Method and apparatus for a computing system having an active sleep mode

• US 20040034803A1
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Tony G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a computing system having a normal active mode and an active sleep mode. The active sleep mode consumes less power than the normal active mode. The computing system also has a high end system and a low end system. The low end system executes one or more tasks during the active sleep mode.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

entering a computing system into an active sleep mode from a normal active mode, said active sleep mode consuming less power than said normal active mode, said active sleep mode further comprising an active wireless I/O component; and

receiving wireless information with said wireless I/O component during said active sleep mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying at least a portion of said information on a display unit during said active sleep mode.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said display unit displays said information through a first window having an area that is smaller than a second window area, said second window area used during said normal active mode, said first window smaller than said second window in order to consume less power with said display unit during said active sleep mode as compared to said normal active mode.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing at least a portion of said information on a magnetic storage medium with a hard disk drive during said active sleep mode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said information further comprises an email.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said information further comprises information sent from a server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said information further comprises information received from the Internet.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said information further comprises information from a web cite.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said information further comprises video information.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting more information from said computing system with said wireless I/O component during said active sleep mode.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising decompressing said information.

12. A method, comprising:

entering a computing system into an active sleep mode from a normal active mode, said active sleep mode consuming less power than said normal active mode, said active sleep mode further comprising an active non volatile data storage device; and

reading information from said hard disk drive during said active sleep mode.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying at least a portion of said information on a display unit during said active sleep mode.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said display unit displays said information through a first window having an area that is smaller than a second window area, said second window area achievable during said normal active mode, said first window smaller than said second window in order to consume less power with said display unit during said active sleep mode than said normal active mode.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said non volatile data storage device further comprises a CD-ROM drive.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said information further comprises video.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said non volatile data storage device further comprises a magnetic hard disk drive.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said information further comprises video information.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said non volatile data storage device further comprises a FLASH memory.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising decompressing said information after said reading.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising writing said information within said non volatile data storage device during said active sleep mode prior to said reading.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving information wirelessly during said active sleep mode.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a computing system having a normal active mode and an active sleep mode, said active sleep mode consuming less power than said normal active mode, said computing system further comprising a high end system and a low end system, said low end system to execute one or more tasks during said active sleep mode.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said low end system further comprises a wireless I/O component.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein one of said one or more tasks that can be executed during said active sleep mode further comprises receiving wireless information.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said low end system further comprises a hard disk drive.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein one of said one or more tasks that are executed during active sleep mode further comprises reading information from said hard

28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said low end system further comprises a display unit.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein one of said one or more tasks that are executed during said active sleep mode further comprises displaying said information on said display unit.