Electronic apparatus with replaceable power source

• US 4,823,323 A
• Filed: 06/25/1986
• Issued: 04/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Higuchi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hecker, Stuart N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Application Number:
  US06/889,493
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 365/228, 365/229, 365/189, 371/66
• US Class Current: 365/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0754 by exceeding limits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/141 Battery and back-up supplies
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/24 Memory cell safety or protection circuits, e.g. arrangements for preventing inadvertent reading or writing; Status cells; Test cells

Abstract

An electronic apparatus comprises a random access memory, a central processing unit which supplies a write/read signal to the random access memory to control the input/output of data of the random access memory, a replaceable power source for feeding the central processing unit, and a switch for isolating the random access memory from the write or read signal output from the central processing unit when the power source is replaced.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing data;

control means for controlling input and output of data in and from said memory means by supplying write and read signals to the memory means;

replaceable power supply means for supplying power to said control means and to said memory means; and

memory protect means for detecting the removal of said replaceable power supply means and, in response thereto, disabling the supply of the write and read signals output by said control means to said memory means during the replacement of said replaceable power supply means, said memory protect means including first switch means responsive to an operation necessary for removing the replaceable power supply means to disconnect the write and read signals from said memory means and second switch means for initializing and operating said control means to address the memory means from an initial address when reconnecting the write and read signals in response to a condition after replacement of said replaceable power supply means, thereby preventing data of said memory means from being destroyed after replacing said replaceable power supply means.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means is a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory means is a RAM (Random Access Memory).

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an auxiliary power supply means provided for supplying power to said memory means.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

voltage compare means for comparing the voltage applied from said replaceable power supply means with the voltage of said auxiliary power supply means; and

power select means for selecting between the replaceable power supply means and the auxiliary power supply means for supplying power to the memory means in response to the output from said voltage compare means of the control means.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power select means selects said replaceable power supply means when the voltage applied to the control means from the replaceable power supply means is larger than the voltage of the auxiliary power supply means determined by the voltage compare means.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power select means selects said auxiliary power supply means when the voltage applied to the control means from the replaceable power supply means is smaller than the voltage of the auxiliary power supply means determined by the voltage compare means.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for preventing an access signal from being transmitted from said control means to said memory means when the auxiliary power supply means is selected by the power select means.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory means consumes a normal current when said replaceable power supply means supplies the memory means, and if said first switch means disconnects the write and read signals, then the auxiliary power supply means supplies a standby current to the memory means, thereby protecting the memory content of the memory means.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second switch means includes voltage variation detector means for detecting variations in the power supplied to said control means after said first switch means responds to the replacement of the replaceable power supply means, and the second switch means designates an initial address of the control means by an ACL signal determined by the output from said voltage variation detector means.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second switch means initializes said control means by enabling a normal generation of an ACL signal in response to an operator after said condition after replacement of the replaceable power supply means.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing enclosing said apparatus;

a compartment receiving said replaceable power supply means and being provided with a removable cover;

said operation necessary to removing said replaceable power supply means being the removal of said cover;

said first switch means sensing the removal of said cover.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said first switch means is a first switch which is open only when said cover is removed.