Peripheral device for reducing power supplied from a host device and control method thereof

• US 6,230,277 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• 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: Otani, Yoshihiro, Nakaoka, Hiroyuki, Uno, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US09/539,713
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300-340
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3271 Power saving in keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A peripheral device operating with power supplied from a host device includes a receive unit receiving an external signal and a controller. The controller causes at least one of the functions of the peripheral device to operate intermittently when the host device is in a sleep mode. Further, upon reception of the external signal via the receive unit, the controller forces the host device to shift to an active mode based on the signal received. As at least one of the functions of the peripheral device is forced to operate intermittently when the host device is in the sleep mode, the consumption of the power supplied from the host device is reduced.

Claims

1. A peripheral device, operating with power supplied from a host device comprising:

a receive unit receiving an external signal; and

a controller causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently when said host device is in a sleep mode, and, upon reception of the external signal via said receive unit, forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on the signal received, wherein

said controller includes

a microcomputer and

a hardware logic controlling said receive unit, and

wherein said microcomputer causes at least one of said receive unit and said hardware logic to operate intermittently.

2. A peripheral device, operating with power supplied from a host device comprising:

a receive unit receiving an external signal;

a controller causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently when said host device is in a sleep mode, and, upon reception of the external signal via said receive unit, forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on the signal received;

a transmit unit externally transmitting a signal, wherein

said transmit unit and said receive unit constitute a transceiver; and

a USB interface, wherein said controller includes,

a microcomputer generally controlling said peripheral device,

a hardware logic controlling said transceiver,

a USB transceiver communicating with said USB interface, and

a USB peripheral controlling said USB transceiver.

3. A peripheral device operating with power supplied from a host device, comprising:

a receive unit receiving an external signal;

a controller causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently when said host device is in a sleep mode, and, upon reception of the external signal via said receive unit, forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on the signal received; and

a timer, wherein

said controller causes at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently based upon an output signal of said timer.

4. The peripheral device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a transmit unit externally transmitting a signal, wherein said transmit unit and said receive unit constitute a transceiver; and

a USB interface, wherein

said controller includes,

a microcomputer generally controlling said peripheral device,

a hardware logic controlling said transceiver,

a USB transceiver communicating with said USB interface, and

a USB controlling said USB transceiver.

5. The peripheral device of claim 3, wherein the receive unit and controller operate intermittently at a prescribed frequency.

6. A peripheral device operating with power supplied from a host device comprising:

a receive unit receiving an external signal;

a controller causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently when said host device is in a sleep mode, and, upon reception of the external signal via said receive unit, forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on the signal received; and

a transmit unit externally transmitting a signal, wherein

said controller causes said transmit unit and a transmittable function of said controller to maintain a sleep mode when said host device is in a sleep mode.

7. The peripheral device according to claim 6, further comprising a USB interface, wherein said transmit unit and said receive unit constitute a transceiver, and

wherein

said controller includes,

a microcomputer generally controlling said peripheral device,

a hardware logic controlling said transceiver,

a USB transceiver communicating with said USB interface, and

a USB peripheral controlling said USB transceiver.

8. The peripheral device according to claim 6, wherein said controller causes at least one function of said peripheral device to be held in a sleep mode to attain an active mode after forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on said signal received.

9. A control method of a peripheral device operating with power supplied from a host device, comprising the steps of:

causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently when said host device is in a sleep mode;

receiving an external signal; and

forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on said external signal received, wherein

said peripheral device at least includes,

a receive unit receiving an external signal and

a hardware logic controlling said receive unit, and

wherein said step of causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently includes the step of causing at least one of said receive unit and said hardware logic to operate intermittently.

10. A control method of a peripheral device operating with power supplied from a host device, comprising the steps of:

causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently when said host device is in a sleep mode;

receiving an external signal; and

forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on said external signal received, wherein

said peripheral device at least includes,

a receive unit receiving an external signal and

a controller generally controlling said peripheral device, and

wherein said step of causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently includes the step of causing at least one of said receive unit and said controller to operate intermittently.

11. A control method of a peripheral device operating with power supplied from a host device, comprising the steps of:

causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently when said host device is in a sleep mode;

receiving an external signal; and

forcing said host device to shift to an active mode based on said external signal received, wherein

said peripheral device at least includes,

a transmit unit externally transmitting a signal and

a hardware logic controlling said transmit unit, and

wherein said step of causing at least one function of said peripheral device to operate intermittently includes the step of causing said transmit unit and said hardware logic to maintain sleep mode when said host device is in a sleep mode.