COMPUTER SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080104437A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Cheol-ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A computer system. The computer system includes memory units; a power supply to supply power to the memory units; and a controller to controls the supply of power the plurality of memory units so as to intercept power supplied from the power supply to at least one of the memory units, among according to user input.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of memory units;

a power supply to supply power to the plurality of memory units; and

a controller to control the supply of power to the plurality of memory units so as to intercept power supplied from the power supply to at least one, but not all, of the plurality of memory units, according to a user input.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of memory units comprises a first memory unit and a second memory unit.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, when the user selects the low-power mode, the controller intercepts power supplied to at least one memory unit of the plurality of memory units that corresponds to a low-power mode.

4. The computer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a setting storage unit,

wherein the controller stores user setting information on the selection of the low-power mode in the setting storage unit and determines whether the low-power mode is selected in accordance with the setting information stored in the setting storage unit when the computer system is booted.

5. The computer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a user interface (UI) generator to generate a UI; and

a display unit that displays the UI generated by the UI generator;

wherein the controller controls the UI generator to display a selection status of the low-power mode on the display unit.

6. The computer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a user input unit having at least one button to select the low-power mode;

wherein the controller determines whether the low-power mode is selected based on a press of the button.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the controller backs up data stored in the at least one memory unit before intercepting the supply of power to the memory unit.

8. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of termination units corresponding to the plurality of memory units to receive power from the power supply and to perform impedance matching during data transmission;

wherein the controller intercepts power supplied from the power supply to at least one termination unit corresponding to the at least one memory unit.

17. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a switching unit to intercept the supply of power to the at least one memory unit based on the control of the controller.

18. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of memory units are arranged in a dual-channel architecture.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the switching unit is arranged between the plurality of memory units and a south bridge of the computer system.

20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is a mobile computer system.

9. A method of controlling a computer system having a plurality of memory units and a power supply to supply power to the plurality of memory units, the method comprising:

receiving user input relating to the plurality of memory units; and

intercepting a supply of power to at least one, but not all, of the plurality of memory units from the power supply according to the user input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of memory units comprises a first memory unit and a second memory unit.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the receiving of the user input further comprises receiving the user'"'"'s selection on a power mode; and

the intercepting of the supply of power comprises intercepting the supply of power to the corresponding memory unit when the low-power mode is selected.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing user setting information on the selection of the low-power mode;

wherein the intercepting of power supplying comprises determining, when the computer system is booted, whether the low-power mode is selected based on the stored user setting information.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a selection status of the low-power mode.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the intercepting of the supply of power comprises determining whether the low-power mode is selected based on a press of at least one button.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising backing up data stored in the at least one memory unit before the supply of power to the at least one memory unit is intercepted.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises intercepting the supply of power supplied from the power supply to at least one termination unit that corresponds to the at least one memory unit.

21. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of memory units arranged in a dual-channel architecture;

a power supply to supply power to the plurality of memory units;

a switching unit to intercept the supply of power to at least one of the plurality of memory units;

a controller to control the switching unit to intercept the supply of power to at least one, but not all, of the plurality of memory units based on user input.