High-speed connection method

Details High-speed connection method High-speed connection method

1998-05-07

2001-04-03

Sheikh, Ayaz R. (Department: 2781)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support

Computer power control

Power conservation

C713S001000, C713S002000, C713S100000, C713S310000, C710S008000, C710S010000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06212643

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present method relates to the temporary disconnection of devices for the purpose of saving power.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the services sectors, data processing devices are increasingly being used in order to be able to serve customers even at times when there is little traffic, without people being employed for this purpose. Since the devices are only seldom used, it is desirable to disconnect the devices until a customer would like to carry out an operation.
However, this persistently fails because the initialization phase of a computer-controlled device can last for several minutes and the customer should not be expected to wait for this period of time. For this reason, devices are known in which the current consumption is reduced by means of special structural measures. Thus, screens are known which, in the absence of a sync signal, not only blank the picture but also, for example, disconnect the beam deflection, which makes up the vast majority of the power consumption. Also known are central processing units of personal computers which reduce the clock frequency of the computer core and switch the mass memory off.
What is common to all these solutions, however, is that it is necessary to configure or reactivate the device in order that, for example, the reactivation of the beam deflection or the increase in the clock frequency to operational levels does not have any disturbing effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention therefore, is to modify an existing computer-controlled device with little outlay in such a way that it can be reactivated quickly.
The invention makes use of the insight that most of the activation time is frequently required for test and diagnostic routines which are so lengthy because they have no information regarding the duration of the preceding switched-off phase and the point in time of the last diagnosis and therefore have to proceed from the worst-case conditions for the purpose of operationally reliable behavior.
The solution for a device which is operated interconnected with a plurality of other devices is that one of the devices in the interconnection remaining constantly active and effects the disconnection of the other devices. Before the respective device is disconnected, it is informed that the disconnection is for the purpose of saving energy. This information is recorded by the device in a nonvolatile memory, which is often already present in the device for holding configuration data, for example as a CMOS-RAM, and results in the test and diagnostic routines carrying out a significantly shortened test upon reactivation.
What is involved, then, is an energy-saving operating method in which the disconnecting device records in a nonvolatile memory that a temporary disconnection occurred, and thereupon does not execute test and diagnostic routines upon reactivation or does so to a reduced extent.


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