Information processing apparatus and power saving apparatus

• US 6,442,443 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Asami, Takeshi, Fujii, Kazuo, Nakazawa, Yukifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Ping
• Application Number:
  US09/118,194
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/120, 381/121, 713/300, 713/324, 330/149, 330/51
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/341 Muting when no signals or only weak signals are present H03G3/344, H03G3/345 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

An improved information processing apparatus, which accomplishes power-saving of an audio amplifier depending on the activity of each peripheral device having an audio signal output. This information processing apparatus includes one or more peripheral devices, each having an audio signal output and a mute signal output, the mute signal output indicating a mute state in which the targeted peripheral device does not output an audio signal, an audio amplifier for receiving the audio signal from each of the one or more peripheral device, a speaker for generating an audible output in accordance with an output of said audio amplifier; and an AND gate for receiving the mute signal from each of the one or more peripheral devices to perform a logical AND operation of the mute signals, the AND gate outputting a control signal for disabling the audio amplifier when all of the mute signals indicate the mute state. Thus, it is determined whether or not each of the peripheral devices for outputting an audio signal stays at the mute state, and the audio amplifier is disabled only when all of these peripheral devices are at the mute state.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, including:

one or more peripheral devices, each having an audio signal output and a mute signal output, the mute signal output indicating a mute state in which each of the peripheral devices does not output an audio signal;

an audio amplifier for receiving the audio signal from each of the one or more peripheral devices;

a speaker for generating an audible output in accordance with an output of the audio amplifier; and

an AND gate for receiving the mute signal from each of the one or more peripheral devices to perform a logical AND operation of the mute signals, the AND gate outputting a control signal for disabling the audio amplifier when all of the mute signals indicate the mute state.

2. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a modem.

3. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a CD-ROM drive.

4. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the peripheral devices is an,audio controller.

5. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a beep generator.

6. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a ZV port compatible PCMCIA card slot.

7. A power saving apparatus for an audio amplifier adapted for use in an information processing apparatus of the type which has one or more peripheral devices each for outputting an audio signal for generation of an audible output by the audio amplifier and a speaker, comprising:

means for receiving a mute signal from each of the one or more peripheral devices, the mute signal indicating a mute state in which each of the peripheral devices does not output an audio signal; and

means for performing a logical AND operation of the received mute signals, and for outputting a control signal to disable the audio amplifier when only mute signals are received from the peripheral devices indicating that all peripheral devices are in the mute state.

8. The power saving apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a modem.

9. The power saving apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a CD-ROM drive.

10. The power saving apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein one of the peripheral devices is an audio controller.

11. The power saving apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a beep generator.

12. The power saving apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein one of the peripheral devices is a ZV port compatible PCMCIA card slot.