Information processor and a battery management method for information processors
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTsutomu Kawamoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one embodiment, an information processor is equipped with an information processor terminal that contains a main control unit that processes information, an IO control unit that supplies electrical power to connected equipment (peripheral devices) and that controls communications, and a power supply unit that supplies electrical power, as well as a first switching circuit that connects a plurality of batteries and supplies electrical power to the main control unit, a second switching circuit that connects a plurality of batteries and supplies electrical power to the IO control unit, and a battery unit that contains a battery control part that controls the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit.
Claims20
An information processor comprising:
- an information processor terminal that includes:
- a main control unit that processes information;
- an input/output control unit that supplies electrical power to equipment connected thereto and controls communications between the main control unit and the connected equipment;
- and
- a power supply unit that supplies electrical power to the main control unit and the input/output control unit;
- and
- a battery unit that includes:
- a first power supply circuit comprising a first battery unit that supplies electrical power to the main control unit through the power supply unit;
- and
- a second power supply circuit comprising a second battery unit that supplies electrical power to the input/output control unit through the power supply unit.
An information processor, comprising:
- a main control unit configured to process information;
- an input/output control unit configured to communicate with a connected equipment and to supply electric power to the connected equipment;
- a power supply unit configured to supply electric power to the main control unit and the input/output control unit;
- a first switching circuit configured to cause electric power to be supplied from a first battery selected from a first plurality of batteries to the main control unit through the power supply unit;
- a second switching circuit configured to cause electric power to be supplied from a second battery selected from a second plurality of batteries to the input/output control unit through the power supply unit, and from at least a third battery selected from the second plurality of batteries to the main control unit through the power supply unit;
- and
- a battery control unit configured to detect a battery voltage,
- wherein:
- when the battery control unit detects that the battery voltage of the first battery is below a threshold voltage, the battery control unit controls the first switching circuit to supply electric power from a different battery with a battery voltage above or equal to the threshold value to the to the main control unit through the power supply unit, the different battery being selected from the first plurality of batteries, and
- if no battery in the first plurality of batteries has a battery voltage above or equal to the threshold value, then the battery control unit controls the second switching circuit to supply electric power from a selected battery in the second plurality of batteries to the to the main control unit through the power supply unit, the selected battery having a voltage above or equal to the threshold value, the selected battery being different from the second battery.
A battery management method for an information processor including a battery control unit, a first plurality of batteries, and a second plurality of batteries, the method comprising:
- selecting a first battery from the first plurality of batteries to supply electrical power to a main control unit via a first power supply circuit;
- selecting a second battery from the second plurality of batteries to supply electrical power to an input/output control unit via a second power supply circuit;
- detecting a voltage of the first battery;
- controlling the first power supply circuit to select a third battery from the first plurality of batteries to supply electrical power to the main control unit if the detected voltage of the first battery is below a threshold value, unless the voltage of the third battery is also below the threshold value;
- and
- controlling the second power supply circuit to select a fourth battery from the second plurality of batteries if no battery in the first plurality of batteries has a voltage greater than or equal to the threshold value, wherein the fourth battery is different from the second battery and is utilized to supply electrical power to the main control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.