COMPUTER SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF CAPABLE OF CHANGING BATTERY CHARGING MODE ACCORDING TO USER'S SELECTION

• US 20080084189A1
• Filed: 06/06/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Je-geol
• Granted Patent: US 7,825,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/160
• 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries

Abstract

A computer system, including a system unit having at least one device; a battery unit which supplies power to the system unit; a charging unit which charges the battery unit at a predetermined charging speed; a user input unit which receives a user input related to a charging speed of the battery unit; and a controller which controls the charging unit to charge the battery unit at the charging speed according to the user input.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a system unit comprising at least one device;

a battery unit to supply power to the system unit;

a charging unit to charge the battery unit at a predetermined charging speed;

a user input unit to receive a user input related to a charging speed of the battery unit; and

a controller to control the charging unit to charge the battery unit at the predetermined charging speed according to the received user input received by the user input unit.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the charging unit to charge the battery unit in one of a plurality of charging modes comprising a normal charging mode, a high speed charging mode where the battery unit is charged at a speed faster than the normal mode, and a stop charging mode where the battery is not charged, according to the received user input.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein:

the user input unit comprises at least one button to select one of the charging modes, and

the controller determines which charging mode is selected according to a manipulation of the button.

4. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein:

the controller informs the system unit which charging mode is selected; and

the system unit increases or decreases a power consumption of the devices according to the selected charging mode.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein:

the at least one device of the system unit comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a hard disk drive (HDD), an optical disk drive (ODD), and a liquid crystal display (LCD); and

the system unit adjusts one of the speed of the CPU, the driving speed of the HDD or the ODD, and the brightness of the LCD to increase or decrease the power consumption of the devices.

6. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein:

the controller informs the system unit which charging mode is selected;

the at least one device includes a display unit; and

the system unit displays a selection state of the selected charging mode as a graphical user interface on the display unit.

7. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the controller generates a system management interrupt (SMI) signal or a system control interrupt (SCI) signal corresponding to the selected charging mode.

8. The computer system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED), wherein the controller controls an operation of the LED according to the selected charging mode.

9. A control method of a computer system comprising a system unit that comprises at least one device and a battery unit that supplies power to the system unit, the control method comprising:

checking whether a user input related to a charging speed of the battery unit is received at a controller; and

charging the battery unit at the charging speed according to the user input when the user input is received by selecting one of a plurality of charging modes comprising a normal charging mode, a high speed charging mode where the battery unit is charged at a speed faster than the normal mode, and a stop charging mode where the battery unit is not charged, and charging the battery unit in the selected mode, wherein the selecting comprises determining which charging mode is selected, according to a manipulation of a user input unit.

10. A control method of a computer system comprising a system unit that comprises at least one device and a battery unit that supplies power to the system unit, the control method comprising:

checking whether a user input related to a charging speed of the battery unit is received at a controller;

charging the battery unit at the charging speed according to the user input when the user input is received by selecting one of a plurality of charging modes comprising a normal charging mode, a high speed charging mode where the battery unit is charged at a speed faster than the normal mode, and a stop charging mode where the battery unit is not charged, and charging the battery unit in the selected mode;

informing the system unit of the selected charging mode; and

increasing or decreasing a power consumption of the devices according to the selected charging mode,

wherein the informing the system unit of the selected charging mode comprises generating a system management interrupt (SMI) signal or a system control interrupt (SCI) signal corresponding to the selected charging mode.

11. A control method of a computer system comprising a system unit that comprises at least one device and a battery unit that supplies power to the system unit, the control method comprising:

checking whether a user input related to a charging speed of the battery unit is received at a controller;

charging the battery unit at the charging speed according to the user input when the user input is received by selecting one of a plurality of charging modes comprising a normal charging mode, a high speed charging mode where the battery unit is charged at a speed faster than the normal mode, and a stop charging mode where the battery unit is not charged, and charging the battery unit in the selected mode; and

controlling a light-emitting diode (LED) according to the selected charging mode.

12. A power control system comprising:

a battery to supply power to a computer system;

a charging unit to charge the battery at a charging speed; and

a controller to control the charging unit to charge at the charging speed based on received input.

13. The power control system according to claim 12, wherein the controller controls the charging unit to charge the battery in one of a plurality of charging modes comprising a first charging mode, a second charging mode where the battery unit is charged at a speed faster than the first mode, and a third charging mode where the battery is charged at a speed slower than the first mode or is not charged, based on the received input.

14. The power control system according to claim 13, wherein:

the controller informs a system unit of the selected charging mode; and

the system unit changes a power consumption of at least one component of the system unit according to the selected charging mode.

15. The power control system according to claim 14, wherein the system unit changes the power consumption by adjusting at least one of a speed of a central processing unit (CPU), a driving speed of a hard disk drive or optical disk drive, and a brightness of a display.

16. The power control system according to claim 14, wherein:

the controller informs a system unit of the selected charging mode; and

the system unit displays, on a display, a graphical user interface to allow the user to determine the current charging mode and to select another charging mode.

17. A method of managing the charging of a battery in a computer system, the method comprising:

charging a battery at a predetermined charging speed based on received input received at the computer system.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the charging of the battery unit comprises:

selecting one of a plurality of charging modes; and

charging the battery unit at a predetermined speed according to the selected charging mode.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising adjusting the power consumption of a component of the computer system based on the selected charging mode.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the adjusting the power consumption of the component comprises throttling a central processing unit (CPU).

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the adjusting the power consumption of the component comprises adjusting a driving speed of a hard disk drive or optical disk drive.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the adjusting the power consumption of the component comprises adjusting a brightness of a display.

23. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface to allow a user to determine the current charging mode and/or to select the charging mode.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the user input is based on the pressing of a button.

25. A computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a controller of a battery charging unit, cause the controller to control the charging unit to charge the battery at a predetermined rate based on user input.

26. A system unit comprising:

at least one device; and

a controller to control the at least one device and to change a power consumption of at least one of the devices in response to a received charging signal, the charging signal relating to a charging speed of a battery connected to the system unit.

27. The system unit according to claim 26, wherein the received charging signal corresponds to one of a plurality of charging modes comprising a first charging mode, a second charging mode where the battery unit is charged at a speed faster than the first mode, and a third charging mode where the battery is charged at a speed slower than the first mode or is not charged.