PORTABLE TERMINAL, PORTABLE APPARATUS AND SUPPLY POWER CONTROL METHOD

• US 20100167797A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Morichi, Yoshihisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

The cellular phone 100 according to the present invention comprises a plurality of solar cell modules 110 arranged on different surfaces of a casing, a plurality of electric power control parts 132 connected to each of said plurality of solar cell modules 110, a mechanical form detection sensor 120 as a state detection part for detecting a state of said cellular phone 100, and an electric power selection part 134 (FIG. 1).

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a plurality of solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing and converting light into electric power;

a plurality of electric power control parts connected to each of said plurality of solar cell modules, controlling a voltage so that electric power obtained from said plurality of solar cell modules is maximized, and supplying the electric power to said portable terminal;

a state detection part for detecting a state of said portable terminal; and

an electric power selection part for not making active an electric power control part connected to a solar cell module arranged on a surface, based on the state of said portable terminal detected by said state detection part.

2. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein said state detection part is a mechanical form detection sensor which detects a change in the form of said portable terminal.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein said state detection part is an acceleration sensor which detects acceleration.

4. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein said state detection part is an illuminance sensor which detects illuminance.

5. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of solar cell modules are transparent solar cell modules comprised of transparent oxide semiconductors through which visible light can pass.

6. A portable terminal comprising:

a plurality of solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing and converting light into electric power;

a plurality of electric power control parts connected to each of said plurality of solar cell modules, controlling a voltage so that electric power obtained from said plurality of solar cell modules is maximized, and supplying the electric power to said portable terminal;

an electric power measurement part for measuring the electric power supplied from each of said plurality of electric power control parts; and

an electric power selection part for not making active an electric power control part in which the electric power measured by said electric power measurement part is below a certain threshold.

7. The portable terminal according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of solar cell modules are transparent solar cell modules comprised of transparent oxide semiconductors through which visible light can pass.

8. A portable apparatus comprising:

a plurality of solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing and converting light into electric power;

a plurality of electric power control parts connected to each of said plurality of solar cell modules, controlling a voltage so that electric power obtained from said plurality of solar cell modules is maximized, and supplying the electric power to said portable apparatus;

a state detection part for detecting a state of said portable apparatus; and

an electric power selection part for not making active an electric power control part connected to a solar cell module arranged on a surface, based on the state of said portable apparatus detected by said state detection part.

9. A portable apparatus comprising:

a plurality of solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing and converting light into electric power;

a plurality of electric power control parts connected to each of said plurality of solar cell modules, controlling a voltage so that electric power obtained from said plurality of solar cell modules is maximized, and supplying the electric power to the portable apparatus;

an electric power measurement part for measuring the electric power supplied from each of said plurality of electric power control parts; and

an electric power selection part for not making active an electric power control part in which the electric power measured by said electric power measurement part is below a certain threshold.

10. A method for controlling electric power supply from solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing of a portable terminal comprising:

a photoelectric conversion step for converting light into electric power;

an electric power supply step for controlling a voltage so that the electric power converted in said photoelectric conversion step is maximized and for supplying the electric power to the portable terminal;

a state detection step for detecting the state of the portable terminal; and

an electric power selection step for partially stopping said electric power supply step according as the state of the portable terminal detected in said state detection step.

11. A method for controlling electric power supply from solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing of a portable terminal comprising:

a photoelectric conversion step for converting light into electric power;

an electric power supply step for controlling a voltage so that the electric power converted in said photoelectric conversion step is maximized and for supplying the electric power to the portable terminal;

an electric power measurement step for measuring the electric power supplied in said electric power supply step; and

an electric power selection step for partially stopping said electric power supply step according as the electric power measured in said electric power measurement step.

12. A method for controlling electric power supply from solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing of a portable apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion step for converting light into electric power;

an electric power supply step for controlling a voltage so that the electric power converted in said photoelectric conversion step is maximized and for supplying the electric power to the portable apparatus;

a state detection step for detecting the state of the portable apparatus; and

an electric power selection step for partially stopping said electric power supply step according as the state of the portable apparatus detected in said state detection step.

13. A method for controlling electric power supply from solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing of a portable apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion step for converting light into electric power;

an electric power supply step for controlling a voltage so that the electric power converted in said photoelectric conversion step is maximized and for supplying the electric power to the portable apparatus;

an electric power measurement step for measuring the electric power supplied in said electric power supply step; and

an electric power selection step for partially stopping said electric power supply step according as the electric power measured in said electric power measurement step.