Power consumption control method, embedded controller, electronic equipment and computer equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a power consumption control method, an embedded controller, an electronic device and a computer device.The method is suitable for the embedded controller, and the power consumption control method comprises the steps that the device state of the electronic device is monitored; wherein the equipment state can reflect the power consumption of the electronic equipment; when the abnormal equipment state is monitored, determining whether a driving module used for power consumption management in the electronic equipment is abnormal or not; and when the driving module is abnormal, performing power consumption control on the electronic equipment. By adopting the technical scheme provided by the invention, even if the driving module for power consumption management on the operating system level is abnormal, the power consumption of the electronic equipment can be continuously controlled through the embedded controller, so that performance reduction and the like of the electronic equipment caused by over-high power consumption are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a power consumption control method, an embedded controller, an electronic device, and a computer device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, the performance requirements of computers are getting higher and higher. The power consumption management of computers is crucial to improving their performance. At present, computers mainly achieve power consumption control through the corresponding driver module on the operating system. Once the driver module is abnormal, the power consumption of the computer cannot be controlled. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, various aspects of the present application provide a power consumption control method, an embedded controller and an electronic device, so that when a driving module for power consumption management on an electronic device is abnormal, the embedded controller in the electronic device can control the power consumption of the electronic device.

[0004] In a first embodiment of the present application, a power consumption control method is provided, which is applicable to an embedded controller in an electronic device. The power consumption control method includes:

[0005] Monitoring the device status of the electronic device; wherein the device status can reflect the power consumption of the electronic device;

[0006] When an abnormal device state is detected, determining whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal;

[0007] When the driving module is abnormal, power consumption of the electronic device is controlled.

[0008] In a second embodiment of the present application, a power consumption control method is also provided, which is applicable to an embedded controller in an electronic device. The power consumption control method includes:

[0009] Monitoring the device status of the electronic device; wherein the device status can reflect the power consumption of the electronic device;

[0010] When an abnormal device state is detected, determining whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal;

[0011] When the driving module is abnormal, power consumption of the electronic device is controlled;

[0012] Output prompt information to prompt that the drive module has abnormally switched to the embedded controller for power consumption control.

[0013] In a third embodiment of the present application, an embedded controller is further provided. The embedded controller includes: a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is coupled to the memory and is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to implement the steps in the power consumption control method provided in the first embodiment of the present application, or to implement the steps in the power consumption control method provided in the second embodiment of the present application.

[0014] In a fourth embodiment of the present application, an electronic device is further provided. The electronic device includes: a driving module for power consumption management and the embedded controller provided in the third embodiment of the present application.

[0015] In the fifth embodiment of the present application, a computer device is also provided, which includes: a driving module, a status monitoring module and an embedded controller; wherein the driving module is used to manage the power consumption of the computer device; the status monitoring module is used to monitor the device status of the computer device; wherein the device status can reflect the power consumption of the computer device; the embedded controller is communicatively connected to the status monitoring module, and is used to determine whether the driving module is abnormal when the abnormal device status of the computer device is detected by the status monitoring module, and control the power consumption of the computer device when the driving module is abnormal.

[0016] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are that the embedded controller EC in the electronic device (such as a computer device) will further determine whether the driver module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal when the abnormal device state of the electronic device is detected, and start to control the power consumption of the electronic device when the driver module is abnormal. It can be seen that the adoption of this solution can control the power consumption of the electronic device through EC connection even if the driver module for power consumption management at the operating system level is abnormal, so as to avoid the performance degradation of the electronic device and damage to components such as the battery and processor due to excessive power consumption. Furthermore, the embedded controller EC will also output a prompt message through the electronic device to prompt that the abnormal driver module has switched to the embedded controller for power consumption control, which enables the user to perceive that the driver module for power consumption management is abnormal, so as to find the cause of the abnormality in time and solve the abnormality problem. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A flowchart of a power consumption control method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of functional components connected to an embedded controller in an electronic device and communication with a system-on-chip provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3a and Figure 3b A software architecture diagram of an electronic device provided for an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3c An interactive timing diagram of an embedded controller EC, a basic input and output system BIOS, an operating system power management OSPM, and a driver module in an electronic device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4a and Figure 4b A schematic diagram of another power consumption control process provided for an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of outputting prompt information provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of displaying power consumption information of an electronic device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 7 A flowchart of a power consumption control method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device provided for an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The power consumption management of computers plays a vital role in improving their performance. Power consumption management refers to effectively controlling the energy consumption of functional modules (such as CPU (Central Processing Unit)) on the computer, reducing the power consumption of the computer system, thereby improving computer performance and extending battery life. At present, computers (PCs) such as laptops mainly control power consumption through the corresponding driver modules on their operating systems. Once the above-mentioned driver module is abnormal, the power consumption of the computer will be uncontrollable.

[0028] Among them, the driver module mentioned above is the bottom-level driver installed on the operating system, such as a driver independently developed by a computer manufacturer (referred to as a self-developed driver) or a driver developed by other system manufacturers, such as a DTT (DynamicTuning Technology) driver. The driver module can implement corresponding power consumption control according to its own built-in driver policy. For information on how the driver module implements power consumption control, please refer to the existing relevant content. The driver module may be abnormal due to the operating system crash, the driver module being uninstalled or disabled, or a program error in the driver module.

[0029] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the basic design idea of ​​the present application is: when an abnormality occurs in a driver module for power consumption management on a computer, an EC (Embeded Controller) in the computer is made to perform power consumption control.

[0030] Based on the above basic design ideas, the present application provides a power consumption control method, an embedded controller and an electronic device.

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical solution of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in combination with the specific embodiments of the present application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present application, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the words "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar phases with substantially the same functions and effects. For example, the first signal generating circuit and the second signal generating circuit are only used to distinguish different signal generating circuits, and the order thereof is not limited. Those skilled in the art can understand that the words "first", "second" and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words "first", "second" and the like do not limit them to be necessarily different.

[0033] It should be noted that the words "exemplary" or "for example" in this application are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way. In addition, "at least one" in this application refers to one or more, and "plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, B exists alone, wherein A and B can be singular or plural, etc. The character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can represent: a, b, c, a, b and c, a and b, a and c, b and c.

[0034] The technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Before introducing the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, some terms involved in the present application are explained:

[0036] EC (Embeded Controller): It is a single-chip microcomputer (an independent chip) mainly used in mobile computer systems (such as laptops) or embedded computer systems, providing keyboard control, touch screen control, partial power management, fan control, battery management, indicator (such as indicator light) control and other functions for such computers. In addition, it also controls the power-on timing of the computer motherboard and plays an irreplaceable role in the computer startup process. In the computer, whether the computer is turned on or off, the EC will always remain in working condition unless the battery in the computer is completely removed.

[0037] BIOS (Basic Input Output System) builds a bridge between the underlying hardware and the upper operating system. It is a set of programs (also called firmware programs) that are fixed in the ROM (Read only Memory) chip on the motherboard of the computer. It mainly stores basic input and output programs, system setting information, self-test programs after power-on, and system self-starting programs. Its main function is to provide the computer with the lowest and most direct hardware settings and control. Among them, BIOS starts running after EC initializes the physical environment inside the computer. The programs provided by BIOS, such as Acppo.asl (an ASL code program), define various functions required for communication with the operating system, hardware, etc., such as Notify (a function used for notification-related operations), Method (method function), Q_event (interrupt event function), etc. ASL is a source program language used to define ACPI objects (including writing ACPI control methods).

[0038] SOC (System on a Chip) is an integrated circuit that integrates multiple functional modules of a computer. For example, SOC integrates various processors such as CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processing), as well as memory, input / output ports, graphics card, etc.

[0039] OSPM (Operating System Power Management, referred to as system power management), OSPM is the operating system (OS) as a system resource manager, which makes power management decisions and controls based on the characteristics of workload and hardware resource power status, while meeting system performance constraints, to reduce system energy consumption.

[0040] ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is a set of specifications for configuring hardware and managing power. It is a standard specification for controlling, managing, and communicating between hardware, operating systems, and applications. It defines the operating system, BIOS, and underlying hardware. The functions that can be achieved using ACPI include: system power management, device power management, processor power management, temperature management, system events, etc.

[0041] Acpi.sys is an ACPI driver that is used as an interface between the operating system and BIOS and is often deployed in OSPM.

[0042] The architectural relationships between EC, BIOS, SOC, OSPM, Acpi.sys, etc. mentioned above can also be seen in Figure 3a shown.

[0043] Figure 1 The flowchart of a power consumption control method provided by the present application is shown. The execution subject of the method is an embedded controller (EC) in an electronic device. The electronic device can be any type of computer containing an EC, such as a laptop, a tablet computer, an embedded industrial computer, a car computer, etc. Figure 1 The power consumption control method provided in this application includes the following steps:

[0044] 101. Monitoring a device state of the electronic device, wherein the device state can reflect the power consumption of the electronic device;

[0045] 102. When an abnormal device state is detected, determine whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal;

[0046] 103. When the driving module is abnormal, power consumption of the electronic device is controlled.

[0047] In the above 101, the device status of the electronic device may include but is not limited to: voltage information, temperature information (such as the temperature of the battery, CPU, GPU, etc.). Since the power consumption of electronic devices is often closely related to temperature, specifically, during the operation of the electronic device, for example, if the power consumption of functional components such as the battery and CPU increases, the corresponding heat generated will increase, which will cause the temperature of the battery, CPU, etc. to increase, and the temperature increase will further increase the power consumption of the battery, CPU, etc. High power consumption and excessive temperature are one of the main reasons for the performance degradation and damage of functional components in electronic devices. Based on this, in this embodiment, it can be determined whether the electronic device has an abnormal device status mainly by monitoring the temperature information of the electronic device. Therefore, in a specific achievable technical solution, the above 101 "monitoring the device status of the electronic device" may include:

[0048] 1011. Obtain temperature information of the electronic device.

[0049] In specific implementation, the temperature information of the electronic device can be actively obtained through a temperature sensor, and / or the temperature information of the electronic device can also be obtained based on received events related to the temperature of the electronic device. Among them, the temperature-related event can be triggered when the temperature of the electronic device is greater than a preset temperature threshold, and the temperature information of the electronic temperature includes but is not limited to the temperature of functional components such as the battery, CPU, GPU, and power adapter.

[0050] For example, see Figure 2 , taking the electronic device 100 as a laptop computer as an example, the keyboard, indicator lights (such as charging indicator lights, WIFI indicator lights, etc.), battery, cooling fan, power adapter and other functional components of the laptop computer are all connected to the EC and controlled by the EC. EC is also connected to some sensors to monitor the operation information of the corresponding functional components through sensors, for example, the temperature of the battery, power adapter, etc. is monitored through a temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor can be a thermistor. In addition, EC also communicates with the functional components such as CPU and GPU integrated on the SOC through communication buses such as eSPI (Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface) and PECI (Platform Environment Control Interface), so that the temperature of the functional components such as CPU, GPU, and graphics card on the SOC can be monitored through the communication bus. For example, taking the CPU as an example, the CPU usually has a temperature sensor, and the CPU temperature read by the temperature sensor on the CPU can be transmitted to the EC through PECI; or, when the CPU detects that its own temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold through the temperature sensor on itself, it can trigger a CPU temperature-related event to be sent to the EC through the corresponding communication bus, and the EC can determine the CPU temperature by parsing the received CPU temperature-related event.

[0051] Alternatively, the temperature of the battery, CPU, etc. described in the above examples may also be obtained by the EC based on the temperature-related events sent by the operating system for the battery, CPU, etc. This embodiment does not specifically limit the way in which the EC obtains the temperature of the battery, CPU, etc.

[0052] And accordingly, the “monitoring abnormal device status” in the above 102 may include:

[0053] When the temperature information exceeds a preset temperature threshold, it is determined that an abnormal device state of the electronic device is monitored.

[0054] For example, if it is determined that the temperature of at least one of the battery, CPU and other functional components exceeds a preset temperature threshold based on the acquired temperatures of the battery, CPU and other functional components, it can be determined that an abnormal device state of the electronic device is monitored.

[0055] In the above, the preset temperature threshold is flexibly set according to the actual situation and is not specifically limited here. When a temperature-related event of an electronic device is received, since the temperature-related event is often triggered when the corresponding temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold, it can be directly determined that the temperature information of the electronic device exceeds the preset temperature threshold.

[0056] Furthermore, when an abnormal device state is detected, it is possible to detect whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is in an active state, thereby determining whether the abnormal state of the electronic device is caused by an abnormality in the driving module, so that if it is determined that the abnormality is caused by the abnormality in the determination module, the power consumption control of the electronic device can be started. The relevant driving module has been described in detail above and will not be described in detail here.

[0057] That is, in one possible implementation, the step of “determining whether the driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal” in the above 102 may specifically include:

[0058] 1021. Detect the module state of the driving module;

[0059] 1022. When the module state is active, determine that the driving module is normal;

[0060] 1023. When the module state is an inactive state, it is determined that the driving module is abnormal.

[0061] In specific implementation, since the driver module is located on the operating system, the module state of the driver module can be periodically detected by the detection module in the electronic device that acts as a bridge between the EC and the operating system, so as to determine whether the final module state of the driver module is an active state or an inactive state according to the detection status returned by the detection module within a certain period of time. Based on this, a specific implementable solution of the above 1021 "monitoring the module state of the driver module" can be implemented by the following steps:

[0062] 10211. Periodically notify a detection module in the electronic device that it is necessary to send detection information to the driving module at intervals of a first duration, so as to detect a module state of the driving module;

[0063] 10212, start timing;

[0064] 10213. Determine the module state of the driving module according to the detection response returned by the detection module before the timing duration reaches a second duration; wherein the second duration is greater than the first duration.

[0065] In the above 10211, see Figure 3a to Figure 3c The detection module may be a basic input / output system in the electronic device 100. The basic input / output system may be a BIOS. Of course, the basic input / output system may also be other types, such as a PMON (Prom Monitor) similar to a BIOS.

[0066] Furthermore, the first duration and the second duration in step 1023 can be flexibly set according to actual conditions. For example, according to the response time acceptable to most users, the first duration can be set to 1 to 4 seconds, and the second duration can be set to no more than 20 seconds.

[0067] In the above 10212, timing can be achieved by starting a timer on the EC.

[0068] The following is an example for steps 10211 to 10213 above.

[0069] Figure 4b A schematic diagram of a specific implementation process of the above steps 10211 to 10213 is shown in Figure 3b Based on the combination Figure 3a to Figure 3c Taking the detection module as BIOS as an example, a specific implementation process of steps 10211 to 10213 may be as follows:

[0070] EC can call the interrupt event function Q_event in BIOS once every first time interval, such as 2s, to send an interrupt notification to BIOS, thereby notifying BIOS that it needs to send a detection message to the driver module. Accordingly, after receiving the interrupt notification, BIOS will suspend the execution of the current program and process the interrupt notification. Specifically, the interrupt notification is processed as follows: calling the notification-related operation function stored in itself, such as the Notify function, to send a detection message to the driver module. If the driver module is normal, after receiving the detection information, it will call the method function Method in BIOS, more specifically, it will call IMOK in the method function Method to make a detection response to the received detection information, and transmit the detection response to EC through BIOS; otherwise, if the driver module is abnormal, it will not receive the detection information, let alone make a detection response. For EC, when it receives a detection response before the timing duration reaches the second duration, such as 10s, it will stop periodically calling the interrupt event function Q_event to send an interrupt notification to the BIOS, and directly determine that the module state of the driver module is active, and will not start the power consumption control of the electronic device; if no detection response is received when the timing duration reaches the second duration, the module state of the monitoring module is determined to be inactive, and the power consumption control of the electronic device will be started.

[0071] Based on the above example, in a specific achievable technical solution, the above 10213 "determining the module state of the driving module according to the detection response returned by the detection module before the timing duration reaches the second duration" can be implemented by the following steps:

[0072] Before the timer reaches the second duration:

[0073] S1. When receiving a detection response returned by the detection module, determining that the driving module is in an active state, and stopping periodically notifying the detection module that it is necessary to send detection information to the driving module;

[0074] S2: If no detection response is received from the detection module, it is determined that the driving module is in an inactive state.

[0075] The above-mentioned driver module is in an inactive state, which may be caused by the driver module being uninstalled or disabled, an error in the driver module program, or an operating system abnormality (such as a crash).

[0076] The above mainly describes an implementation scheme of the above step 10213 from the perspective of directly determining that the drive module is in an active state and stopping periodically notifying the detection module of the need to send detection information to the drive module once a detection response is received within the second time period. Of course, other methods can also be used to implement the above step 10213. For example, the drive module can be periodically detected by the detection module within the second time period, so as to finally determine the module state of the drive module by analyzing all the detection responses received within the second time period. Based on this, in another specific achievable technical scheme, the above 10213 "determine the module state of the drive module according to the detection response returned by the detection module before the timing duration reaches the second time period" can be implemented by the following steps:

[0077] S1', determining the number of detection responses returned by the detection module within the second time period;

[0078] S2', determining the continuous detection cycle in which the driving module responds to the detection information according to the response parameters contained in the received detection response; wherein the response parameters can characterize the corresponding detection cycle;

[0079] S3', determining the module state of the driving module according to at least one of the number of times and the continuous detection cycle;

[0080] The module state of the driving module being in an active state includes at least one of the following: the number of times is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and the number of continuous detection cycles is greater than or equal to a second threshold. The module state of the driving module being in an inactive state includes: the number of times is less than a first threshold, and the number of continuous detection cycles is less than a second threshold.

[0081] In specific implementation, the first threshold and the second threshold are flexibly set according to the actual situation, but neither exceeds the total detection cycle, wherein the total detection cycle is equal to the second duration divided by the first duration. Since the detection response contains response parameters that can characterize the corresponding detection cycle, for this reason, if the EC receives a detection response, it can determine the detection cycle corresponding to the detection response based on the response parameters contained in the detection response, thereby marking the response status corresponding to the detection cycle. For example, if a detection response returned by the detection module is received within a detection cycle, the response status corresponding to the detection cycle can be marked as responded, which also indicates that the driving module status corresponding to the detection cycle is an active state; conversely, if a detection response returned by the detection module is not received within a detection cycle, the response status corresponding to the detection cycle can be marked as unresponsive, which also indicates that the driving module status corresponding to the detection cycle is an inactive state.

[0082] Taking Table 1 below as an example, the following contents can be obtained by periodically detecting the drive module (the total detection cycle is 5):

[0083] Table 1

[0084]

[0085] Based on the content in Table 1, assuming that the first threshold is 2 and the second threshold is 3, then: the number of times the detection module returns a detection response is 4 (greater than the first threshold, i.e., 2), and the driving module responds to the received detection information in the 3rd to 5th detection cycles, that is, the number of consecutive detection cycles in which the driving module responds to the detection information is 3 (equal to the second threshold, i.e., 3), so it can be finally determined that the module state of the driving module is active.

[0086] The module state of the driving module is determined by the above steps S1 ′ to S3 ′. Compared with the above steps S1 to S2 , the accuracy of module state determination can be improved to a certain extent.

[0087] For example, the following situation may occur: in the first detection cycle, the driver module is normal and can respond to the received detection information; but afterwards, due to a sudden operating system crash, the driver module is uninstalled or disabled, or the driver module program is abnormal, the detection response cannot be received in the subsequent detection cycles. In the above case, if the module state of the driver module is determined by the above steps S1 to S2, the driver module will be directly determined to be in an active state due to the detection response returned by the detection module in the first detection cycle, and it is considered that the drive mode is performing power consumption control, thereby stopping the detection of the driver module. However, in fact, the driver module is abnormal after the first detection cycle and cannot perform power consumption control. In the above case, if the module state of the driver module is determined by the above steps S1' to S3', by analyzing the detection response status received in all detection cycles, it can be finally determined that the driver module is in an inactive state, abnormal, and cannot perform power consumption control, so that the EC can immediately start the power consumption control function.

[0088] Specifically, when the EC determines that the driving module is abnormal, it can adjust the operation information of the first functional component controlled by it according to its own built-in policy (EC Policy), and more specifically, according to its own built-in power consumption control strategy, and can also notify the SOC to configure the working parameters of the second functional component on it. Therefore, in an implementable solution, the above 103 "when the driving module is abnormal, the power consumption of the electronic device is controlled" can specifically include:

[0089] 1031. When the driving module is abnormal, a preset power consumption control strategy is started;

[0090] 1032. According to the power consumption control strategy, adjust the operation information of the first functional component in the electronic device that is controlled by the embedded controller, and notify the system-level chip in the electronic device to perform corresponding working parameter configuration for the second functional component thereon.

[0091] In specific implementation, the above power consumption control strategy includes active strategy and passive strategy. Among them, the active strategy can be adopted for the first functional component controlled by EC to achieve cooling to achieve the purpose of power consumption control; the passive strategy can be adopted for the second functional component on the system-level chip to reduce the power consumption of the second functional component to achieve cooling, thereby achieving the purpose of power consumption control. The first functional component can be but not limited to a fan, battery, etc. connected to the EC, and the second functional component can be but not limited to a CPU, GPU, etc. integrated on the system-level chip SOC. In addition, the EC can send an interrupt notification to the SOC by calling the Q_event function in the BIOS to notify the SOC to perform corresponding working parameter configuration for the second functional component thereon; and accordingly, the SOC can call the Method function in the BIOS to respond to the received interrupt notification to complete the working parameter configuration of the second functional component thereon, and can also feedback the configuration result to the EC.

[0092] The following are a few examples to illustrate how EC controls the power consumption of electronic devices.

[0093] For example, taking the adjustment of the fan's operating information as an example, a fan control table (ACPI table) is usually maintained in the EC, in which different fan speeds are set according to different CPU, battery, etc. temperatures. The EC can read the target fan speed corresponding to the CPU, battery, etc. temperature from the fan control table, and generate a corresponding PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal according to the target fan speed, and send the PWM signal to the fan through the fan control circuit integrated on it to adjust the fan speed to the target fan speed, thereby achieving heat dissipation and lowering the temperature.

[0094] For another example, the EC can send an interrupt notification to the SOC through the PECI bus to notify the SOC to configure the working parameters of the CPU, GPU, etc. on it, so that the CPU, GPU, etc. work within the limited parameter range, thereby realizing the power consumption control of the CPU, GPU, etc. For example, in response to the interrupt notification, the SOC temporarily stops the execution of the current program and executes the relevant program that sends the corresponding working parameter configuration information of the CPU to the CPU. More specifically, the relevant program that can execute the call to the Method function in the BIOS can be used to send the working parameter configuration information to the CPU through the Method function; the CPU completes the parameter configuration according to the received working parameter configuration information, thereby limiting the working parameters of the CPU to a lower range to achieve the purpose of reducing the power consumption of the CPU. The working parameters include but are not limited to power Power Limit (power limit value), voltage, operating frequency, etc. Alternatively, the EC can also control the power consumption of the CPU by controlling the CPU to perform Throttling (throttling) action. Specifically, the EC can pull down the ProcHot# signal to make the CPU start to perform Throttling action, wait for the CPU temperature to return to the set value, and then restore the ProcHot# signal. The above-mentioned Throttling means: in a fixed cycle, only one action is executed. If a new event is triggered, it will not be executed; after the cycle ends, if another event is triggered in the beginning of a new cycle, it will be executed. The above-mentioned ProcHot# is pulled out through a pin of the CPU and can be connected to the CPU peripherals (such as EC), and the peripherals send this ProcHot# signal.

[0095] The technical solution provided by this embodiment is that the embedded controller EC in the electronic device, when detecting the abnormal device state of the electronic device, will further determine whether the driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal, and start to control the power consumption of the electronic device when the driving module is abnormal. It can be seen that the adoption of this solution can control the power consumption of the electronic device through the EC connection even if the driving module for power consumption management at the operating system level is abnormal, so as to avoid the performance degradation of the electronic device and damage to components such as the battery due to excessive power consumption.

[0096] Furthermore, in order to enable the user to perceive that the module for power consumption management is abnormal, the power consumption of the current electronic device is switched to EC for control, and a prompt message can be output through the electronic device to prompt this. That is, the method provided in this embodiment can also include the following steps:

[0097] 104. Output prompt information to prompt that the drive module has abnormally switched to the embedded controller for power consumption control.

[0098] In a specific implementation, the above prompt information may be a prompt voice played through an audio module of the electronic device, and / or may be a text, graphic, or a combination of prompts displayed through a display module (such as a display screen) of the electronic device.

[0099] For example, see Figure 5 , a pop-up box A is displayed on the display screen of the electronic device 100, and the following text prompt is displayed on the pop-up box A: The power consumption management driver module is abnormal, so switch to EC control, please check the cause of the abnormality. After the user sees the text prompt, if the operating system is in normal operation, the user can search for items related to the driver module through the control panel of the electronic device to check whether the driver module is disabled or uninstalled; if it is not disabled or uninstalled, it can be further checked whether the driver module is abnormal due to other reasons, such as whether the program of the driver module is wrong. Subsequently, if it is detected that the driver module has returned to normal, the EC can stop power consumption control and transfer the control of power consumption to the driver module.

[0100] Furthermore, the method provided in this embodiment may also include the following steps:

[0101] 105. Display power consumption information of the electronic device through a display module of the electronic device.

[0102] For example, see Figure 6 In the left figure in FIG. 1 , after detecting that the user has triggered an operation on the “performance” control in the task manager of the electronic device 100, in response to the operation, power consumption information of the electronic device such as CPU, memory, etc. is displayed on the interface B of the task manager. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in the right figure in FIG. 1 , according to user settings, power consumption information such as CPU and memory can be automatically and dynamically displayed in turn on the task bar C of the electronic device 100.

[0103] In summary, the technical solution provided by the present application utilizes EC to achieve power consumption management of electronic devices even when the driver module used for power consumption management on the operating system is abnormal.

[0104] See also Figure 4a and Figure 4b The specific process of the present application scheme using EC to control the power consumption of electronic equipment is as follows:

[0105] 1. The EC monitors the temperature of the electronic device through a temperature sensor and / or monitors the temperature of the electronic device based on the received temperature-related events;

[0106] 2. When the temperature exceeds the preset temperature threshold, the EC will send an interrupt notification to the BIOS at a certain interval, requesting the BIOS to detect whether the driver module for power management (such as self-developed driver or Intel DTT) is active and start timing;

[0107] 3. After receiving the interrupt notification, the BIOS will send Notify (for detection information) to the driver module to determine whether the driver module makes a corresponding detection response to the detection information;

[0108] 4. If the driver module calls the IMOK function in the BIOS to make a detection response, the BIOS will transmit the detection response made by the driver module to the EC when IMOK is called. Specifically, the response parameter (IMOK parameter) in the detection response is transmitted to the EC, and the response parameter can represent the corresponding detection cycle.

[0109] 5. If the EC receives a detection response within the set time (i.e. before the timing reaches the set time), it directly determines that the driver module is normal and no longer sends an interrupt notification to the BIOS. If the EC does not receive a detection response within the set time, it starts to control the power consumption of the electronic device (such as adjusting the speed of the fan) and notifies the SOC to make some relevant configurations for the CPU on it, such as the EC can directly configure the CPU Power Limit through the PECI bus.

[0110] Based on the above content, another embodiment of the present application provides a power consumption control method suitable for an embedded controller in an electronic device. Figure 7 As shown, the power consumption control method includes the following steps:

[0111] 201. When an abnormal temperature state of the electronic device is monitored, determine whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal;

[0112] 202. When the driving module is abnormal, power consumption of the electronic device is controlled;

[0113] 203. Output prompt information to prompt that the drive module has abnormally switched to the embedded controller for power consumption control.

[0114] Furthermore, the method provided in this embodiment may also include the following steps:

[0115] 204. Display the power consumption information of the electronic device through a display module of the electronic device.

[0116] For the specific implementation description of each step in the method provided in the above embodiment, please refer to the relevant content in other embodiments above, and no further details will be given here. In addition, in addition to the steps given above, the method provided in this embodiment may also include other steps. For the other steps that may be included and the specific implementation description, please refer to the relevant content in other embodiments above.

[0117] The following is an introduction to this application scheme in conjunction with a specific application scenario. Specifically:

[0118] Application scenario: laptop. The laptop's operating system originally had a self-developed driver (for power consumption management) installed, but the self-developed driver was uninstalled (or disabled) due to user error. In addition, the laptop also has EC, SOC (with integrated CPU), BIOS, sensors (such as temperature sensors), etc.

[0119] Combination Figure 3b~3c as well as Figure 4a During the operation of the laptop, the EC in it monitors the temperature of the battery, power supply, CPU, etc. in real time through the temperature sensor, and detects that the temperature of the battery exceeds the preset temperature threshold at time t0. At this time, the EC will call the Q_event function in the BIOS of the laptop every 2s (seconds) from time t0 to periodically send interrupt notifications to the BIOS, thereby notifying the BIOS that it needs to detect whether the self-developed driver is in an active state. After receiving the interrupt notification, the BIOS sends a Notify (detection information) to the self-developed driver. However, since the self-developed driver is uninstalled, it cannot respond to the Notify. For this reason, the EC will not receive a response from the self-developed driver through the BIOS within a set time length such as 10s. Therefore, from time t0+10s, the EC will begin to control the power consumption of the laptop, such as dynamically adjusting the fan speed and controlling the CPU power limit through the PECI bus.

[0120] Another embodiment of the present application provides an embedded controller. The embedded controller includes: a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store computer programs and can be configured to store various other data to support operations on electronic devices. Examples of these data include instructions for any application or method for operating on electronic devices. The memory can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as a static random access memory (SRAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic memory, a flash memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0121] The processor is coupled to the memory and is used to execute the computer program in the memory to implement the steps or functions in the power consumption control method provided in other embodiments of the present application.

[0122] In addition to the above, the embedded controller may also include other components, such as sensors, etc., wherein the sensors may specifically include but are not limited to temperature sensors, and the temperature sensors may be thermistors. The above only describes some components on the embedded controller, and does not mean that the embedded controller only integrates the above components.

[0123] The embedded controller described above can be deployed in an electronic device. Based on this, the present application also provides an electronic device, which is a computer, such as but not limited to a laptop computer. Figure 8 The electronic device hardware architecture diagram shown in FIG. 1 includes a driver module 14 for power consumption management and an embedded controller 11 provided in the above embodiment of the present application. For detailed description of the driver module and the embedded controller, please refer to the relevant contents in other embodiments above.

[0124] Furthermore, the electronic device also includes other components, such as a system-level chip 12, a basic input and output system 13, a communication module 15, a motor 16, an indicator 17, a sensor module 18, an audio module 19, a display screen 20, a camera 21, a button 22, an internal memory 23, an external interface 24, a charging management module 25, a power management module 26, a battery 27, etc. Figure 7 Only some components of the electronic device are shown schematically, and it does not mean that the electronic device only includes Figure 7 Components shown.

[0125] For detailed description of the system-on-chip 12 and the basic input-output system 13 , please refer to the relevant contents in other embodiments above.

[0126] The above-mentioned communication module 15 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device where the communication module is located and other devices. The device where the communication module is located can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G, 3G, 4G / LTE, 5G and other mobile communication networks, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication module receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication module also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology and other technologies.

[0127] The motor 16 can generate vibration prompts, such as touch vibration feedback.

[0128] The indicator 17 may be an indicator light, which may be used to indicate the charging status, power changes, messages, notifications, etc.

[0129] The sensor module 18 may include a pressure sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a temperature sensor, a touch sensor, an ambient light sensor, etc.

[0130] The pressure sensor is used to sense pressure signals and can convert pressure signals into electrical signals. For example, it can be a resistive pressure sensor, an inductive pressure sensor, a capacitive pressure sensor, etc.

[0131] The fingerprint sensor 180H is used to collect fingerprints. The electronic device 100 can use the collected fingerprint characteristics to implement fingerprint unlocking and the like.

[0132] The temperature sensor is used to detect temperature. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 uses the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to execute a temperature processing strategy. For example, when the temperature reported by the temperature sensor exceeds a threshold, the electronic device 100 reduces the performance of a processor located near the temperature sensor to reduce power consumption and implement thermal protection. In other embodiments, when the temperature is lower than another threshold, the electronic device 100 heats the battery 27 to avoid abnormal shutdown of the electronic device 100 due to low temperature. In other embodiments, when the temperature is lower than another threshold, the electronic device 100 boosts the output voltage of the battery 27 to avoid abnormal shutdown caused by low temperature. Touch sensor 180K, also known as "touch device".

[0133] The touch sensor is used to detect touch operations and pass them to the processor to determine the type of touch event.

[0134] The ambient light sensor is used to sense the brightness of the ambient light. The electronic device 100 can adaptively adjust the brightness of the display screen 20 according to the sensed brightness of the ambient light.

[0135] The audio module 19 is used to convert digital audio information into analog audio signal output, and is also used to convert analog audio input into digital audio signals. The audio module 19 can also be used to encode and decode audio signals. In some embodiments, the audio module 19 can be arranged in the processor, or some functional modules of the audio module 19 can be arranged in the processor.

[0136] The display screen 20 is used to display images, videos, system or application interfaces, etc. The display screen 20 includes a display panel, and the display panel can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), etc. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 may include 1 or N display screens 20, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0137] The camera 21 is used to capture static images or videos.

[0138] The above-mentioned key 22 includes a power button, a keyboard, etc. The key 22 can be a mechanical key or a touch key. The electronic device 100 can receive key input and generate key signal input related to user settings and function control of the electronic device 100.

[0139] The above-mentioned internal memory 23 can be used to store computer executable program codes, and the executable program codes include instructions. The internal memory 23 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. Among them, the program storage area may store an operating system, an application required for at least one function (such as a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), etc. The data storage area may store data created during the use of the electronic device 100 (such as audio data, a phone book, etc.), etc. In addition, the internal memory 23 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, a universal flash storage (UFS), etc. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing of the electronic device 100 by running instructions stored in the internal memory 23, and / or instructions stored in a memory provided in the processor.

[0140] The external interface 24 may include a power interface, a USB interface, a headphone interface, and the like.

[0141] The charging management module 25 is used to receive charging input from a charger. The charger may be a wireless charger or a wired charger. In some wired charging embodiments, the charging management module 25 may receive charging input from a wired charger through an external power interface. In some wireless charging embodiments, the charging management module 25 may receive wireless charging input through a wireless charging coil of the electronic device 100. While the charging management module 25 is charging the battery 27, it may also power the electronic device through the power management module 26.

[0142] The power management module 26 is used to connect the battery 27, the charging management module 25 and the processor. The power management module 26 receives input from the battery 27 and / or the charging management module 25, and supplies power to the processor, internal memory, display screen, camera, and communication module. The power management module 26 can also be used to monitor parameters such as battery capacity, battery cycle number, battery health status (leakage, impedance), etc. In some other embodiments, the power management module 26 can also be set in the processor. In other embodiments, the power management module 26 and the charging management module 25 can also be set in the same device.

[0143] The fan 28 is used for heat dissipation.

[0144] The above mainly describes the hardware structure of the electronic device. From the perspective of the software layered architecture of the electronic device, the present application also provides an electronic device. It can be understood that the layered architecture divides the software into several layers, each layer has a clear role and division of labor, and the layers communicate with each other through software interfaces. Specifically,

[0145] In a specific implementation, as shown in Figure 3b A software structure diagram of an electronic device shown in FIG. 1 , the electronic device comprises: a system layer, a firmware layer and a hardware layer; wherein,

[0146] The system layer may include an operating system OS, which has a driver module for power consumption management;

[0147] The firmware layer is located between the system layer and the hardware layer. It is the bridge for communication between the hardware layer and the system layer. It includes the basic input and output system BIOS.

[0148] The hardware layer includes: a system-on-chip SOC, an embedded controller EC, etc., wherein the embedded controller EC is used to implement the steps in the power consumption control method provided in each embodiment of the present application.

[0149] In another specific implementation, as shown in Figure 3a A software structure diagram of an electronic device shown in FIG. 1 , the electronic device includes: a driving module, a status monitoring module and an embedded controller; wherein,

[0150] The driving module is used to control the power consumption of the electronic device;

[0151] The state monitoring module is used to monitor the device state of the electronic device; wherein the device state can reflect the power consumption of the electronic device;

[0152] The embedded controller is in communication with the status monitoring module, and is used to determine whether the driving module is abnormal when the status monitoring module detects an abnormal device state of the electronic device, and to control the power consumption of the electronic device when the driving module is abnormal.

[0153] Furthermore, the electronic device also includes: a detection module, which communicates with the embedded controller and the driving module; and when the embedded controller is used to determine whether the driving module is abnormal, it is specifically used to: periodically notify the detection module that it is necessary to send detection information to the driving module to detect the module state of the driving module; determine the module state of the driving module according to the detection response returned by the detection module within a set time period; if the module state is an active state, determine that the driving module is normal; if the module state is an inactive state, determine that the driving module is abnormal.

[0154] The electronic device described above is a computer device, such as a laptop computer. For the specific implementation of the functions of each module in the electronic device described above, please refer to the relevant contents provided in other embodiments of the above application.

[0155] The embedded controller provided in the above embodiment of the present application, when deployed in an electronic device, can be implemented by being set on a mainboard of the electronic device. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application also provides a mainboard, which is applied to the electronic device. The mainboard includes: a mainboard body and the embedded controller provided in the above embodiment of the present application, and the embedded controller is set on the mainboard body.

[0156] And accordingly, the present application also provides an electronic device, which includes the mainboard provided by the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application.

[0157] The electronic device may be a computer, such as a laptop computer. In view of this situation, the present application also provides a computer device. The computer device includes: a driving module, a state monitoring module and an embedded controller; wherein:

[0158] The driving module is used to control the power consumption of the computer device;

[0159] The state monitoring module is used to monitor the device state of the computer device; wherein the device state can reflect the power consumption of the computer device;

[0160] The embedded controller is in communication with the status monitoring module, and is used to determine whether the driving module is abnormal when the abnormal device state of the computer device is detected by the status monitoring module, and to control the power consumption of the computer device when the driving module is abnormal.

[0161] Furthermore, the computer device also includes: a detection module, which communicates with the embedded controller and the driver module; and when the embedded controller is used to determine whether the driver module is abnormal, it is specifically used to: periodically notify the detection module that it needs to send detection information to the driver module to detect the module status of the driver module; determine the module status of the driver module according to the detection response returned by the detection module within a set time period; if the module status is an active state, determine that the driver module is normal; if the module status is an inactive state, determine that the driver module is abnormal.

[0162] For the specific implementation description of the functions of each module / controller in the computer device, please refer to the relevant content in other embodiments of the present application, and no further details will be given here.

[0163] In addition, another embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, each step in the above method embodiment can be implemented.

[0164] Furthermore, another embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, the processor is enabled to implement the steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments provided in the present application.

[0165] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products, etc. Therefore, the present application may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media that include computer-usable program code. Computer-usable storage media include, but are not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.

[0166] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0167] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0168] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0169] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0170] The memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. The memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0171] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer readable media does not include temporary computer readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0172] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0173] The above is only an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A power consumption control method, characterized in that: Applicable to an embedded controller in an electronic device, the method comprises: Monitoring the device status of the electronic device; wherein the device status can reflect the power consumption of the electronic device; When an abnormal device state is detected, determining whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal; When the driving module is abnormal, power consumption of the electronic device is controlled.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal includes: Detecting the module state of the driving module; When the module state is in an active state, determining that the driving module is normal; When the module state is an inactive state, it is determined that the driving module is abnormal.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Detecting the module state of the driving module includes: At intervals of a first duration, periodically notifying a detection module in the electronic device that it is necessary to send detection information to the driving module, so as to detect a module state of the driving module; Start the timer; The module state of the driving module is determined according to a detection response returned by the detection module before the timing duration reaches a second duration; the second duration is greater than the first duration.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Determining the module state of the driving module according to the detection response returned by the detection module before the timing duration reaches the second duration includes: Before the timer reaches the second duration: When receiving a detection response returned by the detection module, determining that the driving module is in an active state, and stopping periodically notifying the detection module that it is necessary to send detection information to the driving module; If no detection response is received from the detection module, it is determined that the driving module is in an inactive state.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Determining the module state of the driving module according to the detection response returned by the detection module before the timing duration reaches the second duration includes: Determine the number of detection responses returned by the detection module received within the second time period; Determine, according to the response parameters contained in the received detection response, a continuous detection cycle in which the driving module responds to the detection information; wherein the response parameters can characterize the corresponding detection cycle; Determine the module state of the driving module according to at least one of the number of times and the continuous detection cycle; The module state of the driving module being an active state includes at least one of the following: the number of times is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and the number of continuous detection cycles is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that When the driving module is abnormal, power consumption of the electronic device is controlled, including: When the driving module is abnormal, a preset power consumption control strategy is started; According to the power consumption control strategy, the operation information of the first functional component in the electronic device controlled by the embedded controller is adjusted, and the system-level chip in the electronic device is notified to configure the corresponding working parameters for the second functional component thereon.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that Monitoring the device status of the electronic device includes: Acquiring temperature information of the electronic device; And, abnormal equipment status is detected, including: When the temperature information exceeds a preset temperature threshold, it is determined that an abnormal device state of the electronic device is monitored.

8. A power consumption control method, characterized in that: Applicable to an embedded controller in an electronic device, the method comprises: When an abnormal temperature state of the electronic device is detected, determining whether a driving module for power consumption management in the electronic device is abnormal; When the driving module is abnormal, power consumption of the electronic device is controlled; Output prompt information to prompt that the drive module has abnormally switched to the embedded controller for power consumption control.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Also includes: The power consumption information of the electronic device is displayed through the display module of the electronic device.

10. An embedded controller, characterized in that: include: A memory and a processor, wherein The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is coupled to the memory and is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to implement the steps in the power consumption control method described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or to implement the steps in the power consumption control method described in claim 8 or 9.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A driving module for power consumption management and the embedded controller as claimed in claim 10.

12. A computer device, characterized in that: include: Drive module, status monitoring module and embedded controller; among which, The driving module is used to control the power consumption of the computer device; The state monitoring module is used to monitor the device state of the computer device; wherein the device state can reflect the power consumption of the computer device; The embedded controller is in communication with the status monitoring module, and is used to determine whether the driving module is abnormal when the abnormal device state of the computer device is detected by the status monitoring module, and to control the power consumption of the computer device when the driving module is abnormal.

13. The computer device according to claim 12, characterized in that Also includes: A detection module, communicating with the embedded controller and the driving module; Furthermore, when the embedded controller is used to determine whether the driving module is abnormal, it is specifically used to: Periodically notifying the detection module that it is necessary to send detection information to the driving module to detect the module state of the driving module; Determine the module state of the driving module according to the detection response returned by the detection module within a set time period; If the module state is active, it is determined that the driving module is normal; If the module state is an inactive state, it is determined that the driving module is abnormal.

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