Low-power CD-ROM player with CD-ROM subsystem for portable computer capable of playing audio CDs without supply energy to CPU

• US 7,359,998 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maishi Electronic (Shanghai) Limited
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Reginia, Lam, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Peyton, Tammara
• Application Number:
  US11/481,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/14, 710/17, 710/19, 710/31, 710/260, 710/266, 710/311, 713/3, 713/310, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 369/323, 369/31, 369/24, 369/124, 369/32, 369/33
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/02 with automatic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/12 Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A low-power audio CD player for portable computers permits operation of the CD-ROM subsystem when power is not being supplied to the computer subsystem. In one embodiment of the invention, the computer subsystem comprises a system CPU, a digital-audio generating circuit, a digital computer bus coupling the CPU and the digital-audio generator circuit, and a digital computer bus controller. The CD audio subsystem comprises an audio device capable of playing an audio CD and coupled to the digital computer bus controller, an audio amplifier circuit coupled to the audio device, and an audio interface coupled to the digital computer bus in parallel to the digital computer bus controller and the audio device. The audio interface is adapted to generate signals to operate the audio device and play the audio CD when power is not being supplied to the computer subsystem or to the CPU. In method form, a method for playing an audio CD in a computer system comprises deenergizing a computer CPU; and controlling, using an audio interface coupled to a digital computer bus in parallel to a digital computer bus controller and an audio device capable of playing an audio CD, the audio device and a computer audio amplifier to play an audio CD without supplying energy to the CPU.

Claims

1. A computer system adapted to play an audio CD, said computer system comprising:

a computer subsystem comprising a system CPU, a digital-audio generating circuit, a digital computer bus coupling said CPU and said digital-audio generator circuit, and a digital computer bus controller; and

a CD audio subsystem comprising an audio device capable of playing an audio CD and coupled to said digital computer bus controller, an audio amplifier circuit coupled to said audio device, and an output control logic for selectively decoupling an audio interface from said digital computer bus and coupling said audio interface to said digital computer bus in parallel to said digital computer bus controller,

wherein said audio interface is adapted to generate at least one signal to operate said audio device and to play said audio CD when power is not being supplied to said computer subsystem.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output control logic selectively couples and decouples said audio interface to said digital computer bus based on whether said computer subsystem is energized.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output control logic generates commands and/or data to said digital computer bus.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output control logic receives commands and/or data from said audio device.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audio interface is isolated from said digital computer bus when said power is being supplied to said computer subsystem.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said digital computer bus comprises an IDE bus.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audio device is selected from the group consisting of a CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, a hard drive, a removable IDE media device, and a fixed IDE media device.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one interface switch electrically coupled to said audio interface and for human control of said audio device,

wherein said at least one switch generates at least one signal to said audio interface and causes said audio interface to generate at least one control signal for operation of said audio device.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a display coupled to said audio interface for displaying a track number of said CD.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one interface switch comprises a button accessibly mounted on said computer system and coupled to said audio interface so as to permit human control over said audio device.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein activation of said at least one interface switch, when said power is not being supplied to said computer subsystem, generates an activation signal to said audio interface thereby activating said audio interface.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said button has a functionality selected from the group consisting of play, fast-forward, rewind, next track, previous track, pause and stop.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a 5 Volt power rail is supplied to said digital computer bus controller when electrostatic discharge diode protection is employed in said digital computer bus controller.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a power switch adapted to deliver said 5 Volt power rail to said digital computer bus controller.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said power switch further turns on a component selected from the group consisting of:

said audio device, said audio interface, and a portion of said CD audio subsystem.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audio interface is integrated directly into a bus bridge, and wherein said bus bridge comprises said digital computer bus controller.

17. A computer system adapted to play an audio CD, said computer system comprising:

a computer subsystem comprising a system CPU, a digital-audio generating circuit, a digital computer bus coupling said CPU and said digital-audio generator circuit, and a digital computer bus controller; and

a CD audio subsystem comprising an audio device capable of playing an audio CD and coupled to said digital computer bus controller, an audio amplifier circuit coupled to said audio device, and an output control logic for selectively coupling an audio interface to said digital computer bus in parallel to said digital computer bus controller and decoupling said audio interface from said digital computer bus,

wherein said audio interface is adapted to generate at least one signal to operate said audio device and to play said audio CD when power is not being supplied to said system CPU.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method for playing an audio CD in a computer system, said method comprising:

deenergizing a computer CPU;

selectively coupling an audio interface circuit to a digital computer bus in parallel to a digital computer bus controller and decoupling said audio interface circuit from said digital computer bus based on whether said computer CPU is energized; and

controlling an audio device and a computer audio amplifier by said audio interface to play an audio CD without supplying energy to said computer CPU.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said method further comprises:

controlling an operation of said audio device using at least one interface switch.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said method further comprises:

generating commands and/or data to said digital computer bus.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said method further comprises:

receiving commands and/or data from said audio device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said method further comprises:

isolating said audio interface from said digital computer bus when power is being supplied to said computer CPU.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said method further comprises:

visually displaying track information about said audio CD.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein activation of said at least one interface switch, when power is not being supplied to said computer CPU, generates a signal to said audio interface thereby activating said audio interface.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said method further comprises:

supplying a 5 Volt power rail to said digital computer bus controller.

26. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components stored thereon, said computer-executable components comprising an integrated bus controller comprising:

a digital bus controller for exchanging commands and data between at least two data buses in a computer system, wherein a CPU is coupled to at least one of said data buses; and

an output control logic for selectively coupling and decoupling an audio interface IC to and from said at least one of said data buses,

wherein said audio interface IC, when coupled to said at least one of said data buses, is coupled to said at least one of said data buses in parallel with said digital bus controller and is operable to control an audio device capable of playing an audio CD when power is not being supplied to said CPU.

27. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein said output control logic selectively couples said audio interface IC to said at least one of said data buses based on whether said CPU is energized.

28. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 27, wherein said output control logic generates commands and/or data to said at least one of said data buses.

29. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 27, wherein said output control logic receives commands and/or data from said audio device.

30. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 27, wherein said audio interface IC is isolated from said at least one of said data buses when power is being supplied to said CPU.

31. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein said at least one of said data buses comprises an IDE bus.

32. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein said audio device is selected from the group consisting of a CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, a hard drive, a removable IDE media device, and a fixed IDE media device.

33. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein said audio interface IC is adapted to receive a plurality of signals from a plurality of interface switches for human control of said audio device, wherein said plurality of switches are electrically coupled to said audio interface IC, and wherein said plurality of switches generate said plurality of signals to said audio interface IC and cause said audio interface IC to generate a plurality of control signals for operation of said audio device.

34. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein said audio interface IC is adapted to transmit track information of said CD to a display coupled to said audio interface IC.

35. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 33, wherein said audio interface IC is capable of being activated by activation of one of said plurality of interface switches, when power is not being supplied to said CPU.