Computer apparatus, power supply control method and program for reducing the standby power requirement in a computer supporting a wake-up function

• US 20030135726A1
• Filed: 12/24/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hagiwara, Mikio, Odaohhara, Shigefumi, Yamazaki, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

In general, the present invention provides a computer apparatus, power supply control method and program for reducing the standby power requirements in a computer supporting a wake-up function. The present invention reduces standby power requirements on power off by three types of control: a wake-up function being set by a user, existence of a device actually capable of realizing the wake-up function, and supplying the power from the auxiliary source only to the device capable of realizing the wake-up function.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus comprising:

a function setup means for enabling or disabling a wake-up function to start up a system by operation from a remote site;

a storage means for storing information on being enabled or disabled set by said function setup means;

a confirmation means for confirming said information on being enabled or disabled stored in said storage means upon receiving a request for system shutdown; and

a power off means for supplying power from an auxiliary source to a device which may realize the wake-up function if said confirmation means determines that said wake-up function is enabled and for executing power off of the system by terminating power supply to the device from the auxiliary source if determined that said wake-up function is disabled.

2. The computer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination means that determines whether or not a device being able to realize the wake-up function among said connected devices is included therein,

wherein said power off means executes the power off of said system by terminating the power supply from said auxiliary source when determined by said determination means that there is no actual device being able to realize said wake-up function.

3. The computer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power off means executes the power off of the system supplying the power from said auxiliary source to the device being able to realize the wake-up function among said connected devices and turning off the power from the auxiliary source to the device being unable to realize the wake-up function.

4. A computer apparatus capable of receiving a device being able to realize a wake-up function, comprising:

a wake-up power source for supplying power for wake-up to said connected devices on power-off;

a determination means for determining whether or not a device being able to realize said wake-up function is included therein; and

a controlling means for controlling power supply from said wake-up power source to be off in the case where determination means determines that no device being able to realize said wake-up function is included therein.

5. The computer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determination means determines whether or not said wake-up function can be realized by a device class or an ID obtained from said device.

6. A computer apparatus capable of receiving a device being able to realize a wake-up function, comprising:

a switching means for turning on and off power for wake-up to said connected devices; and

a controlling means for controlling said switching means to supply said power for wake-up to the device being able to realize the wake-up function and not to supply the power for wake-up to the device being unable to realize the function on power off.

7. The computer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said switching means provides a switch for turning on and off power supply from a wake-up power source to each of a plurality of connectors to which the devices are connectable and controls the switch based on a type of the device connected to each of the plurality of connectors

8. The computer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said controlling means determines whether or not the connected device supports the Ethernet and performs control to supply said power for wake-up to the device supporting Ethernet and not to supply said power to the device not supporting it.

9. A power supply control method in a computer being able to realize a wake-up function, comprising the steps of:

storing setup information on said wake-up function being enabled or disabled; and

executing power off of the system supplying power from an auxiliary source to a device which may realize the wake-up function if said wake-up function is enabled according to said stored setup information, and terminating power supply to the device from the auxiliary source if said wake-up function is disabled.

10. The power supply control method according to claim 9, wherein, in the case where said wake-up function is disabled according to said stored setup information, power supply from the auxiliary source to all the devices of performing communication with the outside is stopped.

11. A power supply control method of supplying power for wake-up to a device being able to realize a wake-up function, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not said device being able to realize a wake-up function is connected; and

in case of determining that said device being able to realize the wake-up function is not connected, turning off supply of said power for wake-up.

12. The power supply control method according to claim 11, wherein determination of whether or not the device is able to realize said wake-up function is the determination of whether or not the device supports Ethernet.

13. A power supply control method of supplying power for wake-up for realizing a wake-up function to a predetermined device on power off, comprising the steps of:

supplying on power off said power for wake-up to a device being able to realize the wake-up function, of a plurality of connected devices; and

performing control not to supply said power for wake-up to the device being unable to realize the wake-up function on power off.

14. A power supply control method of supplying power for wake-up for realizing a wake-up function to a predetermined device on power off, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for shutdown during operation of a system;

performing an OS shutdown process;

performing a BIOS shutdown process; and

in the case where said wake-up function is set as enable and being able to realize the wake-up function is connected, supplying said power for wake-up to the device.

15. A program for causing a computer to execute the procedures of:

storing setup information on a wake-up function being enabled or disabled;

in the case where said wake-up function is set to be enabled according to said stored setup information;

maintaining power supply to the device from an auxiliary source on power off; and

in the case where said wake-up function is set to be disabled according to said stored setup information, stopping the power supply to said device from said auxiliary source on power off.

16. A program for causing a computer to execute the procedures of:

determining whether or not a device being able to realize a wake-up function is connected; and

in the case of determining that the device being able to realize said wake-up function is not connected, stopping supply of power for wake-up to the device on power off.

17. A program for causing a computer to execute the procedures of:

as to a plurality of connected devices, determining whether or not they are the devices being able to realize a wake-up function;

maintaining supply of power for wake-up from an auxiliary source to the device being able to realize the wake-up function of said plurality of devices on power off; and

stopping the supply of power for wake-up from said auxiliary source to the devices being unable to realize the wake-up function of said plurality of devices on power off.