Bi-level power saver method for portable or laptop computer

• US 6,418,535 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winarski, Daniel James, Kulakowski, John Edward, Means, Rodney Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, XUAN MARIAN
• Application Number:
  US09/301,290
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/310, 713/323, 713/324, 713/340, 713/502, 713/601
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A bi-level power saving method for a computer having one level of power saving operations that is executed when the computer is operating on an external power source and another level of power saving operations that is executed when the computer is operating on an internal power source. The method determines whether the computer is operating on an external power source or an internal power source. No preferences for tasks or devices are designated if the computer is operating on an external power source and activity and application have been detected. Various power consuming operations are executed if the computer is operating on an external power source and activity is detected but an application is not detected. The computer powers down devices if the computer is operating on an external power source and no activity is detected. Power saving operations are executed if the computer is operating on an internal power source and activity and application have been detected. Power consuming operations are inhibited if the computer is operating on an internal power source and activity is detected but application is not detected. The operator may override or choose the inhibiting/executing of the power consuming operations.

Claims

1. A bi-level power saver method for a computer comprising the steps of:

detecting the computer when it is activated,

determining a type of power source on which the activated computer is operating,

executing one level of power saving operations when the computer is determined to be operating on an external power source, including the steps of;

detecting whether an activity of the computer is occurring;

powering down devices of the computer if the activity has not been detected;

determining whether an application is being executed by the computer if the activity has been detected;

executing various power consuming tasks and operations if the application is being executed; and

executing various tasks and using devices without preference and restriction if the application is not being executed;

executing another level of power saving operations when the computer is determined to be operating on an internal power source, including the steps of;

detecting whether an activity of the computer is occurring;

powering down devices of the computer if the activity has not been detected;

determining whether an application is being executed by the computer if the activity has been detected;

executing various power saving operations if the application is being executed; and

inhibiting various power consuming tasks and using devices if the application is not being executed.

2. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the detecting whether an activity step further comprises the step of:

using an activity timer and.determining whether the activity timer has expired.

3. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the determining whether an application step further comprises the step of:

using an application timer and determining whether the application timer has expired.

4. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the powering down step further comprises the steps of:

turning off a spindle motor of a disk drive of the computer,

turning off a display of the computer, and

turning off an input/output peripheral of the computer.

5. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

waiting for detected activity from a keyboard of the computer,

repeating the method steps by starting with the determining a power source step when the activity from the keyboard has been detected.

6. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the executing various power consuming tasks and operations step further comprises the step of:

performing push tasks, virus checking operations, save tasks, scan disk operations, house keeping tasks, or any needed tasks that would consume battery power if the computer is later operated from the internal power source, thereby increasing performance and power savings of the computer during periods of battery powered operation.

7. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the step of executing various tasks and using devices without preference and restriction further comprises the steps of:

using NV RAM storage without preference and restriction,

using storage devices without preference and restriction, and

assigning no task preferences.

8. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the detecting whether an activity step further comprises the step of:

using an activity timer and determining whether the activity timer has expired.

9. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the determining whether an application step further comprises the step of:

using an application timer and determining whether the application timer has expired.

10. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the powering down step further comprises the steps of:

turning off a spindle motor of a disk drive of the computer,

turning off a display of the computer, and

turning off an input/output peripheral of the computer.

11. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

waiting for detected activity from a keyboard of the computer, and

repeating the method steps by starting with the determining a power source step when the activity from the keyboard has been detected.

12. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the step of inhibiting various power consuming tasks and operations further comprises the step of:

inhibiting push tasks, virus checking operations, save tasks, scan disk operations, and house keeping tasks that would consume power during periods where the computer is operating on an internal power source.

13. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the step of executing various power saving operations further comprises the steps of:

providing preferences for NV RAM storage,

avoiding disk storage devices, and

providing preferences to computer processing tasks over input/output tasks.

14. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

manually overriding the inhibiting of the various power consuming tasks, and executing the various power consuming tasks.

15. The bi-level power saver method according to claim 1 wherein the method is a continuous method in that the method steps are repeated.

16. A bi-level power saver computer apparatus comprising:

a power source type detector for detecting a type of power source on which a computer is operating, and

a computer processing unit and computer memory coupled to the power source type detector wherein the computer processing unit executes one level of power saving operations that is stored in the computer memory when the computer is determined to be operating on an external power source, wherein the one level of power saving operations includes;

detecting whether an activity of the computer is occurring;

powering down devices of the computer if the activity has not been detected;

determining whether an application is being executed by the computer if the activity has been detected;

executing various power consuming tasks that would consume battery power if the computer is later operated from the internal power source, thereby increasing performance and power savings of the computer during periods of battery powered operation and operations if the application is being executed; and

executing various tasks and using devices without preference and restriction if the application is not being executed, and

wherein the computer processing unit executes another level of power saving operations that is stored in the computer memory when the computer is determined to be operating on an internal power source;

wherein the another level of power saving operations includes;

detecting whether an activity of the computer is occurring;

powering down devices of the computer if the activity has not been detected;

determining whether an application is being executed by the computer if the activity has been detected;

executing various power saving operations if the application is being executed;

and inhibiting various power consuming tasks and using devices if the application is not being executed.