ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20160149428A1
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nunami, Tsukasa
• Application Number:
  US14/920,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20160149428A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• 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: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus removably connectable to an external apparatus includes a first battery and circuitry. The circuitry sets a charge mode of the first battery to a first or second mode, sets, when the external apparatus includes a second battery, a charge mode of the second battery to the first or second mode, and displays a combination of charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the first battery and charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the second battery, and usage information suitable for the combination.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus removably connectable to an external apparatus, comprising:

a first battery; and

circuitry configured to;

set a charge mode of the first battery to a first mode or a second mode, wherein a capacity at a charge completion time of the second mode is smaller than a capacity at a charge completion time of the first mode;

set, when the external apparatus comprises a second battery, a charge mode of the second battery to the first mode or the second mode; and

display

a combination of charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the first battery and charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the second battery, and

usage information for the electronic apparatus and the external apparatus suitable for the combination.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a detector configured to detect a connection state of the electronic apparatus and the external apparatus, wherein

the circuitry is configured to:

display the charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the first battery and the charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the second battery, when the detector detects that the electronic apparatus is connected to the external apparatus comprising the second battery; and

display the options of the first mode and the second mode for the first battery, when the detector detects that the electronic apparatus is not currently connected to the external apparatus.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configured to display, when the detector detects that the electronic apparatus was previously connected to the external apparatus and is not currently connected to the external apparatus, the options of the first mode and the second mode for the second battery in a different description from the options when the electronic apparatus is currently connected to the external apparatus.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a monitor configured to monitor charging or discharging state of the first battery to obtain a first monitoring result, wherein

the circuitry is configured to display a recommended charge mode for the first battery based on the first monitoring result.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the monitor is further configured to monitor, when the external apparatus comprises the second battery, charging or discharging state of the second battery to obtain a second monitoring result, and

the circuitry is further configured to display a recommended charge mode for the second battery based on the second monitoring result.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the external apparatus is configured to monitor the charging or discharging state of the second battery, set a first flag when the charging or discharging state of the second battery satisfy a first condition, and set a second flag when the charging or discharging state of the second battery satisfy a second condition, and

the circuitry is further configured to check the first flag and the second flag when the electronic apparatus is connected to the external apparatus.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the circuitry is further configured to check the first flag and the second flag when the electronic apparatus changes from a suspend state to a resume state.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the monitor is further configured to reset a monitoring result of the charging or discharging state, when the recommended charge mode is displayed, the electronic apparatus is initially activated by a user, or the electronic apparatus is initially connected to the external apparatus.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the electronic apparatus comprises a tablet computer and the external apparatus comprises a keyboard dock,

the tablet computer is configured to detect a continuation time of a substantially full charge state of the first battery and the number of times where the first battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to a substantially empty state, and

the circuitry is configured to:

display a message recommending the second mode, when the continuation time of the substantially full charge state of the first battery reaches a first time period; and

display a message recommending the first mode, when the number of times where the first battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to the substantially empty state reaches a first number of times within a third time period.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the external apparatus comprises a first keyboard dock comprising the second battery and a second keyboard dock comprising no battery,

the first keyboard dock is configured to detect a continuation time of a substantially full charge state of the second battery and the number of times where the second battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to the substantially empty state, and

the circuitry is configured to:

display a message recommending the second mode, when the continuation time of the substantially full charge state of the second battery reaches a second time period; and

display a message recommending the first mode, when the number of times where the second battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to the substantially empty state reaches a second number of times within a fourth time period.

11. A method for an electronic apparatus removably connectable to an external apparatus and comprising a first battery, the method comprising:

setting a charge mode of the first battery to a first mode or a second mode, wherein a capacity at a charge completion time of the second mode is smaller than a capacity at a charge completion time of the first mode;

setting, when the external apparatus comprises a second battery, a charge mode of the second battery to the first mode or the second mode; and

displaying

a combination of charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the first battery and charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the second battery, and

usage information for the electronic apparatus and the external apparatus suitable for the combination.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a connection state of the electronic apparatus and the external apparatus,

displaying the charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the first battery and the charge mode options of the first mode and the second mode for the second battery, when it is detected that the electronic apparatus is connected to the external apparatus comprising the second battery; and

displaying the options of the first mode and the second mode for the first battery, when it is detected that the electronic apparatus is not currently connected to the external apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying, when it is detected that the electronic apparatus was previously connected to the external apparatus and is not currently connected to the external apparatus, the options of the first mode and the second mode for the second battery in a different description from the options when the electronic apparatus is currently connected to the external apparatus.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring charging or discharging state of the first battery to obtain a first monitoring result;

displaying a recommended charge mode of the first battery base on the first monitoring result.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring, when the external apparatus comprises the second battery, charging or discharging state of the second battery to obtain a second monitoring result, and

displaying a recommended charge mode for the second battery based on the second monitoring result.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring, by the external apparatus, the charging and the discharging state of the second battery;

setting a first flag when the charging or discharging state of the second battery satisfies a first condition;

setting a second flag when the charging or discharging state of the second battery satisfy a second condition; and

checking the first flag and the second flag, when the electronic apparatus is connected to the external apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

checking the first flag and the second flag when the electronic apparatus changes from suspend state to resume state.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

resetting a monitoring result of the charging or discharging state, when the recommended charge mode is displayed, the electronic apparatus is initially activated by a user, or the electronic apparatus is initially connected to the external apparatus.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein

the electronic apparatus comprises a tablet computer and the external apparatus comprises a keyboard dock,

the tablet computer is configured to detect a continuation time of a substantially full charge state of the first battery and the number of times where the first battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to a substantially empty state, the method further comprising:

displaying a message recommending the second mode, when the continuation time of the substantially full charge state of the first battery reaches a first time period; and

displaying a message recommending the first mode, when the number of times where the first battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to the substantially empty state reaches a first number of times within a third time period.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

the external apparatus comprises a first keyboard dock comprising the second battery and a second keyboard dock comprising no battery,

the first keyboard dock is configured to detect a continuation time of a substantially full charge state of the second battery and the number of times where the second battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to the substantially empty state, the method further comprising:

displaying a message recommending the second mode, when the continuation time of the substantially full charge state of the second battery reaches a second time period; and

displaying a message recommending the first mode, when the number of times where the second battery discharges from the substantially full charge state to the substantially empty state reaches a second number of times within a fourth time period.