Computer system with an advanced power saving function and an operating method therefor

• US 5,978,924 A
• Filed: 02/12/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Hee-Geol
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US09/022,630
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/323, 713/300, 713/324, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/004 Error avoidance G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence

Abstract

A computer system with power saving function and a method for operating the computer system whose maloperation or halt is capable of being prevented during system management interrupt (SMI) forpower saving operation, comprises a central processing unit determining whether or not a resume operation is performed; storing, if the resume operation is performed, a present time as a resume starting time; performing the resume operation; determining, by the central processing unit, whether or not a SMI request signal for performing a power saving operation is generated so as to store a plurality of register information of the computer system in an auxiliary storage device; determining, if the SMI request signal is generated, whether the power saving operation can be performed with referring to the stored resume starting time; storing, if the power saving operation can be performed, the plurality of register information in the auxiliary storage device and setting a completion flag in a CMOS memory upon completion of storing the plurality of register information in the auxiliary storage device; and the SMI request signal is cleared so as not to perform a SMI process routine even though an additional SMI request signal is generated when the additional SMI request signal is generated prior to the elapse of a preset time.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer system with a suspend function and resume function, comprising the steps of:

determining, after a power-on-self-test, whether a resume operation is to be performed;

storing, in a memory, a present time as a resume starting time, when it is determined that the resume operation is to be performed;

performing the resume operation after storing the present time;

detecting a system management interrupt (SMI) request signal;

determining whether said SMI request signal is an interrupt signal for performing a power saving operation;

performing an operation corresponding to said SMI request signal, when it is determined that said SMI request signal is not said interrupt signal for performing a power saving operation;

determining whether an operating system of said computer system supports an advanced power management function, when it is determined that said SMI request signal is said interrupt signal for performing a power saving operation;

performing said power saving operation by storing a plurality of register information of said computer system to an auxiliary storage device, when it is determined that said advanced power management function is not supported by said operating system;

checking a flag storage area of said memory to determine whether a previous power saving operation has been performed, when it is determined that said advanced power management function is supported by said operating system;

comparing a current time to said resume starting time to determine whether a preset time period has elapsed, when it is determined that said previous power saving operation has been performed;

performing said power saving operation by storing said plurality of register information of said computer system to said auxiliary storage device, when it is determined that said preset time period has elapsed; and

clearing said SMI request signal so as not to perform said power saving operation, when it is determined that said preset time period has not elapsed.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing a flag signal, indicating that a power saving operation has not been performed, in said flag storage area, when it is determined that said resume operation is not to be performed; and

performing a normal booting operation of said computer system after storing said flag signal indicating that a power saving operation has not been performed.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether a resume operation is to be performed comprises checking said flag storage to determine whether a power saving operation was performed.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a step of performing said power saving operation by storing said plurality of register information of said computer system to said auxiliary storage device, when said step of checking said flag storage area detennines that said previous power saving operation has not been performed.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said preset time is thirty seconds.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a step of storing, in said flag storage area, a flag signal indicating that said step of performing said power saving operation has been completed after storing said plurality of register information of said computer system to said auxiliary storage device.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a step of generating a peep tone after clearing said SMI request signal.

8. A method of operating a computer system with a power saving operation for storing a plurality of register information of said computer system to an auxiliary storage device in a suspend mode, comprising the steps of:

detecting a system management interrupt (SMI) request signal;

determining whether said SMI request signal is an interrupt signal for performing said power saving operation;

performing an interrupt operation corresponding to said SMI request signal, when it is determined that said SMI request signal is not said interrupt signal for performing said power saving operation;

determining whether an operating system of said computer system supports an advanced power management function, when it is determined that said SMI request signal is said interrupt signal for performing said power saving operation;

performing said power saving operation, when it is determined that said advanced power management function is not supported by said operating system;

checking a flag storage area of said memory to determine whether a previous power saving operation has been performed, when it is determined that said advanced power management function is supported by said operating system;

determining whether a preset time period has elapsed, when it is determined that said previous power saving operation has been performed;

performing said power saving operation, when it is determined that said preset time period has elapsed;

storing, in said flag storage area, a flag signal indicating that said step of performing said power saving operation has been completed after storing said plurality of register information of said computer system to said auxiliary storage device; and

clearing said SMI request signal so as not to perform said power saving operation, when it is determined that said preset time period has not elapsed.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

determining, after a power-on-self-test, whether a resume operation is to be performed;

storing, in a memory, a present time as a resume starting time, when it is determined that the resume operation is to be performed;

performing said resume operation after storing the present time.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

storing a flag signal, indicating that a power saving operation has not been performed, in said flag storage area, when it is determined that said resume operation is not to be performed; and

performing a normal booting operation of said computer system after storing said flag signal indicating that a power saving operation has not been performed.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said step of determining whether a preset time period has elapsed comprises comparing a current time to said resume starting time.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said step of determining whether a preset time period has elapsed comprises comparing a current time to said resume starting time.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a step of performing said power saving operation, when said step of checking said flag storage area determines that said previous power saving operation has not been performed.

14. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a step of generating a peep tone after clearing said SMI request signal.

15. A computer system with a power saving operation for storing a plurality of register information of said computer system to an auxiliary storage device in a suspend mode, comprising:

a power supply for distributing power from an AC adapter or a battery to respective components of the computer system;

a microcomputer for controlling said power supply in response to a power-on signal from a power-on switch and enabling power from said power supply to be supplied to said respective components of said computer system;

a central processing unit for controlling operations of said computer system;

a BIOS storage memory;

an auxiliary storage device for storing data; and

a CMOS memory, said CMOS memory comprising a flag storage region which is used to determine whether or not a power saving operation is completely performed, and a resume time storage region for storing information related to a resume starting time indicating when a resume operation starts.

16. The computer system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said microcomputer generates system management interrupt (SMI) request signals used by said central processing unit to manage said computer system, wherein one of said SMI request signals is an interrupt signal for performing a power saving operation for storing a plurality of register information of said computer system to said auxiliary storage device in a suspend mode of a power management function of said computer system.

17. The computer system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said central processing unit detects said SMI request signal and determines whether said SMI request signal is said interrupt signal for performing said power saving operation, and, when it is determined that said SMI request signal is not said interrupt signal for performing said power saving operation, said central processing unit performs an interrupt operation corresponding to said SMI request signal.

18. The computer system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said central processing unit determines whether an operating system of said computer system supports an advanced power management function, when it is determined that said SMI request signal is said interrupt signal for performing said power saving operation, and when it is determined that said advanced power management function is not supported by said operating system, performs said power saving operation.

19. The computer system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said central processing unit checks said flag storage area of said CMOS memory to determine whether a previous power saving operation has been performed, when it is determined that said advanced power management function is supported by said operating system, and, when it is determined that said previous power saving operation has been performed, determines whether a preset time period has elapsed;

said central processing unit performing said power saving operation, when it is determined that said preset time period has elapsed, and stores, in said flag storage area, a flag signal indicating that said power saving operation has been completed.

20. The computer system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said central processing unit compares a present time to said resume starting time to determine whether said preset time period has elapsed.

21. The computer system as set forth in claim 19, further comprising:

said central processing unit determining, after a power-on-self-test, whether a resume operation is to be performed, and, when it is determined that the resume operation is to be performed, storing a current time as said resume starting time and then performing said resume operation; and

said central processing unit storing a flag signal, indicating that a power saving operation has not been performed, in said flag storage area, when it is determined that said resume operation is not to be performed, and performing a normal booting operation of said computer system after storing said flag signal indicating that a power saving operation has not been performed.