KR101487558B1 - How to save power on your computer and computer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer system and a power saving method for the computer system. The present invention relates to a power supply apparatus for supplying power to only a predetermined initial driving apparatus at the time of system start-up; And a central processing unit (10) for executing initialization and testing processes for the initial driving units by executing a BIOS. The power supply unit is connected to the central processing unit (10) It selectively supplies power to the component only when it receives a power supply command for a component not included in the device. According to the power saving method of the computer system and the computer system according to the present invention, it is possible to minimize power consumption by minimizing the number of peripheral devices undergoing the initialization and testing processes during the system booting process, and to shorten the booting time .

Booting, Initialization, BIOS, Operating System,

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power saving method,

The present invention relates to a computer system and a power saving method for the computer system.

Generally, in the case of a computer system operated by a specific operating system, when a user supplies power to the system, the operating system does not operate, but a self-test of the various devices connected to the system (POST: Power On Self Test) process.

For example, in the case of a personal computer, in order to confirm whether a computer keyboard, a RAM, a disk drive, and other hardware operate properly when power is supplied to the computer, a basic input / output system (BIOS: Quot; BIOS ") is operated, the start-up self test process is performed. The BIOS is a type of program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) provided in a main board of a computer, and controls the boot process with control of the computer until the operating system operates.

In recent years, as the functions of the computer system have expanded, the storage medium capacity required for the computer to perform various functions has greatly increased. In addition to the storage media basically configured in the system, users often configure a separate storage medium in the system . In addition, various storage media drivers may be provided in the system depending on the type of each storage medium. In many cases, various types of input devices and output devices are configured together in a system in order to implement various functions in a computer system.

When various peripheral devices are provided in the computer system, it takes a long time to initialize and test each of the peripheral devices in the POST process, and the system boot time becomes longer. In addition, the system power consumption increases as power is supplied to various peripherals from the booting process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to minimize power consumption by minimizing the number of peripheral devices undergoing initialization and testing during the system booting process.

Another object of the present invention is to minimize the number of peripheral devices undergoing the initialization and testing process during the booting of the system, thereby shortening the boot time.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power supply apparatus including: a power supply unit for supplying power only to a predetermined initial driving apparatus when the system is started; And a central processing unit for executing initialization and testing processes for the initial driving units by executing the BIOS, wherein the power supply unit is configured to receive, from the central processing unit during the system operation, It selectively supplies power to the component only when it receives a power supply command for the component.

The central processing unit may perform initialization and testing of components not included in the initial driving device at the time of termination of the computer system, and may store initialization and test results.

In addition, when power is supplied to a component not included in the initial driving device, the central processing unit can control the corresponding component using previously stored initialization and test result data for the corresponding component.

In this case, the initial driving device may include the central processing unit included in the computer system, the main storage unit, the at least one auxiliary storage unit, and the basic input / output unit.

And the computer system comprises a plurality of auxiliary storage devices; The bootstrap loader and the operating system may be stored in one auxiliary storage device set as the initial drive device among the auxiliary storage devices.

Here, the central processing unit may store the initialization and test results in the auxiliary memory device set as the initial driving device.

In addition, the BIOS may be stored in the auxiliary memory device included in the initial driving device.

At this time, the initial driving device may further include a nonvolatile storage medium storing a BIOS.

(A) the power switch of the computer system is turned on; (B) when the power switch is turned on in the step (A), power is supplied only to a predetermined initial driving device; (C) initializing and testing the initial driving device; And (D) if an error does not occur during the initialization and testing of the step (C), the operating system is executed and the computer system operates normally.

The initial driving device may include a central processing unit of the computer system, a cyclic redundancy unit, at least one auxiliary storage unit, and a basic input / output unit.

The power saving method may further include: (E) generating a power supply command for at least one of the components not included in the initial driving device in a state where the computer system is normally operated; (F) powering the corresponding component according to the generation of the instruction in the step (E).

Further, the power saving method may further include: (G) when the power is supplied to the corresponding component in the step (F), the corresponding component is controlled using initialization and test result data stored in advance for the component . ≪ / RTI >

The power saving method may further include: (H) blocking power supply to the component when the data input or output is not detected for a predetermined time or longer in the corresponding component powered by the step (F) . ≪ / RTI >

Wherein the power saving method comprises the steps of: (I) detecting an end command of the computer system; (J) initializing and testing components not corresponding to the initial driving device when the termination command is detected in step (I); And (K) storing initialization and test results of the step (J).

As described above in detail, according to the computer system and the power saving method of the computer system according to the present invention, the following effects can be expected.

That is, the power consumption can be prevented by minimizing the number of peripheral devices undergoing the initialization and testing process during the system booting process.

According to the power saving method of the computer system and the computer system according to the present invention, the booting time can be shortened by minimizing the number of peripheral devices undergoing the initialization and testing processes during the system booting process.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of a power saving method of a computer system and a computer system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a computer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the present invention, a computer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention includes a central processing unit (CPU) 10. The CPU 10 is a main control means of the computer, and is responsible for overall control of the computer such as interpretation of commands, calculation of data, and comparison.

A north bridge 20 is connected to the CPU 10. The north bridge 20 is a hardware or software module connected to the CPU 10 and used for connecting system components or peripheral devices requiring high transmission speed and system performance.

The computer also has a south bridge 30. [ The south bridge 30 is indirectly connected to the CPU 10 through the north bridge 20 and is used to connect system components or peripheral devices that require relatively low transmission speed and system performance. Or a software module.

The main bridge 22 is connected to the north bridge 20. The main memory 22 provides a program or data stored in an auxiliary storage device or the like to be described later as means for storing an operating system necessary for performing a task and a program to be processed and data to be provided in a control device or a computing device, It plays a role. The main memory 22 is generally constituted by a RAM (Random Access Memory).

One or more graphic controllers 24 are connected to the north bridge 20. The graphic controller 24 outputs image data to an image forming apparatus such as a monitor 26 to be described later according to an instruction from the CPU 10 The image data processed in the graphic controller 24 is output to the monitor 26 and the monitor 26 is connected to the north bridge 20. Here, (26) may also be provided.

A basic input output system (BIOS) 32 is connected to the south bridge 30. The BIOS 32 may be firmware or software stored in nonvolatile memory means such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a flash memory, but the memory means in which the BIOS is stored may also be referred to as a BIOS 32 Explain.

The BIOS 32 is a set of routines for driving an input / output device or a peripheral device in an operating system, and performs a booting process by operating the system operating system of the computer before booting the computer.

In addition, the south bridge 30 is provided with one or more auxiliary storage devices 34. The auxiliary storage device 34 may be a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive, or the like as a storage device capable of almost permanently storing a program or data necessary for performing functions of the computer.

In the present embodiment, as shown in the figure, three auxiliary storage devices (auxiliary storage devices # 1 to # 3 (34a to 34c) are provided.

The auxiliary storage device 34 may be a boot medium in particular. Herein, the boot medium is a storage medium storing data related to booting at the time of initial operation of the computer. The booting medium includes an operating system kernel that is a basis of the operation of the computer system, a bootstrap loader Is stored.

The booting medium may be any of the auxiliary storage devices provided in the computer, and the user may select the auxiliary storage device in which the bootstrap loader and the operating system data are stored as described above to set the corresponding auxiliary storage device as the booting medium have. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the auxiliary storage device # 1 34a is selected as a booting medium.

The CPU 10 loads the BIOS 32 into the main memory 22 and executes the bootstrap loader stored from the first sector of the auxiliary memory # 1 34a set as the boot medium And transfers the kernel of the operating system stored in the auxiliary memory # 1 (34a) to the main memory (22) according to the execution result of the bootstrap loader.

When the operating system transferred to the main memory 22 is executed, the operating system has the control right of the computer system and the booting process is terminated.

A basic input device such as a mouse 36 or a keyboard 38 is connected to the south bridge 30. In addition to the mouse 36 and the keyboard 38, various input / output means may be connected to the south bridge 30, which is represented as a peripheral device 40 as one.

Various peripheral devices are connected to the north bridge 20 and the south bridge 30 as described above. The peripheral device includes all of the input / output devices such as the storage device such as the above-described auxiliary storage device 34, the monitor 26, the mouse 36, and the keyboard 38. [ Although various peripheral devices not illustrated in the drawings are represented by the peripheral device 40, the peripheral device 40 may be provided in various types, or a plurality of peripheral devices may be provided in the same type.

In the present invention, a power supply unit (not shown) for supplying power to the computer is further provided. When the power supply of the computer is turned on, the power supply unit supplies power to the circuit of the computer.

Here, the power supply can selectively supply power to the entire computer system without supplying power, and it is preset in the power supply whether to supply power to any system component.

Hereinafter, a method of booting a computer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating initial driving steps of a power saving method of a computer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of reducing power consumption of a computer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Fig.

As shown in FIG. 2, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the power supply switch of the computer is turned on so that the power supply unit supplies power to the initial driving unit (S100).

Hereinafter, the system component that receives power when the power supply is resumed from the power supply by turning on the power switch will be referred to as an initial power supply hereinafter.

At this time, the initial driving device is determined by the user or the maker of the computer in advance by selecting a minimum component necessary for driving the computer system and performing basic functions. Here, the CPU 10, the north bridge 20, the south bridge 30, the main memory 22, the BIOS 32, the auxiliary memory # 1 34a, Units associated with basic data output such as the graphic controller 24 and the monitor 26, and a plurality of components related to basic data output such as the mouse 36 and the keyboard 26, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 38 < / RTI >

If two or more output devices such as the monitor 26 are provided, only one of them can be designated as the initial driving device, which is the same for the input device.

If the power supply unit supplies power only to system components previously set in the initial driving unit in step S100, the CPU 10, which is included in the initial driving unit and is supplied with power, The CPU 10 reads the BIOS program from the BIOS 32 and loads the BIOS program into the main memory 22 (S110).

The CPU 10 executes the BIOS program (S120) and initializes and tests the initial driving devices (S130).

If an error occurs in any one or more of the initial driving devices during the initialization and testing of the initial driving devices in step S130, the CPU 10 stops the booting process.

However, if the initialization and testing process for the initial driving devices is normally completed in operation 130, the operating system kernel is loaded on the main memory 22 in the selected boot medium in operation S150.

Here, the booting medium is determined in accordance with a predetermined setting by a user or a manufacturer of the computer in any one of the auxiliary storage devices 34 provided at least one. When a plurality of auxiliary storage devices 34 are provided in the computer as described above, only one auxiliary storage device 34 selected as the booting medium is included in the initial driving device, and the remaining auxiliary storage devices 34, May not be included in the initial driving device.

If the operating system kernel is loaded into the main memory 22 in step 150, the CPU 10 accesses the operating system kernel loaded in the main memory 22 to execute the operating system, (S160).

When the system is driven by supplying only the minimum essential components necessary for data storage, movement and processing and the minimum input / output device required for input / output of commands and data, A component is selectively driven only when the component is needed.

As shown in FIG. 3, after a series of processes of starting the power supply to the initial driving devices and executing the operating system are performed, in a state where the computer system normally operates, It is required to drive a peripheral device included in the computer system other than the initial driving device, such as an access command to the device or an instruction of a user who wants to use a peripheral device not included in the initial driving device is input (S200), the power supply unit supplies power to the peripheral device according to the control of the CPU 10 (S210).

The peripheral devices not included in the initial driving device may be connected to the remaining auxiliary storage devices 34 that are not designated as the booting medium among the auxiliary storage devices 34, And a peripheral device 40 other than the basic input / output device designated as the initial driving device such as the keyboard 38 and the like.

If power is supplied to any one of the peripheral devices not included in the initial driving device in step 210 (S210), the corresponding peripheral device is powered on in operation S220.

At this time, data such as an initial setting necessary for the peripheral device to operate in accordance with the command of the CPU 10 or a test result that the peripheral device can be normally operated is stored in the auxiliary storage device 34 34 and the like, and the CPU 10 drives the peripheral device using the stored data.

That is, data necessary to enable the peripheral device to be driven only by resuming power supply to the peripheral device is previously stored in one of the storage means included in the initial driving device of the computer, Such data is stored at the time of the last power-off before the computer is powered on.

In order to enable the peripheral device to be driven without booting by restarting the power supply to the peripheral device, the S4 state (hibernation state) of the power management according to the conventional Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) The system state data stored in the hard disk when the S4 state is entered is used when the power state of the system resumes from the S0 state (normal driving state) to the S0 state (normal driving state).

That is, for the remaining system components not included in the initial driving device, initialization and testing of the corresponding components are performed when the system is powered off, the results are stored in advance, and the system power is turned on again, When you want to start up.

If the use of the peripheral device is completed or the access to the peripheral device is not detected any more than the set time in step 230, The power supply to the peripheral device can be cut off.

If the power off command is detected (S230) while the system is operating normally as described above, the CPU 10 uses the BIOS program or other programs to access the remaining peripheral devices Initialization and testing are performed (S240).

In step S250, the initialization and test results in step S240 are stored in the auxiliary storage unit 34 configured as the booting medium, so that the initialization and test results are used to drive the peripheral devices when the next system power is turned on.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment, but is capable of many modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims. It is self-evident.

For example, the present invention is not limited to the structure in which the bridge 10, such as the north bridge 20 and the south bridge 30, is connected to the CPU 10 as described above, The technical idea of the present invention in which power is supplied only to a predetermined initial driving apparatus in which a system power switch is turned on such as a system having a bridge circuit configuration different from that of the above embodiment and the booting process is performed, Other embodiments that are modified within the scope of the present invention are also encompassed within the scope of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a computer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart sequentially showing initial driving steps of a computer power saving method according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating operation steps of a power saving method of a computer according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

10: CPU 20: Northbridge

22: Main memory device 24: Graphics controller

26: Monitor 30: South Bridge

32: Bios 34: Auxiliary memory

36: Mouse 38: Keyboard

40: peripheral device

Claims (14)

A power supply device for supplying power only to a predetermined initial driving device when the system is started; And And a central processing unit executing a BIOS and initializing and testing the initial driving units, Wherein the power supply selectively supplies power to the corresponding component only when receiving a power supply command from the central processing unit during operation of the system for a component not included in the initial driving unit, The initial driving device includes: A central processing unit, a main storage unit, at least one auxiliary storage unit, and a basic input / output unit included in the computer system. The method according to claim 1, The central processing unit, Wherein the computer system initializes and tests components that are not included in the initial drive upon termination of the computer system, and stores initialization and test results. 3. The method of claim 2, The central processing unit, Wherein when the power is supplied to a component not included in the initial driving device, the corresponding component is controlled using previously stored initialization and test result data for the corresponding component. delete 3. The method of claim 2, The computer system comprising: Comprising a plurality of auxiliary storage devices; Wherein the bootstrap loader and the operating system are stored in one of the auxiliary storage devices set as the initial drive device. 6. The method of claim 5, The central processing unit, And the initialization and test results are stored in an auxiliary memory device set in the initial driving device. The method according to claim 1, In the auxiliary memory device included in the initial driving device, And the BIOS is stored. The method according to claim 1, In the initial driving device, Further comprising a non-volatile storage medium in which the BIOS is stored. (A) the power switch of the computer system is turned on; (B) when the power switch is turned on in the step (A), power is supplied only to a predetermined initial driving device; (C) initializing and testing the initial driving device; And (D) if an error does not occur during the initialization and testing of the step (C), the operating system is executed and the computer system operates normally, The initial driving device includes: A central processing unit of the computer system, a main storage unit, at least one auxiliary storage unit, and a basic input / output unit. delete 10. The method of claim 9, The power saving method includes: (E) generating a power supply command for at least one of components not included in the initial driving device in a state that the computer system is normally operated; (F) supplying power to the corresponding component in response to the instruction in the step (E). 12. The method of claim 11, The power saving method includes: (G) When the power is supplied to the corresponding component in the step (F), the corresponding component is controlled using the initialization and test result data stored in advance for the component. How to reduce system power. 13. The method of claim 12, The power saving method includes: (H) blocking power supply to the component when the data input or output is not detected for a predetermined time or longer in the corresponding component powered by the step (F). How to reduce system power. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, The power saving method includes: (I) detecting a termination command of the computer system; (J) initializing and testing components not corresponding to the initial driving device when the termination command is detected in step (I); And (K) the initialization and test results of the step (J) are stored.

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