Mobile telephone and image receiving device with reduced power consumption

• US 7,317,495 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Naomichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak; Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US10/888,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 348/837, 348/838, 348/180, 348/192, 348/193, 348/726, 348/730, 455/556.1, 455/161.3, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 375/345, 340/7.33, 340/7.32
• US Class Current: 348/838
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a portable receiving device 1 operable with a battery 18 as power supply and capable of receiving the TV broadcast outdoors, a CPU 13 detects the receiving level of the TV receiving unit 12 at timings set in the timer 24, compares the receiving level with a preset threshold level, turns off, when the receiving level becomes lower than a threshold level, the power supply to the TV receiving unit 12, subsequently detecting and performs, when the receiving level subsequently exceeds a threshold level, a control for resuming the power supply to the receiving unit 12. Thus, the power consumption in the TV receiving unit 12 when the TV radio wave receiving status is deteriorated is reduced.

Claims

1. A portable image receiving device operable with a battery as a power supply and capable of receiving a television broadcast signal, comprising:

a TV receiving unit including image and audio processing units for receiving the television broadcast signal and generating from the television broadcast signal video and audio signals; and

a control unit for controlling power to said TV receiving unit, detecting, wherein said control unit evaluates the television broadcast signal strength and turns off the power supply to said image and audio processing units when the broadcast signal strength becomes lower than a preset permissible level and after the power supply to said image and audio processing units is turned off, said control unit periodically checks said signal strength by intermittently evaluating the television broadcast signal at predetermined times, and re-connects the power supply to the image and audio processing units when it is determined that the broadcast signal strength is higher than a permissible level.

2. The portable receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a storing unit for storing data as to whether the power supply has been turned off manually, and for maintaining power to said receiving unit “

off”

when the power supply has been turned off manually.

3. The portable receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets a threshold level for comparing the receiving level and checks whether the receiving level is below or above the threshold level.

4. The portable receiving unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit restricts the audio output to a loudspeaker and restricts the video output to the display unit.

5. A portable terminal device having a telephone function with a radio for performing radio transmission and reception for mobile communication and a TV function with a receiving unit including image and audio processing units for receiving television (TV) signals and generating video and audio signals from said television signal, either one of the two functions being selectable for use by the user, a battery being used as operation power supply, comprising:

a control unit for controlling power to said image and audio processing units, wherein said control unit evaluates the television signal strength and turns off the power supply to said image and audio processing units when the signal strength becomes lower than a preset permissible level, and after the power supply is turned off, said control unit periodically checks said signal strength intermittently at predetermined times, and re-connects the power supply to the image and audio processing units when it is determined that the signal strength is higher than a permissible level.

6. The portable terminal unit according to claim 5, wherein the control unit includes a storing unit for storing data as to whether the image and audio processing units have been manually turned off, and for maintaining power to said receiving unit when the image and audio processing units are found to be manually turned off.

7. The portable terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit detects, after the power supply to the image and audio processing units has been turned off, the receiving level by changing the broadcast channel to be received whenever the receiving unit is intermittently operated.

8. The portable terminal device according to claim 5, wherein:

the telephone function corresponds to the portable telephone or PHS (personal handy-phone system); and

the control unit synchronizes the receiving level detection timing to the base station retrieval timing in the portable telephone or PHS.

9. A control method of a portable image receiving device operable with a battery as a power supply and capable of receiving and processing a television signal TV:

detecting a television signal strength by a TV receiving and processing unit which includes image and audio processing units;

comparing the signal strength with a preset threshold level;

turning off, when the receiving level becomes lower than the threshold level, the power supply to the image and audio processing units of the TV receiving unit,

periodically re-connecting the power supply to the receiving unit to detect whether the receiving level exceeds a threshold level; and

resuming the power supply to the image and audio processing units of the TV receiving unit once the strength exceeds the threshold.