Method & apparatus for a power management pseudo-device driver

Details Method & apparatus for a power management pseudo-device driver Method & apparatus for a power management pseudo-device driver

1996-01-31

1997-08-05

Harvey, Jack B.

39575001, G06F 132

Patent

active

056551266

ABSTRACT:
A power management system for conserving power in a computer system that runs the UNIX.RTM. operating system. The power management system comprises a power management pseudo-device driver, power management compatible device drivers for power manageable hardware devices, and additions to the Device Driver Interface and Driver Kernel Interface (DDI/DKI) layer. Each power management compatible device driver maintains last access times for its associated hardware device components. The power management pseudo-device driver periodically checks the last access time for all the power manageable hardware device components in the computer system. If the power management pseudo-device driver determines that a hardware device component is idle, the power management pseudo-device driver instructs the idle hardware device's associated device driver to reduce power to the idle hardware device component. If an access request is later received by a powered down device component, the power management pseudo-device driver is informed about the access request. The power management pseudo-device driver then powers the hardware device component back up such that the hardware device component can process the access request.

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