Low Power Mode For Portable Computer System

• US 20070067655A1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,280 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 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computer system is configured to operate in a normal mode and in a reduced power mode. The normal mode utilizes a primary processor, which operates using a primary operating system. When system power is depleted to a defined level, the primary processor is shut down and certain operations are taken over by a low-power, secondary processor that operates using a secondary operating system.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a primary processor configured to perform primary operations of the computer system, the primary processor consuming power at a first rate when the computer system is operating in a normal mode; and

a secondary processor connected to and operable with at least one user input device and at least one data storage device and operably associated with the primary processor, the secondary processor consuming power at a second rate when the computer system is operating in a reduced-power mode, the second rate being substantially less than the first rate, and the secondary processor configured to facilitate user data entry and data storage operations when the computer system is operating in a reduced-power mode while the primary processor is substantially disabled, the reduced-power mode and the normal mode being mutually exclusive.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portable power source connected for supplying power to the primary processor and to the secondary processor, the power source having a fixed maximum power storage capacity, wherein the computer system is configured so that the reduced-power mode begins operation when the portable power source is depleted to a defined threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the defined threshold is substantially less than the fixed maximum storage capacity.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the portable power source comprises a battery.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the portable power source comprises a power cell.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a power-control switch disposed to determine whether the computer system operates in normal mode and in reduced power mode.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a voltage sensor coupled to the power switch, the voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage supplied by the portable power source.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a current sensor coupled to the power switch, the current sensor configured to sense a current supplied by the portable power source.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises a keyboard.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first display screen operable with the primary processor when the computer is in the normal mode, wherein the computer system is configured such that the first display screen does not operate when the computer system is operating in the reduced-power mode.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second display screen operable with the secondary processor when the computer system is in reduced-power mode.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display screen operable with the primary processor when the computer is in the normal mode, wherein the computer system is configured such that substantially an entirety of the display screen is illuminated when the computer system is operating in a normal mode.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display screen is operable with the secondary processor when the computer is in the reduced-power mode, and wherein the computer system is configured such that a region of the display screen is illuminated when the computer system is operating in a reduced-power mode, the region being substantially smaller than the entirety of the display screen.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage device comprises a magnetic media disk drive.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage device comprises a non-volatile memory device.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a low-power RAM bank operably associated with the secondary processor and not with the primary processor.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising primary operating system instructions in a memory operably associated with the primary processor.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising secondary operating system instructions in a second memory operably associated with the secondary processor.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is configured such that the primary operating system and the secondary operating system operate independently and in a mutually exclusive way.

12. The system of wherein the computer system is configured such that the second display screen does not operate when the computer system is operating in the reduced-power mode.