Apparatus with a standby mode, program and control method for an apparatus with a standby mode

• US 20040098578A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Funayama, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown
• 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

When the shutdown operation of an OS is carried out by a user of a personal computer system, a BIOS does not turn off power at once but reboots the system by a software reset to execute a POST, so that the state of the system immediately before the launch of the OS is started after completion of the POST is held in a volatile memory, and the system is shifted to a power saving mode. Subsequently, when the system is booted, the BIOS performs only restoration processing from the power saving mode while omitting the execution of the POST, and starts the launch of the OS at once. With the above configuration, the boot time of the system can be shortened by omitting the execution of the POST when the system is booted. The processes required by the POST are performed after the shutdown processing of the OS, and the state that the POST is completed after rebooting is held in the volatile memory, and the system is placed into a state of power saving mode. In this state, if the main power is cut off or the battery runs short, the system is placed into a power-off state, but the OS has already been shutdown and hence there is no danger of data loss unlike the case where the system is shifted to standby during the operation of an OS used in the prior art.

Claims

1. An apparatus with a standby mode, said apparatus comprising:

an initialization part performing initialization processing of at least a part of said apparatus;

a standby mode shifting part shifting said apparatus to the standby mode while maintaining the state of said apparatus initialized by said initialization part; and

a restoration part restoring said apparatus from the standby mode according to said standby mode shifting part with said initialized state being maintained.

2. The apparatus with a standby mode as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said initialization part comprises a BIOS, and said initialization processing comprises a POST.

3. The apparatus with a standby mode as set forth in claim 1, characterized by further comprising:

a boot part for performing boot processing of said apparatus by a power supply being turned on; and

a selection part capable of selectively setting whether the initialization processing according to said initialization part is made when said apparatus is shifted to the standby mode by said standby mode shifting part, or before or at the time when the boot processing is performed by said power supply being turning on.

4. The apparatus with a standby mode as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said initialization part and said selection part comprise a BIOS, and said initialization processing comprises a POST.

5. The apparatus with a standby mode as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said initialization part comprises a BIOS, and said initialization processing comprises a POST, and said selection part comprises an the OS.

6. The apparatus with a standby mode as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the selective setting according to said selection part is performed at the time of shutdown processing of an the OS.

7. The apparatus with a standby mode as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that said initialization part performs the initialization processing upon receipt of an instruction for placing said apparatus into a non-working condition.

8. A program for operating a computer system with a standby mode, said program making said computer system function as:

an initialization part for performing initialization processing of said computer system;

a standby mode shifting part for shifting said computer system to the standby mode while maintaining said initialized state of said computer system; and

a restoration part for restoring said computer system from said standby mode with said initialized state thereof being maintained.

9. The program as set forth in claim 8 wherein said program further makes a selection part function to selectively set one of a first mode in which said initialization processing is performed before said computer system is shifted to said standby mode, and a second mode in which said initialization processing is performed at the time when said computer system is powered on.

10. The program as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that said program comprises a BIOS, and said initialization processing comprises a POST.

11. The program as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that said initialization processing and the shifting of said computer system to said standby mode are performed based on a specified shutdown form of an the OS.

12. A program for operating a computer system with a standby mode, said program making said computer system function as:

an operating part for operating said computer system; and

a selection part for selectively setting one of a first mode and a second mode, said first mode being such that another program is given an instruction for shifting said computer system to a stand-by state while performing initialization processing of said computer system at the time of shutdown processing of said operating part, said second mode being such that said initialization processing is performed before said operating part is booted.

13. The program as set forth in claim 12, characterized in that said instruction for shifting said computer system to a non-working condition comprises selection of said first mode.

14. A method for controlling an apparatus with a standby mode, said method comprising:

a step of performing initialization processing of said apparatus;

a step of shifting said apparatus to the standby mode while maintaining the initialized state thereof; and

a step of restoring said apparatus from said standby mode in response to receipt of an instruction for placing said apparatus into a working condition.

15. The method for controlling an apparatus with a standby mode as set forth in claim 14, characterized by further comprising:

a step of rebooting said apparatus in response to receipt of an instruction for placing said apparatus into a non-working condition, wherein said initialization step is performed after said reboot step.