Information processing system and information processing apparatus

• US 7,028,203 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• 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:
  US10/971,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323, 713/340, 360/79, 369/30.36, 369/53.1, 369/53.12, 369/53.16, 369/53.18, 711/163
• 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 that is included in stored 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 portable recording and playback apparatus 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 while recording.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

an information processing apparatus including;

a recording and/or reproducing unit for recording data into a recording medium and/or for reading data from the recording medium;

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

a power-supply information creation unit for creating power-supply information in which remaining battery level information about said power-supply unit is stored; and

a control unit for performing a control process for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is possible by said information processing apparatus in accordance with the remaining battery level information, which is obtained based on the power-supply information.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising another information processing apparatus that sends a signal for controlling operation of said information processing apparatus to the information processing apparatus based on the received power-supply information.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising another information processing apparatus that includes an operation section to which external instructions are input.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said power-supply information creation unit determines a time for which an operation can be continued corresponding to each of predetermined operation conditions of the information processing apparatus in which power is supplied by the battery, and can store information indicating a time for which predetermined operation can be continued in said power-supply information.

5. 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, obtained by identifying a type of power-supply source currently in use as said power-supply unit.

6. 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 information processing apparatus is less than or equal to a predetermined level based on the received power-supply information, a warning is issued by said another information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said controller performs a control to place said information processing apparatus in a write-prohibited, read-only permission mode upon detecting a battery level below a predetermined limit.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

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

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 another information processing apparatus; and

a controller for controlling internal operation based on control information transmitted from said another information processing apparatus, wherein said 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 in such a manner as to correspond to a predetermined recording medium in accordance with control information sent out from said another 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 predetermined operation conditions of the information processing apparatus, in a state in which power is supplied by the battery, and can include information indicating the time for which the 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 include, in said power-supply information, used-power-supply type information obtained by identifying a type of power-supply source 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 sets said validity flag.

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

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said controller performs a control to place said information processing apparatus in a write-prohibited, read-only permission mode upon detecting a battery level below a predetermined limit.

14. An information processing apparatus comprising:

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

a power supply unit using at least a battery; and

a controller for performing control so that a predetermined operation is performed in the information processing apparatus and/or another information processing apparatus based on power-supply information in which predetermined information about the power supply unit is included, said power-supply information being transmitted from said another information processing apparatus, wherein said controller performs a control process for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is possible by said recording/reproducing unit in accordance with the remaining battery level.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, 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 less than or equal to a predetermined level based on said power-supply information.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller performs a control process so that recording data remaining in a data transferring memory is transferred, so as to cause recording to be performed in said another information processing apparatus, and subsequent recording of data in said another information processing apparatus is stopped when it is determined that a remaining battery level of said battery is less than or equal to a predetermined level, and when it is determined that there is recording data to be transferred to said another information processing apparatus.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller preforms a control process so that a process for closing data, which has been recorded on the recording medium thus far, is performed when it is determined that a remaining battery level of said other information processing power supply unit is less than or equal to a predetermined level.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller instructs an operation in said another information processing apparatus by sending a control signal to said another information processing apparatus.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller performs a control to place said information processing apparatus in a write-prohibited, read-only permission mode upon detecting a battery level below a predetermined limit.

20. An information processing method for use in an information processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

recording data into a recording medium and/or reading data from said recording medium;

supplying internal power using a power-supply;

creating and storing power-supply information related to remaining battery level information about said power-supply; and

performing a control process for limiting a data recording operation in such a manner as to comply with each recording method which is possible by said information processing apparatus in accordance with the remaining battery level information, which is obtained based on the power-supply information.