External storage device, and remaining battery amount notifying method in the same

• US 6,831,444 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 2BCom LLC (Markman Advisors LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanzawa, Kazunari, Kobayashi, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tibbits, Pia
• Application Number:
  US10/235,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20030141849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 320/136, 320/132, 320/107, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 340/636, 340/988, 340/995, 340/457.4, 701/213
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

This invention relates to a portable external storage device including a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with a plurality of information processing apparatuses, a detection unit which detects a remaining amount of the battery, a storage unit which stores setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining amount of the battery transmitted from the information processing apparatus serving as a host device, and a remaining amount of the battery at which a warning is generated, and a notifying unit which notifies the host device of information about the remaining amount of the battery detected by the detection unit on the basis of the setting information stored in the storage unit.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with an information processing apparatus;

means for receiving, from the information processing, apparatus, a setting information representing at least one of a notifying method for information about remaining energy of said battery, or level of remaining energy of said battery at which a warning is to be displayed on the information processing apparatus; and

means for storing the received setting information; and

means for detecting a remaining energy of said battery; and

means for transmitting, to the information processing apparatus, information about the remaining energy of said battery on the basis of the received setting information.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said notifying means comprises

means for determining whether the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information when the notifying method represented by the setting information is a method of notifying the information processing apparatus of a remaining energy of said battery, and

means for, when said determination means determines that the remaining energy of said battery is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of warning information representing that the remaining energy of said battery is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information, and when said determination means determines that the remaining energy of said battery is more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said notifying means comprises

first means for determining whether a user has inputted a remaining battery energy information request, while the notifying method represented by the setting information is a method of notifying the information processing apparatus of a remaining energy of said battery in response to a user designation,

second means for determining whether the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information when said first means determines that the user inputs the remaining battery energy information request, and

means for, when said second determination means determines that the remaining energy of said battery is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of warning information representing that the remaining energy of said battery is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information and when said second means determines that the remaining energy of said battery is more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information, notifying the information processing apparatus of the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said notifying means comprises

means for determining whether the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information when the notifying method represented by the setting information is a notifying method for a case in which the remaining energy of said battery is not more than a remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information at which a warning is generated, and

means for notifying the information processing apparatus of warning information representing that the remaining energy of said battery is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information, when said determination means determines that the remaining energy of said battery is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information.

5. A device according to claim 1, in which the setting information includes avoidance destination information representing an avoidance destination of data in the device when a warning is generated, and

which further comprises

means for determining whether the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information at which a warning is generated, and

means for storing data stored in the external storage device in an alternate storage location specified by the avoidance destination information when said determination means determines that the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means is not more than the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information at which a warning is generated.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus and the device wirelessly communicate with each other.

7. A remaining battery energy notifying method for a device in an information processing apparatus which communicates data with the device, comprising:

transmitting a setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining energy of a battery and a level of remaining energy of said battery at which a warning is generated to notify the information processing apparatus to the device, wherein the setting information is transmitted from the information processing apparatus;

receiving, from the device, information about the remaining energy of the battery acquired in the device in response to the setting information ; and

displaying the received information about the remaining energy of the battery in the information processing apparatus.

8. A battery information notifying system which notifies an information processing apparatus serving as a host device of information about a battery of an external device, wherein

the information processing apparatus comprises:

transmission means for transmitting, to the external device, setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining energy of a battery of the external device, and a remaining energy of the battery at which a warning is generated,

the external device comprises;

a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with a plurality of information processing apparatuses;

means for detecting a remaining energy of said battery;

means for storing setting information transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and

means for notifying the host device of information about the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means, on the basis of the setting information stored in said storage means, and

the information processing apparatus further comprises;

means for receiving the information about the remaining energy of said battery from the external device; and

means for exhibiting the received information about the remaining energy of said battery on the basis of the notifying method for the information about the remaining energy of said battery represented by the setting information.

9. An external storage device comprising:

a battery which supplies power to a communication section which communicates with an information processing apparatus;

means for detecting a remaining energy of said battery;

means for storing setting information representing a notifying method for information about a remaining energy of said battery transmitted from the information process apparatus, and a remaining energy of said battery at which a warning is generated; and

means for notifying the information processing apparatus of information about the remaining energy of said battery detected by said detection means on the basis of the setting information stored in said storage means.