions of different circuits. In another example Different power domains can be powered by different power sources.

For example, the processor 101, the chipset 102, and the first wireless module 104 are located in a first power domain, and the controller 103 and the second wireless module 105 are located in a second power domain. In the power state, such as S3/S4/S5, the first power domain is not powered, and only the second power domain is powered, so the processor 101, the chipset 102, and the first wireless module 104 cannot operate, only the control The device 103 and the second wireless module 105 can be operated.

In other words, unless the electronic device 11 is not connected to any power source at all, the controller 103 and the second wireless module 105 are continuously powered regardless of the power state of the electronic device 11. However, the processor 101, the chipset 102, and the first wireless module 104 may be in a state of being not powered by the power of the electronic device due to the power state of the electronic device 11.

In this embodiment, at least one of the first wireless module 104 and the second wireless module 105 is powered to communicate with the handheld electronic device regardless of the power state of the electronic device 11 . When the electronic device 11 is in the power state S3 or S5, since the controller 103 is powered, the electronic device 11 can communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 through the second wireless module 105. When the electronic device 11 is in the power state S0, the first wireless module 104 and the second wireless module 105 are all powered by the power of the electronic device, and the processor 101 can select the first wireless module 104 through a selection mechanism. Or the second wireless module 105 is in communication with the handheld electronic device 12.

In the present embodiment, an execution state and a non-execution state are defined. The operation state refers to the state in which the electronic device 11 is in a normal working state, such as the S0 state in the ACPI power supply specification, so that the processor 101 and the chipset 102 and the controller 103 can be powered in the execution state, and the non-execution state refers to the state in which the electronic device 11 is not in operation, such as sleep, shutdown, standby, or the S3/S4/S5 state in the ACPI power specification. The processor 101 and the chipset 102 are not powered in the non-executing state, but the controller 103 can be powered in the non-executing state. When the electronic device 11 is in the execution state, the processor 101 may select the first wireless module 104 or the second wireless module 105 to communicate with the handheld electronic device 12. In other words, both the first wireless module 104 and the second wireless module 105 can be controlled by the processor 101 when the electronic device 11 is in the execution state. When the electronic device 11 is in the non-executing state, the processor 101 does not operate, and only the controller 103 can operate, so the controller 103 controls the second wireless module 105 to communicate with the handheld electronic device 12. In this embodiment, two wireless modules are taken as an example, but they can also be applied to a single wireless module. When the electronic device 11 is in an execution state, the wireless module is controlled by the processor 101. However, before the electronic device 11 is to enter the non-executive state, the processor 101 transfers the control of the wireless module to the controller 103, and when the electronic device 11 returns from the non-executing state to the execution state, a control signal is transmitted to The controller 103 and the wireless module enable control of the wireless module to return to the processor 101. The above technical features can also be applied to other embodiments, and the embodiment of Fig. 1 is not only applicable.

An application is installed on the handheld electronic device 12. When the application is executed, the handheld electronic device 12 can communicate with the electronic device 11 through a wireless communication interface, such as a Bluetooth communication interface, to obtain data of the electronic device 11. In another case, when the electronic device 11 receives an input signal from the handheld electronic device 12, the electronic device 11 performs a corresponding function according to the input signal. The following are several operations between the handheld electronic device 12 and the electronic device 11 The way to explain.

Information display function

When the user uses the handheld electronic device 12, a request signal can be sent from the installed application to the electronic device 11 through a third wireless module of the handheld electronic device 12, such as a Bluetooth module (not shown). . If the electronic device 11 is in an execution state, such as the power state S0, and the first wireless module 104 is enabled and the second wireless module 105 is disabled, the first wireless module 104 may receive the received The request signal is transmitted to the wafer set 102. The chipset 102 can retrieve information of the electronic device from a sensor or operating system within the electronic device and transmit the information to the handheld electronic device 12. The information includes the temperature, model, current voltage, operating frequency, fan speed, time, BIOS version, memory information, and the like of the processor 101.

If the electronic device is in a non-executive state, such as standby, power-off state, S3 or S5 under the ACPI power specification, the first wireless module 104 is disabled and the second wireless module 105 is enabled. The second wireless module 105 transmits the received request signal to the controller 103. The chipset 102 can store the information of the electronic device in a storage device, such as a flash memory or a memory of the controller 103, before the electronic device enters the non-executive state. Therefore, when the controller 103 receives the request signal, the controller 103 can retrieve the information of the electronic device from the storage device and transmit the information to the handheld electronic device 12. The information includes the temperature, model, current voltage, operating frequency, fan speed, time, BIOS version, memory information, and the like of the processor 101.

In an embodiment, the sensors in the electronic device 11 are continuously powered, so even if the electronic devices enter a non-executive state, the sensors can still The state of the electronic device 11 is continuously monitored, and the detected information is continuously or intermittently transmitted to the controller 103. In other embodiments, the controller 103 can take the sensor to the sensor to detect the detected by the sensor. News. In another embodiment, the sensor portion of the electronic device 11 has the same power receiving state as the controller 103, and the remaining sensors have the same power receiving state as the chip set 102. As a result, the remaining sensors may not be powered in certain states.

Abnormal diagnostic function

When an abnormality occurs in the electronic device 11, the electronic device 11 may not operate properly, for example, the power cannot be normally turned on. In this abnormal situation, if the electronic device 11 is still connected to a power source, the first wireless module 104 is disabled. The second wireless module 105 is enabled. Because the controller 103 can operate independently of the processor 101 and the chipset 102, the controller 103 can transmit an abnormal signal to the handheld electronic device 12 through the second wireless module 105 when an abnormality occurs in the electronic device 11. In addition, the user can also decide whether to send a request signal to the controller 103 through the handheld electronic device 12.

When the controller 103 receives a request signal, the controller 103 obtains an error information code, for example, an error information code can be obtained from the communication port 80 (port 80), and the error information code can be transmitted to the handheld electronic device 12 . Then, the user can use the handheld electronic device 12 to perform debugging on the Internet according to the error information code. In an embodiment, the handheld electronic device 12 can transmit the error information to the network for debugging. Among them, communication 埠80 is a special input/output port defined in the current computer system for speeding up system development and debugging speed, and is used for checking and debugging, and the bit corresponding to this special input/output 埠The address is 80h, so it is collectively referred to as communication 埠80.

In another embodiment, the controller 103 or the chipset 102 can directly generate an error information code and the error information code can be directly transmitted by the controller 103 to the handheld electronic device. In another embodiment, the chipset 102 generates anomaly information and transmits the exception information to the controller 103, which generates a corresponding error information code and transmits the error information code directly to the handheld electronic device. In another embodiment, the controller 103 does not directly transmit information related to the abnormal state of the electronic device 11, but transmits the relevant information only after the controller 103 receives the request signal from the handheld electronic device 12. Abnormal information to handheld electronic devices. The exception information may be an error message code or an abnormal signal.

Boot wake up function

When the electronic device 11 is in the non-executing state, but the electronic device 11 is still connected to a power source, only the second wireless module 105 and the controller 103 in the electronic device 11 are still powered and can operate normally. The processor 101, the chipset 102, and the first wireless module 104 are in an disabled state or an inactive state. When the user transmits a power-on command to the controller 103 through the handheld electronic device 12, the controller 103 transmits a corresponding power-on signal to the chipset 102, so that the electronic device 11 executes a boot process or a wake-up procedure.

In one embodiment, a first pin of the controller 103 is coupled to a power-on wake-up pin of the chipset or to a power pin on the motherboard. When the logic level of the first pin is changed from a first logic level to a second logic level, the electronic device 11 can perform a boot process or a wake-up procedure.

In the foregoing embodiments, the power-on command can be generated by the handheld electronic device 12, for example, the user can access the application in the handheld electronic device 12. The G-sensor, the light sensor, and a corresponding first application in the electronic device 11 respectively set the boot command.

For example, the user can first set a specific action as a power-on signal through the application in the handheld electronic device 12. For example, the user can set the G-sensor to detect that the handheld electronic device 12 is swaying to the left three times, and then When it is swayed to the right, a power-on command is generated and the power-on command is transmitted to the electronic device 11. In another embodiment, when the G-sensor detects that the handheld electronic device 12 is shaking to the left, the handheld electronic device 12 sends a signal of the logic level "1" to the electronic device 11. When the G-sensor detects that the handheld electronic device 12 is shaking to the right, the handheld electronic device 12 sends a signal of logic level "0" to the electronic device 11. The user can set a first data [000111] as a power-on command and transmit the first data to the electronic device 11. When the controller 103 receives the data of [000111] within a predetermined period, the handheld electronic device 12 sends a power-on command to the controller 103, and the controller 103 transmits a corresponding power-on signal to the chipset 102, so that the electronic device 11 executes. A boot program or a wake-up program.

Secure login interface

When the user transmits a power-on command to the controller 103 through the handheld electronic device 12, the controller 103 transmits a corresponding power-on signal to the chipset 102, so that the electronic device 11 executes a booting process or a wake-up procedure. Then, the user can transmit an unlocking command to the controller 103 through the handheld electronic device 12. After receiving the unlocking command, the controller 103 transmits an acknowledgement signal to the chipset 102 or the processor 101. At this time, the electronic device 11 displays a login screen for the user to input the account password to obtain the permission to use the electronic device 11. . In this embodiment, the power-on command and the unlock command can be directly transmitted by the user through the handheld electronic device. The device 12 inputs, or is generated by a G-sensor or a light sensor, as in the aforementioned power-on wake-up mode. In other embodiments, in an execution state, the user can also transmit an unlock command to the chipset 102 through the handheld electronic device 12. When the chipset 102 receives the unlocking command, it can confirm whether the unlocking command is associated with the electronic device. The information stored in the data matches, if it matches, the electronic device can be logged in, or the electronic device 11 can display a login screen for the user to input the account password. The unlocking command can be input by the user directly through the handheld electronic device 12, or can be generated by a G-sensor or a light sensor as in the above-described power-on wake-up mode.

Wireless input function

When the electronic device 11 is in an execution state (such as the power state S0), the handheld electronic device 12 can be used as an input device of the electronic device 11. When the electronic device 11 is in the power state S0, the processor 101 can select the data transmitted by the handheld electronic device 12 by the first wireless module 104 or the second wireless module 105. In another embodiment, the handheld electronic device 12 can transmit a selection signal to the electronic device 11 to selectively communicate with the first wireless module 104 or the second wireless module 105.

In an embodiment, the first wireless module 104 can be connected to a first USB controller (USB Host) of the chipset 102 through a first USB interface, and the second wireless module 105 can be connected through a second USB interface. A second USB controller (USB Host) to the controller 103. Therefore, if the electronic device 11 communicates with the handheld electronic device 12 through the first wireless module 104, the electronic device 11 may still communicate with another electronic device through the second wireless module 105. On the other hand, if the electronic device 11 communicates with the handheld electronic device 12 through the second wireless module 105, the electronic device 11 may still communicate with another electronic device through the first wireless module 104.

The user can use the handwriting function or the multi-language input function of the handheld electronic device 12 to convert the characters input by the user into a Unicode code, and then the handheld electronic device 12 can pass through the first wireless module 104 or the first The second wireless module 105 transmits the Unicode to the chipset 102 or the controller 103. The chip set 102 or the controller 103 decodes the Unicode code and transmits it to the operating system of the electronic device. For example, when the user writes Chinese characters in the handheld electronic device, the handheld device can convert the Chinese characters into a Unicode code and transfer the Unicode code to the chip set, and then the chip set converts the Unicode code into characters. This character can then be treated as a password. Or in other embodiments, when the controller or the chipset confirms that the Unicode code matches the data stored in the electronic device, the Unicode code can be directly used as a password, and the user can use the password to log in or use the electronic code. Device.

In another embodiment, for example, when the electronic device is in a non-executing state, the processor 101, the chipset 102, and the first wireless module 104 are in a disabled state because they are not powered. The controller 103 and the second wireless module 105 can still communicate with the handheld electronic device 12 through the second wireless module 105 because the power is still being supplied. When the user wants to operate the electronic device 11, the handheld electronic device 12 can wake up the electronic device 11 or turn on the electronic device 11. After the electronic device 11 is woken up or turned on, the electronic device 11 can first generate a secure input interface, and the user can input a password generated by a foreign language system through the handheld electronic device 12, wherein the foreign language is not used by the electronic device 11 Supported by the input method. Therefore, the handwriting function or the multi-language input function of the handheld electronic device 12 can be used as a method of login as described in the previous paragraph. After the operating system or controller 103 of the electronic device 11 confirms that the password is correct or matches the data stored in the electronic device 11, the password input interface or account is displayed. The password input interface is input by the user through an input device of the electronic device 11, such as a keyboard. In this way, the security of the electronic device 11 can be enhanced. In another embodiment, the user can directly input the password generated by a foreign language system by the handheld electronic device 12, and after the password is confirmed (for example, after matching the data stored in the electronic device 11), the user can Directly log in/use the electronic device 11.

The foregoing description of the operation between the handheld electronic device 12 and the electronic device 11 is merely illustrative and the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can easily modify the scope of the present disclosure to obtain better benefits after reading the above description.

2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having a wireless communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 21, such as a computer, can communicate with the handheld device 22 via a wireless communication device. In this embodiment, the module can be composed of a hardware, including a wafer, a controller, a storage device, and other necessary circuits.

The electronic device 21 includes a processor 201, a chipset 202, a controller 203, such as a super input/output controller or an embedded controller, a switching device 204, and a wireless module 205. In this embodiment, the wireless module 205 may be a Bluetooth module, a WiFi wireless network module, an infrared communication module, a near field communication module, a radio frequency (RF) communication module, and Bluetooth (Bluetooth). Communication module, 3G communication module (including CDMA module, WCDMA module or TD-SCDMA module), 4G communication module (including LTE module or WiMax module) or other wireless communication module. The switching device 204 can establish a first connection or wireless module 205 between the wireless module 205 and the chipset 202 according to a selection signal Cs and the control. A second connection between the 203. In an embodiment, the selection signal Cs may be generated by the processor 201. In other words, the switching device 204 can be used to decide to pass control of the wireless module 205 to the chipset 202 or controller 203.

In another embodiment, the processor 201 may decide to establish the first connection or the second connection according to the current operating state of the electronic device 21. For example, if the workload of processor 201 is below a threshold, processor 201 controls the switching device 204 to establish the first connection. If the workload of processor 201 is greater than the threshold, processor 201 controls the switching device 204 to establish the second connection. When the switching device 204 establishes a second connection between the wireless module 205 and the controller 203, the signal or data received by the wireless module 205 is processed by the controller 203 instead of the chipset 202 or Processed by processor 201. The workload of this embodiment may be related to the usage rate of the processor.

In another embodiment, the switching device 204 can decide to establish the first connection or the second connection according to a current power state of the electronic device 21. For example, in an execution state, such as power state S0, switching device 204 establishes the first connection. When the power state enters the non-execution state such as S3 or S5, since the processor 201 and the chipset 202 are not powered, and the controller 203 is powered, the switching device can establish the second connection, so that the wireless module 205 The switching device 204 can be powered by being connected to the controller 203. More specifically, processor 201 may first generate a signal and transmit the signal to switching device 204 before entering a non-executing state. When the switching device 204 receives the signal, the second connection is established.

That is, unless the electronic device 21 is not connected to any power source at all, regardless of the power state of the electronic device 21, the controller 203, cut The switching device 204 and the wireless module 205 are continuously powered, because the controller 203 can be continuously powered in a non-executing state such as the power state S3 or S5, so the wireless module 205 can be established through the switching device 204 and the controller 203. This second connection is for power supply. However, the processor 201 and the chip set 202 may be in a state of being not powered by the power of the electronic device due to the power state of the electronic device 21.

In another embodiment, a first pin of the switching device 204 is coupled to a second pin of the processor 201 or a third pin of the chip set. When the power state of the electronic device 21 is S3 or S5, the logic level of the second pin and the third pin is “0”, and when the power state of the electronic device 21 is S0, the second pin and the third pin. The logical level of the bit is "1". Therefore, when the logic level of the first pin of the switching device 204 is 0, the switching device 204 establishes the second connection. When the logic level of the first pin of the switching device 204 is 1, the switching device 204 establishes the The first connection. In another embodiment, the first pin can be connected to a power pin of the chip set 202. When the chip set 202 is powered, the logic state of the first pin is 1, and the switching device 204 establishes the first connection. When the chip set 202 is not powered, the logic state of the first pin is zero, and the switching device 204 establishes the second connection.

In another embodiment, the wireless module 205 is an NFC tag module, and the NFC tag module is not connected to any power source or does not need to be powered by itself. To communicate through the NFC tag module, an external electric field can be externally provided to supply power to the NFC tag module. After the NFC tag module is woken up by receiving the external power supply, the information display function, the abnormality diagnosis function, or the power-on wake-up function as described later can be performed.

An application is installed on the handheld electronic device 22. When the application is executed, the handheld electronic device 22 can communicate with the wireless communication interface. The sub-device 21 communicates to acquire the data of the electronic device 21, and even to operate the electronic device. Several modes of operation between the handheld electronic device 22 and the electronic device 21 are described below.

Information display function

When the user uses the handheld electronic device 22, a request signal can be sent from the installed application to the electronic device 21 through a wireless module in the handheld electronic device 22, such as a third Bluetooth module (not shown). . If the electronic device 21 is in an execution state, such as the power state S0, the switching device 204 can establish a first connection between the wireless module 205 and the chip set 202. After the wireless module 205 receives the request signal, the wireless module 205 can transmit the received request signal to the chipset 202. The chipset 202 retrieves information of the electronic device from a sensor or operating system within the electronic device and transmits the information to the handheld electronic device 22. The information includes the temperature, model, current voltage, operating frequency, fan speed, time, BIOS version, memory information, and the like of the processor 201.

If the electronic device is in a non-executive state, the switching device 204 can establish a second connection between the wireless module 205 and the controller 203. After the wireless module 205 receives the request signal, the wireless module 205 transmits the received request signal to the controller 203. Before the electronic device enters the non-executive state, the chipset 202 can store the information of the electronic device at a time in a storage device, such as a flash memory or a memory of the controller 203. When the controller 203 receives the request signal, the controller 203 can obtain information of the electronic device from the storage device and transmit the information to the handheld electronic device 22. The information includes the temperature, model, current voltage, operating frequency, fan speed, time, BIOS version, memory information, and the like of the processor 201.

In another embodiment, some of the sensors in the electronic device 21 have the same power receiving state as the controller 203, so that the sensors can continuously monitor the electronic device 21 even if the electronic device enters a non-executing state. The status is transmitted to the controller 203. In other words, the sensor portion of the electronic device 21 has the same power receiving state as the controller 203, and the remaining sensors have the same power receiving state as the chip set 202.

Abnormal diagnostic function

When the electronic device 21 is abnormal, the electronic device 21 may not operate properly. Therefore, the switching device 204 may establish a second connection between the wireless module 205 and the controller 203, so that the external device can be informed by the wireless module 205. Internal exception message. Moreover, because the controller 203 can operate independently of the processor 201 and the chipset 202, when the electronic device 21 is abnormal, the controller 203 can transmit an abnormal signal to the handheld electronic device 22 through the wireless module 205. In addition, the user can also decide whether to send a request signal to the controller 203 through the handheld electronic device 22.

When the controller 203 receives the request signal, the controller 203 obtains an error information code, for example, an error information code can be retrieved from the communication port 80 (port 80), and the error information code is transmitted to the handheld electronic device 22. Then, the user transmits the error information code to the network through the handheld electronic device 22 to perform debugging.

In another embodiment, the controller 203 or the chipset 202 can directly generate an error information code and can communicate the error information code directly to the handheld electronic device by the controller 203. In another embodiment, the chipset 202 can generate anomaly information and transmit the exception information to the controller 203, by the controller 203 A corresponding error information code is generated and the error information code is transmitted directly to the handheld electronic device. In another embodiment, the controller 203 does not directly transmit information related to the abnormal state of the electronic device 21, but transmits the relevant information after the controller 203 receives the request signal issued by the handheld electronic device 22. Abnormal information to handheld electronic devices. The exception information may be an error message code or an abnormal signal.

Boot wake up function

When the electronic device 21 is in the non-executive state, only the wireless module 205 and the controller 203 in the electronic device 21 are still powered and can operate normally. However, processor 201 and chipset 202 are in an disabled or inactive state. When the user transmits a power-on command to the controller 203 through the handheld electronic device 22, the controller 203 transmits a corresponding power-on signal to the chipset 202, so that the electronic device 21 executes a boot process or a wake-up procedure. For the description of the electronic device 21 to execute the boot process or the wake-up program, please refer to the related description of FIG. 1 , and details are not described herein.

Secure login interface

The electronic device 21 of this embodiment can also perform the secure login function as described above. For details, please refer to the related description in Figure 1, and I will not repeat them here.

Wireless input function

When the electronic device 21 is in an execution state, such as the power state S0, the handheld electronic device 22 can be used as an input device of the electronic device 21. When the electronic device 21 is in the power state S0, the switching device 204 can establish a first connection between the wireless module 205 and the chip set 202, and receive and process the handheld electronic device by the chip set 202. 22 transmitted information. In another embodiment, the handheld electronic device 22 can transmit a selection signal to the electronic device 21 to control the switching device 204 to establish the first connection of the wireless module 205 and the chipset 202 or the wireless module 205 and the controller 203. The second connection.

In one embodiment, the wireless module 205 can be connected to the switching device 204 through a first USB interface, and the switching device 204 can also be connected to the chipset 202 or a USB controller of the controller 203 through a second USB interface.

In another embodiment, such as when the electronic device is in a non-executing state, processor 201 and chipset 202 are in a disabled state because they are not powered. Since the controller 203, the switching device 204, and the wireless module 205 are still powered, the electronic device 21 can still communicate with the handheld electronic device 22 through the wireless module 205. For the description of the figure in which the user can use the handheld electronic device 22 as an input device, the description of FIG. 1 is omitted here.

The foregoing operation between the handheld electronic device 22 and the electronic device 21 is merely illustrative and the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can easily modify the scope of the present disclosure to obtain better benefits after reading the above description.

3 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device having a wireless communication device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 31, such as a computer, can communicate with the handheld device 32 via a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can be, for example, a Bluetooth communication device, a WiFi wireless network module, an infrared communication module, a near field communication module, a radio frequency (RF) communication module, a Bluetooth communication module, and a 3G communication device. Communication module (including CDMA module, WCDMA module or TD-SCDMA module), 4G communication module (including LTE module or WiMax module) or other wireless communication module. In other embodiments, it can also be applied to two different wireless communication modules. In this embodiment, the module can be composed of a hardware, including a wafer, a controller, a storage device, and other necessary circuits.

The electronic device 31 includes a processor 301, a chipset 302, a controller such as a super input/output controller 303, a first wireless module 304, a second wireless module 305, and a power control module 306. The power control module 306 can provide a first power source PW1 to the first wireless module 304, the chipset 302 and the processor 301, and can provide a second power source PW2 to the second wireless module 305 and the super input/output controller 303. . The power control module 306 can determine whether the power control module 306 provides the first power source PW1 to the first wireless module 304, the chipset 302, and the processor 301 according to a power state signal PS. When the electronic device 31 is in the execution state, the power state signal PS is at a first voltage level, and the power control module 306 provides the first power source PW1 to the first wireless module 304, the chipset 302, and the processor 301. When the electronic device 31 is in the non-executing state, the power state signal PS is at a second voltage level, and the power control module 306 stops providing the first power source PW1 to the first wireless module 304, the chipset 302, and the processor 301. In the present embodiment, the power state signal PS can be provided by the processor 301. In another embodiment, the power state signal PS may be provided by an element within the electronic device 31, such as the Super Input Output Controller 303.

In the present embodiment, when the processor 301 is to perform power state switching or control, the processor 301 transmits a corresponding control signal to the chipset. The chip set 302 transmits the corresponding control signal or the signal converted according to the control signal to the super input/output controller 303, and the super input/output controller 303 controls the electric power. The source control module 306 performs power switching or control. Please refer to the description of the first or second figure for detailed power control flow, and will not go into details here.

In another embodiment, when the electronic device 31 is in the non-executive state, if the super input/output controller 303 receives a power-on command or a wake-up command from the handheld electronic device 32, the super input/output controller 303 may transmit one first. The control signal PGD (Power Good) is supplied to the power control module 306, and the power control module 306 first supplies the first power source PW1 to the first wireless module 304, the chipset 302, and the processor 301. Then, the super input/output controller 303 can transmit a corresponding boot signal to the chipset 302 or the processor 301, so that the electronic device 31 executes a boot process or a wakeup process.

An application is installed on the handheld electronic device 32. When the application is executed, the handheld electronic device 32 can communicate with the electronic device 31 via, for example, a Bluetooth communication interface to obtain data of the electronic device 31, even to operate the electronic device. For related function descriptions, refer to the descriptions of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and details are not described herein.

In addition, although the embodiments of FIGS. 1 , 2 , and 3 are described by taking different electronic devices as an example, the actions of the electronic devices described in the embodiments may still be applied to other embodiments, not only It is limited to the application in the described embodiments. For example, before the super input/output controller transmits a power on signal to the chipset or processor, the chipset or processor may first receive power from the electronic device.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of BIOS update of a computer using a handheld electronic device. When the computer 42 is in an abnormal state or in an unexecuted state, the user can download the new computer 42 through the handheld electronic device 41. The BIOS can then transmit a BIOS update command to the computer 42 via an application of the handheld electronic device 41. The BIOS can be stored in a SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface, SPI for short) flash memory (not shown). Because the computer 42 is in an abnormal or non-executive state, the Bluetooth module 404 can be controlled by a controller, such as the Super Input Output Controller 403, and the chipset 402 may be disabled because it is not powered. Figure 4 illustrates the Bluetooth module as an example, but the invention is not limited thereto. The Bluetooth module can also be replaced with other wireless modules, such as WiFi wireless network modules, infrared communication modules, near field communication modules or other wireless communication modules.

When the computer 42 receives the BIOS update command, the signal connection between the chipset 402 and the BIOS 401 can be disconnected, and then the super input/output controller 403 can receive the new version transmitted by the handheld electronic device 41 through the Bluetooth module 404. BIOS, and will be updated by the BIOS.

In another embodiment, when the computer 42 is in normal operation, the user can still update the BIOS of the computer through the handheld electronic device 41. One of the update processes is as follows. First, if the Bluetooth module 404 is controlled by the chipset 402, the control of the Bluetooth module 404 can be transferred to the Super Input Output Controller 403. Then, the super input/output controller 403 can receive the new BIOS transmitted by the handheld electronic device 41 through the Bluetooth module 404, and store the new BIOS in the SPI flash memory (not shown). When the new BIOS is received, the signal connection between the chipset 402 and the BIOS 401 is broken, and then the BIOS 401 can be updated to the new BIOS by the Super Input Output Controller 403. In other embodiments, the Super Input Output Controller When the 403 receives the new BIOS transmitted by the handheld electronic device 41 through the Bluetooth module 404, the BIOS can be updated in real time.

In another embodiment, upon receiving the new BIOS, the Super Input Output Controller 403 notifies the Wafer Set 402 that the BIOS 401 is updated by the Wafer Set 402 to the new BIOS.

In another embodiment, the body of the super input/output controller 403 can also be updated by the handheld electronic device 41, wherein the firmware can be stored in the SPI flash memory 405. The update method can be referred to the above, and will not be described here. In one embodiment, the aforementioned BIOS 401 can also be stored in the same SPI flash memory (not shown) together with the body of the Super Input Output Controller 403, that is, share the same SPI flash memory. When the processor wants to read the BIOS, it can be read from the SPI flash memory. When the super input/output controller 403 is to read its body, it can also be read from the SPI flash memory.

Although FIG. 4 is an illustration of updating the BIOS of a computer, the present invention is not limited thereto. Users can also use the above methods to update drivers, anti-virus software, applications or operating systems on the computer. In addition, Fig. 4 can also be applied to the architecture of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step S51, the computer system is in a non-executive state. At this time, except for the super input/output controller and the components having the same power receiving state as the super input/output controller, the remaining components are not powered. In step S52, the super input/output controller or the embedded controller continuously monitors the status of the computer system and monitors a wireless module to confirm whether data or input signals from a handheld device are transmitted to the computer system. (Step S53).

In step S53, if the data transmitted by the handheld device is received or When the signal is input, step S54 is executed. Otherwise, it returns to step S52. In step S54, the super input/output controller can interpret the received data or instructions and perform corresponding actions. In the present embodiment, the corresponding action includes an information display function (step S55), a wake-up function (step S56), and an update function (step S57). For a detailed description of the foregoing functions, reference may be made to the description of FIGS. 1 to 4, and details are not described herein.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 61 includes a chip set 62, a controller 63, and a wireless module 64. The wireless module 64 can be controlled by the chipset 62 or controller 63 based on user selection or a selection signal. When the electronic device 61 is in the non-executing state, the wireless module 64 can be controlled by the controller 63 and has a power receiving state in common with the controller 63.

In another embodiment, the electronic device 61 further includes a switching mechanism for transferring control of the wireless module 64 to the chipset 62 or the controller 63. For related description, reference may be made to the electronic device 22 of FIG. In another embodiment, the wireless module 64 can include a first wireless module and a second wireless module, wherein the first wireless module is controlled by the chip set 62, and the second wireless module is controlled by the control. 63. When the electronic device 61 is in the execution state, the processor or the operating system in the electronic device 61 can select to communicate with the handheld electronic device by using the first wireless module or the second wireless module. When the electronic device 61 is in the non-executing state, the controller 63 can communicate with the handheld electronic device through the second wireless module, wherein the first wireless module and the chipset are not powered. For a description of the relevant description, reference may be made to the description of Figs. 1 and 3.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention, and any one skilled in the art can In the scope of the invention, the scope of protection of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

11‧‧‧Electronic devices

12‧‧‧Handheld electronic devices

101‧‧‧ processor

102‧‧‧ chipsets

103‧‧‧ Controller

104‧‧‧First wireless module

105‧‧‧Second wireless module

Claims (21)

An electronic device includes: a first wireless module controlled by a chipset and communicating with a handheld electronic device; a second wireless module communicating with the handheld electronic device; and a controller coupled The second wireless module, wherein when the first wireless module and the chipset are disabled, the electronic device receives a signal of the handheld electronic device through the second wireless module. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the chipset and the first wireless module are located in a first power domain and are simultaneously enabled, and the controller and the second wireless module are located in a second The power domain is enabled at the same time. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein when the electronic device is in a non-executive state, the first power domain stops supplying power to the chip set and the first wireless module, and the second power domain is still Power is continued to the controller and the second wireless module. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless module and the second wireless module are respectively a Bluetooth module, or the first wireless module and the second wireless module are respectively It is a near field communication module. An integrated circuit for processing an input/output signal of an electronic device, comprising: a controller; a switching device coupled to the controller, a wireless module and a chip set in the electronic device for establishing The wireless module is first connected to one of the chip sets, or a second connection between the controller and the wireless module; When the electronic device is in a non-executive state, the switching device establishes the second connection, so that the controller receives and processes a signal from a handheld electronic device through the wireless module. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the controller and the chip set are two separate components. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein when the electronic device is in an execution state, the switching device establishes the first connection or the second connection according to a selection signal, wherein the selection signal is A processor of the electronic device is produced. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein when the switching device establishes the first connection, the wireless module shares a first power domain with the chip set, and when the switching device establishes the second When connected, the wireless module shares a second power domain different from the controller in the first power domain. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the controller receives the signal and performs a corresponding function. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein when the electronic device is in an execution state, the chip set receives an unlock command transmitted by the handheld electronic device, and confirms whether the unlock command is associated with the electronic device. The data stored in the device matches to determine whether a user is allowed to log in to the electronic device. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the function is an information display function, the controller transmits a message of the electronic device to the handheld electronic device, the information includes a process in the electronic device Temperature, model, current voltage, operating frequency, a fan in the electronic device At least one of a rotational speed, a time information, a BIOS version of the electronic device, and information of a memory of the electronic device. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the function is a wake-up function, and when the controller receives the signal, transmitting a wake-up signal to the chipset or a processor to perform a boot process or a Wake up the program. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the function is an update function, and after receiving the signal, the controller receives an update information through the second wireless module to update a BIOS of the electronic device. , a firmware or a software. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the function is an error diagnosis function, the controller transmitting an error message of the electronic device to the handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device receiving the error Information and a debugging process. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the wireless module is a Bluetooth module or a near field communication module. An operation method is applicable to an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a chipset, a controller, and a wireless module, and the wireless module is controlled by the chipset or the controller, and the operation method includes: detecting Detecting a state of the electronic device; when the state is a non-executing state, establishing a first connection between the wireless module and the controller; and when the state is an execution state, establishing the wireless module and the a second connection of one of the chipsets; and an input signal to perform a corresponding function. The operating method of claim 16, wherein the function is a wake-up function, and after receiving the input signal, the controller transmits a wake-up signal to the chipset or a processor of the electronic device to execute a Boot program or a wake-up program. The operation method of claim 16, wherein the input signal is a unified code string, and the unified code string is one of a first language corresponding to a user input through a handheld device. The first string conversion is generated, and when the controller or the chipset confirms that the Unicode string matches the data stored in the electronic device, the user is allowed to log in to the electronic device. The operating method of claim 16, wherein when the electronic device is in the non-executive state, the controller receives the input signal to perform an information display function, and the controller transmits a message of the electronic device to the a handheld electronic device, the information including a temperature, a model, a current voltage, an operating frequency of the processor in the electronic device, a rotational speed of a fan in the electronic device, a time information, a BIOS version of the electronic device, and the At least one of information of a memory of the electronic device. The operation method of claim 16, wherein when the electronic device is in the non-executive state, the controller receives the input signal to perform an error diagnosis function, and the controller transmits an error message of the electronic device Give a handheld electronic device or a server to perform an error detection procedure. The operating method of claim 16, wherein when the function is an update function, the controller receives an update information through the wireless module to update a BIOS, a firmware or a software of the electronic device. .