JPH11143595A - Portable information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a portable information processing device that operates on a battery and to acquire an operation time based on a current remaining amount of the battery. SOLUTION: The power of a device for which power saving can be set and the power of a device for which power consumption cannot be set are measured, and a power consumption value of a recording medium is created based on the measured value and corrected at any time. Next, the remaining operation time calculation unit uses the current remaining power amount of the battery detected by the battery remaining amount detection device and the current power saving amount and power saving setting of each device based on the current power saving setting level acquired from the recording medium. The operation time based on the remaining battery power is predicted, calculated and output using the power consumption independent of the power consumption. The predicted operation time is output on a display screen or the like, and the user indicates the operation time according to the current power saving setting.
Can be easily obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to detection of a battery operating time in a portable information processing device such as a notebook personal computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a portable information processing apparatus which can be driven by a battery, such as a notebook personal computer, a power saving level setting means for setting a power saving level for each constituent device so as to be able to operate for a long time. Further, a power saving type portable information processing device incorporating a remaining amount detecting means for measuring the remaining amount of the battery and a remaining amount displaying means for displaying the detected remaining amount has been developed and is commercially available.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned battery remaining amount display, the current remaining amount of the battery can be grasped, but there is a problem that the device operating time for the power saving setting cannot be easily estimated.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable information processing apparatus comprising: means for estimating the power of each device constituting the apparatus; and means for detecting a remaining battery power. The device is characterized in that the device operation time based on the remaining battery power can be predicted.

[0005] With this configuration, even when power saving is arbitrarily set for each device, an accurate device operation time can be predicted.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a portable information processing apparatus such as a notebook personal computer, a battery for supplying power to the apparatus main body and a remaining capacity of the battery are detected. Remaining capacity detecting means, power saving level detecting means for detecting a power saving setting level of each device constituting the apparatus main body, a recording medium recording power consumption of the device for each power saving setting level, and the recording medium Power acquisition means for extracting the power consumption of each device from the power saving level detected by the power saving level detection means, and the remaining battery power from the power consumption and remaining battery power of each device extracted from the power acquisition means. Portable information comprising: an operating time estimating means for estimating an operating time; and an operating time displaying means for informing a user of a remaining operating time on a battery. A management device, an effect that the remaining operating time with the current usage can be easily known.

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 of the present invention provides
2. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein power consumption detecting means for measuring a current power consumption of each device constituting the apparatus main body, and storing the power consumption measured by said power consumption detecting means for a certain period. A portable information processing device comprising: a power consumption amount processing unit that processes the power consumption amount; and a writing unit that records the power consumption amount processed by the power consumption amount processing unit on a recording medium for each power saving setting level. Thus, the present embodiment has the effect of measuring the current power consumption of each device and improving the prediction accuracy of the remaining operation time.

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 of the present invention provides:
3. A portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein device power consumption information for each user is acquired and updated, and a remaining operation time on a battery according to a characteristic of a method of use of the user is detected. A portable information processing apparatus characterized by having a function of learning a usage method of a user and improving an operation time prediction system.

Further, the invention according to claim 4 of the present invention provides:
In the portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, when the user inputs the time to use,
A portable information processing apparatus, comprising: means for setting a power saving setting level of each device constituting the apparatus main body to a value which operates most appropriately within the above-mentioned time with the current remaining battery level. The power saving setting of each device is appropriately performed within the time designated by the user.

The invention according to claim 5 of the present invention provides:
3. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for displaying an estimated operation time on a display screen; warning means for a user when the operation time reaches a certain time; A portable information processing apparatus characterized by comprising means for turning off the power when the time reaches a certain time, and has an effect of causing a user to perform an appropriate operation.

Further, the invention according to claim 6 of the present invention provides:
3. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power consumption detecting means changes a time interval of detection for each device to be detected. This has the effect that the capacity prediction accuracy can be improved.

[0012] The invention according to claim 7 of the present invention provides:
3. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a device detection unit that detects a device attached when the device has a removable or changeable device in the apparatus main body. An apparatus, which has an effect that the prediction accuracy can be improved by changing the remaining capacity prediction according to the mounting of the device.

Further, the invention according to claim 8 of the present invention provides:
3. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power saving setting level can be input from a keyboard or the like. Desired power saving setting can be performed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
13 is a configuration diagram of a portable information processing apparatus according to Embodiment 5. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a portable information processing apparatus according to Embodiments 6 and 7 of the present invention.

(Embodiment 1) In FIG. 1, a portable type in which four devices (A, B, C, D) can individually have four power saving setting levels (1, 2, 3, 4). An information processing device is assumed.

Here, it is assumed that the amount of power consumed by each device at each power saving setting level in general use is recorded on the recording medium.

The power consumption obtaining means 105 stores the power saving level obtained by the power saving level detecting means 103 and the recording medium 1.
The power consumption of each device is obtained based on the current power saving setting level obtained from step 04.

The remaining operation time prediction means 106 predicts and outputs the current remaining power of the battery detected by the remaining battery power detection means 102 and the operation time based on the remaining battery power from the power consumption acquisition means 105.

The predicted operation time is indicated by the operation time display means 1.
07 to display on the portable information processing device. The user can easily acquire the operation time according to the current power saving setting regardless of whether or not the portable information processing device is operating.

(Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, the operation time is predicted based on the current power saving setting level, but this is immediately calculated and displayed based on the power saving setting level input by the user. By doing so, the user can easily obtain an appropriate power saving setting for operating the portable information processing device most appropriately within a desired use time.

(Embodiment 3) In the first embodiment, the predicted operation time is displayed on the portable information processing device, but this is passed to the main body of the portable information processing device, so that the screen is displayed on the portable information processing device screen. Of the estimated operation time, a warning to the user when the operation time has reached a certain time, and power-off when the operation time has reached a certain time.

(Embodiment 4) The power of each of the devices for which power saving can be set and the device for which power consumption cannot be set is measured by the power consumption detecting means 108 by the current integration method.
Based on the measured value, the power consumption amount processing means 109 averages the power value for a certain period of time, and the writing means 110 corrects the value of the recording medium 104. Thereby, the habit of the user of the portable information processing apparatus can be recorded on the recording medium, and the system for predicting the use time by the battery can be improved.

(Fifth Embodiment) In the fourth embodiment, the power consumption processing means 109 averages the power for a certain period of time. However, a method is used in which the power value is averaged and output for the time determined for each device. This can improve the forecasting system.

(Embodiment 6) In the case of an apparatus such as a PCMCIA card, for example, in which the amount of power varies greatly depending on whether or not it is installed and the installed apparatus, the cards (P1, P2) installed by the PC card acquisition means 202 shown in FIG. , P3), the power value of the device is described in advance on the recording medium 204, and the power value of the mounted device is extracted by the power consumption acquisition means 205, thereby improving the prediction accuracy.

(Embodiment 7) For example, when it is expected that a device such as a memory expansion device will be mounted on a device in the future,
The device is described in advance on the horizontal axis of the recording medium 204, and its expected power is also described in advance. By adding an additional device acquisition unit 206 for confirming the presence / absence of the device, the accuracy of operation time prediction immediately after the device is installed is reduced. Can be prevented.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the operation time of the portable information processing apparatus with the remaining power of the battery can be reduced.
Even when the power saving setting is arbitrarily changed, it can be easily predicted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a portable information processing apparatus according to Embodiments 1 to 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a portable information processing apparatus according to Embodiments 6 and 7 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Battery 102 Remaining amount detecting means 103 Power saving level detecting means 104 Recording medium 105 Power consumption obtaining means 106 Operating time prediction means 107 Operating time display means 108 Power consumption detecting means 109 Power consumption amount processing means 110 Writing means

Claims (8)

[Claims] In a portable information processing apparatus such as a notebook personal computer, a battery for supplying power to the apparatus body, a remaining capacity detecting means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery,
Power saving level detecting means for detecting a power saving setting level of each device constituting the apparatus main body, a recording medium recording power consumption for each power saving setting level of the device, and power consumption of each device from the recording medium Power obtaining means for extracting power according to the power saving set level detected by the power saving level detecting means, and an operation of estimating a remaining operation time in a battery from power consumption and remaining battery power of each device extracted from the power obtaining means. A portable information processing apparatus comprising: a time prediction unit; and an operation time display unit that notifies a user of a remaining operation time of a battery. 2. A power consumption detecting means for measuring a current power consumption of each device constituting the apparatus main body, and a power consumption processing means for accumulating and processing the power consumption measured by the power consumption detecting means for a certain period. 2. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a writing unit configured to record the power consumption processed by the power consumption processing unit on a recording medium for each power saving setting level. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for acquiring and updating device power consumption information for each user, and detecting a remaining operation time of the battery in accordance with a feature of the method of use of the user.
Alternatively, the portable information processing device according to claim 2. 4. A means for setting a power saving setting level of each device constituting the apparatus main body to a value which operates most appropriately within said time with a current remaining battery level by inputting a time to be used by a user. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
Alternatively, the portable information processing device according to claim 2. 5. A display means for displaying an estimated operation time on a display screen,
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for warning a user when the operation time has reached a certain time, and means for turning off the power supply when the operation time has reached a certain time.
Alternatively, the portable information processing device according to claim 2. 6. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power consumption detecting means changes a time interval of detection for each device to be detected. 7. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a device detecting means for detecting a device mounted when the device main body has a removable or changeable device. 8. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power saving setting level can be input from a keyboard or the like.