System for altering operation of a graphics subsystem during run-time to conserve power upon detecting a low power condition or lower battery charge exists
DCFirst Claim
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1. A computer system with reduced power consumption, comprising:
- a central processing unit; and
a video graphics controller engine connected to said central processing unit;
memory which is operatively connected to said video graphics controller engine;
wherein said video graphics controller engine is configured to shift between operable high-performance and operable low-power modes, dynamically and reversibly, in dependence on power conservation inputs;
wherein said power conservation inputs can include at least one of;
critically low output from system power supply, or when the system is being stored to a non-volatile memory; and
wherein said high-performance and low-power modes of said video graphics controller engine differ in at least one of;
memory interface clock rate, core logic supply voltage, and core logic rate.
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Abstract
A system and process for power conservation in a portable computer system. When the application or hardware in use allows for reduced video performance, the refresh rate of the video graphics controller is reduced to a level which allows practical use of the display but consumes much less power than a normal mode.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A computer system with reduced power consumption, comprising:
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a central processing unit; and
a video graphics controller engine connected to said central processing unit;
memory which is operatively connected to said video graphics controller engine;
wherein said video graphics controller engine is configured to shift between operable high-performance and operable low-power modes, dynamically and reversibly, in dependence on power conservation inputs;
wherein said power conservation inputs can include at least one of;
critically low output from system power supply, or when the system is being stored to a non-volatile memory; and
wherein said high-performance and low-power modes of said video graphics controller engine differ in at least one of;
memory interface clock rate, core logic supply voltage, and core logic rate.
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2. A computer system with reduced power consumption, comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a video graphics controller engine coupled to said central processing unit; and
memory which is operatively connected to said video graphics controller engine;
wherein said video graphics controller engine includes a memory interface clock which is used to refresh said memory and a video clock which is used to refresh a display;
wherein said memory interface clock is dynamically adjusted during run-time, said adjustment to the memory interface clock is made upon determining that the performance of the video graphics controller can be changed; and
further including a battery that provides power for said computer system and wherein said memory interface clock is slowed down, but remains operating, upon determining that a low battery condition has occurred. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer system with reduced power consumption, comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a battery used to power said computer system;
a video graphics controller engine coupled to said central processing unit;
a display coupled to said video graphics controller engine; and
memory which is coupled to said video graphics controller engine;
wherein said video graphics controller engine includes a memory interface clock which is used to refresh said memory; and
wherein said memory interface clock is dynamically adjusted during run-time while the display continues to be used, said adjustment to the memory interface clock is made upon detecting a low power condition.
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13. A computer system with reduced power consumption, comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a battery;
a video graphics controller engine coupled to said central processing unit; and
memory which is operatively connected to said video graphics controller engine;
wherein said video graphics controller engine can be configured to operate in either of at least two selectable operational modes including a high performance mode and a low performance mode wherein a display is usable in either mode to show images; and
wherein a performance mode is dynamically selected for the video graphics controller based on a determination during run-time of whether the battery is in a low battery condition. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A computer system, comprising:
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a central processing unit;
a graphics subsystem coupled to said central processing unit; and
a battery used to power said computer system;
wherein the operation of the graphics subsystem is altered during run-time so as to conserve power upon detecting a low power condition or lower battery charge exists.
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17. A computer system, comprising:
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a battery used to power said computer system;
a video graphics engine; and
memory coupled to said video graphics engine;
wherein said video graphics engine includes a memory interface dock which is used to refresh said memory; and
wherein said memory interface dock is dynamically adjusted during run-time so that graphics data can be provided to a display, said adjustment to the memory interface dock is made upon detecting a low power condition.
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Specification