88results about How to "Avoid unnecessary power consumption" patented technology

A portable computer and a method of controlling a power saving mode of the portable computer, in which an embedded controller directly turns off system power without system wake up operation in a process of turning off the system power or switching a power saving mode when battery power is decreased. The computer includes a control unit for notifying whether a power saving mode is a hybrid sleep mode when the portable computer enters the power saving mode; and an embedded controller for detecting whether the remaining amount of a battery decreases below a threshold value or a predetermined period of time has passed after the computer enters the power saving mode to perform hibernation or turn off system power, if the power saving mode notified from the control unit is the hybrid sleep mode.

An output buffer with a switchable output impedance designed for driving a terminated signal line. The buffer includes a drive circuit, and a means for switching the output impedance of the drive circuit between a first, relatively low output impedance when the output buffer is operated in a ‘normal’ mode, and a second output impedance which is greater than the first output impedance when operated in a ‘standby’ mode. By increasing the drive circuit's output impedance while in ‘standby’ mode, power dissipation due to the termination resistor is reduced. When used in a memory system, additional power savings may be realized by arranging the buffer such that the increased impedance in ‘standby’ mode shifts the signal line voltage so as to avoid the voltage range over which a line receiver's power consumption is greatest.

A vehicle load control device comprises a battery that supplies power to an electrical load of the vehicle; a battery sensor that detects a consumption state of the battery; and a control unit that cuts off power supply to the electrical load when the consumption state of the battery reaches a predetermined state. The control unit detects a consumption state of the battery at a relatively short first time interval, in a case where a consumption amount of the battery after the engine stops is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and detects a consumption state of the battery at a relatively long second time interval, in a case where the consumption amount of the battery after the engine stops is less than a predetermined value, and cuts off power supply to the electrical load depending on the consumption state of the battery detected by the battery sensor.

A multi stage voltage pumping circuit includes a plurality of voltage pumping stages each operated by a first clock signal and a second clock signal for raising a voltage level of an inputted voltage; and a plurality of charge storing means each connected to outputs of the plurality of voltage pumping stages respectively except for a last voltage pumping stage in order to store charge, wherein each of the plurality of voltage pumping stages is a cross coupled voltage doubler and an output of a previous voltage pumping stage is connected to an input of a next voltage pumping stage.

Provided is a semiconductor memory device that is capable of preventing unnecessary power consumption and providing high data reliability. The semiconductor memory device includes: a core voltage supplying part for supplying a core voltage; a memory cell array block; a bit line sense amplifier block for sensing and amplifying a voltage difference of bit line pairs of the memory cell array block; an overdriving signal generator for receiving an initial driving signal to generate an overdriving signal, while expanding an activation pulse width of the overdriving signal in an activation of a refresh signal; an overdriver for driving a connection node, which is coupled with the core voltage supplying part, to an external voltage higher than the core voltage in response to an inverted overdriving signal; a first power driver for driving a first power line of the bit line sense amplifier block to a voltage of the connection node in response to a first driving control signal; and a second power driver for driving a second power line of the bit line sense amplifier to a first power voltage in response to a second driving control signal.

An electronic mail terminal device having a power-saving function, and a method of controlling such an electronic mail terminal device are provided. When electronic mail is neither being fetched nor being transmitted, a local area network communication unit is in a sleep mode in the electronic mail terminal device of the present invention. Accordingly, the power consumption of the local area network unit can be dramatically reduced.

Disclosed herein relates to a method and apparatus of sleep mode operation in a multi-carrier system. In a communication system of transmitting and receiving data using a multi-carrier including a primary carrier for transmitting and receiving control information and data and a secondary carrier using a radio frequency (RF) different from the primary carrier, a method of establishing a sleep mode operation through active primary and secondary carriers according to an embodiment of the present invention may include transmitting a sleep cycle ID (SCID), a listening window, and traffic indication inactive information indicating that an indication (TRF-IND) as to whether traffic is generated is not transferred to a terminal through the primary carrier, sending downlink data to the terminal through the active primary or secondary carrier during the listening window, and sending a listening window early termination indication indicating to early terminate the listening window of the primary or secondary carrier that has received the downlink data through the primary carrier to the terminal if the data sending is completed.

A method of refreshing several memory banks of a memory device that receives command signals from a memory controller. The method includes monitoring command signals received by a memory device and refreshing the several memory banks based on the monitored command signals so as to avoid unnecessary power consumption for refreshing particular ones of the several memory banks with irrelevant contents.

An energy-saving audio-amplifier control device is electrically connected to an amplifier for sensing an audio signal input state at a sound-source input end of the amplifier and controlling the on / off of the amplifier accordingly. The control device includes a signal detection module, a control module and a power control module. The signal detection module detects the state at the sound-source input end and generates a first signal to the control module. Based on the first signal, the control module controls the power control module to control the on / off of the amplifier. With these arrangements, it is able to automatically control the amplifier to off when the audio signal input to the amplifier is ended, and accordingly, achieve the purpose of saving energy, reducing power consumption, and minimizing loss of components.

An aerosol generating device includes: a case into which a cigarette is to be inserted; a cap detachably coupled to a top portion of the case; a cover configured to slide on a top surface of the cap so as to open or close a cigarette insertion hole; a first sensor configured to sense whether the cigarette insertion hole is open or closed; and a controller configured to determine whether the cigarette insertion hole is open or closed based on a signal sensed by the first sensor and set an operational mode of the aerosol generating device as an ON mode or an OFF mode based on a result of the determining.

An internal voltage generator for memory bank peripheral circuitry, a semiconductor memory device having the internal voltage generator, and a method for generating an internal voltage are provided. A switchable internal voltage generating circuit according to the present invention includes a control section and an internal voltage generating circuit. The control section generates a control signal in response to a bank activation command and a bank activation signal for enabling memory banks. The internal voltage generating circuit receives a reference voltage, and responds to the control signal to output an internal voltage equal to the reference voltage. The control signal is enabled when the bank activation command and the bank activation signal are concurrently enabled. The bank activation signal is generated in response to a bank address. The internal voltage can be supplied only to peripheral circuits of the banks selected by the bank address, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption, effectively controlling the internal voltage, and always properly supplying the internal voltage.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile apparatus including: a display; an input module; a timer configured to output a first signal representing that a first time elapses since the input module is last operated, and to output a second signal representing that a second time elapses since the input module is last operated, the first time being different from the second time; a display control module configured to disable a display on the display when the first signal is received; and an input control module configured to disable an input at the input module when the second signal is received.

A power saving touch electronic book, operated by a stylus, including: a proximity sensing unit, used to output an enable signal by detecting the distance the stylus is away from it, wherein the enable signal is at a first level when the distance is not larger than a predetermined threshold, and at a second level when the distance is larger than the predetermined threshold; a control unit, having an enable input end and a touch sensing interface, the enable input being coupled with the enable signal, and the touch sensing interface having a power supply output terminal which will output a power for touch sensing when the enable signal changes state from the second level to the first level; and a touch screen, coupled with the touch sensing interface to access the power for touch sensing and thereby provide a touch sensing function.

A light source driving apparatus according to the present invention includes a controller, a first driver and a second driver. The controller outputs a first control signal to drive the light source in a normal-luminance mode and outputs a second control signal to drive the light source in a low-luminance mode. The first driver drives the light source, based on a first voltage in response to the first control signal in the low-luminance mode. The second driver drives the light source, based on a second voltage in response to the second control signal in the normal luminance mode. Therefore, the light source driving apparatus driving the light source decreases current-consumption and prevents unnecessary power consumption from increasing in a low-luminance driving mode.

An object detecting device utilizes a pyroelectric sensor providing a sensing current, a voltage amplifier providing an amplified voltage proportional to the sensing current, and a level monitor providing a detection signal when the amplified voltage exceeds a detection threshold. The device has a standby mode where the voltage amplifier receives a limited source current to provide the voltage of low amplification, and the level monitor provides a wake-up signal when the low amplified voltage exceeds a preliminary threshold lower than the detection threshold. In response to the wake-up signal, the device is switched to an operation mode where the amplifier receives a rated source current to provide a voltage of high amplification for comparison with the detection threshold. Thus, the amplifier is kept to be less-power consuming in the absence of the wake-up signal, reducing a power requirement.

A method of refreshing several memory banks of a memory device that receives command signals from a memory controller. The method includes monitoring command signals received by a memory device and refreshing the several memory banks based on the monitored command signals so as to avoid unnecessary power consumption for refreshing particular ones of the several memory banks with irrelevant contents.

A system for detecting an occupant in a vehicle includes a proximity sensor installed at a back of a seat and detecting an object. An automotive key locks and unlocks a door. A starter starts and stops an engine of the vehicle. A controller is configured to determine whether the occupant is in the seat based sensor values of the proximity sensor, a door unlock signal from the automotive key, and a starting signal from the starter.

The present invention relates to a method for transmitting and receiving a frame performed by an AP in a wireless communication system. The method includes the steps of: transmitting a PST message providing instructions to transmit a frame to at least one STA; and receiving frames from a first STA and a second STA. The PST message includes first subband information indicating a first subband in which a first frame is transmitted from the first STA and second subband information indicating a second subband in which a second frame is transmitted from the second STA.

An electronic apparatus includes: a reception unit that receives positioning information necessary for a positioning process from the outside; a determination unit that determines whether or not a process on the basis of an operation input is a predetermined process that uses the positioning information in a case where the operation input is received from a user; and a control unit that performs control of an operation of the reception unit based on a result of the determination performed by the determination unit and a content of the operation of the reception unit.

The present invention relates to a non-contact type battery pack charging apparatus using a magnetic field. In the non-contact type battery pack charging apparatus of the present invention, a main control unit (120) receives input data from a voltage comparison unit (140), a current comparison unit (150), a voltage detection unit (170) and a current detection unit (180), determines whether required conditions are fulfilled, such as whether an object is installed, whether the installed object is a battery pack (200), what the charge capacity of the battery pack (200) is, and whether the charging of the battery pack (200) has been completed, and controls a variable-voltage frequency generation unit (130) to be operated so as to correspond to the required conditions. Accordingly, the charging of the battery pack (200) is performed to correspond to the charging capacity of the battery pack (200) only when the battery pack (200) is installed.

A dual mode luminous ball pen is disclosed. The luminous pen includes a pen shaft; a tapered transparent tip portion disposed on a proximal end of the shaft; a refill, a switch portion, a lamp, a control portion, and a button. The switch portion disposed inside the pen shaft and connected to the tip portion for rotating a sleeve. The lamp includes at least a cell, a first light emitting diode (LED), and a second LED, and can be rotated together by the sleeve to supply / cut-off a power supplied by the cell to the LEDs. The control portion is disposed on the switch portion to turn on one of the first and second LEDs. The button is depressed into the pen shaft to rotate the control portion.

Provided are an apparatus and a method for acquiring a code group that is used for a mobile communication terminal to acquire a scrambling code for identification of a base station. The present invention compares a part of slot values in code groups of the secondary synchronization channel transmitted to a mobile communication terminal from a base station with a part of code groups already known and, when there is a code group having a value higher than a predetermined value, reads code groups having the same pattern as that of the code group having a value higher than the predetermined value, which are previously stored in a predetermined storage. Then, the present invention excludes the read code groups from operations to reduce the quantity of unnecessary operations. Accordingly, the number of code groups to be compared for correlation operations is remarkably decreased. The present invention intelligently uses characteristics of code groups already known to considerably reduce the time required for acquiring the code group, compared to the conventional method that sequentially compares all of code groups or compares a part of slot values of code group candidates and tracks candidates having values exceeding a threshold. Therefore, unnecessary power consumption is prevented such that the power of a battery of a mobile communication terminal is not unnecessarily consumed. Furthermore, prompt cell search can be supported in case of hand-off.

A core module of wireless sensing system is provided for receiving, processing and delivering environmental information, inclusive of a RF front-end circuit, a power control circuit, an analog front-end detection circuit and a baseband signal processor. A SOC (System on Chip) may be designed by including an electronic tag antenna, an impedance variation circuit and a sensor to form the wireless sensing system with the combination of a remote reader, such that the core module may be applied for wirelessly sensing the environmental information, such as physiological information of human heartbeat response, to achieve the effect of compactness, power saving and error detection.

An apparatus and method for saving power in an office machine having a display panel are provided. The method comprises setting the apparatus in an operation standby mode, detecting whether an error exists in the apparatus and turning on the display panel to display the error thereon when the error is detected. Furthermore, the apparatus keeps the display panel in an off state when the error is not detected. Thus, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a power saving method of an office machine which prevents unnecessary power consumption during an operation of an office machine having a display panel.

An active damper and a power supply according to exemplary embodiments include: a damper resistor coupled to an input voltage; a damper switch coupled in parallel with the damper resistor; and a capacitor to which a reset current generated by a leading edge of the input voltage flows. The damper switch is turned off by the reset current.

In one aspect, a multi-port interface circuit applied to a playback apparatus which is able to switch among a plurality of input ports coupled to a plurality of source devices for playing back. Each input port has a receiver, the receiver including a front-end for receiving and processing a data stream from the source device and providing a data enable signal, and further including a content protection circuit for performing content protection according to the data enable signal. Each receiver records data enable information associated with the data enable signal of the data stream in an initial status. When one input port is selected, receivers of the other input ports operate in a power saving mode, the front-end circuits stop receiving the data stream, and the content protection circuit maintains operation according to a regenerated enable signal, which is regenerated according to the data enable information.