Electronic device and control method thereof

• US 20050268134A1
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Hee-jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

An electronic device with a plurality of electronic components, the electronic device includes a microcomputer, a first regulator supplying power required to drive the microcomputer in a first mode of the electronic device, a second regulator supplying power required to drive at least one among the plurality of electric components in a second mode of the electronic device, and a controller controlling the power from the second regulator to be employed as power for driving the microcomputer when the electronic device operates in the second mode. With this configuration, the electronic device, especially in a case of a portable electronic device using a battery, has a longer running time and a life span of a battery is increased.

Claims

1. An electronic device with a plurality of electronic components, the electronic device comprising:

a microcomputer;

a first regulator supplying power required to drive the microcomputer in a first mode of the electronic device;

a second regulator supplying power required to drive at least one among the plurality of electric components in a second mode of the electronic device; and

a controller controlling the power from the second regulator to be employed as power driving the microcomputer when the electronic device operates in the second mode.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second regulator has higher power transformation efficiency than the first regulator.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first regulator comprises a linear voltage regulator.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second regulator comprises a switching voltage regulator generating power having a voltage level required to drive the microcomputer.

5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the second regulator comprises a switching voltage regulator generating power having a voltage level required to drive the microcomputer.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a first diode connected to an output terminal of the first regulator in a forward biased direction, and a second diode connected to an output terminal of the second regulator in the forward biased direction.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a diode connected to an output terminal of the first regulator in a forward biased direction;

a switch controlling the power to be supplied from the second regulator to the microcomputer; and

a switching controller turning on the switch when the power is supplied from the second regulator.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the switching controller controls the microcomputer according to whether the power is supplied from the second regulator.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the switching controller shuts down the first regulator when the power is supplied from the second regulator.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a shut_down signal generator which shuts down the first regulator when the power is supplied from the second regulator.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the shut_down signal generator comprises a switching voltage regulator which supplies power required to drive at least one among the plurality of electric components of the electronic device;

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer shuts down the first regulator when the power is supplied from the second regulator.

13. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the shut_down signal generator shuts down the first regulator when a predetermined period of time is elapsed after the second regulator supplies the power to the microcomputer.

14. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the shut_down signal generator controls the first regulator to supply the power to the microcomputer before the power from the second regulator is cut off when the electronic device is turned off.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply to supply power to the first and second regulators,

the power supply comprises at least one of an adapter and a battery.

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second regulator outputs the power when the electronic device is turned on.

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first mode defines a state that the second regulator does not output the power, and the second mode defines a state that the second regulator outputs the power.

18. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the first mode comprises an off-mode to define an off-state of the electronic device.

19. An electronic device with a plurality of electronic components, comprising:

a microcomputer;

a first regulator supplying power required to drive the microcomputer in a first mode of the electronic device;

a second regulator supplying power required to drive at least one among the plurality of electronic components in a second mode of the electronic device; and

a controller controlling the first regulator to output the power to the microcomputer before the power from the second regulator is turned off when the electronic device is converted from the second mode to the first mode.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the first regulator comprises a linear voltage regulator.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the second regulator comprises a switching voltage regulator generating power having a voltage level required to drive the microcomputer.

22. A method of controlling an electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components, a microcomputer, a first regulator supplying power required to drive the microcomputer, and a second regulator supplying power required to drive at least one among the plurality of electronic components, the method comprising:

supplying the power from the second regulator to be employed as power to drive the electronic device when the second regulator outputs the power; and

supplying the power from the first regulator to the microcomputer when the second regulator does not output the power.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising shutting down the first regulator when a predetermined period of time is elapsed after the second regulator supplies the power to the microcomputer.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second regulator outputs the power when the electronic device is turned on.

25. A power supply apparatus for a portable electronic device, comprising:

component voltage regulators which generate voltages to run the portable electronic device and the power supply apparatus;

a microcontroller which selectively controls the voltages to the portable electronic device from the component voltage regulators;

a microcontroller voltage regulator responsive to a drive control signal, the microcontroller voltage regulator generating a voltage to run the microcontroller;

a signal circuit which generates the drive control signal in response to a comparison of voltage between one of the component voltage regulators and the microcontroller voltage regulator; and

a selector circuit which selectively switches between the microcontroller voltage regulator and at least one of the component voltage regulators based on the drive control signal, wherein the microcontroller receives the voltage from at least one of the component voltage regulators when the portable electronic device is on and the microcontroller receives voltage from the microcontroller voltage regulator when the portable electronic device is off.

26. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the drive control signal of the signal circuit turns off the microcontroller voltage regulator when the portable electronic device is on.

27. The power supply apparatus of claim 26, wherein the drive control signal of the signal circuit turns on the microcontroller voltage regulator when the portable electronic device is off.

28. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the microcontroller turns off the microcontroller voltage regulator when the portable electronic device is on.

29. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the signal circuit comprises a first diode connected to an output terminal of one of the component regulators in a forward biased direction, and a second diode connected to an output terminal of the microcontroller voltage regulator in the forward biased direction.

30. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the microcontroller voltage regulator is turned off when the voltage from one of the component voltage regulators exceeds a threshold.

31. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the selector circuit has a predetermined delay before switching between the microcontroller voltage regulator and one of the component voltage regulators.

32. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the component voltage regulators are switching voltage regulators.

33. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the component voltage regulators output the voltage at a plurality of magnitudes.

34. The power supply apparatus of claim 25, wherein the microcontroller voltage regulator is a linear voltage regulator.