Transitioning between operational modes in a hybrid graphics system

• US 8,717,371 B1
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Wyatt, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): He, Yingchun
• Application Number:
  US12/326,053
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 345/502, 713/320
• US Class Current: 345/502
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4893 taking into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for transitioning from a first operational mode, where operations are executed on a first processor while a second processor is powered off, to a second operational mode, where operations are executed on the second processor while the first processor is powered off. A driver causes detects a first system event that indicates a transition from the first to the second operational mode is likely. The driver powers on the second processor in response to the first system event and detects a second system event. The driver determines whether each of the client applications can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in any data loss, and depending on whether each of the client applications can be transferred, either transfers the client applications from the first to the second processor or continues to cause the operations to be executed in the first operational mode.

Claims

1. A method for transitioning a computing device from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, the method comprising:

causing operations associated with one or more client applications to be executed in the first operational mode, wherein, in the first operational mode, operations are executed on a first processor while a second processor is powered off;

detecting a first system event that indicates a transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode is likely, wherein, in the second operational mode, operations are executed on the second processor while the first processor is powered off, and the first system event is caused by a mouse cursor being positioned proximate to a graphical operational mode selection mechanism;

powering on the second processor in response to the first system event;

detecting a second system event that signals the transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode;

determining that not all of the one or more client applications is included in a list of client applications that can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in data loss; and

transferring a first subset of the one or more client applications that are included in the list of client applications from the first processor to the second processor, and terminating the client applications in a second subset of the one or more client applications that are not included in the list of client applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more client applications can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in any data loss, the one or more client applications are transferred from the first processor to the second processor, and the first processor is powered off after each of the one or more client applications has been transferred to the second processor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first client application included in the second subset cannot be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in any data loss.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein powering on the second processor includes allowing the second processor to warm up.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system event is generated by the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first processor is an integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU) and the second processor is a discrete graphics processing unit (dGPU).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the dGPU is a higher-performance graphics processing unit than the iGPU and consumes more power than the iGPU.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first processor and the second processor are controlled using advanced power control interface (ACPI) signals.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to transition from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, by performing the steps of:

causing operations associated with one or more client applications to be executed in the first operational mode, wherein, in the first operational mode, operations are executed on a first processor while a second processor is powered off;

detecting a first system event that indicates a transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode is likely, wherein, in the second operational mode, operations are executed on the second processor while the first processor is powered off, and the first system event is caused by a mouse cursor being positioned proximate to a graphical operational mode selection mechanism;

powering on the second processor in response to the first system event;

detecting a second system event that signals the transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode, wherein the second system event is caused by a user selecting a high-performance mode;

determining whether each of the one or more client applications is included in a list of client applications that can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in data loss;

transferring a first subset of the one or more client applications that are included in the list of client applications from the first processor to the second processor, and terminating the client applications in a second subset of the one or more client applications that are not included in the list of client applications; and

determining that an amount of time has elapsed since powering on the second processor, and powering off the second processor in response.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more client applications can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in any data loss, the one or more client applications are transferred from the first processor to the second processor, and the first processor is powered off after each of the one or more client applications has been transferred to the second processor.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein a first client application cannot be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in any data loss and the operations associated with the one or more applications continue to be executed in the first operational mode.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein powering on the second processor includes allowing the second processor to warm up.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first system event is generated by the computing device.

14. A system configured to transition from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, comprising:

a first processor;

a second processor; and

a memory that includes a hybrid driver configured to;

cause operations associated with one or more client applications to be executed in the first operational mode, wherein, in the first operational mode, operations are executed on the first processor while the second processor is powered off,

detect a first system event that indicates a transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode is likely, wherein, in the second operational mode, operations are executed on the second processor while the first processor is powered off, and the first system event is caused by a mouse cursor being positioned proximate to a graphical operational mode selection mechanism,

power on the second processor in response to the first system event,

detect a second system event that signals the transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode, wherein the second system event is caused by a user selecting a high-performance mode,

determine whether each of the one or more client applications is included in a list of client applications that can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in data loss,

transferring a first subset of the one or more client applications that are included in the list of client applications from the first processor to the second processor, and terminating the client applications in a second subset of the one or more client applications that are not included in the list of client applications; and

determine that an amount of time has elapsed since powering on the second processor, and power off the second processor in response.

15. A method for transitioning a computing device from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, the method comprising:

causing operations associated with one or more client applications to be executed in the first operational mode, wherein, in the first operational mode, operations are executed on a first processor while a second processor is powered off;

detecting a first system event that indicates a transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode is likely, wherein, in the second operational mode, operations are executed on the second processor while the first processor is powered off, and the first system event is caused by a mouse cursor being positioned proximate to a graphical operational mode selection mechanism;

powering on the second processor in response to the first system event;

detecting a second system event that signals the transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode;

determining whether each of the one or more client applications is included in a list of client applications that can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in data loss;

depending on whether each of the one or more client applications is included in the list of client applications, either transferring the one or more client applications from the first processor to the second processor or continuing to cause the operations associated with the one or more applications to be executed on the first processor, and maintaining the second processor in a powered on state;

terminating one or more client applications that are not included in the list of client application; and

transferring one or more client applications that are included in the list of client applications from the first processor to the second processor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, determining that none of the client applications are transferred to the second processor, and powering off the second processor after an amount of time has elapsed since powering on the second processor.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to transition from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, by performing the steps of:

causing operations associated with one or more client applications to be executed in the first operational mode, wherein, in the first operational mode, operations are executed on a first processor while a second processor is powered off;

detecting a first system event that indicates a transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode is likely, wherein, in the second operational mode, operations are executed on the second processor while the first processor is powered off, and the first system event is caused by a mouse cursor being positioned proximate to a graphical operational mode selection mechanism;

powering on the second processor in response to the first system event;

detecting a second system event that signals the transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode, wherein the second system event is caused by a user selecting a high-performance mode;

determining whether each of the one or more client applications is included in a list of client applications that can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in data loss;

depending on whether each of the one or more client applications can be transferred, either transferring the one or more client applications from the first processor to the second processor or continuing to cause the operations associated with the one or more applications to be executed in the first operational mode, and maintaining the second processor in a powered on state;

determining that an amount of time has elapsed since powering on the second processor, and powering off the second processor in response

terminating one or more client applications that are not included in the list of client application; and

transferring one or more client applications that are included in the list of client applications from the first processor to the second processor.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform the steps of determining that none of the client applications are transferred to the second processor, and powering off the second processor after an amount of time has elapsed since powering on the second processor.

19. A system configured to transition from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, comprising:

a first processor;

a second processor; and

a memory that includes a hybrid driver configured to;

cause operations associated with one or more client applications to be executed in the first operational mode, wherein, in the first operational mode, operations are executed on the first processor while the second processor is powered off,

detect a first system event that indicates a transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode is likely, wherein, in the second operational mode, operations are executed on the second processor while the first processor is powered off, and the first system event is caused by a mouse cursor being positioned proximate to a graphical operational mode selection mechanism,

power on the second processor in response to the first system event,

detect a second system event that signals the transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode, wherein the second system event is caused by a user selecting a high-performance mode,

determine whether each of the one or more client applications is included in a list of client applications that can be transferred from the first processor to the second processor without resulting in data loss,

depending on whether each of the one or more client applications can be transferred, either transferring the one or more client applications from the first processor to the second processor or continuing to cause the operations associated with the one or more applications to be executed in the first operational mode, and maintaining the second processor in a powered on state;

determine that an amount of time has elapsed since powering on the second processor, and power off the second processor in response;

terminate one or more client applications that are not included in the list of client application; and

transfer one or more client applications that are included in the list of client applications from the first processor to the second processor.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the hybrid driver is further configured to determine that none of the client applications are transferred to the second processor, and power off the second processor after an amount of time has elapsed since powering on the second processor.