Patent
1997-11-21
1999-08-10
Ray, Gopal C.
395670, G06F 946, G06F 900
Patent
active
059372001
ABSTRACT:
A single controller handles keyboard functions and ACPI configuration and power management functions, while providing priority to keyboard functions so that there is no end user-perceptible compromise of keyboard functionality. When an interrupt is received by the microcontroller, it is determined whether the interrupt is an embedded controller interrupt received at the embedded controller host interface or a keyboard interrupt received at the keyboard host interface. If the interrupt is a keyboard interrupt, the keyboard function is handled in a standard fashion. If the interrupt is an embedded controller interrupt for an ACPI configuration or power management function, a burst timer is started and the command is handled by a command dispatcher. If the embedded controller is in burst mode, multiple commands may be received during a burst period. Commands which are not completed before the expiration of the burst timer are aborted, and a data return vector is set to the absolute address at the point of abortion in the firmware. Aborted commands are resumed on reception of the next embedded controller interrupt by continuation of the process at the data return vector address.
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Casano Anthony P.
Frid Aleksandr
Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Ray Gopal C.
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