Information terminal device, input/output control method and...

Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system in a specific environment – Electrical signal parameter measurement system

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C713S300000, C713S340000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06609072

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information terminal device, an input/output control method and a storing medium, and more particularly, to a control of input/output when a remaining quantity of a battery of an information terminal device driven by the battery becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a portable terminal device is driven by a battery. If a remaining quantity of the battery is reduced, input/output operation such as communication is not carried out stably, and there is an unfavorable possibility that an error may be generated in data which is input or output. For such a case, technique for stopping the communication function of the portable terminal device when the remaining quantity of the battery is small for avoiding a failure due to shortage of the battery remaining quantity is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.6-67766.
FIG. 1
is a functional block diagram showing a functional structure of the above mentioned conventional portable terminal device.
In this portable terminal device, a judging means
65
compares a remaining quantity of a battery
61
detected by a battery remaining quantity detecting means
63
and a battery volume necessary for communication for a communicating means
62
estimated by an estimating means
64
, thereby judging whether there is enough battery remaining quantity necessary for communication. As a result, if there is enough battery remaining quantity necessary for communication, the judging means
65
permits the to communicate means
62
communicating, and if there is not enough battery remaining quantity/power necessary for communication, the judging means
65
prohibits the communicating means
62
from communicating. If the communication is inhibited, the judging means
65
suppresses other function by function suppressing means
67
, and newly judges a battery remaining quantity necessary for communication from electricity consumption of suppressed function, thereby avoiding a failure of communication due to shortage of electricity.
The conventional device described above has several disadvantages. For example, some communicating means such as modems can change communication speed, and electricity consumption may be varied depending upon change in the communication speed. However, in the above mentioned conventional example, a variation in electricity consumption is not taken into account. Therefore, when the communication speed is changed in the above mentioned conventional example, a program of the estimating means
64
, i.e., an operating system of the portable terminal device must be changed.
Further, among portable terminal devices, some communicating means are exchangeable such as PCMCIA modems each having different electricity consumption. However, a case in which the modem is exchanged is not taken into account in the above mentioned conventional example. Therefore, in the conventional example, a program of the estimating means
64
, i.e., an operating system of the portable terminal device must be changed if the communicating means is exchanged.
Furthermore, in the above mentioned portable terminal device, only a case in which operation of a single communicating means is controlled is taken into account. However, there is a case in which one portable terminal device includes a plurality of communicating means such as a LAN card and an infrared modem in addition to a modem. Such a case in which other communicating means are added is not taken into account in the above mentioned conventional example. It is possible, whenever a communicating means is newly added, to add another estimating means
64
which corresponds to the added communicating means, but in such a case also, the operating system must be changed.
Also, when the operation becomes unstable due to decrease in electricity, and there is a problem in quality of data, such a problem arises also in other input/output means in addition to the communicating means. However, an input/output means other than the communicating means is not taken into account in the conventional example.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information terminal device capable of preventing the operation of an input/output device from being unstabilized due to shortage of battery volume without changing an operating system even when electricity consumption of the input/output device is varied due to a setting or the input/output device is exchanged or newly added.
Another object of the invention is to provide an input/output control method capable of preventing the operation of an input/output device from becoming unstabilized due to shortage of battery volume without changing an operating system even when electricity consumption of the input/output device is varied due to a setting or the input/output device is exchanged or newly added.
Further, another object of the invention is to provide a computer-readable storing medium in which a program for realizing the above mentioned input/output control method is stored.
An information terminal device driven by a battery according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: an input/output device; a battery remaining quantity/capacity measuring means for measuring a remaining quantity/capacity of the battery; a driving means for operating the input/output device and storing electricity consumption of the input/output device when the input/output device is operated; and electricity consumption registering means for registering the electricity consumption stored in the driving means; a judging means for judging, when an input or output of data to or from the input/output device is required, whether or not the battery remaining quantity/capacity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring means is enough for carrying out such a required input or output of data with the electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering means; and an input/output permitting means for permitting the input/output device to carry out the input or output of data when the judging means judges that the battery remaining power/quantity is enough.
In the above information terminal device, when the judging means judges that there is enough battery remaining quantity, input or output of data by the input/output device is permitted by the permitting means. Therefore, when the battery remaining quantity is not enough, data is not input or output in an unstable operational state. Further, in the information terminal device, the electricity consumption of the input/output device stored in the driving means is registered in the electricity consumption registering means. Then, the judging means judges in accordance with the registered electricity consumption. Therefore, even when the input/output device is exchanged or newly added, it is unnecessary to make change in any other portion than only if there is a driving means corresponding to such exchanged or newly added input/output device.
In the above information terminal device, electricity consumption of the input/output device may be varied depending upon a setting of the driving means. In such a case, the driving means stores electricity consumption of the input/output device for every setting; the information terminal device further comprises; a setting changing means for changing the setting of the driving means when the judging means judges that the battery remaining quantity is not enough; and a re-registering means for registering, in the electricity consumption registering means, the electricity consumption stored in the driving means corresponding to a setting which is changed by the setting changing means.
In this case, electricity consumption corresponding to the changed setting is re-registered in the re-registering means by changing the setting of the driving means by the setting changing means, and the input/output device can be operated in accordance with the re-registered electricity con

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