Information processing system and information processing apparatus

• US 20020004911A1
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakai, Hidekazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,928,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery

Abstract

Battery information is transmitted from a recording and playback apparatus to a host computer. In the host computer, based on the time for which the operation can be continued, corresponding to the current operating status and the remaining battery level, stored in the battery information, a warning is output, the data of a cache memory is written, data writing prohibition is set, and a forced closing process is performed. With this construction, in a system formed of a recording and playback apparatus, such as a CD-R/RW drive unit, and a personal computer, a proper system operation corresponding to the remaining battery level of the recording and playback apparatus is obtained, and the data recorded on the recording medium is prevented from being destroyed as a result of operation stopping due to, for example, the remaining battery level becoming zero.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

at least a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus which are connected so as to be capable of performing communication,

wherein said first information processing apparatus comprises;

a power-supply unit capable of supplying internal power by at least a battery;

a power-supply information creation unit for creating power-supply information in which predetermined information about said power-supply unit is stored; and

an information transmitter for transmitting said power-supply information to said second information processing apparatus, and

wherein said second information processing apparatus comprises a controller for performing control so as to obtain a predetermined operation in the information processing system based on the contents stored in said received power-supply information.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said first information processing apparatus further comprises a recording and/or reproducing unit for recording data into an information recording medium and/or for reading data from the information recording medium.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second information processing apparatus further comprises a recording and/or reproducing unit for recording data into an information recording medium and/or for reading data from the information recording medium.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second information processing apparatus sends a signal for controlling the operation of said first information processing apparatus to the first information processing apparatus on the basis of the contents of said received power-supply information.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second information processing apparatus further comprises an operation section in which external instructions are input.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said power-supply information creation unit determines a time for which the operation can be continued, corresponding to each of the predetermined operation conditions, of the information processing apparatuses in a state in which power is supplied by the battery, and can store the information of the time for which the operation can be continued in said power-supply information.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said power-supply information creation unit can store, in said power-supply information, used-power-supply type information, which is obtained by identifying the type of power-supply source which is currently in use as said power-supply unit.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said controller performs control in such a way that, when it is determined that the remaining battery level of said first information processing apparatus is less than or equal to a predetermined level on the basis of the contents of said received power-supply information, a warning is issued by the second information processing apparatus.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said controller can perform a control process for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is made possible by said first information processing apparatus comprising a recording/reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium in accordance with the remaining battery level of said first information processing apparatus, which is obtained based on the contents stored in the received power-supply information.

10. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a connector for connecting with another information processing apparatus so as to be capable of performing communication;

a power-supply unit capable of supplying internal power by at least a battery;

a power-supply information creation unit for creating power-supply information in which predetermined information about said power-supply means is stored;

an information transmitter for transmitting said power-supply information to said other information processing apparatus via said connector; and

a controller capable of controlling the internal operations based on control information when said control information which is transmitted from said other information processing apparatus via said connector, is received.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said power-supply information creation unit determines a time for which the operation can be continued, corresponding to each of the predetermined operation conditions of the information processing apparatuses, in a state in which power is supplied by a battery, and can store the information of this time for which the operation can be continued in said power-supply information.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said power-supply information creation unit can store, in said power-supply information, used-power-supply type information, which is obtained by identifying the type of power-supply source which is currently in use as said power-supply unit.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein predetermined information in said power-supply information has a validity flag indicating the validity/invalidity of the information content thereof, and said power-supply information creation unit can set the validity/invalidity of said validity flag.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said power-supply information creation unit can store, in said power-supply information, power-supply temperature information obtained by measuring the temperature of said power-supply unit.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said information processing apparatus further comprises a recording/reproducing unit for recording data into an information recording medium and/or for reading data from the information recording medium.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said controller performs a control operation for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is made possible by said recording/reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium in accordance with control information sent out from said other information processing apparatus based on the contents stored in said power-supply information.

17. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a controller for connecting with another information processing apparatus to which internal power can be supplied by at least a battery in order to perform communication; and

a controller for performing control so that a predetermined operation is performed in the information processing apparatus and/or said other information processing apparatus based on the contents stored in power-supply information when said power-supply information, in which predetermined information about power supply is stored, is received via said connector, said power-supply information being transmitted from said other information processing apparatus.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said controller performs control so that a warning is issued in the information processing apparatus when it is determined that the remaining battery level of said other information processing is less than or equal to a predetermined level on the basis of the content stored in said power-supply information obtained by receiving it.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said controller can perform a control process for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is made possible by said other information processing apparatus comprising a recording/reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium in accordance with the remaining battery level of said other information processing apparatus, which is obtained based on the contents stored in the received power-supply information.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said controller performs a control process so that recording data remaining in a data transferring memory is transferred, so as to cause recording to be performed in said other information processing apparatus, and subsequent recording of data in said other information processing apparatuses is stopped when it is determined that the remaining battery level of said other information processing apparatus is less than or equal to a predetermined level in accordance with the contents stored in said received power-supply information, and when it is determined that there is recording data to be transferred to said other information processing apparatus comprising a recording and/or reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said controller performs a control process so that a process for closing data, which has been recorded on a recording medium thus far, is performed when it is determined that the remaining battery level of said other information processing apparatus is less than or equal to a predetermined level, said information processing apparatus comprising a recording/reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium on the basis of the contents of said received power-supply information.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said controller instructs an operation in said other information processing apparatus by sending a control signal to said other information processing apparatus.