METHOD OF COMMUNICATING WITH EMBEDDED CONTROLLER

• US 20070011471A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation (Winbond Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation (Winbond Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Yu, Liang-Kuan, Huang, Chao-Hsiang
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method of communicating with an embedded controller is disclosed. The method is adapted for an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface specification (ACPI). According to the method, a busy flag is set in the status register of the embedded controller. While the Operating System Power Management handler (OSPM) accesses the embedded controller, the busy flag is set with a busy state value. When the OSPM finishes accessing the embedded controller, the busy flag is set with a non-busy state value.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with an embedded controller, adapted for an advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI), the method comprising:

setting a busy flag in a status register of an embedded controller;

setting a busy state value to the busy flag, while an operating system power management handler (OSPM) accesses the embedded controller; and

setting a non-busy state value to the busy flag, when the OSPM finishes accessing the embedded controller.

2. The method of communicating with an embedded controller of claim 1, wherein the busy flag is a second bit of the status register of the embedded controller.

3. The method of communicating with an embedded controller of claim 1, wherein the busy flag is a seventh bit of the status register of the embedded controller.

4. A method of communicating with an embedded controller, adapted for an advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI), the method characterized in that an interrupt request level (IRQL) of an application program or an apparatus driving program is raised higher than that in an operating system power management handler (OSPM), when the application program or the apparatus driving program accesses the embedded controller.