Power source control system for electronic device and expansion unit connected thereto

• US 5,475,271 A
• Filed: 03/29/1995
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Yasuhiro, Shibasaki, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/412,860
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31, 307/85, 307/86, 307/64, 307/66, 307/23, 307/26, 307/150, 361/729, 361/730, 361/731, 361/733, 364/707, 340/825.07, 340/825.08, 340/825.52, 340/825.34, 340/693, 340/505, 439/488, 439/489, 395/800, 395/750, 395/325, 395/275, 365/226, 365/227
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations

Abstract

A power source device of an expansion unit determines whether an electric device is connected to the expansion unit, and supplies an operating power source voltage CC to the electric device only when the electric device is connected to the expansion unit. Further, the power source device outputs a preset command to the electric device, and supplies a charging power source voltage B-CC to the electric device in accordance with device kind indicating information output from the electric device in response to the preset command. Also, when the power supply device of the expansion unit is in an abnormal state, the power supply device of the expansion unit detects the abnormal state, and outputs the electric device to a state signal representing the abnormal state and execute power source interruption processing of the power source device. In the electric device, power source interruption processing of a power source device of the electric device is performed in response to the state signal.

Claims

1. An expansion unit having a power supply means and a connector to connect the expansion unit with a computer, comprising:

a switch;

means for detecting whether the expansion unit is connected with the computer in response to an ON operation of said switch; and

power supply control means for enabling the power supply means to supply electric power to the computer only when said detecting means detects that the expansion unit is connected to the computer.

2. An expansion unit according to claim 1, wherein the computer has one or more batteries and the power supply means supplies an operating power to the computer and a charging power to said one or more batteries.

3. An expansion unit according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means creates and outputs a connection indicating signal to said power supply control means when detecting that the expansion unit and the computer are connected to each other;

and

said power supply control means enables the power supply means in response to a signal supplied from said detecting means.

4. A power supply control method for an expansion unit having a switch, a power supply means, and a connector to connect the expansion unit with a computer, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting whether the expansion unit is connected with the computer in response to an ON operation of the switch; and

(b) supplying electric power generated from the power supply means to the computer when it is detected that the expansion unit and the computer are connected to each other.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said detecting step includes creating a signal corresponding to the detected connection between the expansion unit and the computer;

and said supplying step includes controlling the supply of an operating power created by the power supply means to the computer according to the signal created in said detecting step.

6. An expansion unit removably connected to a portable computer, comprising:

a power supply for supplying power to the portable computer;

a detector for detecting whether the portable computer is connected to the expansion unit; and

a controller for preventing the power supply from supplying power to the portable computer when the detector detects that the portable computer is not connected to the expansion unit.

7. An expansion unit removably connected to a portable computer, comprising:

a power switch;

a power supply for supplying a first power and a second power, the first power being supplied in response to the power switch;

a detector, supplied with the first power, for detecting whether the portable computer is connected to the expansion unit; and

a controller for permitting the power supply to supply the second power to the portable computer when the detector detects that the portable computer is connected to the expansion unit.

8. A power supply control method for an expansion unit removably connected to a portable computer, the expansion unit including a power switch, a power supply supplying a first power and a second power, and a detector for detecting whether the portable computer is connected to the expansion unit, comprising the steps of:

activating the power switch;

supplying, in response to the activating step, the first power to the detector;

detecting whether the portable computer is connected to the expansion unit; and

permitting, in response to the detecting step, the power supply to supply the second power to the portable computer.

9. A power supply control method for an expansion unit removably connected to a portable computer, the expansion unit including a power supply supplying a first power and a second power and a detector detecting whether the portable computer is connected to the expansion unit, comprising the steps of:

supplying the first power to the detector;

detecting whether the portable computer is connected to the expansion unit; and

preventing the power supply from supplying the second power to the portable computer when the detecting step detects that the portable computer is not connected to the expansion unit.