Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Computer power control – Power conservation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-20
2004-03-30
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Computer power control
Power conservation
C713S310000, C713S320000, C713S323000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715092
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a management apparatus and method or the like for controlling power such that the management apparatus can make good use of operations for controlling and monitoring apparatuses connected on a network.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, a system has been proposed which connects not only computers and their peripheral equipment but also a plurality of apparatuses, for example, home electric appliances, audio equipment, VTRs (i.e., video tape recorder) or the like as appliances for home use to the network to control and manage them. Such a system is composed of a host apparatus, which has a host function and controls other apparatuses connected to the network, and a target apparatus that becomes a target of control of the host apparatus.
FIG. 5
illustrates a configuration of a host apparatus according to a conventional art. In the figure, reference numeral
501
denotes a host apparatus,
502
denotes a network for connecting to a not-shown external target apparatus,
511
denotes an interface section,
512
denotes a service section for performing operations peculiar to the host apparatus
501
,
513
denotes a timer section for performing reserving operations,
521
denotes an interface section,
522
denotes a host section having communication, control and other network functions,
524
denotes a storage section for recording a command and other information inputted from a target apparatus via the network
502
,
525
denotes a power source monitoring section,
526
denotes a power source and
527
denotes a communication section. Here, the power source monitoring section
525
and the power source
526
are means that are commonly used by both the service section
512
and the host section
522
to receive supply of electric power.
In the host apparatus
501
according to the conventional art which has the above-mentioned configuration, the service section
512
performs service operations peculiar to the apparatus, whereas the host section
522
performs control or monitoring of a target apparatus connected to the network
502
as a host of the network
502
. In addition, the host section
522
is also capable of operating based on a reserved time set in the timer section
513
.
Here, the host apparatus
501
may have a configuration in which the host section
522
is positioned as a central function of the apparatus, and the service section
512
is additionally positioned as a section not specifically necessary. That is, the service function
512
and the host function
522
are equivalently positioned viewed from the power source
526
and the power source monitoring section
525
and do not have a clear distinction as the target monitored by the power source monitoring section
525
.
However, the conventional host apparatus
501
having such a configuration may cause inconvenience for a user described below.
FIG. 6
illustrates a power control state transition for explaining operations of the host apparatus
501
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, if a user sends an instruction
615
for making the power state of the apparatus
501
off while the host apparatus
501
is operating (in mode
601
), since the power source monitoring section
525
and the power source
526
are commonly used by the service section
512
and the host section
522
, the service section
512
and the host section
522
are completely turned off (mode
604
) by a single instruction to turn off the power.
FIG. 6
also illustrates an instruction
617
from mode
604
to mode
601
.
Here, even if the user sends the instruction
615
intending to stop only the service section
512
, since the host section
522
simultaneously stops at that point, if the host section
522
controls a target apparatus connected to the network
502
at the time when the instruction
615
is sent, it is likely that the control of the target apparatus is stopped by the stop of the host section
522
, which affects the other target apparatuses connected to the network
502
.
Therefore, in a system in which a network is established, since the power source state of the host apparatus
501
having the host function such as the host section
522
together with the service section
512
cannot be turned into the off state
604
and it is not a desirable operation either, the host apparatus having the service section
512
has a problem in that operations of the service section cannot be performed as instructed by the user. A similar problem also occurs in the case in which the power source section
526
is given a standby function as in a control by, for example, a remote controller.
In order to avoid such a problem, a control of the power source state has to be controlled by configuring a host apparatus to give interface sections
711
and
721
, power source monitoring sections
715
and
725
, power supplies
716
and
726
or the like independently to a service section
712
and a host section
722
, respectively, as in a host apparatus
701
shown in FIG.
7
and receiving inputs from the interface sections independently in the service section and the host section. Host apparatus
701
in
FIG. 7
also includes timer section
723
, storage section
724
, and communication section
727
. Here,
FIG. 8
illustrates a power control state transition in the case in which the host apparatus
701
is used, and as shown in the figure, an operation mode
801
and a stop mode
802
of the host section
722
and an operation mode
803
and a stop mode
804
of the service section
712
are independent each other, thus the user needs to perform a control independently with respect to the host section
722
and the service section
712
by using the interface section
711
and
721
.
As described above, according to the above-mentioned conventional art, in the host apparatus
501
having a service function and a host function peculiar to the apparatus together, since means such as an interface section for controlling electric power supplied to a service section and a host section that are both the functions are common to the service section and the host section, it is undesirable to turn off the power state of an apparatus having the host function connected to a network, thus the user substantially cannot control the service function.
In addition, a host apparatus
701
having a configuration in which, in order to give a composited function of a service function and a host function, a service section and a host section that are both the functions are independent as in the host apparatus
701
, and to give a plurality of means of controlling supply states of electric power to each function for a user, whereby the service function can be controlled without stopping the operations of the host function, but an entire configuration and operations of the host apparatus become complicated and operations with large power consumption and low efficiency are performed.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned subject and is to provide a management apparatus or the like having a host function for performing operations with respect to a network and a service function for performing other operations, wherein, while means of switching a state of a power supply which a user can operate directly is one as in the past, the management apparatus can perform a control of a state of power supply by the host function and the service function individually, make maximum use of operations of control and monitoring with respect to the other apparatuses connected to the network, and suppress useless power consumption.
To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is a management apparatus, comprising:
an interface section for receiving an input of at least an on command or an off command from the outside;
host means connected on a network;
a service section for performing a predetermined operation;
a power source for supplying electricity at least to said host means and said service section; and
power supply controlling means of controlling a state o
Ikezaki Masao
Maekawa Hajime
Matsumura Koichi
Saga Masaki
Takechi Hideaki
Picard Leo
Shechtman Sean
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