Power saving of a portable computer using human sensing device

• US 6,418,536 B1
• Filed: 04/07/1999
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Woo-Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Application Number:
  US09/287,341
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300-340, 345/211-215
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A portable computer is provided with a sensing device which responds to absence of the computer user so that the computer system instantly goes into a power saving function that cuts off power directed to a back-light unit of the LCD display panel. The sensing device includes a sensor for sensing a computer user within the predetermined sensing range, this sensor being mounted in the housing of the flat panel display with facing the computer user, to produce a signal representative of absence of the user within the range; and a controller in response to the output signal of said sensor to produce a control signal which allows the supply power directed to the flat panel display to be interrupted. The sensing signal consists of ultrasonic wave or infrared rays. The user sensing device of the portable computer continuously monitors the computer user. If the user has left the computer, the computer system immediately goes into the power saving function that turns off the back-light unit of the LCD display panel.

Claims

1. A portable computer having a panel display, comprising:

a sensor for sensing a computer user within a predetermined sensing range, said sensor being mounted in the housing of the panel display facing the computer user when said panel display is opened, to produce a first signal representative of absence of the user within the sensing range; and

a controller in response to said first signal of said sensor to produce a control signal which allows the supply power directed to the panel display to be interrupted, wherein said controller determines whether a user monitoring function option associated with operation of said sensor is enabled, and inactivates said sensor when the user monitoring function option is not enabled.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the user monitoring function option is included in a basic input/output system (BIOS) which stores setup information.

3. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes:

a transmitter generating a sensing signal; and

a receiver receiving a reflected sensing signal and responsive thereto outputting a second signal representative of presence of a user and said first signal representative of an absence of a user.

4. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein said controller produces a system management interrupt signal that allows the computer system to enter a power saving mode designated by the BIOS.

5. The portable computer of claim 3, wherein the sensing signal consists of ultrasonic wave.

6. The portable computer of claim 3, wherein the sensing signal consists of infrared rays.

7. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein the controller responds to the second signal representing presence of the user, and determines whether a user password flag has been set in the system BIOS and if the password has been set a command is sent to the system BIOS, resulting in generation of a message requesting input of the user password.

8. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein upon detecting the presence of the user while the power supply to the panel display interrupted, said controller determines whether a user password flag has been set, and if set, said controller asks the user to input a password, and determines whether the password inputted is identical with a password stored in the system BIOS, and resumes delivering power to the panel display panel if the inputted password is identical to the password stored in the system BIOS.

9. A portable computer, comprising:

a housing encasing a microprocessor, a system bus, and a keyboard enabling manual communication with said microprocessor;

a visual display illustrating varying images under control of said microprocessor;

a bezel rotatably attached to said housing while supporting said visual display in a plurality of raised orientations relative to said housing;

a sensor installed in said bezel detecting presence of a user in the vicinity of said portable computer when said bezel is rotated to one of said plurality of raised orientations; and

a microcontroller connected to said system bus through a system BIOS, controlling the power management to a plurality of components within said portable computer, said microcontroller controlling whether power should be supplied to each of said plurality of components in dependence upon whether said sensor detects the presence of a user in the vicinity of said portable computer, wherein upon detecting the presence of the user while power is interrupted to the plurality of components, said microcontroller determines whether a user password flag has been set in the system BIOS, and asks the user to input a password when the user password flag has been set in the system BIOS, and determines whether the password inputted is identical with a password stored in the system BIOS, and resumes supplying power to said plurality of components if said inputted password is identical to said password stored in the system BIOS.

10. The portable computer of claim 9, wherein said sensor transmits and detects reflected ultrasound waves reflected off said user.

11. The portable computer of claim 9, wherein said sensor detects infrared radiation emanating from a user in the vicinity of said portable computer.

12. The portable computer of claim 9, wherein one of said plurality of components includes an LCD display panel. having a back-light unit.

13. The portable computer of claim 9, wherein one of said plurality of components includes a DVD player.

14. The portable computer of claim 9, wherein said bezel contains a bottom portion attached to said housing and a top portion distal from said housing, said sensor located in said top distal portion of said bezel.

15. The portable computer of claim 9, wherein if the password flag has been set, a command is sent to the BIOS, resulting in generation of a message requesting user input of a password before power can be restored to said plurality of components.

16. A process for interrupting a power supply to a portable computer to conserve power, comprising the steps of:

applying power to said portable computer;

opening the lid of said portable computer;

orienting the lid of said portable computer so that a sensor embedded in said portable computer can detect the presence or absence of a user in the vicinity of said portable computer;

determining whether a user monitoring function option associated with operation of said sensor is enabled;

inactivating said sensor when the user monitoring function option is not enabled; and

interrupting power to said portable computer when the user monitoring function option is enabled and no user is in the vicinity of said portable computer.

17. The process of interrupting a power supply to a portable computer of claim 16, further comprising the step of transmitting ultrasound waves from said sensor and detected reflected ultrasound waves reflected off a user in the vicinity of said portable computer.

18. The process of interrupting a power supply to a portable computer of claim 16, further comprising.the step of detecting, by said sensor, the presence of infrared radiation in the vicinitity of said portable computer in order to determine whether a user is in the vicinity of said portable computer.

19. The process of interrupting a power supply to a portable computer of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a user password flag has been set in the portable computer when said sensor resumes detecting a presence of a user in the vicinity of said portable computer;

requesting the input of the user password if the password flag has been set; and

resuming power to said portable computer if the correct password was inputted.