Method and apparatus for a computing system having an active sleep mode CPU that uses the Cache of a normal active mode CPU
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a) a high end computing system, said high end computing system further comprising a first central processing unit and a graphics controller, said high end system active during a normal active mode; and
b) a low end computing system, said low end computing system further comprising a second central processing unit that is coupled to said first central processing unit, said low end computing system not comprising a graphics controller, said low end computing system having less power consumption than said high end computing system, said low end computing system active during an active sleep mode, said first central processing unit having a cache, said cache accessible to said second central processing unit, said cache located in said first central processing unit.
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Abstract
A method is described that involves storing active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by a low end central processing unit into an on chip cache of a high end central processing unit that caches normal active mode software instructions executed by the high end central processing unit. The active sleep mode software instructions are to be executed by the low end central processing unit during an active sleep mode. The normal active mode software instructions are executed by the high end central processing unit during a normal active mode. The active sleep mode consumes less power than the normal active mode.
110 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a) a high end computing system, said high end computing system further comprising a first central processing unit and a graphics controller, said high end system active during a normal active mode; and
b) a low end computing system, said low end computing system further comprising a second central processing unit that is coupled to said first central processing unit, said low end computing system not comprising a graphics controller, said low end computing system having less power consumption than said high end computing system, said low end computing system active during an active sleep mode, said first central processing unit having a cache, said cache accessible to said second central processing unit, said cache located in said first central processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method, comprising:
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transitioning a computing system from a normal active mode to an active sleep, said transitioning comprising;
storing active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by a low end central processing unit into an on chip cache of a high end central processing unit that cached normal active mode software instructions that were executed by said high end central processing unit during said normal active mode, said active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by said low end central processing unit during said active sleep mode, said computing system consuming less power during said active sleep mode than during said normal active mode; and
placing a graphics controller into a low power state in which said graphics controller will not perform graphics processing tasks that it performed in said normal active mode. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification