Power saving apparatus and power saving method thereof

• US 8,502,414 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Powertech Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Yu-Lung, Chen, Chun Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/851,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 307 41- 67, 307 31- 39
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

A power saving apparatus and power saving method thereof are disclosed. The apparatus includes a power controller and a power outlet, wherein the power controller has a first signal transmission interface, said first signal transmission signal interface is used to detect the operation mode of a host machine by a second signal transmission interface of said host machine, and outputs a controlling signal according to the operation mode of said host machine. The power socket communicates with the power controller and switches the power-on or off according to the control signal. When the host machine is operated in non-working mode, the power socket will turn off the power supplied to the peripheral electrical devices of the host machines, so as to save the power consumption of the peripheral electrical devices of the host machines.

Claims

1. A power saving apparatus which is used to save the power consumption of the peripheral electrical devices of a host machine, comprising:

a power controller, which has a first signal transmission interface and a fourth signal transmission interface, said first signal transmission interface detects an operation mode of said host machine by a second signal transmission interface of said host machine, said operation mode is a working mode or a non-working mode, said power controller outputs a first control signal according to the detection result, when said host machine is operated in said working mode, said first signal is a starting signal of power supply, when the host machine is operated in said non-working mode, said first signal is a stop signal of power supply, said power controller further comprising;

a first micro control unit, said first micro control unit is coupled with said first signal transmission interface and generates said first control signal according to a mode signal outputted from said host machine; and

a first communication unit, said first communication unit is coupled with said first micro control unit, when said first micro control unit generates said first control signal, said first communication unit outputs said first control signal to said power socket;

wherein said fourth signal transmission interface is coupled with said first micro control unit, said fourth signal transmission interface receives a trigger signal coming from an input device, and said power controller transmits said trigger signal to said host machine, so as to control the switch of operation mode of said host machine from said non-working mode to said working mode; and

a power socket, said power socket communicates with said power controller and receives said first control signal, and said power socket controls the power-on or off of said power socket according to said first control signal, when said host machine is operated in said non-working mode, said power socket will turn off the power supplied to the peripheral electrical devices of said host machine.

2. The power saving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mode signal is a working mode signal or a non-working mode signal, when said first micro control unit receives said non-working mode signal, said first control signal is a stop signal for power supply, when said first micro control unit receives said working mode signal, said first control signal is a start signal for power supply.

3. The power saving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power socket comprising:

a main body;

a second communication unit, said communication unit is installed in said main body and which is used to receive said first control signal; and

a second micro control unit, said second micro control unit is installed in said main body, and said second micro control unit controls a switch unit to turn on or off of the power supply of said power socket.

4. The power saving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said power socket comprising:

a power converter;

which is coupled with said second micro control unit, and said power converter converts alternating current (AC) power into direct current (DC) power and supplies said direct current (DC) power to said second micro control unit;

a charging unit, which is coupled with said power converter, said charging unit receives said direct current (DC) power so as to output a charging power; and

a third signal transmission interface, which is coupled with said charging unit, said third signal transmission interface transmits said charging power.

5. The power saving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power controller may be a storage device, a MP3 or a USB dongle;

and said first and second signal transmission interfaces may be USB interface or SATA interface.

6. A power saving method of the power saving apparatus, which is used to save the power consumption of the peripheral electrical devices of a host machine, said power saving apparatus comprising a power controller and a power socket, said power controller has a first signal transmission interface and a fourth signal transmission interface, said first signal transmission interface detects an operation mode of said host machine by a second signal transmission interface of said host machine, said operation mode is a working mode or a non-working mode, said power controller outputs a first control signal according to the detection result, when said host machine is operated in said working mode, said first signal is a starting signal of power supply, when the host machine is operated in said non-working mode, said first signal is a stop signal of power supply, said power controller further comprising a first micro control unit and a first communication unit, said first micro control unit is coupled with said first signal transmission interface and generates said first control signal according to a mode signal outputted from said host machine, said first communication unit is coupled with said first micro control unit, when said first micro control unit generates said first control signal, said first communication unit outputs said first control signal to said power socket, wherein said fourth signal transmission interface is coupled with said first micro control unit, said fourth signal transmission interface receives a trigger signal coming from an input device, and said power controller transmits said trigger signal to said host machine, so as to control the switch of operation mode of said host machine from said non-working mode to said working mode, said power saving method comprising:

said power controller uses a first signal transmission interface to communicate with a second signal transmission interface of a host machine, so as to detect an operation mode of said host machine, said operation mode is a working mode or a non-working mode;

said power controller outputs a control signal to said power socket according to the detection result, when said host machine is operated in said working mode, said control signal is a start signal for power supply, when said host machine is operated in said non-working mode, said control signal is a stop signal for power supply; and

said power controller controls the turn-on or off of the power of said power socket which supplied to the peripheral electrical devices of said host machine according to said control signal.

7. The power saving method of the power saving apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

said power controller outputs a test signal to said host machine and receives the reply signal from host machine so as to judge whether said host machine is operated in said non-working mode; and

when said host machine is operated in said non-working mode, the control signal outputted from said power controller is stop signal for power supply, so as to control the cut-off of power supply of said power socket.

8. The power saving method of the power saving apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising when said host machine is not operated in said non-working mode, said power controller will continue the detection of the operation mode of said host machine.

9. The power saving method of the power saving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein after cut-off of power supply of said power socket further comprising:

said power controller judges whether the mode signal is said working mode signal; and

when the mode signal is said working mode signal, the control signal outputted from said power controller is the start signal for power supply, so as to control the power supply of said power socket.