Computing system with operational low power states

• US 7,421,597 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Fleming, Kristoffer D., Gupta, Vivek, Gadamsetty, Uma M., Kardach, James P., Forand, Richard A., Belmont, Brian V., Huckins, Jeffrey L., Kumar, Muthu K., Jackson, Riley W., Danneels, Gunner
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin C.
• Application Number:
  US11/261,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• 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 operating a computing system within a normal on state and transitioning from the normal on state to a main CPU/OS based state. In the main CPU/OS based state one or more components of the computing system are inactivated so as to cause the computing system to consume less power in the main CPU/OS based state than in the normal on state. The computing system is able to execute software application routines on a main CPU and a main OS of the computing system while in the main CPU/OS based state.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

using a data object with a software application by executing said software application on a main Operating System (OS) and a main Central Processing Unit (CPU) during a main CPU/OS operational state, said software application having a command set to directly interface to an interface supported by a non main OS running on a non main CPU, said main OS, main CPU, non main OS and non main CPU within the same computing system, said computing system having a lid and two displays on said lid, a first of said displays being hidden and covering keys of said computing system when said lid is closed, a second of said displays being observable when said lid is closed;

passing said data object from said software application into a data storage resource that said non main CPU has access to and said software application invoking a command from said command set;

transitioning said main OS and main CPU into a sleeping state as a consequence of recognizing an event for triggering entry into a lower power state in which said non main OS and non main CPU are operational, said transitioning including saving a state of said main OS and recording that said main OS and main CPU are being put to sleep because said lower power state is being entered;

while said lid of said computing is closed;

keeping said main OS and main CPU in a sleeping state;

keeping said non main OS and non CPU in an operational state;

presenting observable information from said object through said user interface, said user interface rendered on said second display;

executing a second application software program on said non main OS and non main CPU; and

,

in response to said lid being opened;

waking up said main OS and main CPU including restoring said state information because said recorded information was referred to and indicated that main OS and main CPU are waking up from said lower power state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said passing comprises passing the data object through an Application Program Interface, (“

API”

) of said non main OS that remains active while said main CPU and said main OS are sleeping.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said passing comprises passing the data object through an API of said non main OS that remains active while said main CPU and said main OS are sleeping.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said data object describes calendar information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said data object describes contact information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said data object describes “

to-do”

information.

7. A machine readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by processing resources of a computing system, cause said computing system to perform a method, said method comprising:

using a data object with a software application by executing said software application on a main Operating System (OS) and a main Central Processing Unit (CPU) during a main CPU/OS operational state, said software application having a command set to directly interface to an interface supported by a non main OS running on a non main CPU, said main OS, main CPU, non main OS and non main CPU within the same computing system, said computing system having a lid and two displays on said lid, a first of said displays being hidden and covering keys of said computing system when said lid is closed, a second of said displays being observable when said lid is closed;

passing said data object from said software application into a data storage resource that said non main CPU has access to and said software application invoking a command from said command set;

transitioning said main OS and main CPU into a sleeping state as a consequence of said lid being closed; and

,

while said lid of said computing is closed;

keeping said main OS and main CPU in a sleeping state;

keeping said non main OS and non CPU in an operational state;

presenting information from said data object through said user interface, said user interface rendered on said second display;

executing a second application software program on said non main OS and non main CPU in response to said lid being opened;

waking up said main OS and main CPU including restoring state information because recorded information was referred to and indicated that main OS and main CPU are waking up from said lower power state.

8. A machine readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein said method further comprises pulling said data object from an application software program prior to said moving, said application software program executed with said main CPU, said application software program not configured with an awareness of said data storage resource.

9. A machine readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said passing comprises passing the data object through an Application Program Interface, (“

API”

) of said non main Operating System, (“

OS”

) that remains active while said main CPU is sleeping.

10. A machine readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein said passing comprises passing the data object through an API of a non main OS that remains active while said main CPU is sleeping.

11. A machine readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein said data object describes calendar information.

12. A machine readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein said data object describes contact information.

13. A machine readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein said data object describes “

to-do”

information.