Methods for saving data on the basis of the remaining capacity of a battery in a suspend mode and resuming operations using the saved data

• US 7,028,220 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jeong Min
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, HONG CHONG
• Application Number:
  US10/233,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 714/22, 714/24, 714/14, 714/6, 714/21, 713/300, 713/320, 713/330, 713/340, 713/323, 711/162, 365/227, 365/228, 365/229, 320/127
• US Class Current: 714/22
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for saving data including system status data stored in a memory to a backup server via a data communication network if the remaining capacity of the battery is not sufficient, by confirming continuously the remaining capacity of the battery, in a suspend mode in a computer system. Accordingly, the present invention previously prevents important data from losing although the system-down is occurred abruptly by the perfect discharge of the battery.

Claims

1. A method for saving data on the basis of the remaining capacity of a battery comprising:

a first step for storing the present system status data into a memory in a suspend mode conversion and confirming continuously the remaining capacity of the battery;

a second step for transmitting and storing the data stored in the memory to a backup server via a data communication network when the confirmed remaining capacity of the battery is below a reference value; and

a third step for returning to the suspend mode after the data is saved to the server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, after network resources for communicating with the server via the network is activated and the data stored in the memory is transmitted to the server via the network, the network resources is again non-activated according to the suspend mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connection to the server in the second step is preformed on the basis of an address of the backup server defined uniquely in the data communication network and stored previously in a predetermined non-volatile region.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein in the third step, a backup information indicating that a backup copy of the data is saved in the server is stored to a predetermined non-volatile region and then the suspend mode is performed again.

5. In a system which the data is saved to the server through a backup process of the method defined in the claim 4, a method for resuming operations comprising:

a fourth step for confirming whether the backup information exists in the predetermined non-volatile region when the operation restart is requested;

a fifth step for confirming whether the system status data is stored in the memory when the backup information exists;

a sixth step for making the network resources activated when the system status data is not stored in the memory;

a seventh step for requesting the transmission of the saved data to the server by connecting to the server with the activated network resources;

an eighth step for storing the data received from the server according to the transmission request to the memory; and

a ninth step for returning to the state prior to the suspend mode by using the data stored in the memory when the data storage is completed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the operation restart request is a resume mode request, a wake-up mode request or a system power-on request.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the connection to the server in the seventh step is preformed on the basis of the address of the backup server defined uniquely in the data communication network and stored previously in the predetermined non-volatile region.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein in the fourth step, when the backup information does not exist, the step is progressed to a system booting step.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein in the fifth step, when it is confirmed that the system status data is stored in the memory, the fifth step is proceed to a step for returning to the state prior to the suspend mode on the basis of the data stored in the memory.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises a step for removing the backup information after the data received from the server is stored to the memory in the eighth step.

11. In a portable computer system which resume operations from a suspend mode, a method for resuming the operations comprising:

a first step for checking whether system status data just before the suspend mode is saved in a backup server;

a second step for connecting to the backup server via a data communication network and receiving the system status data saved in the backup server according to the checking result; and

a third step for returning to the state prior to the suspend mode using the received system status data.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the checking of the first step is performed by confirming whether a backup information, indicating that a backup copy of the system status data is saved in the backup server, is stored in a predetermined non-volatile region of the system.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the connection to the server in the second step is performed, on the basis of an address of the backup server defined uniquely in the data communication network and stored previously in a predetermined non-volatile region of the system.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises a step for removing the backup information after receiving the system status data from the server in the second step.

15. A method for resuming operations for a portable computer system having a CPU, comprising:

completely discharging the battery;

charging the completely discharged battery by a user via a power-on mode of the portable computer system to control a power controller of the portable computer system to supply system power and suspend power to the portable computer system;

discriminating whether backup-information is set as an enable state by searching a specific BIOS register of the CPU; and

confirming if portable computer system status data exists in a computer random access memory if the backup information is set as an enable state.

16. A method of saving data on the basis of the remaining capacity of a battery and for resuming operation for a portable computer system having a CPU, comprising

storing the present system status data into a memory in a suspend mode conversion and confirming continuously the remaining capacity of the battery;

transmitting and storing the data stored in the memory to a backup server via a data communication network when the confirmed remaining capacity of the battery is below a reference value; and

returning to the suspend mode after the data is saved to the server;

completely discharging the battery;

charging the completely discharged battery by a user via a power-on mode of the portable computer system to control a power controller of the portable computer system to supply system power and suspend power to the portable computer system;

discriminating whether backup-information is set as an enable state by searching a specific BIOS register of the CPU; and

confirming if portable computer system status data exists in a computer random access memory if the backup information is set as an enable state.