All-in-one machine and power supply control method and system thereof

Abstract

The application discloses an all-in-one machine and a power supply control method and system thereof. The all-in-one machine comprises a peripheral device, a control module, and a storage component, a microphone and a camera. The control module is configured to include a sleep mode and a standby mode. In the standby mode, the control module turns off the power supply of the storage component, the microphone and the camera. In the sleep mode, the control module keeps the power supply of the storage component and turns off the power supply of the microphone and the camera. In this way, the all-in-one machine can avoid privacy leakage caused by background program calling the microphone and the camera in the sleep state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to smart device technology, and in particular to an all-in-one machine and its power control method and system. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread adoption of all-in-one printers, they are now commonly used in classrooms and conference rooms. Current all-in-one printer designs typically include standby and sleep (hibernation) modes. In standby mode, power is usually supplied only to the button panel, infrared receiver, and the power management chip of the host chip (to allow power-on), while power to all other electronic components is cut off.

[0003] The inventors discovered that in current sleep mode, only the screen and speaker are turned off in order to save power while maintaining the operation of background programs. Given this, background software might access the camera or microphone, potentially leading to privacy breaches. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes an all-in-one machine and its power control method and system to avoid privacy leaks when the device is in sleep mode.

[0005] On one hand, embodiments of this application provide an all-in-one machine, including:

[0006] Peripheral devices, including storage components, microphones, and cameras;

[0007] The control module is configured to include a sleep mode and a standby mode. In standby mode, the control module turns off the power supply to the storage component, microphone, and camera. In sleep mode, the control module retains the power supply to the storage component but turns off the power supply to the microphone and camera.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to read the USB device node list, determine the USB interface corresponding to the microphone and camera based on the attributes of the devices in the USB device node list, and control the power supply to the microphone and camera by controlling the power supply to the USB interface.

[0009] In some embodiments, the control module checks the microphone and camera in the USB device node list each time it determines that it needs to enter sleep mode.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control module is equipped with an Android system. During Android system initialization, the control module records text at preset locations corresponding to the USB ports of the microphone and the camera. When the control module determines to enter sleep mode, it determines which USB ports need to be powered off based on the content of the text.

[0011] In some embodiments, the control module is also used to control the power supply of the Bluetooth module to be turned off when entering sleep mode.

[0012] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a power control method for an all-in-one machine, including:

[0013] Confirm entry into hibernation mode;

[0014] Turn off the display screen;

[0015] Turn off the horn;

[0016] Determine if a camera or microphone is present. If so, turn off the power to the present camera and microphone to enter sleep mode.

[0017] In some embodiments, determining whether a camera or microphone exists specifically involves:

[0018] The presence of a microphone or camera can be determined by reading the properties of the device in the USB device node list.

[0019] In some embodiments, power is turned off to the existing camera and microphone, specifically:

[0020] Turn off power to the microphone and camera by disconnecting power to the USB port.

[0021] In some embodiments, the microphone and camera in the USB device node list are checked each time sleep mode is determined.

[0022] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a power control system for an all-in-one machine, including:

[0023] Memory, used to store programs;

[0024] A processor is used to load the program to execute the control method of the all-in-one machine.

[0025] This application is primarily used in all-in-one devices that include components such as storage devices, microphones, and cameras. These all-in-one devices include sleep mode and standby mode. In sleep mode, the device does not turn off the power supply to the storage device, allowing background programs to continue running or the current storage state to be saved. This allows the device to directly restore the state before sleep after waking up. Furthermore, this application actively cuts off the power supply to the microphone and camera when the device enters sleep mode, preventing background software from accessing the microphone or camera. This avoids the user's voice being heard by background software while the device is in sleep mode, thus preventing privacy leaks. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the peripheral device of an all-in-one machine provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a power control method for an all-in-one machine provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0031] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setup" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0032] In the description of this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0033] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application discloses an all-in-one machine, including:

[0034] Peripheral devices include storage components (memory, eMMC, and hard drives, etc.), microphones, cameras, displays, speakers, and communication modules (such as Bluetooth, network modules, etc.).

[0035] The control module is configured to include a sleep mode and a standby mode. In standby mode, the control module shuts down the power supply to the storage component, microphone, and camera. In sleep mode, the control module retains the power supply to the storage component but shuts down the power supply to the microphone and camera. The control module can refer to a module composed of one or more processors used to implement the above functions. It can be a combination of a main control chip and a power management chip. For example, the main control chip can be used to detect the interface connecting the camera and microphone and to generate control commands, while the power management chip is the object that actually executes the control commands.

[0036] The main difference between sleep mode and standby mode lies in the fact that in sleep mode, the storage components remain powered, while the processor may be in a low-power, normally active state. This means that even in sleep mode, the all-in-one PC's processor can still perform calculations, allowing background programs to continue operating even when the screen is off. If the camera (built-in or external) or microphone (built-in or external) is accessed by background programs, it means that the user's private information, such as audio or video recording, may be obtained by these programs without their knowledge.

[0037] Therefore, in this solution, when the device enters sleep mode, turning off the power to the microphone and camera prevents these input devices from acquiring information from the scene. This avoids background programs secretly recording the scene. Simultaneously, maintaining power to the storage device also achieves the purpose of sleep mode, saving power while allowing the device to quickly restore its pre-sleep state.

[0038] Understandably, to avoid disabling important peripherals during sleep mode and thus preventing the malfunction of some software that doesn't involve privacy issues, it's necessary to precisely cut off the power to the microphone and camera. Generally, microphones (arrays) and cameras connect to the motherboard via USB. Of course, there are also devices that use I2C or regular serial ports; even with different interfaces, they can be controlled by adjusting their power supply.

[0039] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to read the USB device node list, determine the USB interfaces corresponding to the microphone and camera based on the attributes of the devices in the USB device node list, and control the power supply to the microphone and camera by controlling the power supply to the USB interfaces. The control module checks the microphone and camera in the USB device node list each time it determines to enter sleep mode.

[0040] The all-in-one device may run on Android or Windows systems, both of which include a USB device node list. By reading this list, it's possible to determine which USB nodes are currently connected to devices and identify the devices based on their attributes. Therefore, the control module can prevent the camera or microphone from being used by turning off the power to the corresponding USB port. This embodiment utilizes querying the USB device node list, a method that determines the current device status on the spot. Performing this check before each sleep cycle ensures the accuracy of the results.

[0041] In other embodiments, the control module is equipped with an Android system. During Android system initialization, the USB ports corresponding to the microphone and camera are recorded in a text file at a preset location. When the control module determines to enter sleep mode, it uses the content of this text file to determine which USB ports need to be powered off. This method leverages the Android system's initialization actions; code can be added to the device initialization code block to record the USB ports corresponding to the connected camera and microphone in a local document. This eliminates the need to read the device list during sleep mode, resulting in faster camera and microphone shutdown.

[0042] In some embodiments, to address the issue of a device being directly connected to Bluetooth but not being recognized as a camera / microphone, the control module can also be configured to control the power supply to the Bluetooth module when entering sleep mode.

[0043] Reference Figure 2 This application provides a power control method for an all-in-one machine, including:

[0044] S1. Confirm entry into hibernation mode.

[0045] S2. Turn off the display screen. For an LCD screen, this can mean turning off its backlight or interrupting its power supply.

[0046] S3. Turn off the speaker. It is understood that turning off the speaker can mean turning off the speaker, powering the amplifier board, or putting it into a mute state. It is also understood that the order of steps S2 to S4 can be interchanged, or they can be performed simultaneously. This embodiment only provides an example of the sequence.

[0047] S4. Determine if a camera or microphone is present. If so, turn off the power to the present camera and microphone to enter sleep mode.

[0048] Specifically, determining whether a camera or microphone is present involves:

[0049] The presence of a microphone or camera is determined by reading the properties of the devices in the USB device node list. To ensure that a camera or microphone connected after the all-in-one machine is started, the microphone and camera in the USB device node list are checked each time the device enters sleep mode.

[0050] To disable the power supply to the existing cameras and microphones, specifically:

[0051] Turn off power to the microphone and camera by disconnecting power to the USB port.

[0052] This application provides a power control system for an all-in-one machine, including:

[0053] Memory, used to store programs;

[0054] A processor for loading the program to execute the power control method of the all-in-one machine.

[0055] If the integrated units described in this application are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0056] Note that the above are merely preferred embodiments and the technical principles employed in this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, although this application has been described in detail through the above embodiments, this application is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of this application, the scope of which is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An all-in-one machine, characterized in that, include: Peripheral devices, including storage components, microphones, and cameras; The control module is configured to include a sleep mode and a standby mode. In standby mode, the control module shuts off the power supply to the storage components, microphone, and camera. In sleep mode, the control module retains power to the storage component and turns off power to the microphone and camera to save power and facilitate recovery from the sleep state to the pre-sleep state. The control module is also used to control the power supply of the Bluetooth module to turn off when entering sleep mode. The control module is also used to read the USB device node list, determine the USB interface corresponding to the microphone and camera according to the attributes of the devices in the USB device node list, and control the power supply to the microphone and camera by controlling the power supply to the USB interface. The control module is equipped with an Android system. When the Android system is initialized, the text corresponding to the microphone and camera is recorded in a preset position. When the control module determines to enter sleep mode, it determines the USB interface that needs to be powered off according to the content of the text.

2. The all-in-one machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each time the control module determines to enter sleep mode, it checks the microphone and camera in the USB device node list.

3. A power supply control method for the all-in-one machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: Confirm entry into sleep mode; Turn off the display screen; Turn off the horn; The control module determines whether a camera or microphone exists. Specifically, it reads the properties of the device in the USB device node list to determine whether a microphone or camera exists. If so, it turns off the power supply to the existing camera and microphone to enter sleep mode. In sleep mode, power to the storage components is maintained, and if the Bluetooth module is present, power to the Bluetooth module is turned off. Each time sleep mode is entered, the microphone and camera in the USB device node list are checked. The control module is equipped with an Android system. During Android system initialization, the USB ports corresponding to the microphone and camera are recorded in a preset location in the text. When entering sleep mode, the control module determines which USB ports need to be powered off based on the content of the text.

4. The control power supply method for the all-in-one machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, To disable the power supply to the existing cameras and microphones, specifically: Turn off power to the microphone and camera by disconnecting power to the USB port.

5. A power control system for an all-in-one machine, characterized in that, include: Memory, used to store programs; A processor for loading the program to execute the power control method for the all-in-one machine as described in any one of claims 1-2.

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