Method and apparatus for a computing system having an active sleep mode CPU that uses the cache of a normal active mode CPU

• US 7,058,829 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Tony G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US10/219,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324
• US Class Current: 713/320
• 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: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method is described that involves storing active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by a low end central processing unit into an on chip cache that caches normal active mode software instructions executed by a high end central processing unit. The active sleep mode software instructions are to be executed by the low end central processing unit during an active sleep mode. The normal active mode software instructions are executed by the high end central processing unit during a normal active mode. The active sleep mode consumes less power than the normal active mode.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) transitioning a computing system from a normal active mode to an active sleep mode, said transitioning comprising;

storing active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by a low end central processing unit into an on chip cache that cached normal active mode software instructions that were executed by a high end central processing unit during said normal active mode, said active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by said low end central processing unit during said active sleep mode, said computing system consuming less power during said active sleep mode than during said normal active mode;

placing a graphics controller into a low power state in which said graphics controller will not perform graphics processing tasks in said active sleep mode that it performed in said normal active mode; and

(b) during said active sleep mode;

executing at least a portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to wirelessly receive information;

transferring said information from a wireless interface to said on chip cache;

executing at least a second portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to compress said information before it is stored externally from said cache.

2. The method in claim 1 further comprising executing at least a third portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to decompress said information after it has been said stored.

3. The method in claim 1 wherein said information is said stored in a non volatile storage device.

4. The method in claim 3 wherein said non volatile storage device is a magnetic hard disk drive.

5. The method in claim 3 wherein said non volatile storage device is a FLASH memory.

6. The method in claim 1 further comprising executing at least a fourth portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to display said information on a display unit.

7. A method, comprising:

(a) transitioning a computing system from a normal active mode to an active sleep mode, said transitioning comprising;

storing active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by a low end central processing unit into an on chip cache that cached normal active mode software instructions that were executed by a high end central processing unit during said normal active mode, said active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by said low end central processing unit during said active sleep mode, said computing system consuming less power during said active sleep mode than during said normal active mode;

placing a graphics controller into a low power state in which said graphics controller will not perform graphics processing tasks in said active sleep mode that it performed in said normal active mode; and

(b) during said active sleep mode;

executing at least a portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to wirelessly receive information;

transferring said information from a wireless interface to said on chip cache;

transferring said information from said on chip cache to a non volatile storage device.

8. The method in claim 7 further comprising executing at least a second portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to decompress said information after it has been said received.

9. The method in claim 7 further comprising executing at least a second portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to compress said information before it is stored to said non volatile storage device.

10. The method in claim 9 wherein said non volatile storage device is a magnetic hard disk drive.

11. The method in claim 9 wherein said non volatile storage device is a FLASH memory.

12. The method in claim 7 further comprising executing at least a third portion of said active sleep mode instructions in order to display information on a display unit.

13. The method in claim 7 wherein said non volatile storage device is a magnetic hard disk drive.

14. The method in claim 7 wherein said non volatile storage device is a FLASH memory.