Power management system for a computer
US5958055A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 20, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 28, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 20, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/004
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An off-hook state of a telephone associated with a computer is used in order to disable the power management unit of the computer to prevent premature power shutdown while the telephone is being used. A power-managed computer system includes a bus system, and a central processing unit coupled to the bus system. The central processing unit has a normal power mode and a power saving mode. A telephony interface coupled to the bus system has a port for coupling to a telephone system network. A power management unit is also coupled to the bus system and is responsive to bus system activity and to indicia of telephony interface activity. The power management unit causes the central processing unit to be in a power saving mode when both bus system activity and telephony interface activity are less than a predetermined level of activity. Additionally, the power management unit maintains the central processing unit in a power mode greater than the power saving mode when either the bus system activity or the telephony interface activity is greater than the predetermined level of activity. An off-hook signal is directly sampled from the modem and provided to activity detection logic within th…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.