Method and apparatus for managing power consumption of the CPU and on-board system devices of personal computers
US5754869A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 27, 1997 |
| Grant date | May 19, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 27, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D10/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for managing power consumption in a personal computer, specifically the CPU and on-board system devices. The present invention manages the power consumption of the CPU and on-board system devices (i.e., core logic) using a global event messaging scheme and an OS-Idle power event and interrupts to provide CPU power management. The CPU's low-power state is implemented such that any or a set of predetermined device interrupts will transition the CPU from low-power state to normal operation which commences at the first instruction of the interrupt handler invoked by the device interrupt. The power consumed by the platform/chipset and controller logic devices, i.e., core logic, influenced by system clocks can be managed by decreasing frequency or stopping the distributed clock(s) altogether when in low-power state. Where chipsets manage clock distribution, additional hardware mechanisms for curtailing clocks may be incorporated which can be activated by software but are de-activated automatically in hardware. A power management coordinator may be incorporated to reduce voltage spikes or sags.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.