System, method, program and storage medium for saving power

• US 6,947,775 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Ryuichi, Matsushima, Hideki, Kozuka, Masayuki, Tokuda, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Huy
• Application Number:
  US10/049,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20020132653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/127.5, 455/343.5, 455/572, 455/343.1, 455/127.1, 455/582, 455/583, 455/571, 455/298, 455/134
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The invention relates to power saving in portable terminals (100) with recording media (200). Conventionally, there is the problem that a battery (104) in the portable terminal (100) may become exhausted and as a result the original function of the terminal cannot be performed. To solve this problem, when the remaining battery capacity is low, the invention controls power supply (108) to the recording media (200) and clock supply (110) to a CPU (202) in the recording media (200) so as to reduce power supplied to the recording media (200)

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a remaining battery capacity monitoring unit operable to monitor a remaining capacity of a battery; and

a power controlling unit operable to stop a power supply from the battery to a recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than a first level but is below a second level, and to stop a supply of a clock to a CPU included in the recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than the second level but is below a third level.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein said power controlling unit is further operable to decrease a frequency of the clock supplied to the CPU in the recording medium, when the remaining capacity is not less than the third level but is below a fourth level.

3. A portable terminal comprising:

a recording medium having a CPU;

a remaining battery capacity monitoring unit;

a power controlling unit; and

a battery operable to supply power to said recording medium, said remaining battery capacity monitoring unit and said power controlling unit,

wherein said remaining battery capacity monitoring unit is operable to monitor a remaining capacity of said battery, and

wherein said power controlling unit is operable to stop power supply to said recording medium when the remaining battery capacity is not less than a first level but is below a second level, and to stop a supply of a clock to said CPU when the remaining battery capacity is not less than the second level but is below a third level.

4. The portable terminal of claim 3, wherein said power controlling unit is further operable to decrease a frequency of the clock supplied to said CPU in said recording medium, when the remaining capacity is not less than the third level but is below a fourth level.

5. A power control method for use in a portable terminal that includes a battery for supplying power to parts of the portable terminal and to a recording medium equipped in the portable terminal, said power control method comprising:

monitoring a remaining capacity of the battery; and

controlling power by stopping the power supply to the recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than a first level but is below a second level, and stopping a supply of a clock to a CPU included in the recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than the second level but is below a third level.

6. The power control method of claim 5, wherein said controlling power comprises decreasing a frequency of the clock supplied to the CPU in the recording medium, when the remaining capacity is not less than the third level but is below a fourth level.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for executing a power control operation on a computer which includes a battery for supplying power to parts of the computer and to a recording medium equipped in the computer, the computer program comprising computer-readable instructions operable to instruct the computer to perform a method comprising:

monitoring a remaining capacity of the battery; and

controlling power by stopping the power supply to the recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than a first level but is below a second level, and stopping a supply of a clock to a CPU included in the recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than the second level but is below a third level.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable instructions are operable to instruct the computer to perform said controlling power by decreasing a frequency of the clock supplied to the CPU in the recording medium, when the remaining capacity is not less than the third level but is below a fourth level.

9. A computer program for executing a power control operation on a computer which includes a battery for supplying power to parts of the computer and to a recording medium equipped in the computer, said computer program comprising computer-readable instructions operable to instruct the computer to perform a method comprising:

monitoring a remaining capacity of the battery; and

controlling power by stopping the power supply to the recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than a first level but is below a second level, and stopping a supply of a clock to a CPU included in the recording medium when the remaining capacity is not less than the second level but is below a third level.

10. The computer program of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions are operable to instruct the computer to perform said controlling power by further decreasing a frequency of the clock supplied to the CPU in the recording medium, when the remaining capacity is not less than the third level but is below a fourth level.