Using latched events to manage sleep/wake sequences on computer systems

• US 8,719,609 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hoagland, Ryan A., Liu, Zeh-Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/271,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 710/300, 710/320, 710/323, 710/324, 710/330
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that performs power management on a computer system. The system includes an embedded controller and an operating system. During the execution of a sleep sequence by the operating system, the embedded controller latches events associated with use of the computer system. After the sleep sequence has completed, the embedded controller compares the latched events with a set of enabled wake events for the computer system and a current state of the computer system. If the latched events indicate that the current state corresponds to one of the enabled wake events, the embedded controller triggers a wake sequence on the computer system.

Claims

1. A method for performing power management on a computer system, comprising:

during the execution of a sleep sequence by an operating system on the computer system, latching events associated with use of the computer system;

after the sleep sequence has completed, comparing the latched events with a set of enabled wake events for the computer system and a state variable, wherein the state variable comprises a set of bits, wherein each bit tracks occurrences of an associated event, and can be set or cleared based on occurrences of the associated event; and

if the latched events and the state variable are consistent with one of the enabled wake events, triggering a wake sequence on the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the latched events to the operating system during the sleep sequence,

wherein the latched events are used by the operating system to manage the writing of a hibernation image to a disk on the computer system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the writing of the hibernation image to the disk is abandoned if the latched events comprise one of the enabled wake events.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the latched events and a wake reason to the operating system during the wake sequence,

wherein the latched events and the wake reason are used by the operating system to manage the subsequent execution of the computer system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the subsequent execution of the computer system is associated with at least one of a user wake and a dark wake.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabled wake events are set by the operating system during execution of the sleep sequence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sleep sequence, the wake sequence, the latched events, the enabled wake events, and the state variable are tracked using a set of registers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the latched events comprise at least one of:

a lid open;

a lid close;

a connection of mains power;

a disconnection of mains power;

an optical disk insertion;

an optical disk ejection;

a low battery;

a hot-plugged device connection;

a hog-plugged device disconnection;

a power button press; and

a key press.

9. A system for performing power management on a computer system, comprising:

an operating system which executes on a processor and is configured to;

execute a sleep sequence that transitions the computer system from a working mode to a sleep mode; and

execute a wake sequence that transitions the computer from the sleep mode to the working mode; and

an embedded controller configured to;

latch events associated with use of the computer system during execution of the sleep sequence by the operating system;

after the sleep sequence has completed, compare the latched events with a set of enabled wake events for the computer system and a state variable, wherein the state variable comprises a set of bits, wherein each bit tracks occurrences of an associated event, and can be set or cleared based on occurrences of the associated event; and

if the latched events and the state variable are consistent with one of the enabled wake events, trigger the wake sequence.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a set of registers configured to track the sleep sequence, the wake sequence, the latched events, the enabled wake events, and the state variable.

11. The system of claim 9,

wherein the embedded controller is further configured to provide the latched events to the operating system during the sleep sequence, and

wherein the operating system is further configured to use the latched events to manage the writing of a hibernation image to a disk on the computer system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operating system abandons the writing of the hibernation image to the disk if the latched events comprise one of the enabled wake events.

13. The system of claim 9,

wherein the embedded controller is further configured to provide the latched events and a wake reason to the operating system during the wake sequence, and

wherein the operating system is further configured to use the latched events and the wake reason to manage the subsequent execution of the computer system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the subsequent execution of the computer system is associated with at least one of a user wake and a dark wake.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the enabled wake events are set by the operating system during execution of the sleep sequence.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the latched events comprise at least one of:

a lid open;

a lid close;

a connection of mains power;

a disconnection of mains power;

an optical disk insertion;

an optical disk ejection;

a low battery;

a hot-plugged device connection;

a hog-plugged device disconnection;

a power button press; and

a key press.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for performing power management on a computer system, the method comprising:

during execution of a sleep sequence by an operating system on the computer system, latching events associated with use of the computer system;

after the sleep sequence has completed, comparing the latched events with a set of enabled wake events for the computer system and a state variable, wherein the state variable comprises a set of bits, wherein each bit tracks occurrences of an associated event, and can be set or cleared based on occurrences of the associated event; and

if the latched events and the state variable are consistent with one of the enabled wake events, triggering a wake sequence on the computer system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

providing the latched events to the operating system during the sleep sequence,

wherein the latched events are used by the operating system to manage the writing of a hibernation image to a disk on the computer system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the writing of the hibernation image to the disk is abandoned if the latched events comprise one of the enabled wake events.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

providing the latched events and a wake reason to the operating system during the wake sequence,

wherein the latched events and the wake reason are used by the operating system to manage the subsequent execution of the computer system.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the subsequent execution of the computer system is associated with at least one of a user wake and a dark wake.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the enabled wake events are set by the operating system during execution of the sleep sequence.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the sleep sequence, the wake sequence, the latched events, the enabled wake events, and the state variable are tracked using a set of registers.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the latched events comprise at least one of:

a lid open;

a lid close;

a connection of mains power;

a disconnection of mains power;

an optical disk insertion;

an optical disk ejection;

a low battery;

a hot-plugged device connection;

a hog-plugged device disconnection;

a power button press; and

a key press.