Method of managing power consumption of portable computer and portable computer using the same

• US 20070081504A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Hsu, Jung, Shih, Chien
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/029 reducing the clock frequency of the controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power management method for portable computers with a wireless device and detects the electric power source of a portable computer through a power source detection circuit during the operation of portable computer. In addition, any one of the following is dynamically changed: the supporting rate of the connection interface between a wireless device and the portable computer, the data rate between the AP (Access Point) and the wireless device. Moreover, the invention provides a plurality of input methods for triggering the power saving modes of the portable computer to achieve the object of reducing power consumption.

Claims

1. A method of managing power consumption of a portable computer having a battery and capable of communicating with an AP (Access Point) through a wireless device connected to the portable computer via an interface with a first supporting rate, the AP communicating with the wireless device with a first data rate, the portable computer working under a first clock frequency and a first reference voltage and including a first circuit which does not function in power-saving mode, the wireless device including a second circuit which does not function in power-saving mode, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting a power-saving signal through an input device;

detaching and re-attaching the wireless device to the portable computer to change the mode of the interface from the first supporting rate to a second supporting rate, wherein the second supporting rate is less than the first supporting rate;

decreasing the first data rate to a second data rate transmitting between the AP and the wireless device, wherein the second data rate is less than the first data rate.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface is a USB 2.0 standard interface having the first supporting rate equal to 480 Mbps (High speed).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface is a USB 1.1 standard interface having the first supporting rate equal to 12 Mbps (Full speed).

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second supporting rate is one selected from 480 Mbps, 12 Mbps and 1.5 Mbps.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second supporting rate is one selected from 480 Mbps, 12 Mbps and 1.5 Mbps.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless device is an 802.11a standard device and the second data rate is one selected from 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6 Mbps.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless-device is a 802.11b standard device and the second data rate is one selected from 11, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a 802.11g standard device and the second data rate is one selected from 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 11, 9, 6, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the first clock frequency of the portable computer to a second clock frequency, and the second clock frequency is lower than the second clock frequency.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the first reference voltage to a second reference voltage, and the second reference voltage is less than the first reference voltage.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of turning off the first circuit of the portable computer.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of turning off the second circuit of the wireless device.

13. A portable computer capable of dynamically adjusting a USB supporting rate and data rate for power saving, communicating with an AP (Access Point) through a wireless device connected thereto via an interface with a first supporting rates, the AP communicating with the wireless device with a first data rate, the portable computer working under a first clock frequency and a first reference voltage, comprising:

a switch connected to a GPIO of the portable computer for activating a power-saving event;

a power unit including a battery and power supply to convert external AC source;

a power source detecting device for recognizing the portable computer is powered by the battery or the power supply;

a USB interface; and

a managing controller including an USB interface mode controller a data rate controller;

wherein the USB interface mode controller decreases the first supporting rate of the USB interface in response to the power-saving event, and the data rate controller decreases the first data rate transmitting between the AP and the wireless device in response to the power-saving event.

14. The portable computer as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a clock generator generating the first clock frequency and reducing the first clock frequency in response to the power-saving event, and a reference voltage generator generating the first reference voltage and reducing the first reference voltage in response to the power-saving event.