Low power multimedia playing method for portable computer

• US 20070136650A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hsieh, Kuan-Hong, Li, Xiao-Guang, Wang, Han-Che, Liu, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/309,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136650A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A computer system capable of playing multimedia files while in a power off mode or power-saving mode is provided. The computer system has a first operating system operated in a high power mode and a second operating system operated in a low power mode. The first operating system has a hard disk storing multimedia files and a central processing unit for running the first operating system. The second operating system has a non-volatile storage unit consuming substantially less power than the hard disk, for storing multimedia files; a multimedia playing unit for playing the multimedia files of the non-volatile storage unit; and a microcontroller having less computing performance than the CPU and consuming substantially less power than the CPU, for running the second operating system when the first operating system is in a power off mode or power-saving mode. A related method for operating the computer system is also provided.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a first operating system comprising;

a primary display;

a hard disk storing multimedia files; and

a central processing unit (CPU) for running the first operating system; and

a second operating system for playing multimedia files comprising;

a non-volatile storage unit consuming substantially less power than the hard disk, for storing multimedia files;

a multimedia playing unit for playing the multimedia files of the non-volatile storage unit; and

a microcontroller having less computing performance than the CPU and consuming substantially less power than the CPU, for running the second operating system when the first operating system is in a power off mode or power-saving mode.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the second operating system further comprises a secondary display for displaying information related to the multimedia files being played, wherein the secondary display consumes substantially less power than the primary display.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, further comprising an input device for a play operational input.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, wherein the second operating system is loaded to play the multimedia files in response to the play operational input.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the first operating system retains in the power off mode or power-saving mode in response to the play operational input.

6. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the CPU reads the multimedia files from the hard disk and stores the multimedia files read to the non-volatile storage unit, in response to the play operational input in the event that the first operating system is in a normal working mode.

7. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the second operating system is not loaded if finishing playing the multimedia files.

8. A multimedia playing method used in a computer system, wherein the computer system has a first operating system operated in a high power mode and a second operating system operated in a low power mode, the first operating system having a hard disk storing multimedia files, the second operating system having a non-volatile storage unit storing multimedia files, the multimedia playing method comprising the steps of:

receiving a play operational input;

loading the second operating system in response to the play operational input; and

playing the multimedia files in the second operating system.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

retaining the first operating system in a power off mode or power-saving mode in response to the play operational input.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

reading the multimedia files from the hard disk and storing the multimedia files to the non-volatile storage unit in response to the play operational input in the even that the first operating system is in a normal working mode.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

stopping powering the second operating system if finishing playing the multimedia files.