PC card integrated radio communication apparatus

• US 6,804,541 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Fumihiro, Matsuura, Iwao
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Application Number:
  US09/595,203
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90-- 9, 455/73, 455/574, 455/557, 455/573, 455/558, 455/572, 713/320-323, 713/302
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers

Abstract

PC card integrated radio communication apparatus is provided wherein the service hour is prolonged and battery charge is made possible in the operating state where current consumption of the radio communication section is small, by controlling power distribution to each section of the apparatus and to control battery charge for power supply from a PC card slot and power supply from a battery, depending on the power supply state of the personal computer and operating state of the apparatus. The circuit configuration includes switch circuits (C23, C24, C19, C18) so that power source for respective power circuits (C16, C22) of the radio communication section (C1) and the modem section (C2) can be selected from the PCMCIA I/F (b1) of a personal computer or a signal, or both of them simultaneously. This allows selection of the optimum power supply mode depending on the connection mode and operating state of the apparatus. The circuit configuration also includes a charger circuit (C110) thus allowing charge of the battery (C3) via power supply from the PCMCIA I/F (b1) in a state where operating current of the apparatus is small.

Claims

1. A PC card integrated radio communication apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a radio communication section;

a modem section integrated into the PC card;

insertion/non-insertion state detection means for detecting an inserted and a non-inserted state of said radio apparatus into a PC card slot;

power supply mode selection/power supply means for selecting the power supply mode of the power supply depending on said state detected by the insertion/non-insertion state detection means and also depending on an operating state of the radio communication section, wherein said power supply mode includes;

a mode to power one or both of said modem and said radio communication section from said battery and

a mode to power one or both of said modem and said radio communication section from said PC card slot; and

charge means for recharging said battery using power from said PC card slot, while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state.

2. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power from said battery to said modem section while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the non-inserted state.

3. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means both supplies power to said modem section and said radio communication section from said PC card slot and shuts off power from said battery while both said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and said radio communication section is in a non-communication state.

4. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus has means for detecting a battery insertion state, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power from said PC card slot while said means for detecting a battery insertion state detects that said battery is removed.

5. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both said power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power from said PC card slot and said charge means recharges said battery while both said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and said radio communication section is in the non-operating state or non-communication state.

6. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means selects power supply from said PC card slot and said battery to supply power to said radio communication section while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and said radio communication section is in a communication state.

7. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power to said modem section while both said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the insertion state and said radio communication section is in the speech communication state.

8. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power to said modem section and radio communication section from said battery and also shuts off power from said PC card slot while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and a personal computer connected via said PC card slot issues a control signal or command to said power supply mode selection/power supply means.

9. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power to both said modem section and radio communication section from said PC card slot and also shuts off power supply from said battery while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the inserted state and said radio communication section is in a continuous reception state.

10. A PC card integrated radio communication apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a radio communication section;

a modem section integrated into a PC card;

insertion/non-insertion state detection means for detecting an inserted and a non-inserted state of said radio apparatus into a PC card slot;

means for detecting a communication state;

means for detecting a battery insertion state;

charge means for recharging said battery using power from said PC card slot; and

power supply mode selection/power supply means for selecting a power supply mode of the power supply, said power supply mode including;

a mode to power the apparatus from both said battery and said PC card slot when all of said means for detecting a battery insertion state detects an inserted battery, said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects an inserted state, and said means for detecting a communication state detects a duplex communication state;

a mode to power the apparatus from said PC card slot alone and also to recharge the battery when all of said means for detecting a battery insertion state detects the inserted battery, said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state, and said means for detecting a communication state detects either a continuous reception state or a no communication state;

a mode to power the apparatus from said battery alone when said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects a non-inserted state;

a mode to power off said modem when either said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the non-inserted state or said means for detecting a communication state detects the no communication state when said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state;

a mode to power off the apparatus when said battery insertion state detects a non-inserted battery; and

a mode to charge the battery when both said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and said apparatus is turned off;

wherein said power supply mode can be overridden by a command or control signal from a personal computer connected via said PC card slot to said power supply mode selection/power supply means.

11. A PC card integrated radio communication apparatus comprising:

a battery;

a radio communication section;

a modem section integrated into the PC card;

insertion/non-insertion state detection means for detecting an inserted and a non-inserted state of said radio apparatus into a PC card slot;

power supply mode selection/power supply means for selecting the power supply mode of the power supply depending on said state detected by the insertion/non-insertion state detection means and also depending on whether the radio communication section in a communication or non-communication state, wherein said power supply mode includes;

a mode to power one or both of said modem and said radio communication section from said battery and

a mode to power one or both of said modem and said radio communication section from said PC card slot; and

charge means for recharging said battery using power from said PC card slot, while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state.

12. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power from said battery to said modem section while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the non-inserted state.

13. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means both supplies power to said modem section and said radio communication section from said PC card slot and shuts off power from said battery while both said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and said radio communication section is in a non-communication state.

14. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus has means for detecting a battery insertion state, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power from said PC card slot while said means for detecting a battery insertion state detects that said battery is removed.

15. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein both said power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power from said PC card slot and said charge means recharges said battery while both said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and said radio communication section is in the non-operating state or non-communication state.

16. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means selects power supply from said PC card slot and said battery to supply power to said radio communication section while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and said radio communication section is in a communication state.

17. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power to said modem section while both said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the insertion state and said radio communication section is in the speech communication state.

18. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power to said modem section and radio communication section from said battery and also shuts off power from said PC card slot while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means detects the inserted state and a personal computer connected via said PC card slot issues a control signal or command to said power supply mode selection/power supply means.

19. The PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power to both said modem section and radio communication section from said PC card slot and also shuts off power supply from said battery while said insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the inserted state and said radio communication section is in a continuous reception state.