Energy-saving electronic device and energy-saving method for use with the same

• US 20040078607A1
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Culture.com Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Culture.com Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Feng, Chia-Chi
• Application Number:
  US10/358,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078607A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An energy-saving electronic device and an energy-saving method for use with the same are provided. Under a triggering condition by an input signal, a trigger module produces a control pulse that urges a system-board module switch to be switched on, such that a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU) operates with power supplied from a power module through the system-board module switch, and forwards a control signal to the trigger module for allowing the system-board module switch to be in a stable switching-on condition. When the input signal ends and thus the control pulse terminates, the microprocessor or CPU stops sending the control signal to the trigger module, and the system-board module switch is adapted to be switched off with no power being provided from the power module to the microprocessor or CPU, thus making the microprocessor or CPU in a complete power cut-off mode instead of a sleep mode in favor of power saving.

Claims

1. An energy-saving electronic device, comprising:

an input unit for allowing a user to input a signal thereto;

a trigger module for receiving the input signal transmitted from the input unit, and urged by the input signal to generate a control pulse;

a system-board module switch for receiving the control pulse from the trigger module, and adapted to be switched on by the control pulse, so as to allow a power module connected with the system-board module switch to supply power via the system-board module switch; and

a system board module having at least a processor, and for receiving power supplied from the power module via the system-board module switch so as to drive the processor to operate.

2. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display control switch for receiving a signal generated from the processor, whereby the display control switch is adapted to be switched on by the signal for allowing the power module connected with the display control switch to supply power via the display control switch, and whereby the display control switch is adapted to he switched off by the signal, making power incapable of being supplied from the power module via the display control switch; and

a display unit for receiving power supplied from the power module via the display control switch, so as to obtain and display data processed by the processor.

3. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 2, wherein during operation, the processor generates a control signal to the trigger module for keeping the system-board module switch in a stable switching-on condition, so as to allow the power module to stably supply power via the system-board module switch.

4. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 3, wherein when the input signal ends, and thus the control pulse from the trigger module and the control signal from the processor terminate, the system-board module switch is adapted to be switched off, and the processor generates a signal to the display control switch for, switching off the display control switch, such that power is incapable of being supplied from the power module to the system board module and the display unit a the system-board module switch and the display control switch, and the processor and the display unit are adapted to be in a power-cut-off mode.

5. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 1, wherein the trigger module comprises:

a trigger circuit for receiving the input signal from the input unit, and urged by the input signal to generate the control pulse that is transmitted to a logic control circuit connected with the trigger circuit; and

the logic control circuit for receiving the control pulse from trigger circuit, and for switching on the system-board module switch by means of the control pulse, allowing the power module to supply power via the system-board module switch.

6. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is at least one selected from the group consisting of microprocessor and central processing unit (CPU).

7. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 5, wherein the trigger module is a microprocessor, and the processor is a CPU.

8. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 1, wherein the energy-saving electronic device is at least one from the group consisting of personal;

digital assistant (PDA), electronic-book (e-book) reader, personal computer and notebook computer.

9. The energy-saving electronic device of claim 1, wherein the input unit is at least one from the group consisting of keyboard, touch board, mouse, keys and ultrared input device.

10. An energy-saving method for use with an energy-saving electronic device, wherein the energy-saving electronic device at least includes an input unit, a trigger module, a system board module having at least a processor, a power module and a system-board module switch;

the energy-saving method comprising the steps of;

(1) inputting a signal to the input unit, and transmitting the input signal to the trigger module;

(2) urging the trigger module to generate a control pulse by means of the input signal from the input unit, and transmitting the control pulse to the system-board module switch;

(3) switching on the system-board module switch by means of the control pulse from the trigger module, whereby the power module connected with the system-board module switch supplies power to the system board module through the system-board module switch, so as to drive the processor of the system board module to operate;

(4) generating a control signal via the processor during operation to the trigger module, for keeping the system-board module switch in a switching-on condition by means of the control signal, whereby the power module is adapted to stably supply power to the processor of the system board module; and

(5) switching off the system-board module switch as the input signal ends and the control pulse from the trigger module and the control signal from the processor terminate, whereby power is incapable of being supplied from the power module to the system board module via the system-board module switch, and the processor is adapted to be in a power-cut-off mode.

11. The energy-saving method of claim 10, wherein the trigger module comprises:

a trigger circuit for receiving the input signal from the input unit, and urged by the input signal to generate the control pulse that is transmitted to a logic control circuit connected with the trigger circuit; and

the logic control circuit for receiving the control pulse from trigger circuit, and for switching on the system-board module switch by means of the control pulse, allowing the power module to supply power via the system-board module switch.

12. The energy-saving method of claim. 10, wherein the processor is at least one selected from the group consisting of microprocessor and CPU.

13. The energy-saving method of claim 11, wherein the trigger module is a microprocessor, and the processor is a CPU.

14. The energy-saving method of claim 10, wherein the input unit is at least one from the group consisting of keyboard, touch board, mouse, keys and ultrared input device.

15. An energy-saving method for use with an energy-saving electronic device, wherein the energy-saving electronic device at least includes an input unit, a trigger module, a system board module having at least a processor, a power module, a system-board module switch, a display control switch and a display unit;

the energy-saving method comprising the steps of;

(1) inputting a signal to the input unit, and transmitting the input signal to the trigger module;

(2) urging the trigger module to generate a control pulse by means of the input signal from the input unit, and transmitting the control pulse to the system-board module switch;

(3) switching on the system-board module switch by means of the control pulse from the trigger module, whereby the power module connected with the system-board module switch supplies power to the system board module through the system-board module switch, so as to drive the processor of the system board module to operate;

(4) generating a control signal via the processor during operation to the trigger module, for keeping the system-board module switch in a switching-on condition by means of the control signal, whereby the power module is adapted to stably supply power to the processor of the system board module through the system-board module switch;

wherein during operation, the processor generates a signal to the display control switch for switching on the display control switch, so as to allow the power module connected with the display control switch to supply power to the display unit via the display control switch, and to allow the display unit to receive and display data processed by the processor; and

(5) switching off the system-board module switch as the input signal ends and the control pulse from the trigger module and the control signal from the processor terminate, whereby power is incapable of being supplied from the power module to the system board module through the system-board module switch, and the processor is adapted to be in a power-cut-off mode;

wherein the processor generates a signal to switch off the display control switch, and the power module is incapable of supplying power via the display control switch to the the display unit is adapted to be in a power-cut-off mode.

16. The energy-saving method of claim 15, wherein the trigger module comprises:

a trigger circuit for receiving the input signal from the input unit, and urged by the input signal to generate the control pulse that is transmitted to a logic control circuit connected with the trigger circuit; and

the logic control circuit for receiving the control pulse from trigger circuit, and for switching on the system-board module switch by means of the control pulse, allowing the power module to supply power via the system-board module switch.

17. The energy-saving method of claim 15, wherein the processor is at least one selected from the group consisting of microprocessor and CPU.

18. The energy-saving method of claim 16, wherein the trigger module is a microprocessor, and the processor is a CPU.

19. The energy-saving method of claim 15, wherein the input unit is at least one from the group consisting of keyboard, touch board, mouse, keys and ultrared input device.

20. The energy-saving method of claim 15, wherein the energy-saving electronic device is at least one from the group consisting of personal digital assistant (PDA), electronic-book (e-book) reader, personal computer and notebook computer.