Method and device for power consumption management of an integrated display unit

• US 6,473,078 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1999
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Display Products Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Engberg, Anders, Rantanen, Turo, Ikonen, Raimo, Pistemaa, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/320,618
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 345/10, 345/211-213, 345/156, 345/520, 315/209.R, 315/225, 348/377, 348/378, 348/730, 713/300, 713/310, 713/320-324, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 345/211
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/045 using multiple communication channels, e.g. parallel and serial
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

A method and a device for power management regarding an integrated display unit including a video display and at least one peripheral device, wherein the video display uses horizontal and vertical sync signals for the synchronization of the display images, and the peripheral device uses a peripheral signal to carry out its function. The peripheral device can be an audio unit using audio signals to produce sound. The peripheral device can be a USB connector using a +5 V voltage to indicate a connection being made to the integrated display unit. In the integrated display unit, a single power supply is used to provide electrical power to the video display and the peripheral device. In order to reduce the power consumption by the integrated display unit, a number of power consumption states, based on the presence of the video sync signals and the peripheral signals, are implemented. The presence of the video sync signals can be detected by a micro-controller in the integrated display unit. Alternatively, the presence of the video sync signals or data indicating power save states is signaled to the integrated display unit via USB BUS or other digital communication mean. Likewise, audio signals can be sent as digital data via USB BUS to the integrated display unit.

Claims

1. In an integrated display unit having a video display for displaying images, at least one peripheral device having a first signal associated therewith, and a power supply to supply electrical power to both the video display and said at least one peripheral device, wherein the video display uses a horizontal sync signal and a vertical sync signal for the synchronization of the displayed images, a method for reducing the power consumption of the integrated display unit by implementing a plurality of power consumption states, each state having a different level of power consumption, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing the status of the horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal and the first signal; and

determining the power consumption state to be implemented based on the status of the horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal and the first signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the power consumption states includes a first state, a second state, a third state, a fourth state and a fifth state in the order of the power consumption level wherein the fifth state has the lowest level of power consumption, and wherein

the first state is implemented when both the horizontal sync signal and the vertical sync signal are present;

the second state is implemented when the vertical sync signal is present and the horizontal sync signal is not present;

the third state is implemented when the horizontal sync signal is present and the vertical sync signal is not present;

the fourth state is implemented when the first signal is present but both the horizontal sync signal and the vertical sync signal are not present; and

the fifth state is implemented when none of the horizontal sync signal, and vertical sync signal and the first signal are present.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one peripheral device comprises an audio device and said first signal comprises audio signals.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said audio signals are provided to the integrated display unit via a USB connection means.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one peripheral device comprises a USB connection means and said first signal comprises a voltage level associated with the USB connection means.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one peripheral device comprises a USB connection means, and the power consumption state to be implemented is signaled via said USB connection means to the integrated display unit.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the power consumption states are associated with at least two output modes of the power supply, said output modes including a high output mode and a suspend output mode and wherein the power supply is caused to enter the high output mode when the vertical sync signal is present;

and the power supply is caused to enter the suspend output mode when the vertical sync signal is not present but either or both of the horizontal sync signal and the first signal are present.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence of vertical sync signal and/or horizontal sync signal is signaled to the integrated display unit via a USB connection means.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the status of the first signal is variable during a period when a key is not used to affect the first signal.

10. In an integrated display unit having a video display for displaying images, at least one peripheral device, and a power supply to supply electrical power to both the video display and said at least one peripheral device, wherein the video display uses a horizontal sync signal and a vertical sync signal for the synchronization of the displayed images and wherein said at least one peripheral device uses a first signal to carry out a function associated with said peripheral device, a method for reducing the power consumption of the integrated display unit by causing the power supply to enter different output modes comprising the steps of:

sensing the status of the horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal and the first signal;

causing the power supply to enter different output modes based on the status of the horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal and the first signal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said at least one peripheral device comprises a USB connection means, and the presence of the horizontal sync signal and the vertical sync signal is signaled to the integrated display unit via said USB connection means.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the power supply is caused to enter a high output mode when the vertical sync signal is present and the power supply is caused to enter a suspend output mode when the vertical sync signal is are not present but either or both of the horizontal sync signal and the first signal are present.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the status of the first signal is variable during a period when a key is not used to affect the first signal.

14. In an integrated display unit having a video display for displaying images, at least one peripheral device, and a power supply to supply electrical power to both the video display and said at least one peripheral device, wherein the display uses a horizontal sync signal and a vertical sync signal for the synchronization of the displayed images and wherein said at least one peripheral device has a first signal associated with said peripheral device, wherein the power supply is caused to enter different output modes for reducing power consumption of the integrated display unit, a device for effecting the reduction of the power consumption comprising:

means for sensing the status of the horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal and the first signal; and

an electronic circuit to determine the output modes based on the status of the horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal and the first signal.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the power supply is caused to enter a high output mode when the vertical sync signal is present and the power supply is caused to enter a suspend output mode when the vertical sync signal is not present but either or both of the horizontal sync signal and the first signal are present.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein said sensing means comprises a micro-controller.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein said at least one peripheral device comprises an audio device and said first signal comprises audio signals, and said sensing means comprises an audio signal detector.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein said at least one peripheral device comprises a USB connection means and said first signal comprises a voltage level associated with the USB connection means, and said sensing means comprises a USB detector.

19. The device of claim 14 wherein said at least one peripheral device comprises a USB connection means and the output modes are effected by a signal provided via said USB connection means to the integrated display unit.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the status of the first signal is variable during a period when a key is not used to affect the first signal.