Computer diagnostic having an LED to provide direct visual feedback as to the status of the standby power supply when power button is actuated

• US 6,625,742 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2000
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Le-Rouzo, Christophe, Owhadi, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trujillo, James K.
• Application Number:
  US09/537,907
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/323, 713/324, 713/340, 713/310, 713/320, 116/279
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/326 for error or online/offline status

Abstract

An electronic apparatus is described with a power provisioning system for powering the apparatus from an external power source, a power button connected to the power management control circuit for enabling a user to initiate transitions of the power provisioning system between at the first and second states, and an LED for providing a visual feedback to the user of the powered state of the computer; in which the LED is wired in series with a transistor to the standby supply output, the conducting state of the transistor being controlled directly by the power button so that the LED provides a direct visual feedback as to the state of the standby power supply output when the power button is actuated.

Claims

1. A personal computer comprising:

a power provisioning system for powering an apparatus from an external power source, the power provisioning system comprising;

a main power supply output for, in a first state of the power provisioning system, energising the main operative functionality of the apparatus when said power provisioning system is connected to said external power source, and

a standby power supply output for, in a second state of the power provisioning system, energising a subset of the components of the apparatus when said main power supply output is energised;

a power management control circuit for controlling at least the transition of the power provisioning system between the first and second states;

a power button connected to the power management control circuit for enabling a user to initiate transitions of the power provisioning system between the first and second states;

an LED for providing a visual feedback to the user of the powered state of the computer;

wherein the LED is wired in series with a transistor to the standby supply output, the conducting state of the transistor being controlled directly by the power button so that the LED provides a direct visual feedback as to the state of the standby power supply output when the power button is actuated.

2. A computer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the LED is connected to a output of the power management circuit to provide a visual feed back of other states of the computer when the power button is not actuated.