Computing device, computing device system and power control method

• US 20070236408A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujinuki, Mitsue, Yamaguchi, Hajime, Murai, Shinya, Hioki, Tsuyoshi, Yamaguchi, Shogo
• Application Number:
  US11/723,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236408A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/045 using multiple communication channels, e.g. parallel and serial

Abstract

There is provided with a computing device including: a coupler configured to couple to a display device having a chargeable first battery and be able to be separated from the display device, wherein charging to the first battery and wired communication with the display device can be performed via the coupler at a time of being coupled to the display device; a detector configured to detect whether the coupler is coupled to the display device; a wireless communicator configured to communicate wirelessly with the display device when separated from the display device; a connector configured to be supplied with power from an external power supply; a chargeable second battery; a further detector configured to detect whether power is supplied to the connector; and a controller configured to control charging and discharging of the first and second battery based on whether the power is supplied when coupled to the display device.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a coupler configured to couple to a display device having a chargeable first battery and be able to be separated from the display device, wherein charging to the first battery and wired communication with the display device can be performed via the coupler at a time of being coupled to the display device;

a coupling detector configured to detect whether the coupler is coupled to the display device;

a wireless communicator configured to communicate wirelessly with the display device when the coupler is being separated from the display device;

an external power supply connector configured to be supplied with power from an external power supply;

a chargeable second battery;

a connection detector configured to detect whether power is supplied to the external power supply connector; and

a controller configured to control charging and discharging of the first battery and the second battery on the basis of whether the power is supplied to the external power supply connector when the coupler is being coupled to the display device.

2. The computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a power use recorder configured to record use history of the chargeable second battery,

wherein the controller acquires use history of the chargeable first battery from the display device via the coupler, and controls charging and discharging of the first battery and the second battery by using the use history of the chargeable second battery and the use history of the chargeable first battery.

3. The computing device according to claim 2, wherein the controller controls charging and discharging of the first battery and the second battery so as to satisfy a balance condition given in advance.

4. The computing device according to claim 3, wherein when power is supplied to the external power supply connector, the controller charges the first battery and the second battery by using power from the external power supply so as to cause a ratio between a residual battery capacity of the first battery and a residual battery capacity of the second battery to coincide with a ratio between first average power consumption calculated from the use history of the chargeable first battery and second average power consumption calculated from the use history of the chargeable second battery.

5. The computing device according to claim 4, wherein when power is not supplied to the external power supply connector, the controller

calculates a battery capacity to be left in each of the first and second batteries as target residual battery capacities on the basis of the residual battery capacity of the first battery, the residual battery capacity of the second battery, the first average power consumption and the second average power consumption, and

uses power of battery whose current residual battery capacity exceeds the target residual battery capacity to charge the other battery.

6. The computing device according to claim 5, wherein when any one of the first and second batteries has reached the target residual battery capacity, the controller stops the charging.

7. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the controller charges one of the first battery and the second battery preferentially.

8. The computing device according to claim 7, wherein when power is supplied to the external power supply connector, the controller charges one of the first battery and the second battery preferentially by using power of the external power supply.

9. The computing device according to claim 7, wherein when power is not supplied to the external power supply connector, the controller charges battery given to priority, by using power of the other battery.

10. The computing device according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit configured to input indication data indicating any charging scheme selected from among first preferential charging in which the first battery is charged preferentially, second preferential charging in which the second battery is charged preferentially, and balanced charging in which the first and second batteries are charged so as to satisfy a balance condition given in advance,

wherein the controller controls charging and discharging of the first and second batteries on the basis of the indication data and whether the power is supplied to the external power supply connector.

11. A computing device system including a computing device and a display device which can be coupled to and separated from the computing device,

the display device comprising:

a chargeable first battery; and

a first wireless communicator configured to communicate wirelessly with the computing device when being separated from the computing device, and

the computing device comprising;

a display device coupler configured to couple to the display device and be able to be separated from the display device, wherein charging to the chargeable first battery and wired communication with the display device can be performed via the display device coupler at a time of being coupled to the display device;

a coupling detector configured to detect whether the display device coupler is coupled to the display device;

a second wireless communicator configured to communicate wirelessly with the display device when the display device coupler is being separated from the display device;

an external power supply connector configured to be supplied with power from an external power supply;

a chargeable second battery;

a connection detector configured to detect whether power is supplied to the external power supply connector; and

a controller configured to control charging and discharging of the first battery and the second battery on the basis of whether the power is supplied to the external power supply connector when the display device coupler is being coupled to the display device.

12. A power control method comprising:

detecting whether a computing device having a chargeable first battery and a display device having a chargeable second battery is separated or coupled each other, wherein

the display device and the computing device communicate wirelessly each other when being separated and perform wired communicate each other when being coupled, and

charging to the first battery from the computing device and charging to the second battery from the display device can be performed when being coupled;

detecting whether power from an external power supply is supplied to the computing device; and

controlling charging and discharging of the first battery and the second battery on the basis of whether the power is supplied from the external power supply when the display device and the computing device are being coupled each other.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising recording use history of the chargeable first battery and the chargeable second battery,

wherein the controlling includes controlling charging and discharging of the first battery and the second battery by using the use histories of the chargeable first battery and the chargeable second battery.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein when power is supplied to the computing device, the controlling includes charging the first battery and the second battery by using power from the external power supply so as to cause a ratio between a residual battery capacity of the first battery and a residual battery capacity of the second battery to coincide with a ratio between average power consumption of the display device and average power consumption of the computing device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein when power is not supplied to the computing device, the controlling includes

calculating a battery capacity to be left in each of the first and second batteries as target residual battery capacities on the basis of the residual battery capacity of the first battery, the residual battery capacity of the second battery, the average power consumption of the display device and the average power consumption of the computing device, and

using power of battery whose current residual battery capacity exceeds the target residual battery capacity to charge the other battery.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein when any one of the first and second batteries has reached the target residual battery capacity, the controlling includes stopping the charging.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the controlling includes charging one of the first battery and the second battery preferentially.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein when power is supplied to the computing device, the controlling includes charging one of the first battery and the second battery preferentially by using power of the external power supply.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein when power is not supplied to the computing device, the controlling includes charging battery given to priority, by using power of the other battery.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising inputting indication data indicating any charging scheme selected from among first preferential charging in which the first battery is charged preferentially, second preferential charging in which the second battery is charged preferentially, and balanced charging in which the first and second batteries are charged so as to satisfy a balance condition given in advance,

wherein the controlling includes controlling charging and discharging of the first and second batteries on the basis of the indication data and whether the power is supplied to the computing device.