Method and apparatus system with first and second controller connected via uart chip for controlling peripheral device of computer system in second power mode

A method of using a computer system having a first controller to control a plurality of peripheral devices of the computer system, wherein each of the peripheral devices has a second controller to control a drive of the respective peripheral device, the method comprising:

• receiving an input to the first controller from a user to select one of the peripheral devices to operate in a particular power mode;
• supplying power to the first controller and the second controller of the selected peripheral device, without supplying power to the second controllers of the other peripheral devices in the particular power mode;
• outputting parallel command data from the first controller in response to the input from the user;
• converting the parallel command data to serial command data;
• and
• transmitting the serial command data to the second controller of the selected peripheral device to drive the selected peripheral device.

An apparatus driving a peripheral device in a personal multimedia system interfacing with the peripheral device via a first interface device in a first power mode, the peripheral device driving apparatus comprising:

• a first controller installed in the personal multimedia system, to convert a selection of a function key selected by a user in a second power mode into command data corresponding to the selected function key;
• a second controller installed in the peripheral device, to decode the command data in the second power mode to perform the function indicated by the command data;
• and
• a second interface device to transmit the command data from the first controller to the second controller for the peripheral device to operate in the second power mode,
• wherein the second interface device is a serial-to-parallel interface device to convert the command data in parallel form from the first controller to serial form, and transmit the serial command data to the second controller, and to convert the drive status data in serial form from the second controller to parallel form and transmit the parallel drive status data to the first controller;
• and the first interface device is a parallel-to-parallel interface device.

An apparatus for driving a plurality of peripheral devices using a computer system, comprising:

• a first controller, mounted in the computer system, to control the plurality of peripheral devices, and to output parallel command data in response to an input in a particular power mode;
• a plurality of second controllers, respectively mounted in the peripheral devices, to control a drive of the respective peripheral devices;
• and
• a power supply to supply power to the first controller and a selected one of the second controllers, without supplying power to the second controllers of the other peripheral units in a particular power mode;
• and
• an interface unit to convert the parallel command data to serial command data and transmit the serial command data to the second controller of the selected peripheral device in the particular power mode;
• wherein the first controller, in response to an input, controls the second controller of the selected peripheral device to drive the selective peripheral device in the particular power mode.