JP3730414B2 - Computer and power supply control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a portable computer or a portable information terminal that can be driven by a battery, and a power supply control method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, various portable electronic devices such as notebook personal computers (PCs) and PDAs have been developed. This type of electronic device is configured to be able to be driven by either battery or AC adapter power supply, considering both portable use where AC commercial power cannot be used and indoor use such as in offices and homes. ing. As the battery, a rechargeable secondary battery such as a nickel metal hydride battery or a lithium ion battery is usually used.
[0003]
When the AC adapter is connected to the PC by the user, the power source of the PC is switched from the battery to the AC adapter power source, and the battery is automatically charged by the AC adapter power source. Therefore, when the AC adapter power supply is connected, the battery is always in a charged state or a fully charged state. Even if the battery is fully charged, no power is supplied from it. The battery is used as a driving power source only when the user removes the AC adapter from the PC.
[0004]
By the way, in Japan, the power cost is usually set at low cost at night. This is because the amount of power used at night is less than during the day. For this reason, when the battery is charged using power during a time period (nighttime) when the amount of power used is low, and the PC is actually used during the day when the amount of power used reaches its peak, Instead, if the PC is driven by switching to discharging from the battery, the peak amount of power used can be reduced, and moreover, the power charge can be saved.
[0005]
However, in the conventional system, as described above, discharging from the battery is performed only when the user removes the AC adapter, and the drive power source cannot be switched to the battery when the AC adapter is connected. For this reason, even when the battery is in a fully charged state, it has not been possible to perform the control of automatically switching the drive power source from the AC adapter power source to the battery during the day when the peak of the used power is reached.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, conventionally, since the battery and the AC adapter are switched according to whether or not the AC adapter is connected, the battery cannot be used as a power source while the AC adapter is connected. For this reason, in offices and the like that are often used with an AC adapter connected to a PC, the power cannot be effectively used even when the battery is fully charged.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an electronic device capable of automatically switching between AC driving and battery driving according to a time setting and capable of effectively using electric power and its An object is to provide a power supply control method.
[0008]
In addition, the present invention provides an electronic device that can automatically charge a battery during a preset time zone (for example, at night) and can charge the battery by effectively utilizing a time zone with less power consumption. An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply control method.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides:In a computer having a battery and capable of being driven by an external power source connectable to the battery or the computer main bodyThe batteryComputerUse as drive powerSpecify time zoneMeans for holding first time information;In a time zone specified by the first time information, the battery is used as a driving power source, and the charging operation of the battery by the external power source is stopped.And means for switching a driving power source used between the external power source and the battery based on the first time information.
[0010]
  thisComputer, The driving power source to be used is automatically switched between the external power source and the battery based on the first time information. For the time zone specified by the first time information, an AC adapter or the like is used. Even if the external power source is connected, the power discharged from the battery is used as the drive power source, and the external power source is not used.In this case, the battery is not charged by the external power source.Therefore,ComputerBy setting in advance the daytime time zone in which the battery is actually used as the first time information, it becomes possible to effectively use the power of the battery during the daytime when the peak of power consumption is reached.
[0011]
  According to the present invention, it is detected that the remaining capacity of the battery is lower than a predetermined threshold value during the period specified by the first time information and the means for detecting the remaining capacity of the battery. When switching the driving power source from the battery to the external power sourceAnd control not to charge the battery from the external power source.And a means. As described above, when the remaining amount of the battery is reduced even in the time period specified by the first time information, it is possible to maintain normal power supply by automatically switching to driving by the external power source. .Further, since the battery is not charged even when the driving is switched to the external power source, the usage amount of the external power source in the time zone specified by the first time information can be suppressed.
[0012]
According to the present invention, there is provided charging means for charging the battery using the external power source, means for holding second time information for specifying a time indicating charging start of the battery, and the second time information. And a means for controlling the charging means based on the second time information so that charging of the battery is started at a designated time.
[0013]
Thereby, for example, the battery can be automatically charged in a time zone such as at night when the amount of power used is small, and the power cost can be saved. Furthermore, the battery can be set to a fully charged state by the time zone when the electronic device is actually used.
[0017]
The first power supply control mode described above is basically based on an environment in which a battery is attached and an external power supply is connected. Therefore, when it is detected that the external power supply is not connected or the battery is not attached, the use of the first power supply control mode is prohibited, and the power supply control mode is changed from the first power supply control mode to the second power supply control mode. It is preferable to switch to. As a result, there is no danger of no power being supplied to the electronic device.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a system configuration of a personal computer (PC) according to an embodiment of the present invention. This PC is a notebook type or laptop type computer that can be driven by a battery. As shown in the figure, a processor bus 1, a PCI bus 2, an ISA bus 3, I²C bus 4, CPU 11, host-PCI bridge device 12, main memory 13, display controller 14, PCI-ISA bridge device 15, I / O control gate array 17, power supply controller 18, battery pack 19, BIOS-ROM 31, keyboard controller (KBC) 32, HDD 33, real-time clock (RTC) 34, and the like are provided.
[0019]
The CPU 11 controls the entire system by executing a program on the main memory 13. The main memory 13 stores an operating system executed by the CPU 11, a device driver, an application program to be executed, processing data, and the like.
[0020]
The host / PCI bridge device 12 is a bridge LSI that connects the processor bus 1 and the PCI bus 2, and functions as one of the bus masters of the PCI bus 2. The host / PCI bridge device 12 has a function of bidirectionally converting a bus cycle including data and an address between the processor bus 1 and the PCI bus 2, and a function of controlling access to the main memory 13 via the memory bus. Etc.
[0021]
The display controller 14 is one of the bus masters of the PCI bus 2 similarly to the host / PCI bridge device 12, and displays the image data drawn in the video memory (VRAM) 142 on the LCD 140 or an external CRT display 141.
[0022]
The PCI-ISA bridge device 15 is a bridge LSI that connects the PCI bus 2 and the ISA bus 3. The ISA bus 3 is connected to a BIOS-ROM 31 in which the system BIOS is stored, a keyboard controller (KBC) 32 for keyboard control, an HDD 33, an RTC 34, an I / O control gate array 17, and the like.
[0023]
The RTC 34 is a clock module having its own battery for operation, and has a CMOS memory for holding various environment setting information of this system. In the CMOS memory, information such as which mode # 1 or Mode # 2 is used is held as setting information regarding the charge / discharge mode of the battery 19.
[0024]
Here, Mode # 1 is a mode in which charging / discharging of the battery is controlled in accordance with time information preset by the user. As time information, 1) charging permission period information and 2) AC adapter use prohibition period information are set.
[0025]
1) Charging permission period information
The charging permission period information indicates the charging start time of the battery 19 by the power supply from the AC adapter 20.
[0026]
2) AC adapter use prohibition period information
The AC adapter use prohibition period information indicates a time period during which the battery 19 is discharged and used as a drive power source without using the AC adapter 20.
[0027]
In Mode # 1, based on these time information, switching of the driving power source and control of the charging start timing of the battery are automatically performed. That is, when this PC is set to Mode # 1, the battery 19 is automatically charged in the time zone specified by the charging permission period information (for example, at night), and the AC adapter use prohibition period information Is automatically switched to the power supply from the battery 19 during a predetermined PC usage time period (for example, daytime) designated by. Further, when the battery 19 is empty or the remaining capacity falls below a certain value, control such as automatically switching to power supply from the AC adapter 20 is performed. As a result, it is possible to effectively use a time zone in which the amount of power used is small, and it is possible to reduce the power cost by the PC and smooth the peak of the power usage without bothering the user.
[0028]
Mode # 2 is a mode in which the drive power supply is switched according to whether or not the AC adapter 20 is connected, as in the past. When the AC adapter 20 is connected to the PC body, the power from the AC adapter 20 is driven. While being used as a power source, the battery 19 is charged. The battery 19 is used as a drive power source only when the AC adapter 20 is removed by the user.
[0029]
In the present embodiment, Mode # 1 and Mode # 2 can be selectively used according to user settings and the like.
The I / O control gate array 17 is connected to the ISA bus 3 and I²It is a bridge LSI that connects the C bus 4 and has a plurality of register groups that can be read / written by the CPU 11. By using these register groups, communication between the CPU 11 and the power supply controller 18 becomes possible.
[0030]
The battery pack 19 includes a rechargeable secondary battery such as a nickel metal hydride battery or a lithium ion battery, and is configured to be detachably mounted on the computer main body. The battery pack 19 also includes an EEPROM. The EEPROM stores battery information indicating the type of secondary battery of the battery pack 19, the remaining capacity of the secondary battery, the low battery detection voltage, and the like. The battery information is read by the power controller 18 and used for battery charge control, system power management, and the like.
[0031]
The power supply controller (power supply circuit) 18 is for controlling the power on / off of the system according to the operation of the power switch 21, and uses the power from the battery pack 19 or the AC adapter 20. Supply operating power to each unit. The power supply controller 18 incorporates a microcomputer for charge / discharge control that is maintained in an operating state even when the system is powered off. This microcomputer is provided with a time measuring function, and the current time can be set from the system BIOS through the I / O control gate array 17. The current time setting is I²This is done via the C bus 4.
[0032]
The timekeeping function is realized by a timer function on the microcomputer side or a constant count of the basic clock. The clock keeps working without stopping while the microcomputer is operating. Similarly, the above-described charging permission period information and AC adapter use prohibition period information²It is set via the C bus 4.
[0033]
Next, a specific configuration of the power supply controller 18 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in the figure, the power controller 18 includes an AC adapter input unit 181, an input unit switch 182, a microcomputer 183, a charging circuit 184, a discharge switch 185, a switching power source 186, and the like.
[0034]
The AC adapter input unit 181 is an external power supply input terminal into which the AC adapter 20 is inserted, and system driving power and battery charging / discharging power are supplied by the external power input to the AC adapter input unit 181.
[0035]
The input unit switch 182 is a switch for turning on / off the input of the external power source (AC adapter input) from the AC adapter input unit 181, and the On / Off control is performed by the microcomputer 183.
[0036]
The microcomputer 183 is a one-chip microcomputer that operates by firmware control, and performs charge / discharge control of the secondary battery in the battery, On / Off control of the AC adapter input, and the like. Charging is performed only during the charging permission period given by the charging permission period information, and during the AC adapter unusable period given by the AC adapter use prohibition period information, processing is performed to turn off the AC adapter input without charging. The microcomputer 183 has functions such as detection of presence / absence of AC adapter input, detection of presence / absence of attachment of the battery 19, detection of remaining capacity / full charge of the battery 19, and the like. All these functions are realized by the firmware described above.
[0037]
The charging circuit 184 is for charging the battery 19 using an AC adapter input. Driving / stopping of the charging circuit 184 is controlled by the microcomputer 183. When the AC adapter 20 is not connected to the PC main body or when the input unit switch 182 is turned off, the battery 19 is not charged and the battery 19 is used as a system driving power source.
[0038]
The discharge switch 185 is a switch for controlling the discharge of the battery 19, and is turned on when the battery 19 is used as a system driving power source, and is turned off when not used. On / Off of the discharge switch 185 is controlled by the microcomputer 183.
[0039]
The switching power supply 186 is for supplying an operation power supply to each unit in the PC using an AC adapter input or discharge power from the battery 19, and is realized by a DC / DC converter or the like.
[0040]
In this configuration, by controlling On / Off of the input unit switch 182 by the microcomputer 183, even if power is supplied from the AC adapter 20, it can be electrically cut off. When the PC is in the power-on state, the power supply from the battery 19 can be performed by turning off the input switch 182 and turning on the discharge switch 185.
[0041]
FIG. 3 is a state transition diagram of the charge state and the discharge state in Mode # 1.
Mode # 1 has the following four states from state # 1 to state # 4.
1) State # 1:
The charging state is the time specified by the user, and this state # 1 is entered when the time specified by the charging permission period information comes. During this period, as shown in FIG. 4, the input switch 182 is turned on and the charging circuit 184 is also turned on. Thereby, the battery 19 is charged. When the microcomputer 183 detects that the battery 19 is fully charged, the microcomputer 183 shifts to a charging stop state (state # 2) due to full charging (charging completion), and the AC adapter use prohibition period even if the battery 19 is not fully charged. When the AC adapter use prohibition period given by the information is reached, the state shifts to the discharge state (state # 3) according to the time specified by the user.
[0042]
2) State # 2:
The charging is stopped due to full charge. During this period, as shown in FIG. 4, the input switch 182 is turned on and the charging circuit 184 is turned off. When the AC adapter use prohibition period given by the AC adapter use prohibition period information is reached, the state shifts to the discharge state (state # 3) according to the time specified by the user.
[0043]
3) State # 3:
It is a discharge state at a time specified by the user. During this period, as shown in FIG. 4, the input switch 182 is turned off and the charging circuit 184 is also turned off. Then, when the discharge switch 185 is turned on, power supply by the battery 19 is started. When the microcomputer 183 detects that the battery is empty or the remaining capacity has dropped below a certain value, the AC adapter is driven (state # 4) due to battery empty (or remaining capacity reduction). In order to keep driving the PC, the AC adapter must be driven.
[0044]
4) State # 4:
This is an AC adapter drive state due to battery empty (or remaining capacity drop). During this period, as shown in FIG. 4, the input switch 183 is turned on and the charging circuit 184 is turned off. The discharge switch 185 is turned off. Although it is in the AC adapter drive state, the battery is not charged. This is to reduce the amount of external power used in the time zone specified by the user as much as possible.
[0045]
Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4, the procedure of the power supply control process by the microcomputer 183 performed in order to implement Mode # 1 will be described.
The microcomputer 183 executes the following main routine regardless of whether the PC is powered on or powered off.
[0046]
First, it is detected whether or not the AC adapter 20 is connected to the PC main body, that is, whether or not an external power source is input, by checking the voltage of the AC adapter input unit (step S11). When the AC adapter 20 is not connected, the charging circuit 184 is turned off and the input unit switch 182 is also turned off (steps S12 and S13).
[0047]
If the AC adapter 20 is connected, the presence or absence of the battery 19 is detected by detecting the voltage of the battery 19 (step S14). If the battery 19 is not attached, the input unit switch 182 is turned on (step S15). Thereby, driving by the AC adapter 20 is possible, but control by Mode # 1 is not performed.
[0048]
When it is detected that the AC adapter 20 and the battery 19 are both attached, the control of Mode # 1 is performed.
That is, until the AC adapter unusable period specified by the AC adapter unusable period information is reached (NO in step S16), the input unit switch 182 is turned on (step S17), and the AC adapter 20 is used as a drive power source for the PC. used. Then, until the charging permission period specified by the charging permission period information is reached (NO in step S18), the charging circuit 184 is turned off (step S19). When the microcomputer 183 detects that the charging permission period has been reached (YES in step S18), charging by the charging circuit 184 is performed until a fully charged state is detected (steps S20, S21, S22).
[0049]
When the microcomputer 183 detects that the AC adapter unusable period has been reached (YES in step S16), the charging circuit 184 is turned off (step S23). If the PC is in a power-on state, the battery 19 is used as a drive power source by turning on the discharge switch 185. Further, until the battery 19 becomes empty or the remaining battery capacity becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value (NO in step S24), the input unit switch 182 is maintained in the OFF state (step S25), and the AC adapter input is not used. It is forbidden. If the microcomputer 183 detects that the battery 19 is empty or the remaining battery capacity is equal to or less than a predetermined value (YES in step S24), the input unit switch 182 is turned on (step S26). As a result, the driving power source is switched from the battery 19 to the AC adapter power source.
[0050]
As described above, when Mode # 1 is selected, the battery 19 is automatically charged when the charging permission period preset by the user is reached, and is preset by the user. During the AC adapter unusable period, the use of the AC adapter input is prohibited and the battery 19 is used as a drive power source.
[0051]
Next, a switching operation between Mode # 1 and Mode # 2 executed by the microcomputer 183 will be described with reference to FIG.
Switching between Mode # 1 and Mode # 2 can be performed by a user operation using a system BIOS, an environment setting utility, or the like. Here, an automatic switching method from Mode # 1 to Mode # 2 will be described. .
[0052]
First, the microcomputer 183 checks which mode, Mode # 1 or Mode # 2, is selected as the current power control mode based on the battery charge / discharge mode information passed from the system BIOS (step S101).
[0053]
If the current power control mode is Mode # 2, the power control process of Mode # 2 is executed (step S106). In the power control process of Mode # 2, the drive power source is switched according to whether the AC adapter 20 is connected as usual, and when the AC adapter 20 is connected to the PC body, the power from the AC adapter 20 is switched. Is used as a drive power source and the battery 19 is charged. The battery 19 is used as a drive power source only when the AC adapter 20 is removed by the user.
[0054]
On the other hand, if the current power control mode is Mode # 1, first, the remaining battery capacity is checked (step S102), and the remaining battery capacity is a predetermined level at which the battery can operate for a certain amount of time even in a mobile environment (for example, During the period until the remaining capacity becomes equal to or less than 50% (NO in step S103), the power control process of Mode # 1 described in FIG. 5 is performed (step S104). When it is detected that the remaining battery capacity is below a predetermined level (for example, remaining capacity = 50%) (YES in step S103), switching from Mode # 1 to Mode # 2 is automatically performed (step S103). S105). As a result, as long as the AC adapter 20 is connected, the battery 19 is not used even when the AC adapter is unavailable, the PC is driven by the power from the AC adapter 20, and the battery 19 is charged. Is called. Therefore, even when the PC is suddenly brought out, the battery operation of the PC can be guaranteed for a certain period of time.
[0055]
Next, with reference to FIG. 7, a method for restricting the use of Mode # 1 executed by the microcomputer 183 will be described.
As described with reference to FIG. 5, the control of Mode # 1 is started on the condition that both the AC adapter 20 and the battery 19 are attached, but the AC adapter 20 is not connected or the battery 19 is not attached. In such a case, it is possible to prohibit the use of Mode # 1 and forcibly select the power control process of Mode # 2. Hereinafter, the procedure of the Mode # 1 usage restriction method for that purpose will be described.
[0056]
First, the microcomputer 183 detects whether or not the AC adapter 20 is connected (step S201). If the AC adapter 20 is not connected, Mode # 2 is forcibly selected regardless of the user-set battery charge / discharge mode information, and the power control process for Mode # 2 is executed (step S206). In this case, it is preferable to notify the user that the mode # 2 is forcibly set by an LED lamp, a screen display, a warning sound, or the like.
[0057]
If the AC adapter 20 is connected, it is detected whether or not the battery 19 is attached (step S202). If the battery 19 is not attached, Mode # 2 is forcibly selected regardless of the battery charge / discharge mode information set by the user, and the power control process for Mode # 2 is executed (step S206).
[0058]
When both the AC adapter 20 and the battery 19 are mounted, either Mode # 1 or Mode # 2 is selected as the current power control mode based on the battery charge / discharge mode information passed from the system BIOS. It is checked whether it has been performed (steps S203 and S204). If the current power control mode is Mode # 1, Mode # 1 power control processing is executed (step S205), and if the current power control mode is Mode # 2, Mode # 2 power control processing is executed. (Step S206).
[0059]
In the above description, the PC is described as an example, but the present invention can be applied to various electronic devices that can be driven by a rechargeable secondary battery. In this embodiment, the battery charge / discharge mode information is held in the CMOS memory, but may be held in the microcomputer 183.
[0060]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the AC drive and the battery drive can be automatically switched according to the time setting, so that it is possible to effectively use the electric power. In addition, the battery can be automatically charged in a preset time zone (for example, at night), and the battery can be charged by effectively utilizing the time zone with a small amount of power consumption.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a configuration of a power supply controller provided in the computer system of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary view showing a state transition of a power control state in the computer system of the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing a relationship between an input switch state and a battery charge state in each power control state of the computer system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a procedure of a main routine of power control processing in the computer system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 6 is an exemplary flowchart for explaining a switching operation between Mode # 1 and Mode # 2 in the computer system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 7 is an exemplary flowchart for explaining the procedure of a method of restricting use of Mode # 1 in the computer system according to the embodiment;
[Explanation of symbols]
18 ... Power supply controller
19 ... Battery pack
20 ... AC adapter
181 ... AC adapter input section
182 ... Input unit switch
183 ... Charge / discharge control microcomputer
184 ... Charging circuit
185 ... Discharge switch
186: Switching power supply

Claims (6)

In a computer comprising a battery and capable of being driven by an external power source connectable to the battery or the computer body ,
Means for holding first time information for specifying a time zone in which the battery is used as a drive power source for the computer ;
Based on the first time information, the external power source is used so that the battery is used as a drive power source and charging operation of the battery by the external power source is stopped in a time zone specified by the first time information. A computer comprising means for switching drive power used between a power source and the battery. Means for detecting the remaining capacity of the battery;
When it is detected that the remaining capacity of the battery has dropped below a predetermined threshold during the period specified by the first time information, the drive power source is switched from the battery to the external power source and the external power source 2. The computer according to claim 1, further comprising means for controlling the battery not to be charged . The battery is configured to be chargeable by the external power source,
The computer further includes:
Charging means for charging the battery using the external power source;
Means for holding second time information for specifying a time indicating the start of charging of the battery;
And a control unit configured to control the charging unit based on the second time information so that charging of the battery is started at a time specified by the second time information. 1. The computer according to 1. A computer power supply control method capable of being driven by an external power supply equipped with a battery and connectable to the battery or the computer body,
Holding first time information specifying a time zone in which the battery is used as a driving power source of the computer;
Based on the first time information, the external power source is used so that the battery is used as a drive power source and charging operation of the battery by the external power source is stopped in a time zone specified by the first time information. A power supply control method characterized by switching a drive power supply used between a power supply and the battery . Detecting the remaining capacity of the battery;
  When it is detected that the remaining capacity of the battery has dropped below a predetermined threshold during the period specified by the first time information, the drive power source is switched from the battery to the external power source and the external power source 5. The power supply control method according to claim 4, wherein control is performed so that charging of the battery is not performed. Based on the second time information specifying the time indicating the start of charging of the battery, the presence or absence of the time specified by the second time information is detected,
  5. The power supply control method according to claim 4, wherein when the arrival of the time specified by the second time information is detected, charging of the battery is started using the external power supply.

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