Apparatus and method for controlling power of monitor

• US 7,664,975 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hong-chul, Oh, Byung-hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US10/679,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20040085308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 713300-320, 713/323, 713/330, 713/324
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling the power of a monitor where the monitor can be automatically powered on and off according to the state of power of a PC. The apparatus includes a computer outputting a predetermined signal indicating whether the computer is powered on or off; and a monitor receiving the predetermined signal and powering on and off according to the predetermined signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a power of a monitor, comprising:

a computer selectively outputting a predetermined signal when the computer is powered on and off;

a monitor comprising a memory separate from a power control unit to control a power supply unit within the monitor, the power control unit receiving the predetermined signal and selectively control powering on and off of the monitor according to the predetermined signal; and

a video card processing and transmitting a video signal to the monitor;

wherein the predetermined signal output from the computer is output from a predetermined pin of the video card,

wherein the predetermined signal is transmitted to the monitor independent of whether the monitor is powered on and independent of whether the monitor is powered off, wherein, when the monitor is powered off, the memory is powered on by the predetermined signal to provide the computer access to monitor information stored in the memory, and

wherein, when the computer is in a power off mode, the power supplied to the power control unit within the monitor is cut off and the power from a power supply unit within the monitor is also cut off.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a serial cable, wherein the predetermined signal is transmitted from the computer to the monitor via the serial cable.

3. An apparatus for controlling a power of a monitor, comprising:

a computer selectively outputting a predetermined signal when the computer is powered on and off;

a monitor to receive the predetermined signal and selectively performing powering on and off of the monitor according to the predetermined signal; and

a video card processing and transmitting a video signal to the monitor;

wherein the predetermined signal output from the computer is output from a predetermined pin of the video card; and

wherein the predetermined signal is transmitted to the monitor independent of whether the monitor is powered on and independent of whether the monitor is powered off, so that monitor information in the monitor is accessible by the computer based upon the transmission of the predetermined signal, wherein the monitor comprises;

a memory storing the monitor information, wherein the monitor information is accessible by the computer, independent of whether the monitor is powered on and independent of whether the monitor is powered off, based upon the transmission of the predetermined signal that, where a level of the predetermined signal is greater than a reference level, the memory is powered on;

a power control unit to control power supply within the monitor, the power control unit comparing the reference level with the level of the predetermined signal, detecting a state of power of the computer based on a result of the comparison, and outputting a monitor power control signal; and

a power supply unit within the monitor to perform selective supplying and cutting off of power to the monitor based on the monitor power control signal output from the control unit,

wherein the memory is separate from the power control unit, and

wherein, when the computer is in a power off mode, the power supplied to the power control unit within the monitor is cut off and the power from the power supply unit within the monitor is also cut off.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined signal drives the memory so that the monitor information stored in the memory is accessible by the computer.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power control unit outputs a first control signal to supply power to the monitor in response to the level of the predetermined signal being higher than the reference level, and the power control unit outputs a second control signal to cut off power to the monitor in response to the level of the predetermined signal being lower than the reference level.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the level of the predetermined signal is 5V in response to the computer being powered on, and 0V in response to the computer being powered off.

7. A method of controlling a power of a monitor, the method comprising:

receiving, by a power control unit controlling power supply within the monitor, a predetermined signal from a computer based upon the computer being powered; and

selectively powering the monitor on and off according to the predetermined signal,

wherein the predetermined signal is transmitted to the monitor independent of whether the monitor is powered on and independent of whether the monitor is powered off,

wherein the receiving of the predetermined signal includes the power control unit supplying power from the predetermined signal to a memory in the monitor, separate from the power control unit, storing monitor information, so that the monitor information in the memory is accessible by the computer based upon the predetermined signal by powering on the memory when the monitor is powered off, and

wherein, when the computer is in a power off mode, the power supplied to the power control unit within the monitor is cut off and the power from a power supply unit within the monitor is also cut off.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the powering on and off of the monitor further comprises:

detecting a level of the received predetermined signal;

supplying power to the monitor in response to the level of the predetermined signal being higher than a reference level; and

cutting off power to the monitor in response to the level of the predetermined signal being lower than the reference level.

9. An apparatus for controlling a power of a monitor comprising:

a memory storing a monitor information, the monitor information being accessible by a computer, independent of whether the monitor is powered on and independent of whether the monitor is powered off, by powering on the memory when the monitor is powered off based on a transmission of a predetermined signal;

a power control unit to control a supply of power within the monitor, the power control unit comparing a reference level with a level of the predetermined signal, detecting a state of power of the computer based on a result of the comparison, and outputting a monitor power control signal; and

a power supply unit within the monitor to perform selective supplying and cutting off of power to the monitor based on the monitor power control signal output from the power control unit,

wherein the memory is separate from the power control unit,

wherein the predetermined signal is output when the computer is powered on and off and the monitor selectively performs powering on and off according to the predetermined signal, and

wherein, when the computer is in a power off mode, the power supplied to the power control unit is cut off and the power from the power supply unit within the monitor is also cut off.