Battery operated device having power saving mode

• US 20090237034A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Lindemann, Robert, Aylott, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/217,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20090237034A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

A battery-powered electronic device comprises at least one functional circuit and a controller adapted to receive a signal representative of residual energy of a battery powering the device and to cut off operating power of the functional circuit if said residual energy is below a predetermined threshold. The controller is further adapted to detect whether a predetermined criterion is fulfilled or not, to cut off operating power of the functional circuit only if the predetermined criterion has been fulfilled for a given time interval, and to set the duration of the time interval depending on said residual energy.

Claims

1. Battery-powered electronic device comprising at least one functional circuit and a controller adapted to receive a signal representative of residual energy of a battery powering the device and to cut off operating power of the functional circuit if said residual energy is below a predetermined threshold, characterized in that the controller is further adapted to detect whether a predetermined criterion is fulfilled or not, to cut off operating power of the functional circuit only if the predetermined criterion has been fulfilled for a given time interval, and to set the duration of the time interval depending on said residual energy, wherein one of the functional circuits is a user interface and the predetermined criterion being for the controller that the user interface was not manipulated by a user during said given time interval.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a battery monitor for providing said signal representative of the residual energy.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a battery compartment in which is provided a terminal for receiving said signal representative of the residual energy.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein there are at least two functional circuits, and the controller is adapted to cut off operating power of a first one of said functional circuits while maintaining operating power of a second one of said functional circuits.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first circuit comprises display illumination means.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to reduce the duration by a step when the residual energy decreases below a predetermined threshold.

7. The device of claim 6, comprising means for allowing a user to set the duration of the time interval to an initial value, the controller being adapted to set said duration to a second, smaller value when the residual energy decreases below said predetermined threshold.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein said threshold is additionally dependent on a respective operating mode of the device.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is selected from the group comprising mobile telephones, portable media players and cameras.

10. Battery-powered electronic device comprising at least one functional circuit and a controller adapted to receive a signal representative of residual energy of a battery powering the device and to cut off operating power of the functional circuit if said residual energy is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the controller is further adapted to detect whether a predetermined criterion is fulfilled or not, to cut off operating power of the functional circuit only if the predetermined criterion has been fulfilled for a given time interval, and to set the duration of the time interval depending on said residual energy, wherein one of the functional circuits is a means for detecting movement and the predetermined criterion being for the controller a detection of absence of movement during said given time interval, or wherein one of the functional circuits is a data communication circuit and the criterion for the controller being the absence of data communication from or to the device for said given time interval.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a battery monitor for providing said signal representative of the residual energy.

12. The device of claim 10, further comprising a battery compartment in which is provided a terminal for receiving said signal representative of the residual energy.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein there are at least two functional circuits, and the controller is adapted to cut off operating power of a first one of said functional circuits while maintaining operating power of a second one of said functional circuits.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first circuit comprises display illumination means.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to reduce the duration by a step when the residual energy decreases below a predetermined threshold.

16. The device of claim 15, comprising means for allowing a user to set the duration of the time interval to an initial value, the controller being adapted to set said duration to a second, smaller value when the residual energy decreases below said predetermined threshold.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein said threshold is additionally dependent on a respective operating mode of the device.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is selected from the group comprising mobile telephones, portable media players and cameras.