Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Takayuki Katoh

Mitsuhiro Yamazaki

Seiichi Kawano

Kenji Oka

Susumu Shimotono

Rieko Kataoka

Hidenori Kinoshita

Hideshi Tsukamoto

Mizuho Tadokoro

Yuji Chotoku

Hiroyuki Uchida

Yasuhiro Kobayashi

Noritishi Yoshiyama

Shinobu Miyachi

Yasumichi Tsukamoto

Shinji Matsushima

Takashi Yomo

Mitsuru Ogawa

Reiko Ohtani

Mitsuo Tabo

Kohhei Shibata

Atsushi Miyashita

Atsushu Miyashita

A method and system are provided for thermal management of a portable computing apparatus. Accelerometers are provided to detect changes in attitude, and temperature sensors are provided to detect changes in temperature. A fan is used to cool the internal temperature of the electronic components of the computer. In response to lift of the computer from a stationary surface, the computer may transition to an alternative state of operation. The transition may include the change of the speed of the fan and/or adjustment of the processor clock.

Thermal management of a personal computing apparatus

Methods and apparatus are provided for enabling an apparatus having a wireless module mounted thereon to detect an access point while saving power consumption in a battery. An apparatus according to the present invention preferably has a system main body, a cover which covers a surface of the system main body, an antenna disposed to the cover, a lid sensor which detects that the cover is opened from the system main body and outputs a lid event signal, a wireless module which is connected with the antenna and detects an access point upon receiving a power, and a power supply module. This power supply module supplies the power to the wireless module in response to output of the lid event signal from the lid sensor. As a result, even if this portable computer is in an OFF state, the power is supplied to the wireless module when the cover is opened, thereby detecting an access point.

Apparatus and methods for performing wireless communication and detection

A method and system are provided for thermal management of a CPU. Both hardware and software data are used to periodically calculate a power consumption index. An internal database is provided to convert power consumption data to rotational speed of an associated cooling fan for the CPU. Based upon a change in the calculated power consumption, the rotational speed of the fan may be adjusted to accommodate the change in power consumption. Accordingly, the method and system monitors and adjusts the rotational speed of the cooling fan based upon available hardware and software data.

Method and apparatus for thermal control of electronic components

A power supply circuit for a computer system includes an AC adapter designed to be connectable to the computer system and supplying power to the system, a main battery and a second battery that are designed to be connectable to the computer system and get charged with power from the AC adapter and then discharge it to supply power to the system, a charger that is a charging circuit for the main battery and/or the second battery while the main battery and/or the second battery is connected to the AC adapter with the computer system powered off, and a gate array circuit for turning off the power supply to an embedded controller.

Circuit for turning off charging function to a battery of a system based on information set by user during the system in power-off state

Provided is an information processing apparatus that performs a desired process by a user while preserving a low consumption power state. The information processing apparatus comprises an electric power button for starting operation of an operating system when receiving an input from the user, a controller part for receiving an input to a switch other than the electric power button in an operation termination state in which the operation of the operating system is terminated, an execution part for executing a predetermined processing while preserving the operation termination state when the input to the switch is accepted by the controller part in the operation termination state.

Low power residual remaining power indicator

A power supply controller which controls a power supply unit for supplying a plurality of different voltages has a state register section which stores state values corresponding to a combination of voltages supplied by the power supply unit in the plurality of voltages, a reference clock oscillator section which oscillates a reference clock, a state value changing combination circuit which changes the state values one by one in a predetermined order to state values corresponding to a target combination of voltages when a change instruction to change the combination of voltages supplied by the power supply unit is received, and an output section which transmits the power supply unit provide the combination of voltages corresponding to the state values successively changed by the state value changing combination circuit.

Power supply controller for changing in a predetermined temporal order a combination of voltages supplied to an information processor

An information processor having a plurality of operating modes differing in power consumption and capable of changing the operating mode according to the amount of processing has periodic switching detection means of performing detection as to whether the information processor is periodically switching from a low-power-consumption operating mode in which the power consumption is lower to a high-power-consumption operating mode in which the power consumption is higher in the plurality of operating modes, and operating mode changing means of changing the operating modes between which the information processor switches to a combination of the operating modes such that the difference between the power consumptions is reduced relative to that at the time of switching between the low-power-consumption operating mode and the high-power-consumption operating mode if the switching cycle detected by the periodic switching detection means is shorter than a set cycle determined in advance.

Apparatus for switching between a combination of operating modes such that the power consumed is reduced relative to the time of switching

Method for controlling the switching of operating modes of an information processor according to the time of switching of the operating modes

A method for docking/undocking a portable computer to/from an expansion unit is disclosed. The portable computer includes a main battery, and the expansion unit includes a second battery. In response to an eject event, the condition of the second battery is determined. If the second battery is in a discharging condition, a power supply route is switched from the second battery of the expansion unit to the main battery of the portable computer. If the second battery is in a charging condition, the charging condition is suspended. At this point, a hot undocking of the portable computer from the expansion unit can be performed.

Method for docking/undocking a portable computer to/from an expansion unit

Described is an improved method for undocking a structure having an optional number of tiers from a multilayer-dock structure constituted by docking a plurality of expansion units respectively having an intrinsic resource to a portable PC. To undock only a portable PC from a triple-layer-dock structure constituted by docking a first expansion unit and a second expansion unit to the portable PC, the first expansion unit is made to generate an undock event. The IDE device of the first expansion unit and the PCI device of the second expansion unit are separated from the control by an operating system by taking the undock event as an opportunity and the interfaces of the devices and are electrically separated. The operability is improved because it is possible to unitedly obtain an object to be undocked through both vision and operation.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Takayuki Katoh