METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SAVING DEVICE STATE WHILE A COMPUTER SYSTEM IS IN SLEEP MODE

• US 20010001879A1
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Published: 05/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: ROGALSKI, MARK DANIEL, KUBIK, JOSEPH, SMITH, JOEL L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,324,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A serializable object, formed by a device driver and containing characteristics (device state) of the device, is held by a device driver and made known to a data processing system'"'"'s power manager. The power manager provides a device driver independent mechanism for saving device state by retrieving each device driver'"'"'s object containing device state and storing the object in a location that provides for efficient and quick retrieval. The power manager, being aware of power levels for all devices on the system, may determine where, how and when to store objects retrieved from the device drivers for most efficient retrieval. Upon receiving an interrupt indicating the system should power up, the serializable objects are retrieved by the power manager and restored to each device driver.

Claims

1. A method for storing and retrieving device state characteristics from a device driver within a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

determining said system should proceed to a sleep mode;

writing said characteristics to a serializable object;

retrieving said object;

storing said object to a location determined by a power manager to be an optimum storage location;

retrieving said object upon sensing a signal to end said sleep mode; and

restoring said characteristics to said device driver.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein writing said characteristics to an object, further comprises:

utilizing object oriented language within said device driver'"'"'s operating code to write said characteristics to said serializable object.

3. The method of

claim 2

, further comprising;

said device driver writing device characteristics to said object that will return said device to a former state.

4. The method of

claim 3

, further comprising;

writing only characteristics necessary to returning said device to said former state.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein storing said object to a location determined by said power manager to be an optimum storage location, further comprising;

determining the requirements of said data processing system necessary to perform restoration in a minimal time period.

6. The method of

claim 5

, further comprising;

storing said object to a location appropriate to said requirements.

7. An apparatus for storing and retrieving device state characteristics from a device driver within a data processing system, comprising:

means for determining said system should proceed to a sleep mode;

logic means for writing said characteristics to a serializable object;

means for retrieving said object;

means for storing said object to a location determined by a power manager to be an optimum storage location;

means for retrieving said object upon sensing a signal to end said sleep mode; and

means for restoring said characteristics to said device driver.

8. The apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein means for retrieving device state characteristics from said device, further comprises:

logic means for writing characteristics of said device that will return said device to a former state.

9. The apparatus of

claim 8

, further comprising;

logic means for ignoring characteristics that are superfluous to returning said device to said former state.

10. The apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein means for writing said characteristics to an object, further comprises

means for utilizing object oriented language within said device driver'"'"'s operating code to write said characteristics to an object.

11. The apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein means for storing said object to a location determined by said power manager to be an optimum storage location, further comprises;

means for determining the requirements of said data processing system necessary to perform restoration in a minimal time period.

12. The apparatus of

claim 11

, further comprises;

means for storing said object to a location appropriate to said requirements.

13. A computer program product within a computer readable medium, comprising:

instructions within said computer readable medium for determining said system should proceed to a sleep mode;

instructions within said computer readable medium for writing said characteristics to a serializable object;

instructions within said computer readable medium for retrieving said object;

instructions within said computer readable medium for storing said object to a location determined by a power manager to be an optimum storage location;

instructions within said computer readable medium for retrieving said object upon sensing a signal to end said sleep mode; and

instructions within said computer readable medium for loading said characteristics to said device driver.

14. The computer program product of

claim 13

, wherein instructions for retrieving device state characteristics from said device, further comprises;

instructions within said computer readable medium for writing characteristics of said device that will return said device to a former state.

15. The computer program product of

claim 14

, further comprising;

instructions within said computer readable medium for ignoring characteristics that are superfluous to returning said device to said former state.

16. The computer program product of

claim 13

, wherein instructions for writing said characteristics to an object, further comprises

instructions within said computer readable medium for said power manager'"'"'s operating code to write said characteristics to a storage location.

17. The computer program product of

claim 13

, further comprising

instructions within said computer readable medium for utilizing said power manager operating code in determining an appropriate location for said object.

18. The computer program product of

claim 13

, wherein instructions for storing said object to a location determined by said power manager to be an optimum storage location, further comprises:

instructions within said computer readable medium for determining the requirements of said data processing system necessary to perform restoration in a minimal time period.

19. The computer program product of

claim 18

, further comprising;

instructions within said computer readable medium for storing said object to a location appropriate to said requirements.