Electronic device, control method and program

• US 8,638,071 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Masayoshi, Kunieda, Shunsuke, Enomoto, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/595,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320112-114, 320/162
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• 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: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004

Abstract

Reduction of wasteful power consumption is envisaged. A power supply function-equipped electronic apparatus (10) is configured to be capable of supplying power to a battery device (20) incorporating a battery (21) by use of a cable (30) connecting the apparatus (10) with the device (20). A detection section (13) detects whether charging of the battery (21) incorporated in the battery device (20) is complete through the cable (30). When charging of the battery (21) is detected to be complete, a power control section (12) turns off power of the power supply function-equipped electronic apparatus (10). This invention can be applied illustratively to gaming machines and the like each composed of a gaming machine body and its controller.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus connected to a plurality of devices each incorporating a battery via a corresponding cable in a manner capable of supplying power to each device through said corresponding cable, said electronic apparatus comprising:

detection means for detecting whether charging of the battery incorporated in said device is complete through said cable;

power control means for turning off power of said detection means and said power control means of said electronic apparatus when charging of said battery is detected to be complete; and

display control means for causing display means displaying pictures to display a menu screen prompting a user to select whether to turn off said power when charging of the battery incorporated in one particular device out of the plurality of devices is complete, or when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said plurality of devices is complete,

wherein, if said power is selected to be turned off when charging of the battery in said one particular device is complete, then said power control means turns off said power of said detection means and said power control means of said electronic apparatus when charging of the battery in said one particular device is detected to be complete, and wherein, if said power is selected to be turned off when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said devices is complete, then said power control means turns off said power of said detection means and said power control means of said electronic apparatus when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said devices is detected to be complete.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power control means turns off said power when charging of the battery incorporated in one particular device out of a plurality of devices is detected to be complete.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power control means turns off said power when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of a plurality of devices is detected to be complete.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

wired communication control means for conducting wired communication with each device via said cable;

wherein said detection means detects whether charging of the battery incorporated in each device is complete on the basis of information indicating status of each device and acquired through said wired communication.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

wireless communication control means for conducting wireless communication with said device;

wherein said detection means detects whether charging of the battery incorporated in said device is complete on the basis of information indicating status of said device and acquired through said wireless communication.

6. A control method for controlling an electronic apparatus connected to a plurality of devices each incorporating a battery via a corresponding cable in a manner capable of supplying power to said device through said cable, said control method comprising

detecting whether charging of the battery incorporated in each device is complete through said cable with a detector in the apparatus;

displaying pictures to display a menu screen prompting a user to select whether to turn off said power when charging of the battery incorporated in one particular device out of the plurality of devices is complete, or when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said plurality of devices is complete;

turning off said power of said detector and a power controller of said electronic apparatus when charging of the battery in said one particular device is detected to be complete if said power is selected to be turned off when charging of the battery in said one particular device is complete; and

turning off said power of said detector and the power controller of said electronic apparatus when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said devices is detected to be complete if said power is selected to be turned off when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said devices is complete.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a program for causing a computer to function as an electronic apparatus connected to a plurality of devices each incorporating a battery via a corresponding cable in a manner capable of supplying power to each device through said corresponding cable, said program causing said computer to perform a method comprising:

detecting whether charging of the battery incorporated in each device is complete through said cable with a detector in the apparatus;

displaying pictures to display a menu screen prompting a user to select whether to turn off said power when charging of the battery incorporated in one particular device out of the plurality of devices is complete, or when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said plurality of devices is complete;

turning off said power of said detector and a power controller of said electronic apparatus when charging of the battery in said one particular device is detected to be complete if said power is selected to be turned off when charging of the battery in said one particular device is complete; and

turning off said power of said detector and the power controller of said electronic apparatus when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said devices is detected to be complete if said power is selected to be turned off when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said devices is complete.

8. An electronic apparatus connected to a plurality of devices each incorporating a battery via a corresponding cable in a manner capable of supplying power to each device through said corresponding cable, said electronic apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to detect whether charging of the battery incorporated in each device is complete through said cable;

a power controller configured to turn off power of said detector and said power controller of said electronic apparatus when charging of said battery is detected to be complete; and

a display controller configured to control a display to display a menu screen prompting a user to select whether to turn off said power when charging of the battery incorporated in one particular device out of the plurality of devices is complete, or when charging of the batteries incorporated in all of said plurality of devices is complete.