Method and a system for determining the power consumption in connection with an electronic device, and an electronic device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system for determining the power consumption in an electronic device, to which a peripheral device is connected, to which the power is supplied from the electronic device. At least a first maximum value and a second maximum value, higher than the first maximum value, are determined for the power consumption. Signaling between the electronic device and the peripheral device sets a maximum value for the power consumption of the peripheral device which is between said first and second maximum values. The invention also relates to an electronic device and a peripheral device, in which the method is applied.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority under 35 USC §119 to Finnish Patent Application No. 20020594 filed on Mar. 27, 2002.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a method for determining the power consumption in an electronic device, to which a peripheral device is connected, which is supplied with power from the electronic device. The invention also relates to a system which comprises an electronic device provided with means for connecting a peripheral device and means for supplying power to the peripheral device, and which system comprises means for determining the power consumption. Furthermore, the invention relates to an electronic device provided with means for connecting a peripheral device, means for supplying power to the peripheral device, and means for determining the power consumption of the peripheral device. Moreover, the invention relates to a peripheral device provided with means for connecting the peripher...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present invention shows remarkable advantages over solutions of prior art. By the method according to the invention, it is possible to avoid the use of an unnecessarily large regulator in an electronic device, which saves costs, and wherein the size of the electronic device can, in some cases, be reduced and, on the other hand, problems of heating caused by high power consumption can be avoided. Also the power consumption can be reduced, which is advantageous particularly in portable devices. By means of the invention, the peripheral device connection can also be provided with flexibility, because the power consumption of the peripheral device can be adjusted and set to a value suitable for each situation of use. Also, the clock frequency and bus width of the peripheral device can be changed in the system according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, the invention makes it possible that new peripheral devices to be developed will function in connection with electronic devices made earlier, and existing peripheral devices will function in connection with new electronic devices to be developed. With the solution according to the invention, it is also possible to achieve an improvement in the user-friendliness of the electronic device, for example, in a situation in which the peripheral device cannot fully operate on a lower level of power consumption but it can, however, inform the electronic device about this. Thus, the electronic device can take care of the shutdown (turning off) of the peripheral device in the appropriate way and notify the user of this.

Problems solved by technology

Otherwise, the operation of the peripheral device and / or the electronic device may be disturbed and the electronic device may even be overheated.

Solutions are known, such as Nokia Communicator 9110 / 9210, in which the power supply of the peripheral device connection of the electronic device is provided with a relatively efficient regulator, for example in the order of 150 mA / 3 V. Such an efficient regulator is a relatively bulky component, which may cause placement problems, particularly in portable electronic devices.

Such an arrangement is difficult, for example, for the reason that the power consumption of new memory cards to be developed is limited to this maximum value, wherein it may be an impediment for the implementation of such memory cards whose power consumption cannot be made smaller than the selected maximum limit.

If the maximum limit is set so high that the power consumption of other memory cards to be developed later on is also very likely to be smaller than this, it will mean that relatively efficient and large regulators must be used in electronic devices, perhaps unnecessarily.

The power consumption of the peripheral device is normally proportional to the clock frequency used in the peripheral device, wherein an increase in the clock frequency will increase the power consumption.

However, the operating rate of the peripheral device will thus decrease, which is not necessarily desirable.

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