Information-processing apparatus and method of controlling power saving

• US 20040158748A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Toma, Hideyuki, Ishibashi, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,951 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 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A power control driver of a BIOS has a function of changing a frequency of clock supplied to a CPU. According to the function of the power control driver, it is possible to set a normal mode for showing the CPU capability to the maximum and a power saving mode for preferentially taking power saving rather than the CPU capability. A power control utility program carries out the following power saving control. The program shifts a system to the normal mode when an AV application program operating an encoder and a decoder required for showing the CPU capability to the maximum is operating. In addition, the program shifts the system to the power saving mode when the program is not operating even if application programs other than the program are operating.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus having a first operation mode and a second operation mode having power consumption smaller than the first operation mode, comprising:

an image processing unit configured to carry out image processing;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the image processing unit is operating; and

a control unit configured to control changeover between the first and second operation modes based on a determination result by the determination unit so that a system is shifted to the first operation mode if the image processing unit is operating while being shifted to the second operation mode if it is not operating.

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

a CPU for driving and controlling the image processing unit,

a clock frequency supplied to the CPU being reduced when the shift to the second operation mode is made.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third operation mode having power consumption smaller than the second operation mode,

the control unit controls changeover between the first to third operation modes so that a system is shifted to the first operation mode if the image processing unit starts the operation while being shifted to the second operation mode if other units excepting the image processing unit start the operation, during the third operation mode.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the system is shifted to the third operation mode, the clock supply to the CPU is stopped.

5. An information-processing apparatus having a first operation mode and a second operation mode having power consumption smaller than the first operation mode, comprising:

an encoder compressing and encoding video data;

a decoder decoding the video data compressed and encoded by the encoder;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the encoder and the decoder are operating; and

a control unit configured to control changeover between the first and second operation modes based on a determination result by the determination unit so that a system is shifted to the first operation mode if at least one of the encoder and the decoder is operating while being shifted to the second operation mode if neither encoder nor decoder is operating.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a CPU for driving and controlling the encoder and the decoder,

a clock frequency supplied to the CPU being reduced when the shift to the second operation mode is made.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a third operation mode having power consumption smaller than the second operation mode,

the control unit controls changeover between the first to third operation modes so that a system is shifted to the first operation mode if at least one of the encoder and the decoder starts the operation while being shifted to the second operation mode if other units excepting the encoder and the decoder start the operation, during the third operation mode.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the system is shifted to the third operation mode, the clock supply to the CPU is stopped.

9. An information-processing apparatus having a first operation mode and a second operation mode having power consumption smaller than the first operation mode, comprising:

an encoder compressing and encoding video data;

a decoder decoding the video data compressed and encoded by the encoder;

a router connected with a network, and transmitting data to the network and capturing it from there;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the encoder, the decoder and the router are operating; and

a control unit configured to control changeover between the first and second operation modes based on a determination result by the determination means so that a system is shifted to the second operation mode when neither encoder nor decoder is operating even if the router is operating.

10. A method of controlling power saving of an information-processing apparatus, which has a first operation mode and a second operation mode having power consumption smaller than the first operation mode, and includes an image processing unit configured to carry out image processing;

comprising;

determining whether or not the image processing means is operating; and

controlling a changeover between the first and second operation modes so that a system is shifted to the first operation mode if the image processing means is operating while being shifted to the second operation mode if it is not operating.

11. A method of controlling power saving of an information-processing apparatus, which has a first operation mode and a second operation mode having power consumption smaller than the first operation mode, and includes an encoder compressing and encoding video data and a decoder decoding the video data compressed and encoded by the encoder, comprising:

determining whether or not the encoder and the decoder are operating; and

controlling a changeover between the first to third operation modes so that a system is shifted to the first operation mode if at least one of the encoder and the decoder starts the operation while being shifted to the second operation mode if neither encoder nor decoder starts the operation.