Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Lenvo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Shigefumi Odaohhara

Masaki Kobayashi

Arimasa Naitoh

Kenneth Scott Seethaler

Hiromitsu Yamaguchi

Takeshi Matsumoto

Tin-Lup Wong

Jeremy Robert Carlson

Jonathan Randall Hinkle

Yasumichi Tsukamoto

Tetsuji Nakamura

Larry Glenn Estes

Takumi Imai

Takaaki Aoki

Atsushi Kumaki

Noboru Tsurukawa

Nozomu Nagata

Daryl Carvis Cromer

Jason Aaron Matteson

Seita Horikoshi

Mitsuhiro Yamazaki

Akiyoshi Tanaka

Takashi Sugawara

Mikio Hagiwara

Hideto Horikoshi

Keiji Suzuki

Ken Inoue

Mitsuru Ogawa

Mizuho Tadokoro

Hironari Nishino

Akira Fukushima

Hiroshi Nakagawa

Yasushi Honda

Hideaki Nakanishi

Tomoyuki Maruichi

Tomonori Nishio

Upendra Baveja

Takeshi Komuro

Norihiro Urakawa

Anthony F Corkell

Shiro Konaka

An information processing system includes a camera, a face detection unit that detects faces included in an image acquired by the camera, a parameter setting unit that sets a reaction parameter for framing according to the number of the detected faces, and a framing unit that performs framing of the image using the set reaction parameter. The parameter setting unit sets the reaction parameter, for example, so that the framing reaction is slower as the number of faces included in the image increases.

Information processing system, image processing method, and image processing program

A method for improving safety of voltage regulator is disclosed. In order to improve safety of a voltage regulator, a MOS-FET is disposed on a source power lane that receives power supplied from a DC power supply. A set of voltage regulators is connected to a set of fork power lanes, correspondingly, branching off from the source power lane. PTC thermistors are disposed on a surface or in the vicinity of semiconductor chips of the voltage regulators. When temperature at any one of the PTC thermistors increases, a protection controller turns off the MOS-FET. When temperature detected by a temperature sensor incorporated within the semiconductor chip has increased, each of the voltage regulators turns off the MOS-FET via a base management controller.

Method for improving safety of voltage regulator

A power system within a portable electronic device is disclosed. In order to discharge electricity stored in a rechargeable battery within the portable electronic device to a discharge cutoff voltage, a charge booster charges the rechargeable battery with electric power coming from an AC/DC adaptor. When the AC/DC adaptor is detached, the charge booster performs boosting operation to supply power to a load from the rechargeable battery. The charge booster operates only when input voltage of the load decreases. A direct discharge circuit operates in conjunction with the charge booster, and when the charge booster does not perform any boosting operation, electric power is supplied directly from the rechargeable battery to a DC/DC converter. The charge booster can keep the input voltage of the DC/DC converter until the voltage reaches a discharge cutoff voltage of the rechargeable battery, and then stops operation when electric power is being supplied from the direct discharge circuit.

Method for supplying power to a load within a portable electronic device

At least one embodiment of the invention provides a multi-modal rechargeable battery pack that can switch between charging algorithms dynamically. This dynamic switching can be accomplished in a wide variety of ways, for example via external command or automatically. At least one embodiment of the invention provides a system that can switch a multi-modal rechargeable battery pack between one or more of a runtime mode, a lifespan mode, and a quick charge mode.

Multi-modal battery pack

A system according to one embodiment includes opposing slide plates, and opposing guide blocks configured to receive the slide plates therebetween and push the slide plates together during a relative motion between the slide plates and the guide blocks. A system according to another embodiment includes opposing slide plates and a thermal interface material coupled to opposing inner faces of the slide plate. Opposing guide blocks are configured to receive the slide plates therebetween and push the slide plates together during a relative motion between the slide plates and the guide blocks. An interface connector is coupled to at least one of the guide blocks and the slide plates, the interface connector having electrical connectors on opposite ends thereof.

Card connector system with heat dissipation and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding

A method for controlling the clock frequency of a processor while suppressing performance degradation is disclosed. The processor receives power from a battery to operate at a high clock frequency HFM(f) or a low clock frequency LFM(f). An allowable current Im is set for the discharge current of the battery. The time during which the processor operates at the HFM(f) and the time during which the processor operates at the LFM(f) are controlled by PWM. As the feedback current Ifb increases, the time during which the processor operates at the LFM(f) become longer than the time during which the processor operates at the HFM(f).

Method and apparatus for reducing power consumption of a processor

A apparatus includes an AC adapter input, a main battery charger coupled to the input to charge a main battery, system logic to execute code stored on storage devices, and an expansion battery connector coupled to the input to provide sufficient current to enable charging of an expansion battery at a rate higher than a maximum charge rate of the main battery charger.

Dual rate charger for notebook computer

A DC/DC converter is disclosed. The DC/DC converter includes a first heavy-load electronic switch and a second heavy-load electronic switch connected in series between an input terminal and ground at a first output portion, a third light-load electronic switch and a fourth light-load electronic switch connected in series between the input terminal and ground at a second output portion, an output circuit, an output current measurement circuit, and a control circuit. The output circuit includes an inductor connected to the first and second output portions. The output current measurement circuit measures an output current. The control circuit, in response to an output of the output current measurement circuit, selects a combination of the first and second heavy-load electronic switches during a heavy load state, and selects a combination of the third and fourth light-load electronic switch during a light load state.

DC/DC converter within a portable computer

A battery pack that can avoid an abnormal condition caused by heat generation associated with water adhesion to a connector part and a function stopping method of the battery pack are provided. A battery controller determines an abnormality and executes an operation of interrupting a charge/discharge path for a battery set formed by a charge/discharge circuit, when a detected temperature of a connector is equal to or more than a first threshold, and also a discharge current is equal to or more than a second threshold and/or a difference between the detected temperature of the connector and a detected temperature of another part (a discharge protection switch, a charge protection switch, and the battery set) is equal to or more than a third threshold.

Battery pack

An apparatus for supplying power to a portable electronic device is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first receptacle to which an AC/DC adaptor is connectable, a second receptacle to which an electronic device is connectable, a battery charger for charging a battery using power supplied by the AC/DC adaptor, an output circuit for supplying power to the electronic device from the AC/DC adaptor when the AC/DC adaptor is connected to the apparatus, and supplies power to the electronic device from the battery when the AC/DC adaptor is not connected to the apparatus, and a control circuit for controlling the battery charger to supply power to the electronic device while charging the battery when the AC/DC adaptor is connected to the apparatus.

Method and apparatus for extending battery operation time of an electronic device

An apparatus for providing electric power to a portable computer is disclosed. The apparatus includes a timekeeping circuit, a voltage regulator, a set of battery cells and a controller. The timekeeping circuit includes a clock circuit and a memory for storing a calendar time that is updated based on time information generated by the clock circuit. The battery cells can supply electric power to the voltage regulator, and the voltage regulator is capable of supplying electric power to the timekeeping circuit. When the output voltage from the battery cells exceeds a first voltage threshold, the controller directs the voltage regulator to supply electric power to the timekeeping circuit. When the output voltage from the battery cells drops below the first voltage threshold, the controller directs one of the battery cells to supply electric power to the timekeeping circuit.

Method for supplying electric power to a timekeeping circuit within a portable electronic device

A wireless network communication card usable with a host apparatus is disclosed. The wireless network communication card includes an access point detection circuit that detects a wireless access point through a wireless antenna. A power inlet to which power is supplied in response to an access point detection request from a user when the power of the host apparatus is suspended, the power inlet being connected to the access point detection circuit is included, as is an indicator coupled to said access point detection circuit that indicates a presence of an available wireless access point in response to a detection by said access point detection circuit.

Apparatus and method for detecting a wireless access point for wireless network communication

A system and method includes detecting whether a fast charger is coupled to a system having a processor and a memory, providing current to a battery from an internal charger circuit if no fast charger is detected, and providing current to the battery from the fast charger if the fast charger is detected.

Fast battery charging system and method

A charge system is disclosed. A charge system includes a switching device and a controller. The switching device performs switching of a DC input voltage at a predetermined switching frequency to generate an output voltage, and the output voltage being utilized for charging said battery. The controller allows the switching device to operate at a first switching frequency immediately after starting of charge and at a second switching frequency when a frequency changing condition holds. The second switching frequency is higher than that of first switching frequency.

Method and apparatus for charging batteries

A battery charging system is disclosed. The battery charging system includes a battery charger, a switching circuit and a control circuit. The battery charger receives electric power from a DC power supply and charges a rechargeable battery based on a setting current. The switching circuit is capable of switching between a first charging mode and a second charging mode. In the first charging mode, the battery charger charges the rechargeable battery while the DC power supply is supplying electric power to the battery charger in a state where the DC power supply is able to supply electric power to a load. In the second charging mode, the DC power supply charges the rechargeable battery in a state where the DC power supply is able to supply electric power to the load. The control circuit controls the switching circuit based on a comparison result of the magnitude of a charging current (or a charging power) in the first charging mode and the magnitude of a charging current (or a charging power) in the second charging mode.

Growing community of inventors

Yamato, Japan

Shigefumi Odaohhara