Portable computer having power supply system performed by detachment of battery pack

• US 6,376,931 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Do-Seong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ballato, Josie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/450,702
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 307/125, 307/64, 307/66, 307/150, 713/320, 713/340, 713/323, 713/324, 361/683, 710/101, 710/102, 710/62, 710/103
• US Class Current: 307/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable computer having a power supply in the form of a battery pack, the battery pack being both electrically and physically separable from the portable computer. The portable computer has a power management system capable of decreasing power consumption by differentially supplying power according to power management mode, including a base having internally a storage member and provided with at least one opening at one side of the base, a battery pack coupled to the base to supply a power and having at least one lug inserted into the at least one opening, at least one lever coupled to the base and combined or separated with the at least one lug, a switch provided in the base, wherein the switch generates a signal of operating the power management system when the at least one lever is separated from the at least one lug.

Claims

1. A portable computer, comprising:

a base having internally a storage means and a first opening;

a battery pack coupled to said base to supply power and having a first lug inserted into said first opening;

a first lever coupled to said base and latching said first lug; and

a switch provided in said base, wherein the switch generates a signal to operate a power management system capable of adjusting power consumption of said portable computer by switching to a suspend mode when said first lever is separated from said first lug to allow for storing system data into a non-volatile memory prior to switching to a system off mode where total interruption of all power supplied to said portable computer caused by a removal of said battery pack from said computer.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, said base further comprising a second opening, said battery pack further comprising a second lug insertable into said second opening, and a second lever coupled to said base and latching said second lug, wherein said battery pack decouples from said base when both said first lever and said second lever simultaneously become separated from said first and said second lug respectively.

3. The portable computer of claim 2, further comprising a switching mode power supply that works in conjunction with said power management system to provide power to store said system data into said non-volatile memory before power is interrupted to said portable computer.

4. The portable computer of claim 1, said non-volatile memory being a hard disk.

5. The portable computer of claim 4, further comprising a random access memory to store said system data temporarily prior to said storage of said system data in said non-volatile memory on said hard disk.

6. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein said system data is stored into a volatile memory prior to storage of said system data into a non-volatile memory upon removal of said battery pack from said portable computer.

7. A portable computer, comprising:

a base provided with a first opening and a second opening and having internally non-volatile memory;

a battery pack coupled to the base and being the sole supply of power to said portable computer, said battery pack having a first lug inserted into the first opening and a second lug inserted into the second opening;

a first lever capable of being coupled to or separated from said first lug inserted into said first opening;

a second lever coupled to said base and latching said second lug inserted into said second opening; and

a first electronic switch provided in said base, said first electronic switch capable of enabling a power management system and a switching mode power supply stored within said base of said portable computer to store system data onto said non-volatile memory upon disassembly of said battery pack from said base of said portable computer.

8. The portable computer of claim 7, said base comprising an upper housing, a lower housing, and a printed circuit board disposed between said upper housing and said lower housing, said printed circuit board having an electrical connector that electrically connects said base to said battery pack.

9. The portable computer of claim 8, said battery pack further comprising an electrical connector that mates with said electrical connector of said printed circuit board to electrically connect said battery pack to said base of said portable computer.

10. The portable computer of claim 9, the first opening and the second opening are provided with the lower housing, whereby the first lever and the second lever are coupled to the lower housing.

11. The portable computer of claim 10, the first electronic switch is provided in the printed circuit board.

12. The portable computer of claim 11, said first switch enabling said power management system and said switching mode power supply when said first lever becomes separated from said first lug.

13. The portable computer of claim 12, said battery pack becoming decoupled from said base when both said first lever becomes separated from said first lug simultaneous to said second lever becoming separated from said second lug.

14. The portable computer of claim 11, said first switch enabling said power management system and said switching mode power supply when said second lever becomes separated from said second lug.

15. The portable computer of claim 11, further comprising a second switch located in operational relationship to said second lever while said first switch is in operational relationship to said first lever, said first switch and said second switch enabling said power management system and said switching mode power supply when both said first lever becomes separated from said first lug simultaneous to said second lever becoming separated from said second lug, activating simultaneously said first switch and said second switch.

16. A method for separating a battery pack from a base of a portable computer, comprising the steps of:

sliding simultaneously a pair of levers apart from each other, said pair of levers located on said base of said portable computer;

activating a switch physically connected to one of said pair of levers to send out an electrical signal activating a power management system and a switching mode power supply located in said base of said portable computer;

storing system data into a non-volatile memory;

interrupting a power supply to said portable computer; and

detaching said battery pack from said base of said portable computer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of storing said system data into a random access memory prior to storing said system data into said non-volatile memory.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said non-volatile memory is a hard disk.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of detaching said battery pack from said base of said portable computer further comprises the step of electronically detaching said battery pack from said base of said portable computer by separating a pair of electrical connectors.

20. A portable computer, comprising:

a base comprising a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory;

a battery pack attached to said base and providing an only source of power for said portable computer, said battery pack being mechanically and electrically attachable and detachable from said base of said portable computer;

an electronic switch that is activated during detachment of said battery pack from said base of said portable computer; and

a power management system adjusting an amount of power delivered to said portable computer, said power management system being activated by said electronic switch, wherein upon electrical and mechanical detachment of said battery pack from said computer system, said power management system insures that system data for said portable computer is stored in said non-volatile memory prior to total interruption of power.

21. The portable computer of claim 20, said base further comprising a pair of openings and said battery pack further comprising a pair of lugs, each of which are insertable and removable from respective ones of said pair of openings via user manipulation of a pair of levers to allow for detachment or attachment of said battery pack from said base.

22. The portable computer of claim 21, further comprising a second electronic switch that is activated during detachment of said battery pack from said base of said portable computer, each lever actuating respective ones of said electronic switches resulting in said power management switch adjusting the amount of power delivered to said portable computer upon actuation of both electronic switches.

23. The portable computer of claim 21, further comprising a second electronic switch that is activated during detachment of said battery pack from said base of said portable computer, each lever actuating respective ones of said electronic switches resulting in said power management switch adjusting the amount of power delivered to said portable computer upon actuation either electronic switch.

24. The portable computer of claim 20, wherein said base further comprises a hole and said battery pack further comprises a lug insertable and removable from said hole in said base via user manipulation of a lever, wherein operation of said lever actuates said electronic switch.

25. The portable computer of claim 20, said portable computer further comprising a switching mode power supply that works in conjunction with said power management system to control the amount of power delivered to said portable computer during detachment of said battery pack from said base.

26. The portable computer of claim 25, said system data is first stored in said volatile memory prior to storing in said non-volatile memory upon said interruption of power.