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US5532935A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic device capable of automatically controlling power assumption of components employed in accordance with operating time period by user

Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1992-10-02
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Granted: 1996-07-02
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Expires: 2012-10-02
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Abstract

Abstract An electronic device including a portable computer or a word processor, which is driven by a battery (13). This device has a device component (47) driven by the battery (13), a menu screen for setting an operation time period during which the device is operated by the battery (13), and a power source controller (37) for detecting the remaining capacity of the battery (13) and controlling the amount of power supplied to the device component from the battery on the basis of an operation time period set on the menu screen and the remaining capacity of the battery. When the user sets the operation time period on the menu screen, the power source controller (37) calculates the amount of power to be consumed by the electronic device for the set operation time period, on the basis of the set time period and the remaining capacity of the battery (13). The power source controller (37) automatically controls the amount of power supplied from the battery (13) to the device component (47) so that the actual power consumption can be equal to the calculated one.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ryoji Ninomiya
  • 👤 Hideaki Muraya
  • 👤 Shizuka Gunji

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 20:18
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/26; G06F1/32; G06F1/3203; H; H02; H02J; H02J7/00; H02J7/855; H02J7/90; H02J7/96

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim 89 words
An electronic device driven by a battery, comprising: a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; time period setting means for setting an operating time period during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power control means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the device component on the basis of the operating time period set by the time period setting means and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 89 words
An electronic device driven by a battery, comprising: a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; time period setting means for setting an operating time period during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power control means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the device component on the basis of the operating time period set by the time period setting means and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 138 words
An electronic device driven by a battery, comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display device for displaying data items; an inverter circuit for inverting a voltage supplied from the battery, to a predetermined voltage; a back light device, provided on a reverse side of the transmission-type liquid crystal display device, and supplied with the predetermined voltage from the inverter circuit to emit light; time period setting means for setting an operating time period during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power control means for controlling the value of current supplied from the inverter circuit to the back light device on the basis of the operating time period set by the time period setting means and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 138 words
An electronic device driven by a battery, comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display device for displaying data items; an inverter circuit for inverting a voltage supplied from the battery, to a predetermined voltage; a back light device, provided on a reverse side of the transmission-type liquid crystal display device, and supplied with the predetermined voltage from the inverter circuit to emit light; time period setting means for setting an operating time period during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power control means for controlling the value of current supplied from the inverter circuit to the back light device on the basis of the operating time period set by the time period setting means and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 93 words
The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the control means has current value detection means for detecting a first consumption value of current actually consumed by the battery; current value calculation means for calculating a second consumption value of current corresponding to the operating time period by dividing the remaining capacity by the operating time period; current value control means for controlling the value of current supplied from the inverter circuit to the back light device so as to make the first and second consumption values of current equal to each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 70 words
The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the control means is a processor which has a first memory for storing control programs for the current value detection means, the current value calculation means, and the current value control means; a second memory for storing data items; and a processor for outputting a signal for controlling the value of current supplied from the inverter circuit to the back light device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 104 words
An electronic device driven by a battery, comprising: a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; power save means for reducing the amount of power consumed by the device component under a predetermined condition; time period setting means for setting an operating time period during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and level setting means for automatically setting in the power save means the reduced amount of the power consumed by the device component, said reduced amount being determined by the operating time period and the remaining capacity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 104 words
An electronic device driven by a battery, comprising: a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; power save means for reducing the amount of power consumed by the device component under a predetermined condition; time period setting means for setting an operating time period during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and level setting means for automatically setting in the power save means the reduced amount of the power consumed by the device component, said reduced amount being determined by the operating time period and the remaining capacity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 42 words
The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the level setting means prestores estimated power consumption data corresponding to the reduced level of power consumed by the device component, and sets the reduced level in accordance with the estimated power consumption data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 28 words
The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the estimated power consumption data is determined on the basis of an estimated rate of use of the device component.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 71 words
The electronic device according to claim 7, further comprising correction means for detecting the actual rate of use of the device component at regular intervals, correcting the estimated rate of use when the estimated rate of use differs from the actual rate of use, and renewing the power consumption of the overall electronic device in accordance with the operation time period on the basis of the corrected estimated rate of use.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 118 words
The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the device component has a first component and a second component of a type differing from that of the first component; the power save means has first power save means for reducing the power consumption of the first component under a first condition, and second power save means for reducing the power consumption of the second component under a second condition; and the level setting means determines the power consumption of the overall electronic device in accordance with the operation time period by summing up those reduced levels of the power consumption amounts of the first and second components, which are obtained by the first and second power save means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 53 words
The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the level setting means prestores estimated power consumption data items corresponding to the reduced levels of power consumed by the first and second components, and sums up the reduced levels of the first and second components in accordance with the estimated power consumption data items.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 30 words
The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the estimated power consumption data items are determined on the basis of estimated rates of use of the first and second components.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 74 words
The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising correction means for detecting the actual rates of use of the first and second components at regular intervals, correcting the estimated rates of use when the estimated rates of use differs from the actual rates of use, respectively, and renewing the power consumption of the overall electronic device in accordance with the operation time period on the basis of the corrected estimated rates of use.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 87 words
An electronic device, comprising: a battery; a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; data input means for inputting an operating time period data during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power controlling means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the device component on the basis of the operating time period data input from the data input means and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 87 words
An electronic device, comprising: a battery; a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; data input means for inputting an operating time period data during which the electronic device is operated by the battery; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power controlling means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the device component on the basis of the operating time period data input from the data input means and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 99 words
An electronic device having a data input device, comprising; a battery; a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; a memory storing an operating time period data during which the electronic device is operated by the battery, the operating time period data input from the data input means; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power controlling means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the device component on the basis of the operating time period data stored in the memory and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 99 words
An electronic device having a data input device, comprising; a battery; a device component driven by power supplied from the battery; a memory storing an operating time period data during which the electronic device is operated by the battery, the operating time period data input from the data input means; capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery; and power controlling means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the device component on the basis of the operating time period data stored in the memory and the remaining capacity detected by the capacity detection means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3535560A Cited
US3522421A Cited
US5083266A Cited
US4907183A Cited
US4980836A Cited
JPH0348914A Cited
JPH04192015A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-07-02 2000-01-01 2000-07-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-07-02 2004-01-01 2004-07-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-07-02 2008-01-01 2008-07-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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