Method of controlling power to an auxiliary system comprising a display part and a wireless sending/receiving part connected to a portable computer through a mounting part

• US 7,231,529 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Seong-geun
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): SURYAWANSHI, SURESH
• Application Number:
  US10/820,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/723, 361/683, 361/686
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing

Abstract

A portable computer system and method include an auxiliary system including a first wireless sending/receiving part; and a main system including a data storing part storing data, a second wireless sending/receiving part, a mounting part mounting the auxiliary system thereto, and a mounting sensing part sensing whether the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part, where when displaying the data of the main system on a display part, the main system transmits the data stored in the data storing part to the auxiliary system to process and to display the data on the display part, and when not displaying the data on the display part, the main system supplies a signal to the switching part to cut-off electric power to the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the first wireless sending/receiving part.

Claims

1. A portable computer system, comprising:

an auxiliary system comprising

a display part, and

a first wireless sending/receiving part; and

a main system comprising

a display panel,

a data storing part storing data,

a second wireless sending/receiving part,

a mounting part mounting the auxiliary system thereto,

a mounting sensing part sensing whether the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part, and

a switching part supplying electric power to the auxiliary system when the mounting sensing part senses that the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part, wherein

data of the main system is supplied to the auxiliary system wirelessly, through the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts, or through the mounting part,

when displaying the data of the main system on the display part of the auxiliary system, the main system transmits the data stored in the data storing part to the auxiliary system to process and to display the data of the main system on the display part, and

when not displaying the data of the main system on the display part, the main system supplies a signal to the switching part to cut-off the electric power to the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the main system supplies the signal to the auxiliary system through the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts to cut-off electric power.

2. The portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary system is connected to web-servers through the first wireless sending/receiving part or the second wireless sending/receiving part.

3. The portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary system further comprises:

a battery, and

an embedded controller controlling the battery of the auxiliary system according to the signal from the main system to cut-off the electric power and turns-off the electric power of the display part to reduce unnecessary power consumption when not displaying the data on the display part.

4. The portable computer system as recited in claim 3, wherein the main system further comprises:

a charging part, and

a control part reading the data stored in the data storing part and transmitting the data to the auxiliary system through the second wireless sending/receiving part when displaying the data of the main system on the display part, or supplying an operating signal of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) mode to the auxiliary system through the second wireless sending/receiving part when not displaying the data of the main system on the display part.

5. The portable computer system as recited in claim 4, wherein, when sensing that the auxiliary system is not mounted, the main system turns-off the switching part and stops charging the battery of auxiliary system to prevent a current leakage to the charging part.

6. The portable computer system as recited in claim 3, wherein display part of the auxiliary system comprises:

a TSP (Touch Screen Panel) screen receiving a user input-signal, and

a TSP controller to process the user input-signal through the touch screen, wherein when the embedded controller determines that the second wireless sending/receiving part of the main system is turned on, the embedded controller controls the auxiliary system to serve as a web-pad mode, according to the user input-signal.

7. The portable computer system as recited in claim 3, wherein when the embedded controller determines that the second wireless sending/receiving part of the main system is turned off, the embedded controller controls the auxiliary system to operate in a PIMS (Personal Information Management System) mode.

8. The portable computer system as recited in claim 4, wherein the auxiliary system further comprises:

a DVO (Digital Video Output) port connecting part, and

a power supplying port connecting part connected to the DVO port and the power supplying port.

9. The portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second wireless sending/receiving part of the main system and the first wireless sending/receiving part of the auxiliary system each comprises Blue Tooth or a UWB (ultra wideband) interface.

10. The portable computer system as recited in claim 4, wherein the mounting sensing part generates an electric signal when the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part of the main system and supplies the signal to the control part.

11. The portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary system provides wireless access to the main system to web-servers and the auxiliary system serves as a web-browser for the main system.

12. The portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary system is connected to web-servers through the first wireless sending/receiving part of the auxiliary system to serve as a stand-alone web-browser.

13. The portable computer system as recited in claim 8, wherein the switching part is electrically connected to the charging part and the power supplying port of the mounting part to supply/cut-off the electric power charged in the charging part to the auxiliary system and through the power supplying port.

14. The portable computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the main system further comprises:

a selecting part selecting whether the data in the data storing part is displayed on the display part of the auxiliary system or on the display panel of the main system.

15. The portable computer system as recited in claim 14, wherein the selecting part comprises a predetermined button, a hot key, or a selecting program, where if the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part and is turned on, and a power supplying signal is transmitted from the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the second wireless sending/receiving part to the main system, the main system senses the power supplying signal and operates the selecting program.

16. The portable computer system as recited in claim 4, wherein the control part determines whether the auxiliary system is mounted based on a mounting sensing signal generated from the mounting sensing part.

17. A portable computer, comprising:

an auxiliary system comprising a first wireless sending/receiving part and a display part;

a second wireless sending/receiving part;

a switching part; and

a mounting part on a side of a casing to mount the auxiliary system and connected to the switching part, wherein data of a main system is supplied to the auxiliary system wirelessly, through the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts or through the mounting part to be displayed on the display part,

wherein when not displaying the data of the main system on the display part, the main system supplies a signal to the switching part to cut-off the electric power to the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the main system supplies the signal to the auxiliary system through the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts to cut-off electric power.

18. The portable computer as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a display panel, wherein the display part of the auxiliary system displays an operating panel of a multimedia file when the display panel is opened to serve as an additional display part of the portable computer.

19. The portable computer as recited in claim 17, wherein the auxiliary system is an embedded controller having an operating system independent of the portable computer.

20. The portable computer as recited in claim 19, wherein the embedded controller controls the auxiliary system to serve as a web-pad mode or to operate in a PIMS mode according to whether the second wireless sending/receiving part of the main system is turned on.

21. The portable computer as recited in claim 17, wherein the auxiliary system and the main system are connected through a predetermined cable to send/receive data between the auxiliary system and the main system.

22. A method of controlling a portable computer system comprising an auxiliary system comprising a display part and a first wireless sending/receiving part, and a main system comprising a display panel, a second wireless sending/receiving part, a mounting part mounting the auxiliary system thereto, the method comprising:

allowing wireless communication between the main system and the auxiliary system through the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts;

determining whether the auxiliary system is mounted on a mounting part of the main system;

supplying electric power to the auxiliary system when mounted on the main system;

transmitting the data stored in the main system to the auxiliary system to process and to display the data of the main system on the display part when a user selects to display the data on the display part; and

cutting-off the electric power to the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts when the user selects not to display the data of the main system on the display part.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, when the user selects to display the data of the main system on the display part of the auxiliary system, the main system reads the data stored therein and supplies the data to the auxiliary system through the second wireless sending/receiving part.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, when the user selects not to display the data of the main system on the display part of the auxiliary system, the main system supplies a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) operating mode signal to the auxiliary system through the second wireless sending/receiving part and controls to operate the auxiliary system in the PDA mode.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

determining whether the second wireless sending/receiving part of the main system is turned on/off.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, the method further comprising:

controlling the auxiliary system to operate in a web-pad mode when the second wireless sending/receiving part is turned on and the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part of the main system.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, the method further comprising:

controlling the auxiliary system to operate in a PIMS (Personal Information Management System) mode when the second wireless sending/receiving part is turned off and the auxiliary system is not mounted on the mounting part of the main system.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, the method further comprising:

automatically transforming a web-pad mode to a PIMS (Personal Information Management System) mode through a user setting when the auxiliary system is not mounted on the mounting part of the main system.

29. A portable computer capable of receiving an auxiliary system comprising a first wireless sending/receiving part and a display part, the portable computer comprising:

a second wireless sending/receiving part;

a mounting part on a side of a casing to receive the auxiliary system;

a selecting part selecting whether data of a main system is to be displayed on the display part; and

a controller reading data of the main system and transmitting the data to the auxiliary system when displaying the data of the main system on the display part, or supplying an operating signal of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) mode to the auxiliary system when not displaying the data of the main system on the display part,

wherein data of the main system is supplied to the auxiliary system wirelessly, through the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts, or through the mounting part, and

wherein when not displaying the data of the main system on the display part, the main system supplies a signal to the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts to cut-off electric power.

30. A portable computer system, comprising:

an auxiliary system comprising a display part, a first wireless sending/receiving part, and an embedded controller; and

a main system comprising

a display panel,

a second wireless sending/receiving part,

a data storing part storing data,

a mounting part mounting the auxiliary system thereto,

a mounting sensing part sensing whether the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part, and

a switching part supplying electric power to the auxiliary system when the mounting sensing part senses that the auxiliary system is mounted on the mounting part, wherein the embedded controller controls the auxiliary system to serve as a web pad mode or to operate in a PIMS mode according to whether the second wireless sending/receiving part of the main system is turned on,

wherein when not displaying the data of the main system on the display part, the main system supplies a signal to the switching part to cut-off the electric power to the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the main system supplies the signal to the auxiliary system through the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts to cut-off electric power.

31. A computer readable storage medium controlling a computer and comprising a process of controlling a portable computer system which comprises an auxiliary system, which comprises a display part and a first wireless sending/receiving part, and a main system, which comprises a display panel, a second wireless sending/receiving part, a mounting part mounting the auxiliary system thereto, the process comprising:

allowing wireless communication between the main system and the auxiliary system through the first and second wireless sending/receiving part;

determining whether the auxiliary system is mounted on a mounting part of the main system;

supplying electric power to the auxiliary system when mounted on the main system;

transmitting the data stored in the main system to the auxiliary system to process and to display the data of the main system on the display part when a user selects to display the data on the display part; and

cutting-off the electric power to the auxiliary system through the mounting part or the first and second wireless sending/receiving parts when the user selects not to display the data of the main system on the display part.