Power management system for use in laptop computer and management method thereof
A power management system for use in a laptop computer and its power management method include an external power apparatus and a control unit and a switch disposed in the laptop computer. The external power apparatus is pluggable and supplies direct current (DC) between 5 and 1.8 DC voltages to the laptop computer. The switch can turn on/off the direct current to at least one DC voltage point within the laptop computer based on a control signal sent from the control unit.
1. A power management system for use in a laptop computer, comprising:
an external power apparatus pluggable and supplying a DC voltage to said laptop computer;
a battery disposed in said laptop computer and supplying said DC voltage to said laptop computer;
a control unit disposed in said laptop computer; and
a switch, disposed in said laptop computer, switching said DC voltage supplied by said external power apparatus, said battery, or said external power apparatus and said battery at the same time connected in parallel with at least one DC voltage point in said laptop computer based on a control signal sent from said control unit, wherein said DC voltage falls within a range from 5 volts to 1.8 volts.
2. The power management system of claim 1 , wherein said external power apparatus includes a fuel battery or a solar energy battery.
3. The power management system of claim 1 , wherein said external power apparatus is pluggable to said laptop computer by a USB interface, a PCMCIA interface or a card interface.
4. The power management system of claim 1 , wherein said DC voltage has a voltage of 5 volts, 3.3 volts, 2.5 volts or 1.8 volts.
5. The power management system of claim 1 , wherein said control unit is an embedded controller.
6. The power management system of claim 1 , wherein said control unit is installed in a South Bridge chip in said laptop computer.
7. The power management system of claim 1 , wherein said switch is installed at a current limit chip or a current limit switch in said laptop computer.
8. A power management method for use in a laptop computer, comprising:
plugging an external power apparatus having a USB port into a USB port of said laptop computer;
disposing a battery in said laptop computer; and
connecting said external power apparatus and said battery in parallel with a DC voltage point supplied with a DC voltage if a stable voltage is detected or confirmed at the DC voltage point of said laptop computer, or turning off said DC voltage to be supplied to said DC voltage point if the power of said laptop computer is detected to be turned off, wherein said DC voltage falls within a range from 5 volts to 1.8 volts.
9. A power management system for use in a laptop computer, comprising:
an external power apparatus having a fuel battery or a solar energy battery, with the external power apparatus pluggable and supplying a DC voltage to said laptop computer;
a battery disposed in said laptop computer and supplying said DC voltage to said laptop computer;
a control unit in a form of an embedded controller and disposed in said laptop computer; and
a plurality of switches, disposed in a current limit chip or a current limit switch of said laptop computer, switching said DC voltage supplied by said external power apparatus, said battery, or said external power apparatus and said battery at the same time based on a control signal sent from said control unit, and connected in parallel with at least one DC voltage point in said laptop computer, wherein said DC voltage falls within a range from 5 volts to 1.8 volts.