Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for determining whether to wake up a system by detecting a status of a push button switch that is remotely located from the system

US6738914B2 · kind B2 · utility

34Cited by
2References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 5, 2001
Grant dateMay 18, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 12, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F1/3203
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A communication system (100) includes a control unit (101) electronically coupled to a pushbutton switch (129). The control unit (101) includes a wake-up circuit (110) having a signal generator (201) and a signal detector (202). The signal generator (201) generates a digital pulse signal (139) having a predetermined amplitude (303) and a predetermined duration (304) for receipt by the pushbutton switch (129). The signal detector (202) monitors the digital pulse signal (139) to determine whether the pushbutton switch (129) is actuated or not actuated. The communications system (100) maintains a low power consumption mode responsive to determining when the pushbutton switch (129) is not actuated, and enables a normal power consumption mode responsive to determining when the pushbutton switch (129) is actuated.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.