Wirelessly network-connected, battery-powered information handling system featuring prevention of data corruption after wake-up by a network event

• US 20030233587A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanu, Abiodun O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,051,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for preventing data corruption in an information handling system when a server requests the system to perform a system management activity and the amount of battery energy remaining available to the system is not known by the requesting server. After waking up the information handling system from a sleep state, the server interrogates the system to determine the state of charge of the battery. The server considers both the remaining state of charge of the battery and the time and energy required to carry out the requested operation. If the battery has sufficient charge to carry out the particular requested operation, then the server instructs the system to carry out the particular operation. However, if the battery does not have sufficient charge to carry out the particular requested operation, then the server does not continue the requested operation or aborts the operation. In this manner, the possibility of the battery powered information handling system running out of energy during the course of an operation requested by the server and the concomitant data corruption, are substantially reduced.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a battery for supplying power to the system; and

a wireless LAN controller, coupled to the processor, for wirelessly communicating with a network, the controller waking up the information handling system upon occurrence of a wakeup event on the network and in response checking the state of charge of the battery and sending the state of charge to the network for a determination as to whether or not the battery has sufficient energy to execute a particular service request.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the information handling system executes the particular service request if there is determined to be sufficient energy in the battery to execute the particular service request.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the information handling system aborts the particular service request if there is determined to be insufficient energy in the battery to execute the particular service request.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the particular service request is a system management request.

5. A first information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a battery for supplying power to the system; and

a wireless LAN controller, coupled to the processor, for wirelessly communicating with a second information handling system connected to a network, the controller waking up the first information handling system upon occurrence of a wakeup event initiated on the network by the second information handling system and in response checking the state of charge of the battery and sending the state of charge to the second information handling system for a determination as to whether or not the battery has sufficient energy to execute a particular service request.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the first information handling system executes the particular service request if there is determined to be sufficient energy in the battery to execute the particular service request.

7. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the information handling system aborts the particular service request if there is determined to be insufficient energy in the battery to execute the particular service request.

8. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the particular service request is a system management request.

9. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a battery for supplying power to the system; and

a wireless LAN controller, coupled to the processor, for wirelessly communicating with a network, the controller waking up the information handling system upon reception of wakeup information including a particular service request, and in response the system checking the state of charge of the battery to determine if there is sufficient energy in the battery to execute the particular service request.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the information handling system executes the particular service request if there is determined to be sufficient energy in the battery to execute the particular service request.

11. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the information handling system aborts the particular service request if there is determined to be insufficient energy in the battery to execute the particular service request.

12. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the particular service request is a system management request.

13. A method of operating a wirelessly networked information handling system powered by a battery, the method comprising:

entering a sleep state by the information handling system;

monitoring, by the information handling system, for a wake-up event;

waking up, by the information handling system, upon occurrence of a wake-up event providing a service request;

monitoring the state of charge of the battery in the information handling system; and

determining if the state of charge of the battery is sufficient to execute the service request.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

executing the service request if the state of charge of the battery is determined to be sufficient to execute the service request.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

aborting the service request if the state of charge of the battery is determined to be insufficient to execute the service request.

16. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the particular service request is a system management request.

17. A method of operating a first information handling system powered by a battery, the system being configured to wirelessly communicate over a network to a second information handling system, the method comprising:

entering, by the first information handling system, a sleep state;

receiving, by the first information handling system, wakeup information from the network;

monitoring, by the first information handling system, the state of charge of the battery;

sending, by the first information handling system, the state of charge over the network to the second information handling system; and

determining, by the second information handling system, if the state of charge of the battery is sufficient to perform a particular service request.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

executing, by the first information handling system, the particular service request if the state of charge of the battery is determined to be sufficient to execute the particular service request.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

aborting, by the first information handling system, the particular service request if the state of charge of the battery is determined to be insufficient to execute the particular service request.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the particular service request is a system management request.

21. A method of operating a first information handling system powered by a battery, the first information handling system being configured to wirelessly communicate over a network to a second information handling system, the method comprising:

entering, by the first information handling system, a sleep state;

receiving from the network, by the first information handling system, wakeup information including a particular service request;

waking up, by the first information handling system, in response to receiving the wakeup information;

monitoring, by the first information handling system, the state of charge of the battery; and

determining, by the first information handling system, if the state of charge of the battery is sufficient to execute the particular service request.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

executing, by the first information handling system, the particular service request if the state of charge of the battery is determined to be sufficient to execute the particular service request.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

aborting, by the first information handling system, the particular service request if the state of charge of the battery is determined to be insufficient to execute the particular service request.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the particular service request is a system management request.