Computer system having power supply primary sense to facilitate performance of tasks at power off

• US 6,081,752 A
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Norris, Duane Edward, Crump, deceased, Duane Thomas, Benson, Paul Harrison IV, Hemena, William, Pancoast, Steven Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US08/990,051
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 700/184, 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/340, 714/14
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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

Abstract

A computer system having suspend and resume capabilities that uses the hard drive to extend the amount of nonvolatile memory (NVRAM) in the system. As the system is powered down, the system processor saves to the hard drive system parameters such as: resource allocation data determined pursuant to the Plug & Play specification, total power on hours for the system, the number of power on cycles for the system, error codes, and the dates the errors occurred. The saving to hard drive begins responsive to circuitry monitoring the primary (AC input) portion of the power supply indicating that the power supply input is out of tolerance, as would occur when the user actuates the power switch to turn the system off or during a blackout. During the period of reliable processing time remaining, the above system parameters are written to the hard file. The system parameters are also saved to the hard file during the controlled power off that occurs as the system state is suspended.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

(a) a processing unit;

(b) a non-volatile storage device in circuit communication with said processing unit;

(c) a power supply in circuit communication with said processing unit, said power supply having an input signal from an external source, said power supply providing system power signals via system power lines;

(d) a power supply monitor circuit in circuit communication with the input signal of said power supply, said power supply monitor circuit generating a power quality signal responsive to predetermined parameters of the input signal;

(e) a power-on value timer in circuit communication with said non-volatile storage device, said power-on value timer generating a power-on value corresponding to a length of time said computer system has been provided system power signals from said power supply; and

(f) control logic in circuit communication with said processor and said power supply monitor, said control logic causing said power-on value to be stored in said non-volatile storage device responsive to the power quality signal indicating that the input signal lacks the predetermined parameters;

wherein said power-on value is a power-on delta value corresponding to a length of time said computer system has been provided system power signals from said power supply, and wherein said power-on value timer comprises (i) time stamp logic for causing a time stamp value to be stored, the time stamp corresponding to a moment in time after said computer system receives system power having predetermined parameters from said power supply and (ii) said power-on value is determined from the time stamp and a time value associated with the input signal lacking the predetermined parameters.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein said control logic causes:

(i) the power-on delta value to be added to a total power-on value read from said non-volatile storage device to form a new total power-on value; and

(ii) the new total power-on value to be stored in said non-volatile storage device, responsive to the power quality signal indicating that the input signal lacks the predetermined parameters.