Portable computer with a power control function

• US 7,945,794 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Chih-Pin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh; Jaweed A
• Application Number:
  US11/594,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320
• US Class Current: 713/320
• 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 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675

Abstract

A portable computer with a power control function is disclosed to include a first body, a hinge, a second body coupled to the first body through the hinge, an optical sensor having a transmitter and a receiver and mounted on the first body, an optical grating connected to the hinge and having a part located between the transmitter and the receiver, a control circuit, and an electronic component. When the second body is turned relative to the first body, the optical sensor generates a first sensing voltage and a second sensing voltage subject to the turning action of the optical grating so that the control circuit controls the power of the electronic component based on the first sensing voltage and the second sensing voltage provided by the optical sensor.

Claims

1. A portable computer with a power control function comprising:

a hinge having a first part and a second part pivotally coupled to the first part;

a first body affixed to the first part of the hinge;

a second body affixed to the second part of the hinge and rotatable with the second part of the hinge relative to the first body;

an optical sensor mounted on the first body, the optical sensor having transmitter means and receiver means, the transmitter means being adapted to emit a beam to the receiver means;

an optical grating connected to the second part of the hinge and rotatable with the second part of the hinge relative to the first part, the optical grating having a plurality of openings and a plurality of blocking zones, the optical grating having at least one part located between the transmitter means and the receiver means such that the optical sensor generates a first sensing voltage when one of the blocking zones blocks the beam from the receiver means, the optical sensor generating a second sensing voltage when the beam passes through one of the openings to the receiver means;

a backlight module mounted in the second body; and

a control circuit electrically connected to the optical sensor and the backlight module;

wherein when the second body is rotated to a second open angle with respect to the first body, the control circuit generates a second control signal for controlling the backlight module to be on half brightness according to the first and second sensing voltages;

when the second body is rotated to a third open angle with respect to the first body, the control circuit generates a third control signal for controlling the backlight module to be on full brightness according to the first and second sensing voltages.

2. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power supply module electrically connected to the control circuit, wherein when the second body is rotated to a first open angle with respect to the first body, the control circuit generates a first control signal for controlling the power supply module to output power supply to the portable computer according to the first and second sensing voltages.

3. The portable computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the second body is closed on the first body, the control circuit generates a fourth control signal for controlling the power supply module to cut off power supply from the portable computer.

4. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first body is a main unit of a notebook computer and the second body is a LCD display of the notebook computer.

5. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a resistance unit, a plurality of sensing ends and a resistance sensor unit, the resistance unit being adhered to the second part of the hinge, the sensing ends and the resistance sensor unit being mounted on the first body.

6. The portable computer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the resistance sensor unit is electrically connected to the control circuit and detects resistance values provided by the resistance unit to obtain a variation of resistance value;

the resistance sensor unit transmits the variation of resistance value to the control circuit so that the control circuit controls power supply to the backlight module based on the variation of resistance value.

7. The portable computer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control circuit generates a cumulated number value subject to the first and second sensing voltages generated by the optical sensor, and then generates one of the first, second, third and fourth control signals subject to the cumulated number value.

8. The portable computer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cumulated number value is reset to zero when the second body is closed on the first body.

9. The portable computer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cumulated number value is directly proportional to an open angle between the first body and the second body.