Low-power states for a computer system with integrated baseband

• US 9,760,150 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Ahmad, Sagheer, Cumming, Pete, Simeral, Brad, Longnecker, Matthew, Guha, Sudeshna
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRINGTON, CHERI L.
• Application Number:
  US13/686,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 713324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• 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 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method of entering a power conservation state comprises selecting and entering one of a plurality of low power states for the computer system in response to a detected system idle event. The plurality of low power states comprise a first low power state and a second low power state for the computer system. A memory of the computer system is self refreshed during the first low power state. A baseband module of the computer system remains powered, and the memory is accessible to the baseband module during the second low power state. The one low power state is selected depending upon baseband module activity. The method also includes exiting from the one of a plurality of low power states when a wake event is detected.

Claims

1. A method of entering a power conservation state, the method comprising:

detecting a system idle event of a computer system;

selecting and entering one of a plurality of low power states for the computer system in response to the detected system idle event, wherein the plurality of low power states comprise;

a first low power state for the computer system, wherein;

a memory of the computer system is self refreshed and an application processor module of the computer system is unpowered during the first low power state;

a second low power state for the computer system, wherein;

during the second low power state, the application processor module is unpowered;

a baseband module is active for performing a network paging activity;

the memory of the computer system is accessible to the baseband module; and

the baseband module accesses the memory through a direct path into a memory sequencer of a memory controller associated with the application processor;

a third low power state for the computer system, wherein, during the third low power state;

the baseband module is active for performing a voice call activity during which the application processor is unpowered;

an audio module of the computer system is active; and

the memory of the computer system is accessible to the baseband module, and wherein the one of the plurality of low power states is selected depending upon baseband module activity; and

exiting from the one of the plurality of low power states when a wake event is detected.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising power gating the computer system during the first low power state.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

entering the second low power state by exiting from the first low power state when a paging event occurs; and

returning to the first low power state after the paging event completes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the baseband module operates on an operating system separate from an operation system of the application processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein during the third low power state, the baseband module is further active for performing activities related to Wi-Fi connection.

6. The method of claim 1;

wherein the wake event comprises one of;

a voice call initiation request;

a voice call termination request;

a processor activity request; and

a detected interaction with the computer system.

7. A computer system comprising:

a baseband module operable to interact with a network;

a memory controller operable to access a memory of the computer system; and

a processor, wherein the baseband module and the processor are operable to access the memory via the memory controller, wherein the computer system is configured to enter one of a plurality of low power states in response to a detected system idle event, wherein the plurality of low power states comprise;

a first low power state for the computer system, wherein the memory of the computer system is self refreshed and the processor is unpowered during the first low power state; and

a second low power state for the computer system, wherein;

the processor is unpowered;

the baseband module is active for performing a network paging activity; and

the memory of the computer system is accessible to the baseband module during the second low power state, wherein the one of the plurality of low power states is selected depending upon baseband module activity, wherein the computer system is further operable to;

exit from the one of a plurality of low power states when a wake event is detected; and

enter the second low power state by exiting from the first low power state when a paging event occurs, and returning to the first low power state after the paging event completes, wherein, during the paging event, the baseband module accesses said memory through a direct path into a memory sequencer of the memory controller.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the baseband module operates on an operating system separate from an operation system of said application processor.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of low power states further comprise a third low power state, wherein:

during the third low power state, the processor module is unpowered;

the baseband module is active for performing the voice call activity;

an audio module of the computer system is active; and

the memory of the computer system is accessible to the baseband module.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein during the second low power state, wherein the baseband module operates on an operating system separate from an operation system of the processor.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the wake event comprises one of:

a voice call initiation request;

a voice call termination request;

a processor activity request; and

a detected interaction with the computer system.

12. A computer system comprising:

a baseband module;

a processor; and

a memory for storing instructions, that when executed by the computer system perform a method of entering a power conservation state, the method comprising;

detecting a system idle event of a computer system;

selecting and entering one of a plurality of low power states for the computer system in response to the detected system idle event, wherein the plurality of low power states comprise;

a first low power state for the computer system, wherein the memory of the computer system is self refreshed and the computer system is power-gated during the first low power state;

a second low power state for the computer system, wherein;

the processor is unpowered;

the baseband module is active for a network paging activity; and

the memory is accessible to the baseband module during the second low power state, wherein, in said second low power state, the baseband module accesses the memory through a direct path into a memory sequencer of a memory controller associated with the processor; and

a third low power state for the computer system, wherein, during the third low power state;

the processor is unpowered;

the baseband module is active for performing a voice call activity;

an audio module of the computer system is active; and

the memory of the computer system is accessible to the baseband module, and wherein the one of the plurality of low power states is selected depending upon baseband module activity; and

exiting from the one of a plurality of low power states when a wake event is detected.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

entering the second low power state by exiting from the first low power state when a paging event occurs; and

returning to the first low power state after the paging event completes.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the baseband module operates on an operating system separate from an operation system of the processor.