Controlling a display based on different modes of operation

• US 10,122,197 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oishi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Connolly, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/348,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 713300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic apparatus is provided with a processing unit that has a first operation mode in which an operation is enabled using only external power from a feeding device and a second operation mode in which the operation is enabled by feeding from a battery in addition to the external power from the feeding device. When the remaining capacity of the battery is sufficient, the processing unit executes an apparatus operation in the second operation mode. However, when the remaining capacity of the battery decreases, the processing unit changes an operation mode to the first operation mode and executes charging of the battery while continuously executing the apparatus operation.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a battery;

a processing unit; and

a charging/discharging control unit configured to;

determine an output voltage of the battery;

control a first electric feed to the processing unit based on an external electric power supplied by a feeding device;

supply of electric charge to the battery based on the external electric power; and

control a second electric feed from the battery to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to;

execute an operation of the electronic apparatus in a first mode, based on the determined output voltage of the battery and a first electric power,

wherein the first electric power is one of less than the external electric power supplied by the feeding device or equal to the external electric power supplied by the feeding device;

execute the operation of the electronic apparatus in a second mode, based on the determined output voltage of the battery and a second electric power that is more than the external electric power;

set a first threshold value, based on an amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

set a second threshold value, based on the amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

switch the operation of the electronic apparatus from;

the first mode to the second mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is higher than the set first threshold value, and

the second mode to the first mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is lower than the set second threshold value,

wherein the set second threshold value is less than the set first threshold value; and

control at least one functional module of the electronic apparatus based on the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the first mode, the charging/discharging control unit is further configured to control, based on a third electric power, the supply of the electric charge to the battery, and

wherein the third electric power is calculated based on subtraction of the first electric power and the external electric power.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the second mode, the charging/discharging control unit is further configured to supply the second electric power that is more than the external electric power from the battery to the processing unit.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging/discharging control unit is further configured to:

control the supply of the electric charge to the battery based on a third electric power of the external electric power;

execute the operation of the electronic apparatus in the first mode based on the controlled supply of the electric charge; and

suspend the supply of the electric charge to the battery in the second mode.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the electronic apparatus is one of a digital camera or a portable apparatus,

wherein the feeding device is a USB host device, and

wherein the external electric power is supplied from a cradle USB-connected to the USB host device.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to control a communication partner device to communicate, based on a short-distance high-speed wireless communication of a weak UWB method.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

set, a first duty for a first time period, as low, in the first mode; and

set, a second duty for the first time period as higher than the first duty, in the second mode of the operation,

wherein the short-distance high-speed wireless communication is enabled for data transmission in the first time period.

8. A charging control method, comprising:

determining an output voltage of a battery in an electronic apparatus;

detecting remaining capacity of the battery in the electronic apparatus based on the determined output voltage of the battery;

controlling charging of the battery based on an external electric power supplied by a feeding device;

executing an operation of the electronic apparatus in a first mode, based on the determined output voltage of the battery and a first electric power,

wherein the first electric power is one of less than the external electric power or equal to the external electric power;

executing the operation of the electronic apparatus in a second mode, based on the determined output voltage of the battery and a second electric power that is more than the external electric power;

setting a first threshold value, based on an amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

setting a second threshold value, based on the amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

switching the operation from;

the first mode to the second mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is higher than the set first threshold value, and

the second mode into the first mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is lower than the set second threshold value,

wherein the set second threshold value is less than the set first threshold value; and

controlling at least one functional module of the electronic apparatus based on the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode.

9. The charging control method according to claim 8, further comprising:

charging the battery based on a third electric power of the external electric power in the first mode of the operation of the electronic apparatus; and

suspending the charging of the battery in the second mode of the operation of the electronic apparatus.

10. A charging system, comprising:

an electronic apparatus; and

a feeding device that is configured to supply an external electric power to the electronic apparatus,

wherein the electronic apparatus includes;

a battery;

a charging/discharging control unit configured to determine an output voltage of the battery; and

a processing unit configured to;

execute an operation of the electronic apparatus in a first mode, based on the determined output voltage of the battery and a first electric power,

wherein the first electric power is one of less than the external electric power supplied from the feeding device or equal to the external electric power supplied from the feeding device;

execute the operation of the electronic apparatus in a second mode, based on the determined output voltage of the battery and a second electric power that is more than the external electric power supplied from the feeding device;

set a first threshold value, based on an amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

set a second threshold value, based on the amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

switch the operation of the processing unit from;

the first mode to the second mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is higher than the set first threshold value, and

the second mode to the first mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is lower than the set second threshold value,

wherein the set second threshold value is less than the set first threshold value; and

control at least one functional module of the electronic apparatus based on the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode.

11. A data transmission system, comprising:

an electronic apparatus; and

a cradle configured to hold the electronic apparatus, wherein;

the cradle is configured to transmit an external electric power to the electronic apparatus by a contactless communication, and

the electronic apparatus includes;

a battery;

a charging/discharging control unit configured to determine an output voltage of the battery; and

a short-distance communication control unit configured to;

execute an operation of the electronic apparatus in a first mode in which a data transmission operation of a low duty is executed, based on the determined output voltage of the battery and a first electric power that is less than the external electric power supplied from the cradle;

execute the operation of the electronic apparatus in a second mode, based on determined output voltage and consumption of a second electric power that is more than the external electric power supplied from the cradle,

wherein the data transmission operation of a high duty is executed in the second mode;

set a first threshold value, based on an amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

set a second threshold value, based on the amount of data associated with the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode;

switch the operation of the short-distance communication control unit from;

 

the first mode to the second mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is higher than the set first threshold value;

 

the second mode to the first mode based on the determined output voltage of the battery that is lower than the set second threshold value,

 

wherein the set second threshold value is less than the set first threshold value; and

control at least one functional module of the electronic apparatus based on the execution of the operation of the electronic apparatus in one of the first mode or the second mode.