Intelligent standby concept

Modern consumer electronic products like TVs, VCRs, laser disc players, and Hi-Fi equipment offer users the convenience of switching the equipment on and off via a remote control handset. When this type of equipment is switched off, it is said to be in standby mode. In standby mode the equipment still has the power supply operating in order to provide power for the microcontroller and other standby circuitry. This power is typically ten Watts or higher. An intelligent standby circuit is described, whereby a combination of software and hardware interact in order to reduce the standby power. This method allows the power supply to be disconnected from the mains supply.