METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING ECOSYSTEM SLEEP

• US 20090019298A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karstens, Christopher K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,968 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 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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 method for managing sleep modes in an ecosystem of components, the method includes: receiving an inactivity signal from at least one component in the ecosystem of components, the inactivity signal indicating that a predefined period of inactivity has been exceeded for that component; sending a sleep command to one or more components in the ecosystem in response to the inactivity signal, thereby establishing a sleep mode in the one or more components; subsequent to establishing the sleep mode, detecting activity in one or more of the one or more components through an awake signal received therefrom; sending an awake message to the one or more components in response to the awake signal, thereby terminating the sleep mode in the one or more components; wherein the sleep mode shuts off defined non-essential features within the one or more components, while maintaining defined essential processing tasks associated with of the one or more components placed into the sleep mode.

Claims

1. A method for managing sleep modes in an electronic computing ecosystem of components, the method comprising:

receiving an inactivity signal from at least one component in the ecosystem of components, the inactivity signal indicating that a predefined period of inactivity has been exceeded for that component;

sending a sleep command to one or more components in the ecosystem in response to the inactivity signal, thereby establishing a sleep mode in the one or more components;

subsequent to establishing the sleep mode, detecting activity in one or more of the one or more components through an awake signal received therefrom;

sending an awake message to the one or more components in response to the awake signal, thereby terminating the sleep mode in the one or more components;

wherein the sleep mode shuts off defined non-essential features within the one or more components, while maintaining defined essential processing tasks associated with of the one or more components placed into the sleep mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ecosystem has individual components that enter into sleep mode based on inactivity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ecosystem has all components enter into sleep mode based on inactivity in at least one component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected activity is based on operator interaction involving a physical activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected activity is based on operator interaction electronically initiated by remote signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays are turned off.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays are turned on and off in a progressive manner.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays have scrolling text indicating the displays are in sleep mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays have a scrolling image indicating the displays are in sleep mode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays are turned off;

and wherein when one of the blades awaken all of displays turn on.

11. A system for managing sleep modes of an electronic computing ecosystem of components included within an enclosure, the system comprising:

an ecosystem manager that receives an inactivity signal from at least one or more of the components indicating that a predefined period of inactivity has been exceeded for that component;

wherein the ecosystem manager sends a sleep command to the one or more components in response to receiving the inactivity signal;

wherein the one or more components enter a sleep mode in response to receiving the sleep command;

wherein upon detection of activity in one or more components, the one or more components send an awake signal to the ecosystem manager;

wherein in response to receiving the awake signal, the ecosystem manager sends an awake message to the one or more components so as to terminate the sleep;

wherein the sleep mode shuts off defined non-essential features within one or more components, while maintaining defined essential processing tasks associated with of the one or more components placed into sleep mode.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components enter into sleep mode on an individual basis based on inactivity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the ecosystem has all components enter into sleep mode based on inactivity in at least one component.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the detected activity is based on operator interaction involving a physical activity.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the detected activity is based on operator interaction electronically initiated by remote signals.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays are turned off.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays are turned on and off in a progressive manner.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays have scrolling text indicating the displays are in sleep mode.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays have a scrolling image indicating the displays are in sleep mode.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components are blades with individual displays, wherein during sleep mode the displays are turned off, and

wherein when one of the blades awaken all of displays turn on.