Portable information terminal apparatus capable of correctly detecting power supply voltage

• US 6,038,515 A
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Matumoto, Hidehiro, Kikuchi, Tsuneyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LINH M
• Application Number:
  US08/965,523
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 702/63, 702/64, 713/340, 320/149
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/386 using test-loads

Abstract

In a portable information terminal system including a CPU and peripheral circuits, there is provided a discharge quantity table for storing remaining power levels. Each of the remaining power levels is defined based on a state of the portable information terminal system as a system state and a voltage of a power supply. A voltage detecting unit detects the power supply voltage in response to a voltage detection request. A control section monitors the system state, and issues the voltage detection request in response to a voltage check request. The control section refers to the discharge quantity table based on the power supply voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit and the monitored system state to determine the remaining power level of the power supply.

Claims

1. A portable information terminal system including a CPU and peripheral circuits, comprising:

a power supply;

a discharge quantity table for storing remaining power levels, each of which is defined based on a system state of said portable information terminal system and a voltage of said power supply;

a voltage detecting unit for detecting said power supply voltage in response to a voltage detection request; and

a control section for monitoring said system state, for issuing said voltage detection request in response to a voltage check request, for referring to said discharge quantity table based on said power supply voltage detected by said voltage detecting unit and said monitored system state to determine said remaining power level of said power supply.

2. A portable information terminal system according to claim 1, wherein said system state corresponds to at least one of a state of supply of a clock signal to said CPU and said peripheral circuits and a state of supply of power to said peripheral circuits.

3. A portable information terminal system according to claim 1, further comprising a check request generating section for periodically issuing said voltage check request to said control section at every predetermined time period.

4. A portable information terminal system according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined time period is set by a user.

5. A portable information terminal system according to claim 3, further comprising a time period setting section for automatically setting said predetermined time period.

6. A portable information terminal system according to claim 5, wherein said time period setting section sets said predetermined time period based on said detected remaining power level.

7. A portable information terminal system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locking section for locking an operation of said CPU in response to a lock instruction, wherein said control section further issues said lock instruction to said locking section in response to said voltage check request.

8. A portable information terminal system according to claim 1, wherein said control section issues said voltage check request to said voltage detecting unit again when it is detected that an operation state of any of said peripheral circuits is changed during the power supply voltage detection.

9. A portable information terminal system according to claim 8, wherein said control section detects whether the operation state of any of said peripheral circuit is changed, based on a processing amount of said peripheral circuits.

10. A portable information terminal system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit; and

a display control section for displaying a data corresponding to said determined remaining power on said display unit.

20. A portable information terminal system according to claim 1, wherein the system state is defined as one of a large power consumption state and a small power consumption state.

11. A method of determining a remaining power level of a power supply in a portable information terminal system including a CPU and peripheral circuits, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a system state of the portable information terminal system;

issuing a voltage detection request in response to a voltage check request;

detecting a power supply voltage in response to said voltage detection request; and

referring to a discharge quantity table based on said power supply voltage detected by said voltage detecting unit and said monitored system state to determine said remaining power level of said power supply, wherein said discharge quantity table includes a plurality of remaining power levels, each of which is defined with respect to said system state and said power supply voltage.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said system state corresponds to at least one of a state of supply of a clock signal to said CPU and said peripheral circuits and a state of supply of power to said peripheral circuits.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of periodically issuing said voltage check request to said control section at every predetermined time period.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of setting said predetermined time period by a user.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of automatically setting said predetermined time period.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said automatically setting step includes automatically setting said predetermined time period based on said detected remaining power level.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of

issuing a lock instruction in response to said voltage check request;

and

locking an operation of said CPU in response to a lock instruction.

18. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether an operation state of any of said peripheral circuits is changed during the power supply voltage detection; and

issuing said voltage check request again when it is determined that an operation state of any of said peripheral circuits is changed during the power supply voltage detection.

19. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of displaying data corresponding to said determined remaining power on said display unit.

21. A method according to claim 11, wherein the system state is defined as one of a large power consumption state and a small power consumption state.