External storage device, and remaining battery amount notifying method in the same

• US 20030141849A1
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 2BCom LLC (Markman Advisors LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Koichi, Tanzawa, Kazunari
• Granted Patent: US 6,831,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

This invention relates to a portable external storage device including a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with a plurality of information processing apparatuses, a detection unit which detects a remaining amount of the battery, a storage unit which stores setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining amount of the battery transmitted from the information processing apparatus serving as a host device, and a remaining amount of the battery at which a warning is generated, and a notifying unit which notifies the host device of information about the remaining amount of the battery detected by the detection unit on the basis of the setting information stored in the storage unit.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with an information processing apparatus;

means for detecting a remaining amount of said battery; and

means for notifying the information processing apparatus of information about the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means.

2. A device according to claim 1, which further comprises means for storing setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining amount of said battery transmitted from the information processing apparatus, and a remaining amount of said battery at which a warning is generated, and

in which said notifying means notifies the information processing apparatus of the information about the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means on the basis of the setting information stored in said storage means.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said notifying means comprises

means for determining whether the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information when the notifying method represented by the setting information is a method of notifying the information processing apparatus of a remaining amount of said battery, and

means for, when said determination means determines that the remaining amount of said battery is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of warning information representing that the remaining amount of said battery is small, and when said determination means determines that the remaining amount of said battery is larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein said notifying means comprises

first means for determining whether a user inputs a remaining battery amount information request when the notifying method represented by the setting information is a method of notifying the information processing apparatus of a remaining amount of said battery in response to a user designation,

second means for determining whether the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information when said first means determines that the user inputs the remaining battery amount information request, and

means for, when said second determination means determines that the remaining amount of said battery is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of warning information representing that the remaining amount of said battery is small, and when said second means determines that the remaining amount of said battery is larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means.

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein said notifying means comprises

means for determining whether the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information when the notifying method represented by the setting information is a notifying method for a case in which the remaining amount of said battery is not larger than a remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information at which a warning is generated, and

means for notifying the information processing apparatus of warning information representing that the remaining amount of said battery is small when said determination means determines that the remaining amount of said battery is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information.

6. A device according to claim 2, in which the setting information includes avoidance destination information representing an avoidance destination of data in the device when a warning is generated, and

which further comprises

means for determining whether the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information at which a warning is generated, and

means for storing data stored in the external storage device in an avoidance destination represented by the avoidance destination information when said determination means determines that the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means is not larger than the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information at which a warning is generated.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus and the device wirelessly communicate with each other.

8. A remaining battery amount notifying method for a device in an information processing apparatus which communicates data with the device, comprising:

transmitting a notifying method for information about a remaining amount of a battery to the device;

receiving, from the device, information about the remaining amount of the battery acquired in the device on the basis of the transmitted notifying method; and

notifying the device of information about the received remaining amount of the battery on the basis of the notifying method for the information about the remaining amount of the battery.

9. A battery information notifying system which notifies an information processing apparatus serving as a host device of information about a battery of an external device, wherein

the information processing apparatus comprises:

transmission means for transmitting, to the external device, setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining amount of a battery of the external device, and a remaining amount of the battery at which a warning is generated,

the external device comprises;

a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with a plurality of information processing apparatuses;

means for detecting a remaining amount of said battery;

means for storing setting information transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and

means for notifying the host device of information about the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means, on the basis of the setting information stored in said storage means, and

the information processing apparatus further comprises;

means for receiving the information about the remaining amount of said battery from the external device; and

means for exhibiting the received information about the remaining amount of said battery on the basis of the notifying method for the information about the remaining amount of said battery represented by the setting information.

10. An external storage device comprising:

a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with an information processing apparatus;

means for detecting a remaining amount of said battery;

means for storing setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining amount of said battery transmitted from the information processing apparatus, and a remaining amount of said battery at which a warning is generated; and

means for notifying the information processing apparatus of information about the remaining amount of said battery detected by said detection means on the basis of the setting information stored in said storage means.