Battery powered radio devices having a battery saving function

• US 5,204,986 A
• Filed: 01/27/1992
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toahiba
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toahiba
• Inventors: Oonishi, Yasuo, Ito, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEGASH, KINFE MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/825,283
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/89, 455/127, 455/154, 455/230-231, 455/343, 340/825.17, 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 379/58-59, 379/61, 320/21, 320/48
• US Class Current: 455/343.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1066 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for, e.g. turn-off protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A radio apparatus having a battery saving function comprising an indicator for indicating that power is being supplied. An indicator is actuated in synchronization with the battery saving operation. In particular, a receiving circuit is intermittently triggered by the power supply and the indicator is intermittently triggered in synchronization with at least some of the power supply signals that trigger the receiving circuit. The period of actuation for the indicator may be less than the receiving circuit, which is intermittently actuated in accordance with a battery saving operation. Also, the indicator means may be actuated once for each n times that the receiving means is actuated.

Claims

1. A radio device comprising:

radio receiving means for receiving radio signals broadcast over one or more radio channels, said radio signals including at least one synchronizing signal;

power supply means for supplying said radio receiving means with electrical power;

indicator means coupled to said power supply means for indicating an operating state of the device;

low voltage detecting means for detecting a drop of voltage supplied from the power supply means, the operation of the power supply means being suspended when the low voltage detecting means detects the drop of voltage; and

power supply control means, coupled to said power supply means, said radio receiver means, said low voltage detecting means and said indicator means, said power supply means responsive to said radio receiving means for detecting said at least one synchronization signal, and generating power supply signals in synchronization with said at least one synchronization signal and for controlling said power supply means so that said radio receiving means is intermittently powered by said power supply signals and said power supply control means terminates power to said indicator means when said low voltage detecting means detects a drop of voltage.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said indicator means is triggered to turn on in synchronization with the on state of the power supply signals supplied to the receiving means.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said indicator means is triggered to turn off in synchronization with the off state of the power supply signals supplied to the receiving means.

4. The device of claim 2 further comprising time measuring means for measuring a time period from when said indicator means is triggered to turn on and wherein the power supplied to said indicator means is turned off when the measured time period exceeds a predetermined time period.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said predetermined period is shorter than the time period during which said receiving means is turned on.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said indicator means is triggered to turn on once for every n times that the receiving means is turned on.

7. A radio device comprising:

radio receiving means for receiving radio signals broadcast over one or more radio channels, said radio signals including at least one synchronizing signal;

power supply means for supplying said radio receiving means with electrical power;

indicator means coupled to said power supply means for indicating an operating state of the device;

low voltage detecting means for detecting a drop of voltage supplied from the power supply means, the operation of the power supply means being suspended when the low voltage detecting means detects the drop of voltage; and

power supply control means, coupled to said power supply means, said radio receiving means and said indicator means, responsive to said radio receiving means for detecting said at least one synchronization signal,

wherein said power supply control means controls said power supply such that said radio receiving means is intermittently supplied power in synchronization with said at least one synchronization signal and said power supply control means terminates power to said indicator means when said low voltage detecting means detects a drop of voltage.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said power supply control means controls said power supply means so that power supply of said indicator means is turned on when the power supply of the receiving means is turned on.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein said power supply control means controls said power supply means so that power supply of said indicator means is turned off when the power supply of the receiving means is turned off.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein said power supply control means controls said power supply means so that power supplied to said indicator means is turned off before the power supplied to the receiving means is turned off.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein said power supply control means controls said power supply means so that said indicator means is activated once for every n times that said receiving means is activated.

12. The device of claim 7 wherein said indicator means comprises a light emitting diode for emitting light in response to drive current from said power supply means.

13. A radio device comprising:

radio receiving means for receiving radio signals broadcast over one or more radio channels, said radio signals including at least one synchronizing signal;

indicator means coupled to said radio receiving means for indicating an operating state of the device;

power supply means for supplying said indicator means with electrical power;

low voltage detecting means for detecting a drop of voltage supplied from the power supply means, the operation of the power supply means being suspended when the low voltage detecting means detects the drop of voltage; and

power supply control means coupled to said radio receiving means and said power supply means and responsive to said radio receiving means for detecting said at least one synchronization signal, for controlling said power supply means to intermittently supply power to said radio receiving means, said power supply control means terminates power to said indicator means when said low voltage detecting means detects a drop of voltage whereby said indicator means is periodically activated in synchronization with said at least one synchronization signal and said receiving means intermittently receives said radio signals.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said indicator means comprises a light emitting diode driven by a drive current provided from said power supply means and said receiving means is activated by the drive current.

15. A radio device comprising:

radio receiving means for receiving radio signals broadcast over one or more radio channels, said radio signals including at least one synchronizing signal;

control means coupled to said radio receiving means for detecting a predetermined signal sequence including said at least one synchronization signal and generating a power supply signal in synchronization with said at least one synchronization signal;

power supply means responsive to the power supply signal for supplying power to said radio receiving means;

low voltage detecting means for detecting a drop of voltage supplied from the power supply means, the operation of the power supply means being suspended when the low voltage detecting means detects the drop of voltage; and

display means coupled to said power supply means for displaying an operating state of the device, said power supply control means terminating power to said display means when said low voltage detecting means detects a drop of voltage.

16. A radio device comprising:

radio receiving means for receiving radio signals broadcast over one or more radio channels, said radio signals including at least one synchronizing signal;

control means coupled to said radio receiving means for detecting a predetermined signal sequence including said at least one synchronization signal and generating a power supply signal in synchronization with said at least one synchronization signal;

power supply means responsive to the power supply signal for supplying power to said radio receiving means;

low voltage detecting means for detecting a drop of voltage supplied from the power supply means, the operation of the power supply means being suspended when the low voltage detecting means detects the drop of voltage; and

optical indicator means coupled to said power supply means for displaying an operating state of the device, said power supply control means terminating power to said optical indicator means when said low voltage detecting means detects a drop of voltage.