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Abstract

A method for managing power in a portable computer uses past access history of the various electrically-powered computer components and a prediction of future user demands to determine power-save mode entry and exit conditions. The component or the computer system keeps track of the access patterns. In the case of the display system component, such as the LCD display panel, because the access occurs when the user is watching the display panel and is thus not possible to measure directly, the accesses are measured indirectly from keyboard and/or pointing device activity. Each component access is detected and used to compute a current access frequency. The current access frequency is compared to a previously calculated and continuously updated threshold frequency. The threshold frequency is representative of the access pattern, e.g., uniform or sporadic, and is computed from equations that include adjustable gain factors. During operation of the component the appropriate power-save mode is entered when the current access frequency falls below the threshold frequency. The component can also adapt dynamically to varying workload situations, thereby saving more energy without degrading performance. This is accomplished by adjusting the gain factors parameters in response to tracking the actual performance of the system, thereby changing the threshold frequency. The component also determines when to exit a power-save mode without necessarily waiting for a user access.

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First Claim