System and method for a configurable portable information handling system cover switch delay

• US 20060047980A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Price, Erin L., Billingsley, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,740 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: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Power down to a reduced power state, such as a standby or off state, of an information handling system is delayed by a user-configured time after detection of closing of the cover of the information handling system. In one embodiment, a cover delay module associated with the BIOS of the information handling system delays communication of the detection of the closing of the cover from the BIOS to a power manager of the operating system that commands the reduced power state. In another embodiment, the cover delay module integrates with the operating system power manager.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

plural processing components disposed in the housing and operable to process information;

a cover coupled to the housing and operable to between an open position and a closed position;

a display integrated in the system, the display visible to a user in the open position and protected from view in the closed position;

a switch associated with the cover and housing and interfaced with the processing components, the switch operable to detect whether the cover is in the open position or closed position and to communicate the detected cover position to the processing components;

a power manager associated with the processing components and operable to alter the operation of the processing components if the detected cover position is in the closed position; and

a cover delay module interfaced with the power manager and operable to delay the power manager from altering the operation of the processing components by predetermined amount of time.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a cover delay user interface operable to accept configurable delay time settings.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the processing components comprise a BIOS, the switch interfaces with the BIOS, the BIOS communicates the detected position to the power manager and the power manager comprises an operating system module, and wherein the cover delay module delays the power manager by delaying communication of the detected position to the power manager.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the cover delay module comprises a firmware module residing in the BIOS.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power manager comprises an operating system module and the cover delay module comprises an operating system module interfaced with the power manager and operable to direct the power manager to delay altering the operation of the processing components by the predetermined time.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power manager alters the operation of the processing components by commanding a power down of the processing components.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the power manager is an ACPI compliant power manager and the power manager alters the operation of the processing components by commanding an ACPI standby state.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the cover delay module comprises a mechanical switch that delays communication of a cover closed signal for a predetermined time.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the cover delay module comprises an electronic timer that delays communication of a cover close signal for a predetermined time.

10. A method for managing portable information handling system operational states, the method comprising:

placing the information handling system in an active state having a lid in an open position;

closing the lid;

delaying a change from the active state for a predetermined time; and

initiating a reduced power state in response to the closing of the lid following the passing of the predetermined time.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

configuring the predetermined time with a graphical user interface display at the information handling system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the reduced power state comprises the ACPI standby state.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein delaying a change further comprises delaying communication of a power down signal from a switch that detects closing the lid to the operating system that initiates the reduced power state.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein delaying communication further comprises delaying communication from the information handling system BIOS of detection of a closed lid to the operating system for the predetermined time.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein delaying is performed by a firmware module associated with the BIOS.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein delaying a change further comprises delaying initiating of a reduced power state at the operating system that initiates the reduced power state.

17. A system for managing portable information handling system operational states, the portable information handling system having a housing and a cover, the cover having open and closed positions, the system comprising:

a switch operable to detect the closed position;

a power manager interfaced with the switch and operable to transition the portable information handling system to a reduced power state if the switch detects the closed position; and

a cover delay module interfaced with the power manager and operable to delay transition to the reduced power state by a predetermined time.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a graphical user interface operable to modify the predetermined time to a user-configurable time.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the reduced power state comprises a standby state.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the reduced power state comprises an off state.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the cover delay module comprises a firmware module interfaced with the switch and operable to delay communication from the switch to the power module of detection of the closed position.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the cover delay module comprises an operating system module.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the cover delay module comprises a mechanical switch that delays communication of a cover closed signal for a predetermined time.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the cover delay module comprises an electronic timer that delays communication of a cover close signal for a predetermined time.