Information processing apparatus and power supply control method

• US 20040003307A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/461,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An information processing apparatus comprising a first communication device configured to receive an external signal, a second communication device configured to receive an external signal different from the external signal received by the first communication device, power supply part which selectively supplies power to one of the first communication device and the second communication device in a power-supply-off state, and a part which activates the information processing apparatus based on the signal received by one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is supplied from the part which activates the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communication device configured to receive an external signal;

a second communication device configured to receive an external signal different from the external signal received by the first communication device;

means for supplying power to one of the first communication device and the second communication device in a power-supply-off state; and

means for activating the information processing apparatus based on the signal received by one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is supplied from the means for activating the information processing apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of first communication device and the second communication device is removably fitted to the information processing apparatus, and

the means for supplying stops the power supply to the removed communication device, when one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is supplied is removed from the information processing apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the means for activating the information processing apparatus starts supplying power to the communication device to which power has not been supplied, when one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is supplied is detected to be removed from the information processing apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for activating the information processing apparatus restarts supplying power to the refitted communication device and stops the power supply to the communication device to which power has been supplied, when the removed communication device is fitted again to the information processing apparatus.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for storing identification information of the communication device to which power is supplied from the means for activating the information processing apparatus in a power-supply-off state of the apparatus;

wherein,

the means for activating the information processing apparatus starts supplying power to the fitted communication device, when one of the first communication device and the second communication device is fitted to the information processing apparatus and the identification information stored in the means for storing identification information of the communication device and the identification information of the fitted communication device agree with each other.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for storing identification information of the communication device to which power is supplied from the means for supplying in a power-supply-off state of the apparatus;

wherein,

the means for activating the information processing apparatus starts supplying power to the fitted communication device and stops the power supply to the communication device to which power has been supplied, when one of the first communication device and the second communication device is fitted to the information processing apparatus and the identification information stored in the means for storing identification information of the communication device and the identification information of the fitted communication device agree with each other.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a clock; and

a memory which stores a predetermined time zone, wherein

the means for activating the information processing apparatus also stops the power supply to one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power has been supplied in a power-supply-off state of the information processing apparatus based on the current clock time indicated by the clock and the information on the predetermined time zone stored in the memory.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for holding the operating system and the application program in a memory device and making the apparatus enter a power-supply-off state; and

means for selectively supplying power to one of the first communication device and the second communication device in the power-supply-off state of the apparatus entered by the means for holding the operating system and the application program and activating the information processing apparatus based on the signal received by way of one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is supplied.

9. A power supply control method of an information processing apparatus comprising a first communication device configured to receive an external signal and a second communication device configured to receive an external signal different from the external signal received by the first communication device, the method comprising:

selectively supplying power to one of the first communication device and the second communication device in a power-supply-off state of the information processing apparatus; and

activating the information processing apparatus based on the signal received by way of one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is selectively supplied.

10. A power supply control method of an information processing apparatus comprising a first communication device configured to receive an external signal and a second communication device configured to receive an external signal different from the external signal received by the first communication device, at least one of the communication devices being removably fitted to the information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

selectively supplying power to one of the first communication device and the second communication device in a power-supply-off state of the information processing apparatus;

activating the information processing apparatus based on the signal received by way of one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is selectively supplied;

stopping the power supply to one of the first communication device and the second communication device to which power is supplied at detection of the removal thereof from the information processing apparatus;

starting supplying power to one of the second communication device and the first communication device to which power has not been supplied in place of the communication device whose power supply ahs been stopped; and

restarting supplying power to the fitted communication device and stopping the power supply to the communication device to which power has been supplied, when the removed device is refitted to the information processing apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

storing the identification information of the communication device to which power is supplied in a power-supply-off state of the information processing apparatus;

wherein

the stopping of power supply includes starting supplying power to the fitted communication device to the information processing apparatus only when one of the first communication device and the second communication device is fitted to the information processing apparatus and the stored identification information and the identification information of the fitted communication device agree with each other.