Mobile computing system having a modem for operation independent of a main processor and method therefor

• US 7,016,990 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chartier, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schneider, Joshua D
• Application Number:
  US09/649,268
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62, 710 15- 19, 710/8, 710/11, 710/14, 710/5, 710/6, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a portable computing device includes a modem that may operate independently from a main processor. The modem may be used to download communication data while the main processor is inactive or powered off.

Claims

1. A portable computing system comprising:

a modem adapted to receive a communication;

a processor coupled to the modem and the processor to be periodically inactivated to reduce power consumption of the portable computing system; and

a non-volatile memory device coupled to the modem and the processor, wherein the modem is adapted to store at least a portion of the communication in the non-volatile memory for future use by a user, wherein the at least a portion of the communication is stored while the processor is inactive.

2. The portable computing system of claim 1, further comprising a hard drive coupled to the processor.

3. The portable computing system of claim 1, further comprising a modem processor, wherein the modem processor is adapted to operate independently of the processor.

4. The portable computing system of claim 3, wherein the modem processor is adapted to store at least a portion of the communication in the non-volatile memory when the processor is powered off.

5. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein the modem is adapted to transmit a message when the processor is inactive.

6. The portable computing system of claim 5, wherein the non-volatile memory is adapted to store the transmitted message.

7. The portable computing system of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory is adapted to store user profile information indicative of what communications are to be stored in the non-volatile memory.

8. A method of retrieving data with a portable computing device having a modem, a first processor, and a second processor, the method comprising:

deactivating the first processor of the portable computing device to conserve power consumption of the portable computing device;

activating the second processor so that the modem receives the data; and

storing the data with the second processor for future use by a user while the first processor is deactivated.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein deactivating the first processor includes disabling a power supply so that the first processor consumes substantially no power.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein storing the data includes storing the data in a non-volatile memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the data includes transferring the data from the modem to a flash memory array with the second processor.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

activating the first processor; and

accessing the data with the first processor.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising initializing the second processor to identify the data to be stored.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein initializing the second processor includes storing user profile data.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising initializing the modem with the fist processor to identify the data to be stored.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein initializing the modem includes storing user profile data in a non-volatile memory device with the first processor.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein activating the second processor includes enabling the modem to receive a wireless communication comprising at least a portion of the data to be stored.