Power controller, power control method, information processor, and power control program

• US 20040104709A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Soichi, Yamaji, Hidenori, Narukawa, Yoshitaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

It is a power control unit that can perform preventing a secondary battery from generating heat and preventing power supply from being suddenly shut off. Supply of power from a secondary battery (13) to a system unit (11) is controlled by a power control unit (12). At this time, the power control unit (12) successively monitors a cell temperature of the secondary battery (13), and requests the system unit (11) to switch to a power saving mode when the cell temperature exceeds a predetermined alarming temperature which is preset.

Claims

1. A power controller provided in an apparatus operated by power supplied from a secondary battery, said power controller controlling the power supplied from the secondary battery,

wherein, when the temperature of battery cells in the secondary battery exceeds a preset temperature, said power controller requests the apparatus to switch to an operation in a power saving mode.

2. A power control method for controlling power supplied from a secondary battery provided in an apparatus, comprising:

a cell temperature detecting step for detecting the temperature of battery cells in the secondary battery; and

an operating mode control step for, when the temperature detected in said cell temperature detecting step exceeds a preset temperature, requesting the apparatus to switch to an operation in a power saving mode.

3. An information processor operated by power supplied from a secondary battery, comprising

a power control unit which, when the temperature of battery cells in the secondary battery exceeds a preset temperature, requests the apparatus to switch to an operation in a power saving mode.

4. An information processor according to claim 3, further comprising operating-mode-switching notification means which, in a case in which the power control unit requests switching to the power saving mode, notifies a user of the case.

5. An information processor according to claim 3, wherein said power control unit requests an operation program being executed by said information processor to switch to a standby state or a hibernate state.

6. An information processor according to claim 3, wherein, when further power supply from the secondary battery, which is presently supplying power, reaches a limit, and another secondary battery capable of supplying power exists, said power control unit switches supply of power to each portion of said information processor to be supplied from the secondary battery capable of supplying the power.

7. An information processor according to claim 3, wherein said power control unit switches said information processor to the power saving mode by outputting a signal indicating that the state of another device provided in said information processor satisfies a condition of switching to the power saving mode.

8. An information processor according to claim 7, wherein said power control unit switches said information processor to the power saving mode by outputting a signal indicating that the temperature of an arithmetic unit provided in said information processor satisfies the condition of switching to the power saving mode.

9. A power control program for controlling power supplied from a secondary battery provided in an information processor, said power control program executing:

a cell temperature detecting process for detecting the temperature of battery cells in the secondary battery; and

an operating mode control process for, when the temperature detected in said cell temperature detecting process exceeds a preset temperature, requesting a predetermined part of the information processor to switch to an operation in a power saving mode.