Power supply apparatus and power supply controlling method for use with electronic device

• US 6,294,895 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kukai, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/636,721
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/116, 320/132, 320/149, 324/426, 324/433
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

A power supply apparatus for supplying power from a battery to a plurality of functional blocks of an electronic device includes a battery capacity assigning means for assigning battery capacities to the plurality of functional blocks, and a battery capacity managing means for managing the battery capacities of the plurality of functional blocks that operate corresponding to the battery capacities assigned to the plurality of functional blocks.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus for supplying power from a battery to a plurality of functional blocks of an electronic device, comprising:

battery capacity assigning means for assigning respective battery capacities to the plurality of functional blocks; and

battery capacity managing means for managing the battery capacities of the plurality of functional blocks corresponding to the battery capacities assigned to the plurality of functional blocks.

2. The power supply apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said battery capacity managing means includes means for supervising remaining battery capacities assigned to the plurality of functional blocks and for issuing an alarm when remaining battery capacities assigned to the plurality of functional blocks are equal to or smaller than respectively designated values.

3. The power supply apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

means for stopping supplying the power to a predetermined one of the plurality of functional blocks when a remaining battery capacity assigned to the predetermined functional block is equal to or smaller than a designated value.

4. A power supply controlling method for supplying power from a battery to a plurality of functional blocks of an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

assigning battery capacities to the plurality of functional blocks; and

managing the battery capacities of the plurality of functional blocks corresponding to the battery capacities assigned to the plurality of functional blocks.

5. The power supply controlling method as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said step of managing is performed by supervising remaining battery capacities assigned to the plurality of functional blocks and issuing an alarm when the remaining battery capacities assigned to the plurality of functional blocks are equal to or smaller than respectively designated values.

6. The power supply controlling method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising the step of:

stopping supplying the power to a predetermined one of the plurality of functional blocks when a remaining battery capacity assigned to the predetermined functional block becomes equal to or smaller than a designated value.