Information-processing apparatus and clock information display control method for use in the apparatus

• US 7,406,667 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Numano, Fujihito, Saikawa, Yuuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US10/183,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/1.1, 348/14.03, 368/21, 399/185, 715/700, 715/702, 715/804, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information

Abstract

An apparatus controls a main display and a sub-display. The apparatus includes a section which displays, on the sub-display, clock information indicating of time, a section which acquires changed time information, when the time information has been changed, and a section which changes a present value of the time of the clock information displayed on the sub-display, based on the acquired changed time information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a main body;

a main display attached to the main body, the main display being movable between an open position and a closed position;

a power supply controller configured to supply operation power;

a sub-display provided on a surface portion of the main body, on which the sub-display has a display surface thereof exposed irrespective of whether the main display is set to the open position or the closed position, the sub-display being configured to be supplied with operation power from the power supply controller irrespective of whether the apparatus is set to a powered on state or a powered off state;

a clock device provided in the main body, that measures time and is configured to be supplied with operation power from a dedicated battery irrespective of whether the apparatus is set to the powered on state or the powered off state;

a controller provided in the main body, configured to display, on the sub-display, clock information indicative of time, the controller including;

a counter which counts up a present time set therein and sequentially generates values of the time displayed on the sub-display, and

a sub-display controlling unit configured to control the sub-display to display, on the sub-display, the values which are sequentially generated by the counter, each of the counter and the sub-display controlling unit being configured to be supplied with operation power from the power supply controller irrespective of whether the apparatus is set to the powered on state or the powered off state;

means for performing, by using a BIOS program which is executed by a central processing unit within the main body, a process for acquiring a present time from the clock device and a process for setting, in the counter, the acquired present time, when the apparatus is powered on;

means for sending, to an operating system which is executed by the central processing unit, a request for changing the present time or time zone, in accordance with a user'"'"'s operation;

means for detecting, by using a resident program which is executed by the central processing unit, that the operating system changes system time in accordance with the request for changing of the present time or the time zone, and for acquiring changed system time from the operating system when the change of the system time is detected, the resident program presetting that the operating system informs the resident program of the change of the system time, the system time being managed by the operating system based on the present time which is acquired, when the apparatus is powered on, from the clock device by the operating system, the system time being displayed on the main display by the operating system;

means for performing, by using the BIOS program, a process for setting, in the counter, the changed system time which is acquired by the resident program, thereby changing the present time displayed on the sub-display to synchronize the present time displayed on the sub-display with the changed system time being displayed on the main display; and

means for setting, in the clock device, the system time being managed by the operating system, when the operating system is shutdown.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the resident program is a terminate-and-stay-resident program.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for instructing the BIOS program to change the present time displayed on the sub-display.

4. A method for controlling display of clock information for an apparatus having a main display attached to a main body and a sub-display provided on a surface portion of the main body, the main body including a clock device that measures time and a controller that displays, on the sub-display, clock information indicative of time, the method comprising:

counting, by a counter included in the controller, up to a present time and sequentially generating values of the time displayed on the sub-display;

displaying by a sub-display controlling unit, on the sub-display, the values which are sequentially generated by the counter, the counter and the sub-display controlling unit being supplied with operation power from a power supply controller irrespective of whether the apparatus is set to a powered on state or a powered off state;

performing, by using a BIOS program which is executed by a central processing unit within the main body, a process for acquiring a present time from the clock device and a process for setting, in the counter, the acquired present time, when the apparatus is powered on;

sending, to an operating system which is executed by the central processing unit, a request for changing the present time or time zone, in accordance with a user'"'"'s operation;

detecting, by using a resident program which is executed by the central processing unit, that the operating system changes system time in accordance with the request for changing of the present time or the time zone, and for acquiring changed system time from the operating system when the change of the system time is detected, the resident program presetting that the operating system informs the resident program of the change of the system time, the system time being managed by the operating system based on the present time which is acquired, when the apparatus is powered on, from the clock device by the operating system, the system time being displayed on the main display by the operating system;

performing, by using the BIOS program, a process for setting, in the counter, the changed system time which is acquired by the resident program, thereby changing the present time displayed on the sub-display to synchronize the present time displayed on the sub-display with the changed system time being displayed on the main display; and

setting, in the clock device, the system time being managed by the operating system, when the operating system is shutdown;

wherein the main display is movable between an open position and a closed position, the main body including a power supply controller configured to supply operation power,

the sub-display has a display surface thereof exposed irrespective of whether the main display is set to an open position or a closed position, the sub-display being supplied with operation power from the power supply controller irrespective of whether the apparatus is set to the powered on state or the powered off state, and

the clock device is supplied with operation power from a dedicated battery irrespective of whether the apparatus is set to the powered on state or the powered off state.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the resident program is a terminate-and-stay-resident program.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein detecting that the operating system changes system time in accordance with the request for changing of the present time or the time zone comprises instructing the BIOS program to change the present time displayed on the sub-display.