Information processing system in which power supply information of a recording/reproducing unit controls operations of a host computer

• US 6,928,567 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakai, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/844,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/340, 369/30.36, 369/53.1, 369/53.12, 369/53.16, 369/53.18, 360/79, 702/63, 386/21, 714/14, 714/47, 725/143, 725/145, 725/150
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery

Abstract

Battery information is transmitted from a recording and playback apparatus to a host computer. In the host computer, based on the time for which operation can be continued, corresponding to the current operating status and the remaining battery level, which is stored in battery information, a warning is output, the data of a cache memory is written, data writing prohibition is set, and a forced closing process is performed. With this construction, in a system formed of a recording and playback apparatus, such as a CD-R/RW drive unit and a personal computer, a proper system operation corresponding to the remaining battery level of the recording and playback apparatus is obtained, and the data recorded in the recording medium is prevented from being destroyed as a result of operation stopping due to, for example, the remaining battery level becoming zero.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a first information processing apparatus and at least a second information processing apparatus which are connected so as to be capable of performing communication,

wherein said first information processing apparatus comprises;

a power-supply unit capable of supplying internal power using at least a battery,

a power-supply information creation unit for creating power-supply information in which predetermined information about said power-supply unit is stored, and

an information transmitter for transmitting said power-supply information to said second information processing apparatus; and

said second information processing apparatus comprises;

a controller for performing control so as to obtain a predetermined operation in the information processing system based on the received power-supply information,

wherein said controller can perform a control process for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is made possible by said first information processing apparatus comprising a recording/reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium in accordance with a remaining battery level of said first information processing apparatus, which is obtained based on the contents stored in the received power-supply information.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second information processing apparatus further comprises a second recording and/or reproducing unit for recording data into a second recording medium and/or for reading data from the second information recording medium.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second information processing apparatus sends a signal for controlling operation of said first information processing apparatus to the first information processing apparatus based on the received power-supply information.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second information processing apparatus further comprises an operation section into which external instructions are input.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

said power-supply information creation unit determines a time for which operation can be continued corresponding to each of predetermined operation conditions of the first and second information processing apparatuses when power is supplied by the battery, and stores information indicating the time for which operation can be continued in said power-supply information.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said power-supply information creation unit can store, in said power-supply information, used-power-supply type information, which is obtained by identifying a type of power-supply source which is currently in use as said power-supply unit.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said controller performs control in such a way that, when it is determined that a remaining battery level of said first information processing apparatus is one of less than and equal to a predetermined level on the basis of the received power-supply information, a warning is issued by the second information processing apparatus.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a connector for connecting with at least a second information processing apparatus so as to be capable of performing communication;

a power-supply unit capable of supplying internal power using at least a battery;

a power-supply information creation unit for creating power-supply information in which predetermined information about said power-supply unit is stored;

an information transmitter for transmitting said power-supply information to said second information processing apparatus via said connector;

a controller capable of controlling internal operation based on control information transmitted from said second information processing apparatus via said connector is received; and

a recording/reproducing unit for recording data into an information recording medium and/or for reading data from the information recording medium,

wherein a controller performs a control operation for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with a recording method of said recording/reproducing unit which is capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium in accordance with control information sent out from said second information processing apparatus based on the power-supply information.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said power-supply information creation unit determines a time for which operation can be continued, corresponding to each of predetermined operation conditions of the information processing apparatuses, in a state in which power is supplied by the battery, and stores information indicating the time for which operation can be continued in said power-supply information.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said power-supply information creation unit can store, in said power-supply information, used-power-supply type information, which is obtained by identifying a type of a power-supply source which is currently in use as said power-supply unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein predetermined information in said power-supply information has a validity flag indicating a validity/invalidity of information content thereof, and said power-supply information creation unit can set the validity/invalidity of said validity flag.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said power-supply information creation unit can store, in said power-supply information, power-supply temperature information obtained by measuring a temperature of said power-supply unit.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a connector for connecting with a second information processing apparatus to which internal power can be supplied using at least a battery in order to perform communication; and

a controller for performing control so that a predetermined operation is performed in the information processing apparatus and/or said other information processing apparatus based on power-supply information when said power-supply information, in which predetermined information about a power supply unit is stored, is received via said connector, said power-supply information being transmitted from said second information processing apparatus,

wherein said controller can perform a control process for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is made possible by said second information processing apparatus comprising a recording/reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium in accordance with the remaining battery level of said second information processing apparatus, which is obtained based on the received power-supply information.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controller performs control so that a warning is issued in the information processing apparatus when it is determined that a remaining battery level of said second information processing apparatus is less than or equal to a predetermined level on the basis of said power-supply information.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controller instructs an operation in said second information processing apparatus by sending a control signal to said second information processing apparatus.

16. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a connector for connecting with a second information processing apparatus to which internal power can be supplied using at least a battery in order to perform communication; and

a controller for performing control so that a predetermined operation is performed in the information processing apparatus and/or said other information processing apparatus based on power-supply information when said power-supply information, in which predetermined information about a power supply unit is stored, is received via said connector, said power-supply information being transmitted from said second information processing apparatus

wherein said controller performs a control process so that a process for closing data, which has been recorded on a recording medium thus far, is performed when it is determined that a remaining battery level of said second information processing apparatus is less than or equal to a predetermined level, said information processing apparatus comprising a recording/reproducing unit capable of recording and/or reading data in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium on the basis of the received power-supply information.