Power controller, power control method, information processor, and power control program

• US 7,333,314 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Narukawa, Yoshitaka, Sato, Soichi, Yamaji, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUER, SCOTT ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US10/472,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 361/103
• US Class Current: 361/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A power control unit that can perform preventing a secondary battery from generating heat and preventing power supply from being suddenly shut off. Supply of power from a secondary battery to a system unit is controlled by a power control unit. At this time, the power control unit successively monitors a cell temperature of the secondary battery, and requests the system unit to switch to a power saving mode when the cell temperature exceeds a predetermined alarming temperature which is preset.

Claims

1. An information processor operated by power supplied from a secondary battery,

said information processor comprising a power control unit which, when the temperature of battery cells in the secondary battery exceeds a preset temperature, requests switching to a power saving mode,

an active thermal feedback unit which monitors a temperature of a CPU is included in said information processor and notifies said power control unit of the monitored temperature, and

wherein, when the temperature of the battery cells exceeds a temperature at which said information processor is switched to said power saving mode, said power control unit reduces power consumption by setting the temperature of the CPU detected by said active thermal feedback unit to a value greater than the preset temperature.

2. An information processor according to claim 1, further comprising operating-mode-switching notification means which, in a case in which the power control unit requests switching to the power saving mode, notifies a user of the case.

3. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein said power control unit requests an operation program being executed by said information processor to switch to a standby state or a hibernate state.

4. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein, when further power supply from the secondary battery, which is presently supplying power, reaches a limit, and another secondary battery capable of supplying power exists, said power control unit switches supply of power to each portion of said information processor to be supplied from the secondary battery capable of supplying the power.

5. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein said power control unit switches said information processor to the power saving mode by outputting a signal indicating that the state of another device provided in said information processor satisfies a condition of switching to the power saving mode.

6. An information processor according to claim 5, wherein said power control unit switches said information processor to the power saving mode by outputting a signal indicating that the temperature of an arithmetic unit provided in said information processor satisfies the condition of switching to the power saving mode.

7. An information processor according to claim 1, further comprising an operation system which controls said information processor and which switches said information processor to the power saving mode when receiving a request to switch the operation in the power saving mode.

8. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein when the temperature of the battery cells in the secondary battery, which is presently supplying power, exceeds the preset temperature, and also the temperature of battery cells in a secondary battery which is not presently supplying power, exceeds the preset temperature, or the secondary battery which is not presently supplying power is unable to perform power supply, said power control unit requests switching to the operation in the power saving mode.