Reporting of power states for a network connected PC

• US 6,189,108 B1
• Filed: 02/19/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Locker, Howard, Springfield, Randall Scott, Ward, James Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US09/025,975
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 713/340, 713/300, 713/310, 713/320, 713/323, 709/203, 709/224, 365/226, 365/228, 365/229
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections

Abstract

A client on a network is provided with low power logic, at the network adaptor, that is always active and simulates network packet traffic (e.g. Ethernet packets) normally sent under control of the main client system processor(s). This logic collects client status information regarding power state and reports to the network manager such information which allows the network manager to exercise broader control and perform maintenance and upgrades which would usually require a dialog with the user and consequently limit off-hours reconfiguring of the client.

Claims

1. A client computer system coupled to a server computer system via a personal computer network, said client computer system including a network adaptor with a transfer portion connected to the network that conditions signal packets in a predefined digital format received from a client side portion thereof to a form to be transmitted over such a network and has a plurality of power states including a fully operational state, an off state and at least one partially powered state in which the client computer system is not fully operational, said client computer system comprising:

auxiliary logic which monitors client computer system events in all of said plurality of power states to identify a current one of said plurality of power states of the client computer system, said auxiliary logic monitoring system events which occur within said client system;

transfer logic, cooperating with said auxiliary logic, connected to said transfer portion at the client side thereof, which stores the identity of the current power state, creates packets specifying said current power state according to the predefined digital format and applies them to said transfer portion for transmission at predetermined intervals irrespective of said current power state of said client computer system; and

a power source which applies continuing power to said auxiliary logic and transfer logic irrespective of the power state of said client computer system.

2. A client computer system according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined intervals are periodic.

3. A client computer system according to claim 1 wherein said power source is an auxiliary power portion of a general power supply for said client computer system.

4. A client computer system according to claim 1 wherein said personal computer network conforms to the Ethernet Specification and the signals on said network are digitally encoded analog signals.

5. The client computer system according to claim 1, wherein said client computer system further comprises:

said network adapter including a physical layer, a processor, and a media access controller (MAC), said network adapter being constantly powered by a trickle power from said power source; and

said processor including said auxiliary logic and said transfer logic.

6. The client computer system according to claim 5, further comprising monitor logic coupled to said processor for monitoring said client computer system events.

7. The client computer system according to claim 1, wherein said power states further comprises a mechanical switch off state, a sleep state, a working state, and a soft power off state.

8. The client computer system according to claim 7, further comprises:

said auxiliary logic capable of detecting a transition of the client computer system from said sleep state to said mechanical off state;

said transfer logic capable of storing an identification of said power off state and creating a packet specifying said power off state while the client computer system is in said power off state; and

said transfer portion capable of transmitting said packet while the client computer system is in said power off state to a server computer system which is coupled to the client system.