Suspend Profiles and Hinted Suspending

• US 20100023944A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Browne, Michael E., Dow, Eli M., Laser, Marie R., Yu, Jessie
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for suspend profiles and hinted suspending. Exemplary embodiments include a suspend mode management method, including determining a task to perform in the computer system during a suspend period of the computer system, detecting a suspend event in the computer system, the suspend event initiating the suspend period and performing the task during the suspend period.

Claims

1. In a computer system having an input device, a suspend mode management method, comprising:

determining a task to perform in the computer system during a suspend period of the computer system;

detecting a suspend event in the computer system, the suspend event initiating the suspend period; and

in response to a detection of the suspend event, performing the task during the suspend period.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein detecting the suspend event in the computer system comprises:

identifying a first time in which the input device of the computer system has been engaged;

identifying a second time in which the input device of the computer system has been engaged;

calculating a difference between the second time and the first time to determine a user inactivity period.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising recording a time of day in which the user inactivity period occurs.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising defining a hinted suspending event that notifies the computer system that the user inactivity period is commencing.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the time of day in which the user activity period occurs determines an initiation of the hinted suspending event.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising generating a suspend profile that includes a record for each of the suspend period, the user-inactivity period and the time of day in which the user inactivity period occurs and the hinted suspending event.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the task is user-defined.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the suspend period is user-defined.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

reading a power state of the computer system;

selecting the task from a pool of deferrable work tasks;

completing the task during the suspend period; and

in response to the pool of deferrable work tasks being complete, volunteering processor cycles for power management events.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising determining a power state of the computer system to determine an appropriate workload for the computer system.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

an input device operatively coupled to the processor; and

a suspend period management process, having instructions to;

generate hinted suspending that indicates the commencement of a period of user inactivity;

perform a task from a pool of deferrable work tasks during the period of user inactivity;

generate a suspend profile that includes a record for the period of user inactivity, and a time of day in which the period of user inactivity occurs.

12. A computer program product for providing suspend mode management to a computer system having an input device, the computer program product including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

determining a task to perform in the computer system during a suspend period of the computer system;

detecting a suspend event in the computer system, the suspend event initiating the suspend period; and

in response to a detection of the suspend event, performing the task during the suspend period.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 12 wherein detecting the suspend event in the computer system comprises:

identifying a first time in which the input device of the computer system has been engaged;

identifying a second time in which the input device of the computer system has been engaged;

calculating a difference between the second time and the first time to determine a user inactivity period.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 13 wherein the method further comprises recording a time of day in which the user inactivity period occurs.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the method further comprises defining a hinted suspending event that notifies the computer system that the user inactivity period is commencing.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein the time of day in which the user activity period occurs determines an initiation of the hinted suspending event.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 16 wherein the method further comprises generating a suspend profile that includes a record for each of the suspend period, the user-inactivity period and the time of day in which the user inactivity period occurs and the hinted suspending event.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 12 wherein the task is user-defined.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 12 wherein the suspend period is user-defined.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 12 wherein the method further comprises:

reading a power state of the computer system;

selecting the task from a pool of deferrable work tasks;

completing the task during the suspend period; and

in response to the pool of deferrable work tasks being complete, volunteering processor cycles for power management events.