Abstract: A system and method of measuring power consumption in an appliance is provided. An electrical characteristic of a power signal, such as a voltage component and/or a current component, can be detected at the appliance. The detected electrical characteristic can be processed using a signal processor. During signal processing, the detected electrical characteristic can be shifted based on a predetermined threshold and converted to a digital signal. An electrical characteristic offset can be determined based on an average electrical characteristic value of a plurality of detected electrical characteristics. The difference between the electrical characteristic offset value and an instantaneously detected electrical characteristic value can be used to determine power consumption of the appliance.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring power consumption of an appliance includes a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including program instructions for execution by the processor to determine a first stable power consumption state of the appliance, record a power consumption of the appliance during the first stable power consumption state, determine an unstable power consumption state of the appliance, suspend recording of the power consumption of the appliance during the unstable state, determine a second stable power consumption state of the appliance, resume recording of the power consumption of the appliance when the appliance is in the second stable power consumption state, and estimate a value of a power consumed during the unstable power consumption state as a factor of the recorded power consumption of the appliance during the first stable power consumption state and the second stable power consumption power state.

Abstract: A system and method of measuring power consumption in an appliance is provided. An electrical characteristic of a power signal, such as a voltage component and/or a current component, can be detected at the appliance. The detected electrical characteristic can be processed using a signal processor. During signal processing, the detected electrical characteristic can be shifted based on a predetermined threshold and converted to a digital signal. An electrical characteristic offset can be determined based on an average electrical characteristic value of a plurality of detected electrical characteristics. The difference between the electrical characteristic offset value and an instantaneously detected electrical characteristic value can be used to determine power consumption of the appliance.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring power consumption of an appliance includes a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including program instructions for execution by the processor to determine a first stable power consumption state of the appliance, record a power consumption of the appliance during the first stable power consumption state, determine an unstable power consumption state of the appliance, suspend recording of the power consumption of the appliance during the unstable state, determine a second stable power consumption state of the appliance, resume recording of the power consumption of the appliance when the appliance is in the second stable power consumption state, and estimate a value of a power consumed during the unstable power consumption state as a factor of the recorded power consumption of the appliance during the first stable power consumption state and the second stable power consumption power state.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for outputting an audio signal of a laptop computer to a first speaker in the laptop computer and a to second speaker in a docking station are provided. The apparatus includes a first controller implemented in the laptop computer for filtering a high frequency band component and a low frequency band component from the audio signal, for mixing the filtered signals, and for outputting the mixed signal to the first speaker when the laptop computer is not coupled with the docking station, and otherwise, filtering only a high frequency band component from the audio signal and outputting the filtered signal to the first speaker. A second controller is implemented in the docking station for receiving the audio signal from the laptop computer, for filtering a low frequency band component from the received audio signal, and for outputting the filtered signal to the second speaker when the laptop computer is coupled with the docking station.

Abstract: A portable computer system includes an audio circuit and a common audio input socket coupled to the audio circuit. This audio circuit has a controller and two amplifiers. Two types of external audio devices is to be coupled to the common audio input socket. The controller controls the two amplifiers alternately depending upon the audio type of the external audio device coupled to the common audio input socket. In a preferred embodiment, a first amplifier is provided for amplifying stereo audio signals and a second amplifier for amplifying a mono audio signal. When the controller detects a mono audio device, the microcontroller disables the first amplifier. Detecting a stereo audio device, the controller disables the second amplifier.

Abstract: A power supply of a docking system as an extension device of a notebook computer and a power failure safe docking system are disclosed.

Abstract: A computer system having two fixed disk drives and with a different operating system stored in each disk drive, in which selective booting and suspend/resume operation of the power management can be preformed through the two fixed disk drives. The computer system comprises a first hard disk drive storing a first operating system and a second hard disk drive storing a second operating system, each of the first and second hard disk drive has a reserved data storage area for the suspend operation. A port exchanger intervenes in the master and slave integrated drive electronics (IDE) interface signal lines leading from an integrated drive electronics (IDE) controller to the first and second hard disk drives, in response to a bus exchange control signal fed from a system controller to pass or cross switch the integrated drive electronics (IDE) interface signal paths directed to the first and second hard disk drives.

Abstract: A peripheral device in need of power supply connected to a parallel port of an expansion device linking the portable computer system, and to a parallel port of the portable computer system, which will be supplied power through the parallel port. In this computer system, the first parallel port must be installed and the second parallel port must be extended from the portable computer to the expansion device. And between the first and second parallel port, the first and the second peripheral device interconnection recognizing mechanism must be equipped to recognize the type of peripheral device. Also the first and the second power supply must be equipped to cut off or on the power to the peripheral device through the parallel port when the first and the second peripheral device interconnection recognizing mechanism give the recognizing signal.