Portable computer managing power consumption according to display part positions and control method thereof

• US 20040133817A1
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Yoon-Man
• Application Number:
  US10/680,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133817A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices

Abstract

A portable computer having a main body, and a display part, which has a screen input, and capable of being opening-rotated and converting-rotated relative to the main body. A position sensor detects a converting rotation position of the display part and a controller manages power supplied to the screen input part of the display part based upon the position sensor detecting that the display part is converting-rotated into a converting rotation zone.

Claims

1. A portable computer having a main body and a display part opening-rotatable and converting-rotatable relative to the main body, comprising:

a screen input part provided in a screen of the display part;

a position sensor detecting a converting rotation of the display part; and

a controller controlling the screen input part to operate if the position sensor detects that the display part is in a converting rotation zone.

2. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the converting rotation of the display part is a rotation of the display part between a position in which the screen of the display part displaying images is toward the main body and a position in which the screen of the display part is toward an opposite direction of the main body.

3. The portable computer according to claim 2, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface interconnecting the screen input part and the main body, wherein the controller controls the USB interface to operate in an operation mode if the position sensor detects that the display part is converting-rotated into the converting rotation zone.

4. The portable computer according to claim 3, wherein the controller controls the USB interface to operate in a power saving mode if the position sensor detects that the display part is out of the converting rotation zone.

5. The portable computer according to claim 2, further comprising a first switching part turning on/off power supplied to the screen input part, wherein the controller turns on the first switching part if the position sensor detects that the display part is converting-rotated into the converting rotation zone.

6. The portable computer according to claim 5, wherein the controller turns off the first switching part if the position sensor detects that the display part is out of the converting rotation zone.

7. The portable computer according to claim 2, further comprising a second switching part turning on/off power supplied to a body input part provided in the main body, wherein the position sensor detects whether the body input part is covered by the display part and the controller turns off the second switching part if the position sensor detects that the body input part is covered by the display part.

8. The portable computer according to claim 7, wherein the controller turns on the second switching part if the position sensor detects that the body input part is uncovered.

9. The portable computer according to claim 2, further comprising a second switching part turning on/off power supplied to a body input part provided in the main body, wherein the controller turns off the second switching part if the position sensor detects that the display part is converting-rotated into the converting rotation zone.

10. The portable computer according to claim 9, wherein the controller turns on the second switching part if the position sensor detects that the display part is out of the converting rotation zone.

11. A method of controlling a portable computer having a main body, a display part capable of being converting-rotated relative to the main body, and a screen input part provided in a screen of the display part, comprising:

detecting a converting rotation of the display body; and

controlling the screen input part to operate, if detected that the display part is in a converting rotation zone relative to the main body.

12. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 11, wherein the converting rotation of the display part is a rotation of the display part between a position in which the screen of the display part displaying images is toward the main body and a position in which the screen of the display part is toward an opposite direction of the main body.

13. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 12, wherein the main body and the screen input part are connected to each other by a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and the controlling of the operation of the screen input part comprises controlling the USB interface to operate in an operation mode if the display part is detected to be converting-rotated into the converting rotation zone.

14. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 13, further comprising controlling the USB interface to operate in a power saving mode if the display part is detected to be out of the converting rotation zone.

15. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 12, wherein the controlling of the operation of the screen input part comprises supplying power to the screen input part if the display part is detected to be converting-rotated into the converting rotation zone.

16. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 15, further comprising cutting off power supplied to the screen input part if the display part is detected to be out of the converting rotation zone.

17. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 12, wherein the main body is provided with a body input part having a keyboard and a touch pad, and the detecting further comprises detecting whether the body input part is covered by the display part, and cutting off power supplied to the body input part provided in the main body if the body input part is detected to be covered by the display part.

18. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 17, further comprising supplying power to the body input part if the display part is detected not to cover the body input part.

19. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 12, further comprising cutting off power supplied to the body input part provided in the main body if the display part is detected to be converting-rotated into the converting rotation zone.

20. The control method of the portable computer according to claim 19, further comprising supplying power to the body input part if the display part is detected to be out of the converting rotation zone.

21. A portable computer having a main body and a display part rotatable relative to the main body, comprising:

a screen input part provided in a screen of the display part;

a body input part provided in the main body; and

a controller managing power supplied to the screen input part and the body input part according to rotated viewing positions of the display part screen relative to the body input part.

22. The portable computer of claim 21, wherein one of the rotated viewing positions of the display part screen is a swiveled position with the screen facing away from the main body.

23. The portable computer of claim 22, wherein one of the viewing positions of the display part screen is a pad position with the display part covering the body input part and the screen exposed.

24. The portable computer of claim 22, wherein the controller comprises:

a position sensor detecting the viewing positions of the display part; and

a Universal Serial Bus interface interfacing with the screen control part according to the rotated viewing positions detected by the position sensor.

25. The portable computer of claim 22, wherein the controller comprises:

a position sensor detecting the viewing positions of the display part and covering of the body input part by the display part; and

a micro controller controlling the power supplied to the screen control part and the body input part according to the rotated viewing positions detected by the position sensor.

26. The portable computer of claim 22, wherein the controller comprises:

a position sensor detecting the viewing positions of the display part; and

a Universal Serial Bus interface interfacing with the screen control part and controlling power supplied to the body input part, according to the rotated viewing positions detected by the position sensor.

27. A method of managing power in a portable computer having a main body with a body input part and a converting-rotatable display part with a screen input part, comprising:

detecting a converting-rotation zone of the display part; and

managing power supplied to the screen input part and the body input part according to the detecting of the converting-rotation zone.