Electronic equipment, sensor, method and program for controlling electronic equipment

• US 20060174147A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Wataru, Uehara, Kensuke, Arima, Mikiko, Kobayashi, Tomonori
• Application Number:
  US11/271,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Electronic equipment includes two or more operating modes including a normal mode and a security mode and/or power saving mode. The electronic equipment comprises input devices which input information into the electronic equipment by a person performing an operation which is external to the electronic equipment, a sensor which is disposed in a rest portion of the input devices and which generates a predetermined signal in response to a detection that a part of the body of the person performing the operation rests on the rest portion, and a signal generator which generates a signal to instruct the electronic equipment not to shift to the security mode and/or power savings mode based on the predetermined signal generated by the sensor.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

electronic equipment which operates in two or more modes including (A) a normal mode and (B) a security mode and/or a power saving mode and includes an input device which inputs information into the electronic equipment by a person performing an operation, the electronic equipment comprising;

a sensor which is disposed in a rest portion of the input device and which generates a predetermined signal in response to a detection that a part of the body of the person performing the operation rests on the rest portion; and

a signal generator for generating a signal to instruct the electronic equipment not to shift to the security mode and/or power saving mode based on the predetermined signal generated by the sensor.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic equipment is a computer device;

the input device is a keyboard for operating the computer device; and

the sensor is disposed in a palm rest of the keyboard.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic equipment is a computer device;

the input device is a mouse for operating the computer device; and

the sensor is disposed in a mouse rest of the mouse.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic equipment is a laptop computer; and

the sensor is disposed in a palm rest of a keyboard of the laptop computer.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic equipment is a computer device; and

the input device is a remote controller for operating the computer device.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the remote controller includes a finger rest; and

the sensor is disposed in the finger rest.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is any one or a combination of a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and an optical sensor.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal generated by the sensor is transmitted via USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection to the electronic equipment.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal generated by the sensor is transmitted via wireless connection to the electronic equipment.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the security mode is implemented by a screen lock function.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power saving mode is a standby function or a pause function.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the security mode and power saving mode are implemented by a standby function or a pause function each with a lock function.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic equipment comprises a timer; and

the electronic equipment shifts from the normal mode to the security mode and/or power saving mode in response that it is measured by the timer that the signal from the input device or the sensor is not detected for a predetermined period of time.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the timer is reset based on the signal from the input device or the sensor.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic equipment comprises a timer;

the electronic equipment shifts from the normal mode to the security mode and/or power saving mode in response to that (A) it is measured by the timer that the signal from the input device is not detected for a first predetermined

period of time or (B) it is measured by the timer that the signal from the sensor is not detected for a second predetermined period of time.

16. A method comprising:

controlling electronic equipment operating on two or more kinds of modes including (A) a normal mode and (B) a security mode and/or power saving mode, wherein the electronic equipment includes an input device for inputting information into the electronic equipment by a person performing an operation;

generating a predetermined signal in response to a detection that a part of the body of the person performing operation rests on a rest portion of the input device; and

generating a signal to instruct the electronic equipment not to shift to the security mode and/or power saving mode, based on the predetermined signal.

17. A product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored thereinfor controlling electronic equipment operating on two or more kinds of modes including (A) a normal mode and (B) a security mode and/or power saving mode, wherein the electronic equipment includes an input device for inputting information into the electronic equipment by a person performing an operation, the computer readable program code in said product being effective to;

generating a predetermined signal in response to a detection that a part of the body of the person performing operation rests on a rest portion of the input device; and

generating a signal to instruct the electronic equipment not to shift to the security mode and/or power saving mode, based on the predetermined signal.