Power management architecture for computing devices

• US 20040003300A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Malueg, Michael D., Midkiff, Jeffrey D., Rosenfeld, Jeff D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,065,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A method and power management infrastructure are disclosed that facilitate implementing application power requirements-derived device power state schemes, on a computing device comprising a plurality of component devices managed by device drivers. The disclosed power management framework includes a set of global power state definitions specifying, for each global power state, default power states for the component devices. The infrastructure also includes a power manager. The power manager includes an application interface including a function for registering device-specific requirements associated with particular applications executing on the computing device. The power manager also includes a device power state set function facilitating issuing a device-specific command setting a power state of a specified component device. The power manager executes decision logic for detecting that the power state requirement for a device exceeds a current power state, and in response invokes the device power state set function to set the component device'"'"'s power state to the required power state.

Claims

1. A power management framework, embedded as computer instructions and data structures in a computer storage medium, for managing consumption of power by a computing device comprising a plurality of component devices managed by device drivers, the power management framework comprising:

a set of global power state definitions, wherein each global power state definition specifies a default power state for each of the plurality of component devices managed by device drivers; and

a power manager including;

an application interface including a function facilitating registering a required power state for a specified one of the plurality of component devices managed by the device drivers,

a device driver interface including a device power state set function facilitating issuing a device-specific command setting a power state of the specified component device to a specified power state, and

decision logic for detecting that the power state requirement exceeds a current power state of the specified one of the plurality of component devices, and in response invoking the device power state set function to set the power state of the specified component device to the required power state.

2. The power management framework of claim 1 wherein the device driver interface includes a function for facilitating receiving a request from a device driver for a specified device to transition from a current device power state to a new device power state, and in response invoking the device power state set function to transition the specified device to the new device power state.

3. The power management framework of claim 2 wherein in response to receiving the request from the device driver to transition the specified component device to the new device power state, the decision logic determines whether the request to transition conflicts with a registered power requirement from an application for the specified component device.

4. The power management framework of claim 1 wherein the power manager further comprises a notification interface for notifying applications of power state events.

5. The power management framework of claim 1 wherein the power manager comprises an application requirements storage structure for maintaining device-specific power state requirements.

6. The power management framework of claim 5 wherein the application interface includes a function for releasing a previously submitted power state requirement for a device registered within the application requirements storage.

7. The power management framework of claim 1 wherein the device interface further includes a function for obtaining a set of power state support capabilities from device drivers for their associated component devices.

8. The power management framework of claim 1 wherein the application interface includes a function for enabling applications to request a transition to a specified one of a set of global power state definitions.

9. The power management framework of claim 8 wherein the decision logic includes device-specific power requirement logic that applies device power state requirements registered for each component device to device power states designated in the specified global power state definition.

10. The power management framework of claim 1 further comprising a control panel interface facilitating submitting, via a user interface, modifications to the global power state definitions.

11. A method for implementing application power requirements-derived device power state schemes, on a computing device comprising a plurality of component devices managed by device drivers, a set of global power state definitions, wherein each global power state definition specifies a default power state for each of the plurality of component devices managed by device drivers, and a device driver interface including a device power state set function for issuing a device-specific command for setting a power state of the specified component device to a specified power state, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a set of device-specific power states under a selected one of the set of global power state definitions;

registering, via an application interface, a required power state for a specified one of the plurality of component devices managed by the device drivers; and

detecting that the power state requirement exceeds a current power state of the specified one of the plurality of component devices, and in response invoking the device power state set function to set the power state of the specified component device to the required power state.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a device driver for a specified device to transition from a current device power state to a new device power state, and in response invoking the device power state set function to transition the specified device to the new device power state.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein in response to receiving the request from the device driver to transition the specified component device to the new device power state, determining whether the request to transition conflicts with a registered power requirement from an application for the specified component device.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising notifying applications of power state events.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein a power manager comprises an application requirements storage structure for maintaining device-specific power state requirements, and further comprising the step of releasing a previously submitted power state requirement for a device registered within the application requirements storage.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of obtaining a set of power state support capabilities from device drivers for their associated component devices.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of receiving, from an application, a request to transition to a specified one of the set of global power state definitions.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of applying device power state requirements registered for each component device to device power states designated in the specified global power state definition.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of receiving, via a user interface, modifications to the global power state definitions.

20. A computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions for implementing application power requirements-derived device power state schemes, on a computing device comprising a plurality of component devices managed by device drivers, a set of global power state definitions, wherein each global power state definition specifies a default power state for each of the plurality of component devices managed by device drivers, and a device driver interface including a device power state set function for issuing a device-specific command for setting a power state of the specified component device to a specified power state, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of:

establishing a set of device-specific power states under a selected one of the set of global power state definitions;

registering, via an application interface, a required power state for a specified one of the plurality of component devices managed by the device drivers; and

detecting that the power state requirement exceeds a current power state of the specified one of the plurality of component devices, and in response invoking the device power state set function to set the power state of the specified component device to the required power state.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising executable instructions for performing the step of:

receiving a request from a device driver for a specified device to transition from a current device power state to a new device power state, and in response invoking the device power state set function to transition the specified device to the new device power state.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 further comprising executable instructions for performing, in response to receiving the request from the device driver to transition the specified component device to the new device power state, the step of determining whether the request to transition conflicts with a registered power requirement from an application for the specified component device.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising executable instructions for notifying applications of power state events.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the computing device includes a power manager that comprises an application requirements storage structure for maintaining device-specific power state requirements, and further comprising executable instructions for releasing a previously submitted power state requirement for a device registered within the application requirements storage.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising executable instructions for obtaining a set of power state support capabilities from device drivers for their associated component devices.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising executable instructions for receiving, from an application, a request to transition to a specified one of the set of global power state definitions.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 further comprising executable instructions for applying device power state requirements registered for each component device to device power states designated in the specified global power state definition.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising executable instructions for receiving, via a user interface, modifications to the global power state definitions.

29. A computing device for implementing application power requirements-derived device power state schemes, the computing device comprising:

a plurality of component devices managed by device drivers; and

a power manager comprising;

a set of global power state definitions, wherein each global power state definition specifies a default power state for each of the plurality of component devices managed by device drivers;

a device driver interface including a device power state set function facilitating issuing a device-specific command setting a power state of the specified component device to a specified power state, the method comprising the steps of;

a global power states register for establishing a set of device-specific power states under a selected one of the set of global power state definitions;

a power states requirement interface for registering, via an application interface, a required power state for a specified one of the plurality of component devices managed by the device drivers; and

a power states arbiter for detecting that the power state requirement exceeds a current power state of the specified one of the plurality of component devices, and in response invoking the device power state set function to set the power state of the specified component device to the required power state.

30. The computing device of claim 29 wherein the power manager further comprises:

a driver interface for receiving a request from a device driver for a specified device to transition from a current device power state to a new device power state, and in response invoking the device power state set function to transition the specified device to the new device power state.

31. The computing device of claim 30 wherein the power states arbiter further includes a conflict detector that, in response to receiving the request from the device driver to transition the specified component device to the new device power state, determines whether the request to transition conflicts with a registered power requirement from an application for the specified component device.

32. The computing device of claim 29 wherein the power manager further comprises means for notifying applications of power state events.

33. The computing device of claim 29 wherein the power manager includes an application requirements storage structure for maintaining device-specific power state requirements, and further comprises a command for releasing a previously submitted power state requirement for a device registered within the application requirements storage.

34. The computing device of claim 29 wherein the power manager includes means for obtaining a set of power state support capabilities from device drivers for their associated component devices.

35. The computing device of claim 29 wherein the power manager further comprises an application interface for receiving, from an application, a request to transition to a specified one of the set of global power state definitions.

36. The computing device of claim 35 wherein the power manager further comprises power-state decision logic for applying device power state requirements registered for each component device to device power states designated in the specified global power state definition.

37. The computing device of claim 29 wherein the power manager further comprises a user interface for receiving modifications to the global power state definitions.