Method and system for communication between a secondary processor and an auxiliary display subsystem of a notebook
First Claim
1. A method for communication in a notebook including a secondary processor coupled to a first serial bus, and an auxiliary display subsystem, the method comprising:
- (a)sending at least one message from the auxiliary display subsystem to the secondary processor over the first serial bus, wherein said auxiliary display subsystem comprises an auxiliary processor, and wherein said auxiliary processor is separate from a central processing unit, and wherein said auxiliary processor, said central processing unit and said secondary processor reside within said notebook, and wherein said secondary processor is operable to provide internally originated data to said auxiliary processor when said central processing unit is in a low-power state, and wherein said auxiliary display subsystem is operable to render said internally originated data from said secondary processor when said central processing unit is in said low-power state, and wherein said auxiliary processor is coupled to said central processing unit via a second serial bus, and wherein said auxiliary processor is operable to send a first request over said serial bus and operable to send a second request over said second serial bus; and
(b)sending at least one message from the secondary processor to the auxiliary display subsystem over the first serial bus.
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Abstract
A method for communication over an SMB, I2C bus, or other serial bus between an auxiliary display subsystem and a secondary processor of a notebook including the auxiliary display subsystem, and systems, circuits and notebooks configured to perform the method. Typically, communication over the serial bus between the auxiliary display subsystem and secondary processor can occur when the notebook is in a standby or other low-power state (e.g., to obtain system status data or cause the notebook to wake up) or a fully-powered normal operating state. Typically, the auxiliary display subsystem is coupled not only to the notebook'"'"'s secondary processor by the serial bus but also to the notebook'"'"'s central processing unit by another link (e.g., a USB).
193 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method for communication in a notebook including a secondary processor coupled to a first serial bus, and an auxiliary display subsystem, the method comprising:
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(a)sending at least one message from the auxiliary display subsystem to the secondary processor over the first serial bus, wherein said auxiliary display subsystem comprises an auxiliary processor, and wherein said auxiliary processor is separate from a central processing unit, and wherein said auxiliary processor, said central processing unit and said secondary processor reside within said notebook, and wherein said secondary processor is operable to provide internally originated data to said auxiliary processor when said central processing unit is in a low-power state, and wherein said auxiliary display subsystem is operable to render said internally originated data from said secondary processor when said central processing unit is in said low-power state, and wherein said auxiliary processor is coupled to said central processing unit via a second serial bus, and wherein said auxiliary processor is operable to send a first request over said serial bus and operable to send a second request over said second serial bus; and (b)sending at least one message from the secondary processor to the auxiliary display subsystem over the first serial bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A notebook, comprising:
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a first serial bus; a central processing unit; a secondary processor coupled to the first serial bus; and an auxiliary display subsystem coupled to the first serial bus, wherein the auxiliary display subsystem comprises an auxiliary processor, and wherein said auxiliary processor is separate from said central processing unit, and wherein said auxiliary display subsystem is configured to send at least one message to the secondary processor over the first serial bus, and the secondary processor is configured to send at least one message to the auxiliary display subsystem over the first serial bus, and wherein said secondary processor is operable to provide internally originated data to said auxiliary processor when said central processing unit is in a low-power state, and wherein said auxiliary display subsystem is operable to render said internally originated data from said secondary processor when said central processing unit is in said low-power state, and wherein said auxiliary processor is coupled to said central processing unit via a second serial bus, and wherein said auxiliary processor is operable to send a first request over said first serial bus and operable to send a second request over said second serial bus. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An auxiliary display subsystem for use in a notebook including a secondary processor coupled to a serial bus and a chipset coupled to a second bus, said auxiliary display subsystem comprising:
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a first interface configured to be coupled to the serial bus; a second interface configured to be coupled to the second bus; and an auxiliary processor coupled to the first interface and to the second interface, and configured to assert at least one message to the first interface and at least one other message to the second interface, and wherein said secondary processor is further coupled to a central processing unit, and wherein said auxiliary processor, said central processing unit and said secondary processor reside within said notebook, and wherein said secondary processor is operable to provide internally originated data to said auxiliary processor when said central processing unit is in a low-power state, and wherein said auxiliary display subsystem is operable to render said internally originated data from said secondary processor when said central processing unit is in said low-power state, wherein said auxiliary processor is operable to communicate with said central processing unit via said second bus. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification