METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING STANDBY POWER FOR VISUAL DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20110163602A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-hyung, Joo, Sung-yong, Chang, Gil-yong
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• 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 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and method thereof for providing standby power to a visual display, the apparatus including: a light collection unit which is operable to receive light and output a charging current; a battery which is operable to receive the charging current and providing the standby power to the visual display; and a controller which determines whether the battery has a voltage below a predetermined value, wherein if the voltage is below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to receive the charging current from the light collection unit, and wherein if the voltage is not below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to provide the standby power to the visual display.

Claims

1. A method for providing standby power to a visual display, the method comprising:

determining whether a battery has a voltage below a predetermined value;

if the voltage is below the predetermined value, charging the battery with a charging current from a light collection unit; and

if the voltage is not below the predetermined value, providing the standby power to the visual display with the battery.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light collection unit includes a first light collector circuit and a second light collector circuit.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the charging current includes one of a first current from the first light collector circuit and a second current from the second light collector circuit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first light collector circuit is external to the visual display and the second light collector circuit is internal to the visual display,

wherein the first light collector circuit is operable to collect first light, which is external to the visual display, and output the first current, and

wherein the second light collector circuit is operable to collect second light, which is internal to the visual display, and output the second current.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the battery is operable to selectively receiving one of the charging current and a third current from an alternating current (AC) power source.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

if both the first current and the second current are below a threshold value, and the voltage is below the predetermined value, charging the battery with the third current from the AC power source.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

if both the first current and the second current are below a threshold value, and the voltage is below the predetermined value, charging the battery with a third current from an alternating current (AC) power source.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

if both the first current and the second current are below a threshold value, and the voltage is below the predetermined value, providing the standby power to the visual display with an alternating current (AC) power source.

9. An apparatus for providing standby power to a visual display, the apparatus comprising:

a light collection unit which is operable to receive light and output a charging current;

a battery which is operable to receive the charging current and providing the standby power to the visual display; and

a controller which determines whether the battery has a voltage below a predetermined value, wherein if the voltage is below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to receive the charging current from the light collection unit, and wherein if the voltage is not below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to provide the standby power to the visual display.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the light collection unit includes a first light collector circuit and a second light collector circuit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the charging current includes one of a first current from the first light collector circuit and a second current from the second light collector circuit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first light collector circuit is external to the visual display and the second light collector circuit is internal to the visual display,

wherein the first light collector circuit is operable to collect first light, which is external to the visual display, and output the first current, and

wherein the second light collector circuit is operable to collect second light, which is internal to the visual display, and output the second current.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the battery is operable to selectively receiving one of the charging current and a third current from an alternating current (AC) power source.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein if both the first current and the second current are below a threshold value, and the voltage is below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to receive the third current from the AC power source.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, the apparatus further comprising an alternating current (AC) power source which outputs a third current, wherein if both the first current and the second current are below a threshold value, and the voltage is below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to receive the third current from the AC power source.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, the apparatus further comprising an alternating current (AC) power source, wherein if both the first current and the second current are below a threshold value, and the voltage is below the predetermined value, the controller controls the AC power source to provide the standby power to the visual display.

17. A visual display device comprising:

a light collection unit which is operable to receive light and output a first charging current;

an alternating current (AC) power source which is operable to output a second charging current;

a battery which is operable to selectively receive one of the first charging current and the second charging current, and is operable to provide a standby power to the visual display device; and

a controller which determines whether the battery has a voltage below a predetermined value, wherein if the voltage is below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to selectively receive the one of the first charging current and the second charging current.

18. The visual display device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a keypad which is operable to receive a keypad input command; and

a remote control receiving unit which is operable to receive a remote control input command,

wherein the providing of the standby power to the visual display device includes providing an operating power to at least one of the keypad and the remote control receiving unit.

19. The visual display device according to claim 17, wherein the controller further determines whether the light is received by the light collection unit, and if the voltage is below the predetermined value and the light is not received by the light collection unit, the controller controls the AC power source to provide the standby power to the visual display device.

20. The visual display device according to claim 17, wherein the controller further determines whether the light is received by the light collection unit, and if the voltage is below the predetermined value and the light is not received by the light collection unit, the controller controls the battery to selectively receive the second charging current from the AC power source.

21. The visual display device according to claim 17, wherein if the voltage is not below the predetermined value, the controller controls the battery to provide the standby power to the visual display.

22. A method for charging a battery within a visual display having a light collection unit, the method comprising:

determining whether the battery has a voltage below a predetermined value;

determining whether a light source is available to the light collection unit; and

if the voltage is below the predetermined value and the light source is available to the light collection unit, charging the battery with the light collection unit.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the light collection unit includes an internal light collector and an external light collector, and the light source includes an internal light source and an external light source.

24. The method according to claim 23, the method further comprising:

determining whether the visual display is in a standby mode,

wherein if the visual display is in the standby mode, the determining whether the light source is available to the light collection unit includes determining whether the external light source is available to the external light collection unit, and

wherein if the visual display is not in the standby mode, the determining whether the light source is available to the light collection unit includes determining whether the internal light source is available to the internal light collection unit.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein if the visual display is in the standby mode and the external light source is not available to the external light collection unit, the method further comprises charging the battery with an alternating current (AC) power source.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein if the visual display is not in the standby mode and the internal light source is not available to the internal light collection unit, the method further comprises charging the battery with an alternating current (AC) power source.