Computer system which is operative to change from a normal operating state to a suspend state when a power supply thereof detects that an external source is no longer providing power to said power supply at a predetermined level
First Claim
1. A computer system capable of operating in at least two states of power management, a normal operating state in which code is executed by said computer system and a suspend state, the system comprising:
- (a) a CPU capable of executing said code;
(b) power management circuitry in circuit communication with said CPU for selectively changing the state of said computer system between said normal operating state and said suspend state responsive to a control signal;
(c) a power supply in circuit communication with said CPU and said power management circuitry comprising circuitry for selectively providing system power from an external source to said computer system responsive to said power management circuitry, characterized by having a first power supply state, a second power supply state and a third power supply state and further characterized by having circuitry for providing auxiliary power to said power management circuitry, said power supply further comprising circuitry for providing system power to said computer system and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from an internal source, said power supply being operative to generate said control signal to said power management circuitry when said system is in said normal operating state and said external source stops providing power at a predetermined level to said power supply,wherein said first power supply state is characterized by said power supply providing system power to said computer system from said external source and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said external source,wherein said second power supply state is characterized by said power supply not providing system power to said computer system from said external source and said power supply providing auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said external source,wherein said third power supply state is characterized by said power supply providing system power to said computer system and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said internal source,wherein said normal operating state is characterized in that said power supply is in said first power supply state; and
wherein said suspend state is characterized by the code executing on the CPU being reversibly interrupted such that the execution of the code on the CPU is capable of being resumed after the power supply changes to said first power supply state, andsaid power management circuitry being characterized in that while in said normal operating state, responsive to said power supply activating said control signal, said power management circuitry causes said computer system to change to said suspend state.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a personal computer system which includes a central processing unit (CPU) and power management circuitry (PMC) in circuit communication with the CPU. A power supply is in circuit communication with the CPU and the PMC and includes circuitry for selectively providing system power to the computer system and auxiliary power to the PMC (1) from an external source or (2) from an internal source. When the system is in a normal operating state and the external source stops providing power at a predetermined level (e.g., brownout or blackout) to the power supply, the power supply is operative to generate a control signal to the PMC and switch to its internal power source. The power management circuitry is characterized in that while in the normal operating state, responsive to the power supply activating the control signal, the PMC causes the computer system to change to the suspend state wherein the entire state of the system is safely saved to a non-volatile storage device.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A computer system capable of operating in at least two states of power management, a normal operating state in which code is executed by said computer system and a suspend state, the system comprising:
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(a) a CPU capable of executing said code; (b) power management circuitry in circuit communication with said CPU for selectively changing the state of said computer system between said normal operating state and said suspend state responsive to a control signal; (c) a power supply in circuit communication with said CPU and said power management circuitry comprising circuitry for selectively providing system power from an external source to said computer system responsive to said power management circuitry, characterized by having a first power supply state, a second power supply state and a third power supply state and further characterized by having circuitry for providing auxiliary power to said power management circuitry, said power supply further comprising circuitry for providing system power to said computer system and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from an internal source, said power supply being operative to generate said control signal to said power management circuitry when said system is in said normal operating state and said external source stops providing power at a predetermined level to said power supply, wherein said first power supply state is characterized by said power supply providing system power to said computer system from said external source and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said external source, wherein said second power supply state is characterized by said power supply not providing system power to said computer system from said external source and said power supply providing auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said external source, wherein said third power supply state is characterized by said power supply providing system power to said computer system and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said internal source, wherein said normal operating state is characterized in that said power supply is in said first power supply state; and wherein said suspend state is characterized by the code executing on the CPU being reversibly interrupted such that the execution of the code on the CPU is capable of being resumed after the power supply changes to said first power supply state, and said power management circuitry being characterized in that while in said normal operating state, responsive to said power supply activating said control signal, said power management circuitry causes said computer system to change to said suspend state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer system capable of operating in at least two states of power management, namely a operating state in which code is executed by said computer system and a suspend state in which execution of code by said computer system is interrupted, the system comprising:
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(a) a CPU capable of executing said code; (b) a power management circuitry in circuit communication with said CPU for selectively changing the state of said computer system between said normal operating state and said suspend state in response to a control signal; (c) a power supply in circuit communication with said CPU and said power management circuitry comprising circuitry for selectively providing system power from an external source to said computer system responsive to said power management circuitry, characterized by having circuitry for providing auxiliary power to said power management circuitry, said power supply further comprising circuitry for providing system power to said computer system and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from an internal source, said power supply being operative to generate a control signal to said power management circuitry when said system is in said normal operating state and said external source stops providing power at a predetermined level to said power supply, (d) a non-volatile storage device in circuit communication with said CPU, (e) a volatile memory in circuit communication with said CPU and for storing memory data, (f) volatile registers in circuit communication with said CPU and for storing register data, said power management circuitry being characterized in that while in said normal operating state, responsive to said power supply activating said control signal, said power management circuitry causes said computer system to change to said suspend state, wherein said change from said normal operating state to said suspend state comprises transferring the memory data from said volatile memory to said non-volatile storage device and transferring the register data from the volatile registers to said non-volatile storage device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer system capable of operating in at least two states of power management, a normal operating state and a suspend state, the system comprising:
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(a) a CPU capable of executing code; (b) power management circuitry in circuit communication with said CPU for selectively changing the state of said computer system between said normal operating state and said suspend state responsive to a suspend event; (c) a power supply in circuit communication with said CPU and said power management circuitry comprising circuitry for selectively providing system power from an external source to said computer system responsive to said power management circuitry, characterized by having a first power supply state, a second power supply state and a third power supply state and further characterized by having circuitry for providing auxiliary power to said power management circuitry, said power supply further comprising circuitry for providing system power to said computer system and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from an internal source, said power supply being operative to generate a control signal when said system in said normal operating state and said external source stops providing power at a predetermined level to said power supply, wherein said first power supply state is characterized by said power supply providing system power to said computer system from said external source and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said external source, wherein said second power supply state is characterized by said power supply not providing system power to said computer system from said external source and said power supply providing auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said external source, wherein said third power supply state is characterized by said power supply providing system power to said computer system and auxiliary power to said power management circuitry from said internal source, wherein said normal operating state is characterized in that said power supply is in said first power supply state; and wherein said suspend state is characterized by the code executing on the CPU being reversibly interrupted such that the execution of the code on the CPU is capable of being resumed after the power supply changes to said first power supply state, and wherein responsive to said power supply activating said control signal said code executes a suspend routine which causes said computer system to change from said normal operating state to said suspend state. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification