Computer system power policy adjustment in response to an affirmative indication from a user

• US 7,353,413 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2003
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dunstan, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao; Chun
• Application Number:
  US10/643,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 713/310, 713/320
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method is provided to receive from a user an affirmative indication via a peripheral device that the user is no longer using a system without powering down a processing unit, and adjust an original power policy of a processing unit in response to the received indication. The system comprises the processing unit and the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a first power policy associated with a system that places the system in a low-power state after a first pre-determined period of time;

receiving from a user an indication that the user is no longer using the system, wherein the indication is sent via a connection with the display unit, and wherein the indication comprises physically turning off the display unit by pressing a button on the display unit; and

in response to the indication, establishing a second power policy associated with the system that places the system in the low-power state after a second pre-determined period of time, wherein the second pre-determined time is less than the first pre-determined time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuing, after receiving the indication, to execute instructions to support one or more remote devices prior to establishing the second power policy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power state is associated with an advanced configuration and power interface low-power state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the low-power state is associated with at least one of:

(i) a global state, (ii) a device power state, (iii) a sleep state, (iv) a processor power state, and (v) a performance state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the first power policy.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a user a second indication that the user is again using the system, wherein the second indication is received via the connection with the display unit; and

establishing the first power policy associated with the system that places the system in the low-power state after the first pre-determined period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the system includes a processor and comprises at least one of:

(i) a desktop personal computer;

(ii) a mobile system, (iii) a workstation, (iv) a server, (v) a set top box, and (vi) a game system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said receiving and said establishing is performed by at least one of:

(i) a software application, (ii) a hardware device, (iii) an operating system, (iv) a driver, and (v) a basic input/output system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first power policy is configurable by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first power policy is associated with operating system power management.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing unit;

an input to receive an indication from a user that the user is no longer using a system, wherein the indication is sent via a connection with the display unit, and wherein the indication comprises physically powering off the display unit by pressing a button on the display unit; and

a power policy adjustment unit to establish a first power policy associated with a system that places the system in a low-power state after a first pre-determined period of time, receive from a user an indication via a display unit that the user is no longer using the system, and in response to the indication, establish a second power policy associated with the system that places the system in the low-power state after a second pre-determined period of time, wherein the second pre-determined time is less than the first pre-determined time.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following;

establishing a first power policy associated with a system that places the system in a low-power state after a first pre-determined period of time;

receiving from a user an indication that the user is no longer using the system, wherein the indication is sent via a connection with the display unit, and wherein the indication comprises physically turning off the display unit by pressing a button on the display unit; and

in response to the indication, establishing a second power policy associated with the system that places the system in the low-power state after a second pre-determined period of time, wherein the second pre-determined time is less than the first pre-determined time.

13. A system, comprising:

a user display unit control input to receive a request to turn off a display unit associated with the system; and

an apparatus, including;

a processing unit;

an input to receive an indication from a user that the user is no longer using a system, wherein the indication is sent via a connection with the display unit, and wherein the indication comprises physically turning off the display unit by pressing a button on the display unit; and

a power policy adjustment unit to establish a first power policy associated with a system that places the system in a low-power state after a first pre-determined period of time, receive from a user an indication via a display unit that the user is no longer using the system, and in response to the indication, establish a second power policy associated with the system that places the system in the low-power state after a second pre-determined period of time, wherein the second pre-determined time is less than the first pre-determined time.