Method and apparatus for setting a computer coupled to a network into a power saving mode

• US 5,900,026 A
• Filed: 05/21/1997
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ryu, Chang-Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US08/861,324
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750.03, 395/750.05, 395/750.06, 395/750.04, 395/733, 364/707
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device

Abstract

A method and apparatus for setting a networked computer with a power saving on into a power saving mode in which power is selectively supplied to only those resources of the computer used in processing network interrupts. The method includes: the first step of supplying power and determining from a user the time operated with a power saving mode, and the computer is set to a first power saving mode if the access of input/output address of the resource does not occur for a predetermined time on a normal operation of the computer; the second step that the computer is set to a second power saving mode for processing an IRQ signal when the IRQ signal is generated in a state of the first power saving mode; the third step that the computer is set to a suspend mode if the access of input/output address of the resource and the IRQ signal is not detected for a predetermined time in a state of the first power saving mode, and is changed to a first power saving mode or a second power saving mode for processing an IRQ signal when the IRQ signal is generated; and the fourth step that the computer is set to a normal operation state if the access of input/output address of the resource occurs in a state of the first power saving mode or a second power saving mode. The present invention relates to the method having a power saving function which supplies power only to a basic device used in a network.

Claims

1. A method for reducing power consumption in a computer coupled to a network and having a power saving function and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

comparing a first measurement to a first physical quantity and setting said computer into a first power saving mode when said first measurement exceeds said first physical quantity, said first power saving mode for supplying power for monitoring input/output address access and interrupt signal reception wherein said first measurement corresponds to a first time period during which said computer operates continuously in a normal mode and during which no input/output address is accessed, with each said input/output address respectively associated with a corresponding said resource, said normal mode for supplying power to all devices in said computer;

comparing a second measurement to a second physical quantity and setting said computer into a suspend mode when said second measurement exceeds said second physical quantity, said suspend mode for turning off power to all devices in said computer wherein said second measurement corresponds to a second time period during which no said input/output address is accessed and during which said computer operates in one of said first power saving mode and a second power saving mode without being set into said normal mode and without receiving an interrupt signal corresponding to said network;

setting said computer into said second power saving mode when said computer receives said interrupt signal while operating in said first power saving mode, with said second power saving mode for supplying power to at least one device in said computer that is required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network and for supplying no power to at least one other device in said computer that is not required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network;

comparing a third measurement to a third physical quantity and setting said computer into said first power saving mode when said third measurement exceeds said third physical quantity, wherein said third measurement corresponds to a third time period during which no said input/output address is accessed and during which said computer operates continuously in said second power saving mode without receiving said interrupt signal; and

setting said computer into said normal mode when any said input/output address is accessed while said computer is operating in one of said first power saving mode and said second power saving mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

supplying power to said computer; and

storing said first physical quantity, said second physical quantity, and said third physical quantity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of generating said first measurement.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of generating said second measurement.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of generating said third measurement.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one resource comprises at least one of a mass storage device, a keyboard, a mouse, and a printer.

7. The method as claimed of claim 6, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay setting, said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting, and said third physical quantity comprises a third time delay setting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one resource comprises at least one of a mass storage device, a keyboard, a mouse, and a printer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay setting, said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting, and said third physical quantity comprises a third time delay setting.

10. A method for reducing power consumption in a computer coupled to a network and having a power saving function and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

comparing a first measurement with a first physical quantity and setting said computer into a first power saving mode when said first measurement exceeds said first physical quantity, said first power saving mode for supplying power for monitoring input/output address access and interrupt signal reception, wherein said first measurement corresponds to a first time period during which said computer operates continuously in a normal mode and no input/output address is accessed, with each said input/output address respectively associated with a corresponding said resource said normal mode for supplying power to all devices in said computer;

comparing a second measurement to a second physical quantity and setting said computer into a suspend mode when said second measurement exceeds said second physical quantity, said suspend mode for turning off power to all devices in said computer, wherein said second measurement corresponds to a second time period during which no said input/output address is accessed and during which said computer operates continuously in said first power saving mode without receiving an interrupt signal corresponding to said network;

setting said computer into a second power saving mode when said computer receives said interrupt signal while operating in said first power saving mode, with said second power saving mode for supplying power to at least one device in said computer that is required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network and for supplying no power to at least one other device in said computer that is not required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network;

comparing a third measurement with a third physical quantity and setting said computer into said first power saving mode when said third measurement exceeds said third physical quantity, wherein said third measurement corresponds to a third time period during which no said input/output address is accessed and during which said computer operates continuously in said second power saving mode without receiving said interrupt signal; and

setting said computer into said normal mode when any said input/output address is accessed while said computer is operating in one of said first power saving mode and said second power saving mode.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

supplying power to said computer; and

storing said first physical quantity, said second physical quantity, and said third physical quantity.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of generating said first measurement.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of generating said second measurement.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of generating said third measurement.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one resource comprises at least one of a mass storage device, a keyboard, a mouse, and a printer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay time setting, said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting, and said third physical quantity comprises a third time delay setting.

17. The method as claimed of claim 10, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay setting, said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting, and said third physical quantity comprises a third time delay setting.

18. A method for reducing power consumption in a computer coupled to a network and having a power saving function and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

comparing a first measurement with a first physical quantity and setting said computer into a first power saving mode when said first measurement exceeds said first physical quantity, said first power saving mode for supplying power for monitoring input/output address access and interrupt signal reception wherein said first measurement corresponds to a first time period during which said computer operates continuously in a normal mode and no input/output address is accessed, with each said input/output address respectively associated with a corresponding said resource said normal mode for supplying power to all devices in said computer;

setting said computer into a second power saving mode when said computer receives an interrupt signal while operating in said first power saving mode, with said second power saving mode for supplying power to at least one device in said computer that is required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network and for supplying no power to at least one other device in said computer that is not required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network;

comparing a second measurement to a second physical quantity, wherein said second measurement corresponds to a second time period during which no said input/output address is accessed and during which said computer operates in one of said first power saving mode and said second power saving mode without being set into said normal mode and without receiving said interrupt signal corresponding to said network;

detecting whether said computer is operating in said second power saving mode;

setting said computer into a suspend mode when said second measurement exceeds said second physical quantity and said computer is not operating in said second power saving mode said suspend mode for turning off power to all devices in said computer;

setting said computer into said first power saving mode when said second measurement exceeds said second physical quantity and said computer is operating in said second power saving mode; and

setting said computer into said normal mode when any said input/output address is accessed while said computer is operating in one of said first power saving mode and said second power saving mode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

supplying power to said computer; and

storing said first physical quantity and said second physical quantity.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of generating said first measurement.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of generating said second measurement.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said at least one resource comprises at least one of a mass storage device, a keyboard, a mouse, and a printer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay setting and said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay setting and said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting.

25. An apparatus for reducing power consumption in a computer coupled to a network and having at least one resource, said apparatus comprising:

a first timing means for generating a first measurement corresponding to a first time period during which said computer operates continuously in a normal mode and no input/output address is accessed, with each said input/output address respectively associated with a corresponding said resource, said normal mode for supplying power to all devices in said computer;

a second timing means for generating a second measurement corresponding to a second time period during which no said input/output address is accessed and during which said computer operates in one of a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode without being set into said normal mode and without receiving an interrupt signal corresponding to said network, said first power saving mode for supplying power for monitoring input/output address access and interrupt signal reception;

a comparator for comparing said first measurement with a first physical quantity and generating a first comparison signal and for comparing said second measurement with a second physical quantity and generating a second comparison signal;

a mode detector for detecting a current mode of said computer and generating a current mode signal in accordance with said current mode and

a mode switcher for generating a mode switching signal and communicating said mode switching signal to a power managing unit in response to said current mode signal, said first comparison signal, said second comparison signal, said interrupt signal, and any address signal, with each said address signal indicating whether a corresponding said input/output address has been accessed, wherein

said mode switching signal controls said power managing unit to set said computer into said first power saving mode when said first comparison signal indicates that said first measurement exceeds said first physical quantity,

said mode switching signal controls said power managing unit to set said computer into a suspend mode when said second comparison signal indicates that said second measurement exceeds said second physical quantity and said current mode signal indicates that said current mode is not said second power saving mode said suspend mode for turning off power to all devices in said computer,

said mode switching signal controls said power managing unit to set said

computer into said first power saving mode when said second comparison signal indicates that said second measurement exceeds said second physical quantity and

said current mode signal indicates that said current mode is said second power saving mode, said mode switching signal controls said power managing unit to set said computer into said second power saving mode when said computer receives said interrupt signal and said current mode signal indicates that said current mode is said first power saving mode, with said second power saving mode for supplying power to at least one device in said computer that is required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network and for supplying no power to at least one other device in said computer that is not required to operate for said computer to at least one of send and receive communications over said network, and

said mode switching signal controls said power managing unit to set said computer into said normal mode when any said address signal indicates that a corresponding said input/output address has been accessed and said current mode signal indicates that said current mode is one of said first power saving mode and said second power saving mode.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising said power managing unit.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a storage device for storing said first physical quantity and said second physical quantity.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said storage device comprises a hard disk drive.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said storage device comprises a memory.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay setting and said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said first physical quantity comprises a first time delay setting and said second physical quantity comprises a second time delay setting.