Battery-driven electronic equipment system and power source control method therefor

Abstract

There is disclosed an electronic equipment system consisting of an electronic equipment and an expander detachably attached thereto and provided with a power source circuit and a power source control circuit in each of the electronic equipment and the expander, the system comprising attachment detecting means for detecting that the expander is attached to electronic equipment, power supply control means for controlling permission or inhibition of power supply to the power source circuit of the other side, other power source control circuit activating means for activating the power source control circuit of the other side by initiating the power supply from the power source circuit of the other side to the power source control circuit of the other side, and informing means for informing the operation status of the power source control circuit of the self side to the power source control circuit of the other side, wherein, in case the attachment detecting means detects the attachment of the expander to the electronic equipment, the power source control circuit of the self side permits the power supply by the power supply control means to the power source circuit of the other side, also causes the other power source control circuit activating means to initiate the power supply from the power source circuit of the other side to the power source control circuit of the other side thereby activating the power source control circuit of the other side, also causes the informing means to inform the operation status of the power source control circuit of the self side to the power source control circuit of the other side, thereby effecting power supply processes synchronized between the both power source control circuits.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.