Electronic Apparatus, Control Method of Electronic Apparatus and Power Saving Control Device

• US 20100191350A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hisense Visual Technology Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohno, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, an operation control module 107p controls an operation status of an electronic apparatus in response to an operation signal from an operation module. A power saving status setting module 107a sets the electronic apparatus into the power saving status when a sensing module 108 does not acquire a preset detection output (user detection). A first power saving status releasing module 107b releases the power saving status of electronic apparatus when the sensing module has acquired the preset detection output (user detection). A second power saving status releasing module 107c releases the power saving status when the operation signal is input from the operation module in the power saving status.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an operation status control module configured to control an operation status of the electronic apparatus in response to an operation signal from an operation module;

a sensing module configured to detect a specified object in a neighborhood; and

a control module configured to selectively set the electronic apparatus into one of a power saving status and a power saving-released status according to whether the sensing module detects the object or does not detect the object, and release the power saving status when an operation signal is input even in the object being not detected and in the power saving status.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module includes

a power saving status setting module configured to set the electronic apparatus into the power saving status when the sensing module does not detect the object,

a first power saving status-releasing module configured to release the power saving status of the electronic apparatus when the sensing module detects the object, and

a second power saving status-releasing module configured to release the power saving status even when the sensing module does not detect the object.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus is an image display apparatus whose image output of a display module is stopped in the power saving status.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus is an image display apparatus whose image output of a display module is stopped and audio output of an audio output module is continued in the power saving status.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus is one of audio equipment, air conditioner and room lighting apparatus.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operation module is one of a remote control and fixed operation module.

7. A control method of an electronic apparatus that includes an operation status control module configured to control an operation status of the electronic apparatus in response to an operation signal from an operation module and a sensing module configured to detect a specified object in a neighborhood, comprising:

selectively setting the electronic apparatus into one of a power saving status and a power saving status-released status according to whether the sensing module detects the object or does not detect the object; and

releasing the power saving status when an operation signal is input even in the object being not detected and in the power saving status.

8. A control program installed in a power saving control device contained in an electronic apparatus, the apparatus including a sensing module configured to detect a specified object in a detection area, the program comprising:

switching the electronic apparatus to a power saving status when the sensing module detects the object;

releasing the power saving status of the electronic apparatus when the sensing module does not detect the object; and

releasing the power saving status when an operation signal is input even in the object being not detected and in the power saving status.