System for managing power in a portable music player
US6590730B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 5, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 5, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B33/14
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A technique for managing the modes of the hard disk drive to extend battery life and reduce noise. The technique may be implemented by a processor in a portable digital music player that stores audio tracks on a hard disk drive, for example. This technique includes reading a block of audio data from the disk and storing the block in a buffer while the disk is spinning. Subsequent to reading the block, the disk is spun down to a power-saving mode, while the block is played from the buffer. While the block is being played from the buffer, the technique includes monitoring the amount of the block left to be played. When the amount the block left to be played drops below a low threshold level, the disk is transitioned from the power saving mode back to a spinning mode so that data can be read from the disk before the block is finished being played from the buffer. Further, the voltage level from the batteries may be monitored, and if the voltage level is below a selected level, the disk is kept in the spinning state subsequent to reading the song from the disk to avoid a large current drain required to spin the disk up from the power saving mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.