Computing system with operational low power states

• US 20060036887A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian V. Belmont, Gunner Danneels, James P. Kardach, Jeffrey L. Huckins, Kristoffer D. Fleming, Muthu K. Kumar, Richard A. Forand, Riley W. Jackson, Uma M. Gadamsetty, Vivek Gupta
• Original Assignee: Brian V. Belmont, Gunner Danneels, James P. Kardach, Jeffrey L. Huckins, Kristoffer D. Fleming, Muthu K. Kumar, Richard A. Forand, Riley W. Jackson, Uma M. Gadamsetty, Vivek Gupta
• Inventors: Fleming, Kristoffer D., Gupta, Vivek, Gadamsetty, Uma M., Kardach, James P., Forand, Richard A., Belmont, Brian V., Huckins, Jeffrey L., Kumar, Muthu K., Jackson, Riley W., Danneels, Gunner
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method is described that involves operating a computing system within a normal on state and transitioning from the normal on state to a main CPU/OS based state. In the main CPU/OS based state one or more components of the computing system are inactivated so as to cause the computing system to consume less power in the main CPU/OS based state than in the normal on state. The computing system is able to execute software application routines on a main CPU and a main OS of the computing system while in the main CPU/OS based state.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A method, comprising:

moving a data object to a data storage resource that remains active while a main CPU and a main OS of a computing system are sleeping, said moving performed with said main CPU.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said method further comprises pulling said data object from an application software program prior to said moving, said application software program executed with said main CPU and said main OS, said application software program not configured with an awareness of said data storage resource.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said moving further comprises passing the data object through an API of a non main OS that remains active while said main CPU and said main OS are sleeping.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein said moving further comprises passing the data object through an API of a non main OS that remains active while said main CPU and said main OS are sleeping.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein said data object describes calendar information.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said data object describes contact information.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein said data object describes “

to-do”

information.

38. A machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by a main CPU of a computing system, cause said main CPU to perform a method, said method comprising:

moving a data object to a data storage resource that remains active while said main CPU is sleeping.

39. The machine readable medium of claim 38 wherein said method further comprises pulling said data object from an application software program prior to said moving, said application software program executed with said main CPU, said application software program not configured with an awareness of said data storage resource.

40. The machine readable medium of claim 39 wherein said moving further comprises passing the data object through an API of a non main OS that remains active while said main CPU is sleeping.

41. The machine readable medium of claim 38 wherein said moving further comprises passing the data object through an API of a non main OS that remains active while said main CPU is sleeping.

42. The machine readable medium of claim 38 wherein said data object describes calendar information.

43. The machine readable medium of claim 38 wherein said data object describes contact information.

44. The machine readable medium of claim 38 wherein said data object describes “

to-do”

information.