Method for reducing standby power and wireless device using the same

• US 8,890,487 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Chang Soo, Park, Jung Hwan, Jung, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/109,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 320/162, 315/209.SC, 315/227.R, 315/294
• US Class Current: 320/162
• 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: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

The present invention provides a wireless device and method for reducing standby power. The method for reducing standby power of the wireless device includes the steps of: charging a charging battery with power supplied from an AC commercial power source in a normal mode of the wireless device, blocking the power of the AC commercial power source and converting an operation state of the wireless device so that the wireless device is in a standby mode when an operation-off signal used for turning off a predetermined device is transmitted from an outside. In this case, the wireless device receives the power with which the charging battery has been charged. In a standby mode, the wires device is periodically converted to be in a normal mode to transmit an operation state inquiry signal to the outside, so that it is possible to normally control the predetermined device.

Claims

1. A wireless device which wirelessly communicates with an external entity and controls a predetermined device according to a control signal transmitted from the external entity, the wireless device comprising:

a switch for receiving AC power supplied from an AC commercial power source;

a converter for converting the AC power received in the switch into DC power;

a charging battery;

a charging circuit for charging the charging battery with the converted DC power; and

a control unit for simultaneously turning off the switch to block supply of the AC power, converting an operation state of the wireless device from a normal mode to a standby mode, and turning off the predetermined device, in response to receiving an operation-off signal instructing the control unit to turn off the predetermined device which is transmitted from the external entity,

wherein the predetermined device controlled by the wireless device is located externally to the wireless device,

wherein, in the normal mode, the charging circuit supplies the control unit with the converted DC power, and in the standby mode, the charging battery supplies the control unit with the converted DC power stored in the charging battery.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the charging circuit charges the charging battery with the converted DC power while simultaneously supplying the converted DC power to the control unit, when the operation state of the wireless device is in the normal mode.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the charging circuit supplies to the control unit power which the charging battery generates based on the converted DC power used to charge the charging battery, when the operation state of the wireless device is converted from the normal mode to the standby mode.

4. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein the control unit periodically converts the operation state of the wireless device from the standby mode to the normal mode, and transmits an operation state inquiry signal to the external entity.

5. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the control unit checks a voltage level of the charging battery when the operation state of the wireless device is periodically converted to the normal mode.

6. The wireless device of claim 5, wherein, when the voltage level of the charging battery is equal to or less than a preset value, the control unit converts the operation state of the wireless device so that the wireless device is in the normal mode, and receives power supplied from the AC commercial power source to charge the charging battery with the received power.

7. The wireless device of claim 6, wherein, when the charging battery is completely charged, the control unit reconverts the operation state of the wireless device so that the wireless device is in the standby mode.

8. A method for reducing standby power of a wireless device which wirelessly communicates with an external entity and controls a predetermined device according to a control signal transmitted from the external entity, the method comprising the operations of:

(A) charging a charging battery with power supplied from an AC commercial power source, by a charging circuit;

(B) in response to receiving, at a control unit, an operation-off signal instructing the control unit to turn off the predetermined device, which is transmitted from the external entity, simultaneously turning off the predetermined device, turning off a switch connected to the AC commercial power source to block power supplied from the AC commercial power source, and converting an operation state of the wireless device from a normal mode to a standby mode, by the control unit; and

(C) supplying to the control unit power which the charging battery generates based on the power supplied from the AC commercial power source, by the charging circuit,

wherein the predetermined device controlled by the wireless device is located externally to the wireless device, and

wherein, in the normal mode, the charging circuit supplies the control unit with converted DC power, and in the standby mode, the charging battery supplies the control unit with the power which the charging battery generates based on the power supplied from the AC commercial power source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein after operation (C), the method further comprises the operation of:

(D) periodically converting the operation state of the wireless device from the standby mode to a normal mode to transmit an operation state inquiry signal to the external entity, by the control unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein after operation (C), the method further comprises the operations of:

(E-1) periodically converting the operation state of the wireless device from the standby mode to a normal mode to check a voltage level of the charging battery, by the control unit;

(E-2) converting the operation state of the wireless device so that the wireless device is in the normal mode when the voltage level of the charging battery is equal to or less than a preset value, by the control unit; and

(E-3) turning on a switch connected to the AC commercial power source, by the control unit, and receiving power supplied from the AC commercial power source to charge the charging battery with the supplied power, by the charging circuit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein after step (E-3), the method further comprises the operation of:

(E-4) checking whether or not the charging battery is completely charged, by the control unit; and

(E-5) when the charging battery is completely charged, reconverting the operation state of the wireless device so that the wireless device is in the standby mode, by the control unit.