System, method, and computer program product for saving power in a multi-graphics processor environment

• US 20080117222A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Saurabh, Tam, Elaine K., Ho, KaWing, Leroy, Lieven P., Carraher, Terrence John, Poynter, Todd Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for enabling or disabling a graphics processor during runtime. In use, a command is received to disable or enable a graphics processor. Such graphics processor is enabled or disabled during runtime, in response to the command.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a command to disable or enable a graphics processor; and

enabling or disabling the graphics processor, in response to the command;

wherein the graphics processor is enabled or disabled during runtime.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphics processor includes a graphics processing unit.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the command is received in response to a user request.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein an application or operating system is running when the graphics processor is enabled or disabled.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, and further comprising providing a user with an option to terminate the application or operating system in response to the command.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the application or operating system is terminated and the graphics processor is enabled or disabled, upon the user selecting to terminate.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, and further comprising providing a user with an option to cancel the disabling or enabling in response to the command.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the application or operating system continues to run and the graphics processor is not enabled or disabled, upon the user selecting to cancel the disabling or enabling.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to the disabling or enabling, at least one display is disabled.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to the disabling or enabling, a kernel mode driver is unloaded.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the disabling or enabling, a kernel mode driver is reloaded.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the disabling or enabling, the graphics processor is re-initialized.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the disabling or enabling, at least one mode set is performed on at least one display.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphics processor is enabled, in response to the command, the enabling including enabling power to the graphics processor.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphics processor is disabled, in response to the command, the disabling including disabling power to the graphics processor.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein an additional graphics processor continues operating irrespective of the enabling or disabling of the graphics processor.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the additional graphics processor is non-symmetric with respect to the graphics processor being enabled or disabled.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising notifying an operation system, in response to the command.

19. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for receiving a command to disable or enable a graphics processor; and

computer code for enabling or disabling the graphics processor, in response to the command;

wherein the graphics processor is enabled or disabled during runtime.

20. A graphics processor capable of being enabled or disabled during runtime.