Optical record carrier recording apparatus

• US 7,461,271 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Rompaey, Bart, De Boer, Bart Michiel, Luitjens, Steven Broeils, Van Der AA, Michael Adrianus Henricus, Penning, Frank Cornelis
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US10/540,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/321, 713/340, 360/73.02
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3256 Power saving in optical drive
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/00 Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/00 Constructional parts, details or accessories not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An optical recording apparatus with a small form factor optical drive for driving an optical record carrier is operable in different accessing modes having different data rates depending on the power mode of the recording apparatus. A Switch is provided in the recording apparatus for switching a controller for accessing the optical record carrier for reading data from or recording data to the optical record carrier. A first accessing mode has a low data rate and is used in a low power mode, while a second accessing mode has a high data rate and is used or allowed to be used in a high power mode.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

a data interface for transmitting and receiving data;

a battery unit for providing power to the portable device in a first power supply mode;

a power interface for connecting to an external power supply unit for providing the power in a second power supply mode;

a power switch configured to switch between the battery unit and the external power supply unit;

an optical recording apparatus having a drive data interface, a drive power interface and a drive mode interface, wherein the drive data interface is configured for data access to and from an optical record carrier of the optical recording apparatus, the drive power interface is configured for receiving power from the power switch, and the drive mode interface is configured for receiving a mode signal; and

a mode switch configured to detect a voltage level of the power supplied to the drive power interface through the power switch and to provide the mode signal to the drive mode interface for switching the optical recording apparatus into a first accessing mode having a lower data rate than a second accessing mode when the voltage level at the drive power interface falls below a predetermined value;

wherein the mode switch is external to the optical recording apparatus and internal in the portable device for being switched by an application running on the optical recording apparatus.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the first accessing mode is entered independent of a source of the power.

3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the first accessing mode is entered when the power is supplied by the battery unit, and the second accessing mode is entered when the power is supplied by the external power supply unit.

4. The portable device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said portable device is a telephone, in particular a mobile phone or a cordless phone, a palmtop computer, a laptop, a digital camera or a camcorder.

5. The portable device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical recording apparatus is a small form factor optical drive.

6. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the optical recording apparatus is attached to the portable device, the optical recording apparatus receiving a signal from the portable device, the signal including an identifier indicating whether the first power supply mode or the second power supply mode is available.

7. The portable device of claim 6, wherein the identifier provides an indication of availability of the second power supply mode when the power is provided if from the external power supply unit.

8. The portable device of claim 6, wherein the identifier provides an indication of availability of the first power supply mode when the power is provided from the battery unit.

9. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the mode switch is switched by an application running on the optical recording apparatus.

10. An optical recording apparatus comprising:

a drive data interface configured for data exchange between an optical record carrier of the optical recording apparatus and a portable device including the optical recording apparatus;

a drive power interface configured for receiving power from a power switch of the portable device; and

a drive mode interface configured for receiving a mode signal from a mode switch of the portable device;

wherein the power switch is configured to switch between a battery unit of the portable device and an external power supply unit;

wherein the mode switch is configured to detect a voltage level of the power supplied to the drive power interface of the optical recording apparatus through the power switch of the portable device, and to provide the mode signal to the drive mode interface for switching the optical recording apparatus into a first accessing mode having a lower data rate than a second accessing mode when the voltage level at the drive power interface falls below a predetermined value; and

wherein the mode switch is external to the optical recording apparatus and internal in the portable device for being switched by an application running on the portable device.

11. The optical recording apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first accessing mode is entered independent of a source of the power.

12. The optical recording apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first accessing mode is entered when the power is supplied by the battery unit, and the second accessing mode is entered when the power is supplied by the external power supply unit.

13. The optical recording apparatus of claim 10, wherein the portable device is a telephone, a palmtop computer, a laptop, a digital camera or a camcorder.

14. The optical recording apparatus of claim 10, wherein the optical recording apparatus is a small form factor optical drive.