Method for displaying information concerning power consumption and electronic device

• US 20030205995A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maruichi, Tomoyuki, Odaohhara, Shigefumi, Nakamura, Tetsuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,714,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/103R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

An intelligent battery pack in an electronic device such as a PC, sends such information as a voltage, a current, etc. related to power consumption to a controller via a line when the PC is driven by a battery. When the AC adapter is supplying electrical power to the device, the power source is changed to the battery pack once only during the measuring time so as to display data using both measuring and communicating functions of the battery pack. Consequently, no special electric power detector is provided in the power supply system of the AC adapter.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information concerning power consumption of an electronic device on a display, said electronic device having a display and driven by a battery pack enabling the sending of said information concerning power consumption, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining information concerning a power consumption value from said battery pack; and

displaying said information concerning the power consumption value.

2. A method for displaying information concerning power consumption of an electronic device on a display, said electronic device having a display and driven by an AC adapter or a battery pack enabling the sending of information concerning power consumption, said method comprising the steps of:

stopping supply of electrical power for a predetermined time, when said AC adapter is supplying electrical power to said electronic device,

so as to supply said electric power to said electronic device from said battery pack;

obtaining information concerning a power consumption value from said battery pack; and

,

displaying said information concerning the power consumption value.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising the further step of:

processing said information concerning the power consumption value obtained from said battery pack prior to displaying said information on said display.

4. An electronic device having a display and driven by a battery, comprising:

a device for detecting information concerning a power consumption value of said electronic device; and

a device for displaying said detected information concerning the power consumption value on said display.

5. An electronic device driven by a battery pack enabling the sending of information concerning power consumption, comprising:

a micro-controller for receiving information concerning a power consumption value from said battery pack and outputting said information concerning the power consumption value; and

a display for displaying information concerning the power consumption value output from said micro-controller.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein said micro-controller processes information concerning the power consumption value received from said battery pack and outputs said processed information concerning the power consumption value.

7. An electronic device driven by an AC adapter or a battery pack enabling the sending of information concerning power consumption, comprising:

a controllable switch for shutting off electric power supplied from said AC adapter and selecting power supply from said battery pack for a predetermined time;

a micro-controller for outputting a control signal to said switch so as to shut off said electric power to said electronic device, and for receiving information concerning a power consumption value from said battery pack and outputting said information concerning power consumption; and

a display for displaying information concerning the power consumption value output from said micro-controller.

8. An electronic device driven by an AC adapter or a battery pack enabling the sending of information concerning power consumption, comprising:

a line for supplying electric power to said electronic device from said battery pack if said electric power from said AC adapter is shut off;

a communication controller for receiving information concerning a power consumption value from said battery pack and outputting said information concerning power consumption if said line is used to supply said electric power;

and a display for displaying information concerning the power consumption value output from said communication controller.

9. An electronic device driven by an AC adapter and a battery pack enabling the sending of information concerning power consumption, comprising:

a first input terminal connectable to said AC adapter;

a load terminal connectable to an electric power load of said electronic device;

a second input terminal connectable to an electric power terminal of said battery pack;

a communication terminal connectable to a signal terminal of said battery pack;

a switch provided with a control terminal, its one terminal being connected to said first input terminal and its second terminal being connected to said load terminal;

a line for connecting said second input terminal to said load terminal;

a communication controller provided with an input terminal connected to said communication terminal and used to receive information concerning a power consumption value from said battery pack;

a control terminal connected to a control terminal of said switch and used to turn off said switch for a predetermined time if said AC adapter supplies electric power to said first input terminal so as to send a control signal to said switch and let said battery pack supply said electric power; and

a terminal for receiving information concerning the power consumption value of said battery pack from said communication terminal while said switch is off and outputting said information concerning the power consumption value in the same format or in a different format; and

a display for displaying information concerning the power consumption value output from said communication controller.