Electronic apparatus

• US 9,158,360 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Horikawa, Seiichiro, Akita, Koji, Kasami, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Wesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAKRABORTY, RAJARSHI
• Application Number:
  US13/418,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20130015913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 713/340, 320/128, 345/204, 726/19, 327/288
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In an embodiment, an electronic apparatus is mounted with a card unit including first and second devices driven with different driving voltages. The electronic apparatus includes: first and second voltage generating units, first and second control units. The first voltage generating unit generates a first driving voltage for driving the first device and a second driving voltage for driving the second device using electric power from the battery. The second voltage generating unit generates the first driving voltage and second driving voltage using electric power transmitted from the external device. The first control unit controls the first selection unit such that any one of the first driving voltage generated by the first voltage generating unit and the first driving voltage generated by the second voltage generating unit is selected depending on the electric power supply capability of the battery.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus on which a card is mounted, the card including first and second devices which are drivable with different driving voltages, the electronic apparatus comprising:

an electronic circuit configured to perform radio communication with an external device via an antenna and to wirelessly receive electric power from the external device;

a battery;

a first voltage regulator configured to generate a first driving voltage for driving the first device of the card unit and a second driving voltage for driving the second device of the card unit using electric power from the battery;

a second voltage regulator configured to generate the first driving voltage and the second driving voltage using electric power received wirelessly from the external device by the electronic circuit;

a first switch configured to select any one of the first driving voltage generated by the first voltage regulator and the first driving voltage generated by the second voltage regulator;

a second switch configured to select any one of the second driving voltage generated by the first voltage regulator and the second driving voltage generated by the second voltage regulator;

a first controller configured to control the first switch (i) such that the first driving voltage generated by the first voltage regulator is selected when an electric power supply capability of the battery exceeds a first threshold, and (ii) such that the first driving voltage generated by the second voltage regulator is selected when the electric power supply capability of the battery is equal to or lower than the first threshold; and

a second controller configured to control the second switch (i) such that the second driving voltage generated by the first voltage regulator is selected when the electric power supply capability of the battery exceeds a second threshold which is different from the first threshold, and (ii) such that the second driving voltage generated by the second voltage regulator is selected when the electric power supply capability of the battery is equal to or lower than the second threshold.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first device is a secure element configured to perform authentication processing, and the second device is a memory configured to store data.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit wirelessly receives electric power from the external device by using an electromagnetic induction technique.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit wirelessly receives electric power from the external device in an electric wave form.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electronic circuit wirelessly receives electric power from the external device by using an electromagnetic induction technique.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electronic circuit wirelessly receives electric power from the external device in an electric wave form.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone.

8. A method for controlling an electronic apparatus on which a card is mounted, the card including first and second devices which are drivable with different driving voltages, the method comprising:

first generating a first driving voltage for driving the first device of the card and a second driving voltage for driving the second device of the card using electric power from a battery;

second generating the first driving voltage and the second driving voltage using electric power received wirelessly from an external device;

first selecting any one of the first driving voltage generated in the first generating and the first driving voltage generated in the second generating;

second selecting any one of the second driving voltage generated in the first generating and the second driving voltage generated in the second generating;

performing first control (i) such that the first driving voltage generated in the first generating is selected when an electric power supply capability of the battery exceeds a first threshold, and (ii) such that the first driving voltage generated in the second generating is selected when the electric power supply capability of the battery is equal to or lower than the first threshold; and

performing second control (i) such that the second driving voltage generated in the first generating is selected when the electric power supply capability of the battery exceeds a second threshold which is different from the first threshold, and (ii) such that the second driving voltage generated in the second generating is selected when the electric power supply capability of the battery is equal to or lower than the second threshold.