BATTERY OPERATED COMPUTER OPERATION SUSPENSION IN RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SENSOR INPUTS

摘要

A battery operated portable personal computer includes ambienttemperature and humidity sensors, as well as two LCD's toprovide visual indication that the ambient temperature orhumidity is out of range. If the ambient temperature dropsbelow 3 degrees C, or if it rises above 52 degrees C, thecomputer enters a low power suspend mode wherein the computeris inoperable, but, upon switching from the suspend mode tothe resume (operating) mode, the application program that wasrunning at the time of the suspension is resumed at the samepoint that the suspension occurred. The LCD temperatureindicator is activated when the ambient temperature dropsbelow 3 degrees C, or rises above 46 degrees C. Thus, forhigh temperatures, the temperature indicator is activated 6degrees before the computer is placed in the suspend mode.The ambient temperature is periodically monitored while in thesuspend mode and, if the temperature rises above 6 degrees C,or drops below 44 degrees C, the computer switches fromsuspend to resume. Thus, hysteresis is provided to prevent thecomputer from oscillating between suspend and resume modes.If the humidity rises above 96% relative humidity, thecomputer enters the suspend mode and the LCD humidityindicator is activated. The ambient humidity is periodicallymonitored in the suspend mode and, if it drops below 87%relative humidity, the computer switches from suspend toresume mode.