Information processing apparatus and control method

Abstract

The invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a control method. The information processing apparatus includes: a plurality of components; a power supply circuit unit capable of switching between supply and stop of operating power to the plurality of modules; a first component which is directly supplied with the operating power from the power supply circuit unit in relation to the supply of power to the outside among the plurality of components; a second component irrespective of the supply of power to the outside; a switch unit that is connected between the power supply circuit unit and the second component and that can switch between the supply and stop of the operating power supplied from the power supply circuit unit to the second component; and a sub-control unit capable of operating in a state in which power supply to the main control unit is stopped, the sub-control unit performing control for switching between supply and stop of the operating power by the power supply circuit unit using a first control signal, control for switching between supply and stop of the operating power by the switch unit is performed by a second control signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and a control method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in information processing devices such as notebook personal computers (notebook PCs), power saving has been required from the viewpoint of ESG (Environment, Society, Governance).

[0003] In addition, conventional information processing devices include an embedded controller (EC) which is an embedded sub-controller different from the main control unit, and use the EC to control multiple power circuits to implement a power-off mode such as shutdown (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-109829

[0005] However, in conventional information processing devices, it is difficult to cope with further power saving by applying EnergyStar, which is widely known as an ESG energy efficiency method, for example. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device and a control method capable of saving power.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device, comprising: a plurality of components; a power supply circuit unit capable of switching the supply and stop of action power for the plurality of components; a first component, among the plurality of components, related to the supply of power between the outside and being directly supplied with the action power from the power supply circuit unit; a second component, among the plurality of components, unrelated to the supply of power between the outside and the above-mentioned; a switch unit connected between the power supply circuit unit and the second component, capable of switching the supply and stop of the action power supplied from the power supply circuit unit to the second component; and a sub-control unit capable of operating in a state where the power supply to the main control unit is stopped, the main control unit executing information processing based on the OS, wherein the OS is an operating system, and the sub-control unit executes control of switching the supply and stop of the action power based on the power supply circuit unit through a first control signal, and executes control of switching the supply and stop of the action power based on the switch unit through a second control signal.

[0008] In addition, one method of the present invention can also be configured as follows: in the above-mentioned information processing device, in a second shutdown state in which power consumption is lower than that in the first shutdown state, the above-mentioned sub-control unit stops supplying power to the above-mentioned main control unit, and supplies the above-mentioned action power based on the above-mentioned power supply circuit unit to the above-mentioned first component through the above-mentioned first control signal, and stops supplying the above-mentioned action power based on the above-mentioned switch unit to the above-mentioned second component through the above-mentioned second control signal, wherein the above-mentioned first shutdown state is a normal shutdown state.

[0009] In addition, one method of the present invention can also be configured as follows: in the above-mentioned information processing device, in the above-mentioned first shutdown state, the above-mentioned sub-control unit stops supplying power to the above-mentioned main control unit, and supplies the above-mentioned action power based on the above-mentioned power supply circuit unit to the above-mentioned first component through the above-mentioned first control signal, and supplies the above-mentioned action power based on the above-mentioned switch unit to the above-mentioned second component through the above-mentioned second control signal.

[0010] In addition, one method of the present invention can also be configured as follows: in the above-mentioned information processing device, when transferring to the shutdown state, when a recovery event from the above-mentioned shutdown state is set, the above-mentioned sub-control unit executes control of transferring to the above-mentioned first shutdown state, and when the above-mentioned recovery event is not set, executes control of transferring to the above-mentioned second shutdown state.

[0011] In addition, one method of the present invention can also be configured as follows: in the above-mentioned information processing device, there is a status information storage unit, which stores status information indicating which shutdown state of the above-mentioned first shutdown state and the above-mentioned second shutdown state is to be executed, the above-mentioned main control unit determines whether the above-mentioned recovery event is set according to a request for transfer to the shutdown state, and based on the determination result, the above-mentioned status information storage unit stores the above-mentioned status information, and the above-mentioned sub-control unit executes control of transferring to any one of the above-mentioned first shutdown state and the above-mentioned second shutdown state based on the above-mentioned status information stored in the above-mentioned status information storage unit.

[0012] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention may be configured such that, in the information processing device, the first component includes a component for operating a USB, wherein the USB is a universal serial bus.

[0013] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is a control method, which is a control method for an information processing device, and the information processing device includes: multiple components; a power supply circuit unit, which can switch the supply and stop of action power for the above-mentioned multiple components; a first component, which is related to the supply of power between the above-mentioned multiple components and is directly supplied with the above-mentioned action power from the above-mentioned power circuit unit; a second component, which is unrelated to the supply of power between the above-mentioned multiple components and is not related to the supply of power between the above-mentioned external part; a switch unit, which is connected between the above-mentioned power supply circuit unit and the above-mentioned second component, and can switch the supply and stop of the above-mentioned action power supplied from the above-mentioned power supply circuit unit to the above-mentioned second component; and a sub-control unit, which can operate in a state where the power supply to the main control unit is stopped, and the above-mentioned main control unit performs information processing based on OS, wherein OS is an operating system, and the above-mentioned sub-control unit executes control of switching the supply and stop of the above-mentioned action power based on the above-mentioned power circuit unit through a first control signal, and executes control of switching the supply and stop of the above-mentioned action power based on the above-mentioned switch unit through a second control signal.

[0014] According to the above aspect of the present invention, power saving can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a main hardware configuration of a notebook PC according to the present embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing a detailed example of a power supply unit of the notebook PC according to the present embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the state of the control signal when the notebook PC according to the present embodiment is in the shutdown state.

[0018] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the status of components in the shutdown state of the notebook PC according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of additional functions in the shutdown state of the notebook PC according to the present embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the notebook PC according to the present embodiment.

[0021] Description of Reference Numerals

[0022] 1…notebook PC; 10…main control unit; 11…CPU; 12…main memory; 13…video subsystem; 14…display unit; 21…chip set; 22…BIOS memory; 23…HDD; 24…audio system; 25…WLAN module; 26, 26A, 26B…USB connector; 27…SoC unit; 31…embedded controller (EC); 32…input unit; 33…power supply unit; 40…power supply circuit unit; 50…AC adapter; 61…load switch unit; 62, 63…diode; 64, 65, 66, 67, 403…FET; 71…sensor unit; 72…TPM; 81…USBPD controller; 8 2…USBTYPE-A charging unit; 83…TBTRetimer; 101…OS processing unit; 102…BIOS processing unit; 271…BIOS setup menu information storage unit; 272…ACPI timer; 273…RTC timer; 311…status information storage unit; 401…battery; 402…buck-boost charging unit; 404, 409…LDO; 405…5VDC / DC power supply circuit; 406…3.3VDC / DC power supply circuit; 407…1.8VDC / DC power supply circuit; 408…other DC / DC power supply circuit; 408…other DC / DC power supply circuit; 410…coin cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, an information processing device and a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a main hardware configuration of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the notebook PC 1 (notebook personal computer) includes a CPU 11, a main memory 12, a video subsystem 13, a display unit 14, a chipset 21, a BIOS memory 22, a HDD 23, an audio system 24, a WLAN module 25, a USB connector 26, a SoC unit 27, an embedded controller 31, an input unit 32, and a power supply unit 33. In addition, in this embodiment, the notebook PC 1 is described as an example of an information processing device.

[0026] In addition, in the present embodiment, the CPU 11 and the chipset 21 correspond to the main control unit 10 .

[0027] In addition, in this embodiment, the notebook PC 1 is described as an example of the information processing device.

[0028] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 executes various calculation processes under program control and controls the entire notebook PC 1 .

[0029] The main memory 12 is a writable memory used as a read area for the execution program of the CPU 11 or as a work area for writing processing data of the execution program. The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, a plurality of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips. The execution program includes BIOS (Basic Input Output System), OS (Operating System), various drivers for hardware operations of peripheral devices, various services / utilities, applications, etc.

[0030] The video subsystem 13 is a subsystem for realizing functions related to image display, and includes a video controller that processes rendering commands from the CPU 11, writes the processed rendering information into the video memory, and reads the rendering information from the video memory and outputs it to the display unit 14 as rendering data (display data).

[0031] The display unit 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays a display screen based on the drawing data (display data) output from the video subsystem 13 .

[0032] The chipset 21 has controllers such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), Serial ATA (AT Attachment), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus, PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, PCI-Express bus, and LPC (Low Pin Count) bus, and is connected to multiple devices. Figure 1 In the embodiment, as examples of devices, a BIOS memory 22 , a HDD 23 , an audio system 24 , a WLAN module 25 , a USB connector 26 , and a SoC unit 27 are connected to the chipset 21 .

[0033] The BIOS memory 22 is composed of an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash ROM, and stores BIOS and system firmware for controlling the embedded controller 31 and the like.

[0034] The HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 23 (an example of a nonvolatile storage device) stores the OS, various drivers, various services / utilities, application programs, and various data.

[0035] The audio system 24 is, for example, an audio codec, and performs recording, reproduction, and output of audio data.

[0036] The WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) module 25 connects to a network via a wireless LAN to perform data communication. When receiving data from the network, the WLAN module 25 generates an event trigger indicating data reception, which can be used to wake up (restore) the notebook PC 1 from a closed state.

[0037] The USB connector 26 is a connector for connecting peripheral devices using USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the present embodiment, the notebook PC 1 includes both a Type-A connector and a Type-C connector as the USB connector 26 .

[0038] The SoC (System On a Chip) unit 27 is, for example, an INTEL SoC, and controls the sleep mode of the main control unit 10 and controls a timer (for example, RTC, ACPI, etc.) The SoC unit 27 may be a part of the chipset 21 .

[0039] The embedded controller 31 (an example of a sub-control unit) is a one-chip microcomputer that monitors and controls various devices (components such as peripheral devices and sensors) regardless of the system status of the notebook PC 1. In addition, the embedded controller 31 has a power management function that controls the power supply unit 33. In addition, the embedded controller 31 is composed of a CPU, ROM (flash ROM, etc.), RAM, etc., which are not shown in the figure, and has A / D input terminals, D / A output terminals, timers, and digital input and output terminals of multiple channels. The embedded controller 31 is connected to, for example, an input unit 32, a power supply unit 33, etc. via these input and output terminals, and the embedded controller 31 controls their operations. The embedded controller 31 is an embedded control unit independent of the main control unit 10, and can operate in a state where the power supply to the main control unit 10 is stopped.

[0040] The input unit 32 is, for example, an input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch pad, a power switch (start switch), etc. The input unit 32 can restore from a shutdown state (restart the notebook PC 1) by pressing the power switch (start switch), for example.

[0041] The power supply unit 33 includes, for example, a DC / DC converter, a charging and discharging unit, a battery unit (battery), etc., and supplies power for operating the notebook PC 1. The power supply unit 33 converts a DC voltage supplied from an external AC / DC adapter or a battery unit into a plurality of voltages required for operating the notebook PC 1. In addition, the power supply unit 33 supplies power to each unit of the notebook PC 1 based on control from the embedded controller 31.

[0042] The power supply unit 33 in this embodiment will be described in detail later.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, each device that receives power supply from the power supply unit 33 is defined as a component (constituent element). That is, the notebook PC 1 includes a plurality of components (constituent elements).

[0044] Next, refer to Figure 2 , the power supply unit 33 of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0045] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing a detailed example of the power supply unit 33 of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the notebook PC 1 includes a USB connector 26, components of group G1, components of group G2, a main control unit 10, an embedded controller 31, a power circuit unit 40, a load switch unit 61, diodes (62, 63) and FETs (64, 65, 66, 67).

[0047] The power circuit unit 40 can switch supply and stop of operating power to a plurality of components, converts power supplied from an AC adapter 50 connected to the notebook PC 1 via a USB TYPE-C connector 26A of the USB connector 26 into various voltages, and supplies the power to components corresponding to the various voltages.

[0048] The power circuit unit 40 includes a battery 401 , a buck-boost charging unit 402 , a FET 403 , an LDO ( 404 , 409 ), a 5V DC / DC power circuit 405 , a 3.3V DC / DC power circuit 406 , a 1.8V DC / DC power circuit 407 , other DC / DC power circuits 408 , and a coin cell 410 .

[0049] The battery 401 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery, and charges the power supplied from the AC adapter 50 . For example, when the AC adapter 50 is not connected to the notebook PC 1 , the battery 401 supplies power to each unit of the power supply unit 33 .

[0050] The buck-boost charging section 402 controls the FET 403 to control the charging and discharging of the battery 401. The buck-boost charging section 402 generates charging power for the battery 401 or a device connected to the USB connector 26 when performing fast charging, and supplies it during charging.

[0051] The FET (Field Effect Transistor) 403 switches the charging and discharging of the battery 401 by controlling the buck-boost charging section 402 .

[0052] The LDO 404 is, for example, a Low Dropout regulator, and generates operating power (operating voltage) for the embedded controller 31 based on power supplied from the AC adapter 50 or the battery 401 .

[0053] The 5V DC / DC power supply circuit 405 generates 5V operating power based on power supplied from the AC adapter 50 or the battery 401 .

[0054] The 3.3V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 generates 3.3V operating power based on power supplied from the AC adapter 50 or the battery 401 .

[0055] The 1.8V DC / DC power supply circuit 407 generates 1.8V operating power based on power supplied from the AC adapter 50 or the battery 401 .

[0056] The other DC / DC power supply circuit 408 generates operating power of another voltage system based on the power supplied from the AC adapter 50 or the battery 401 .

[0057] Furthermore, the 5V DC / DC power supply circuit 405 and the 3.3V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 can switch between supplying and stopping the operating power to the components by the control signal S1.

[0058] In addition, the 1.8V DC / DC power supply circuit 407 and the other DC / DC power supply circuit 408 can switch the supply and stop of the operating power to the components by the control signal S1.

[0059] The LDO 409 is, for example, a Low Dropout regulator, and generates operating power (operating voltage) for the RTC timer 273 and the like of the SoC unit 27 based on power supplied from the AC adapter 50 or the battery 401 .

[0060] The coin battery 410 is, for example, a coin-shaped lithium battery, and supplies operating power (operating voltage) to the RTC timer 273 and the like of the SoC unit 27 .

[0061] The components of group G1 (first structural elements) are the first group of components related to the supply of power to the outside among the plurality of components, and are directly supplied with operating power from the power circuit unit 40. The components of group G1 include, for example, components for operating a USB.

[0062] In this embodiment, the components of group G1 include a USB PD controller 81 , a USB Type-A charging unit 82 , and a TBT Retimer 83 .

[0063] The USBPD controller 81 is, for example, a controller IC corresponding to the Power Delivery standard of USB Type-C, and for example, performs negotiation related to power supply with a device connected to the USBTYPE-C connector 26B to determine the setting of the USB port. In addition, the USBPD controller 81 controls FET64, FET65, FET66, and FET67 to control the power supply with the device connected to the USBType-C connector (26A, 26B).

[0064] The USB PD controller 81 is supplied with operating power from the 5 V DC / DC power supply circuit 405 and the 3.3 V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 .

[0065] The USB Type-A charging unit 82 generates charging power for the USB Type-A port. The USB Type-A charging unit 82 is supplied with operating power from a 5V DC / DC power supply circuit 405 .

[0066] The TBTRetimer 83 is, for example, a Thunderbolt Retimer IC, and stores setting information of a device connected to the USB Type-C connector ( 26A, 26B). The TBTRetimer 83 is supplied with operating power from the 3.3V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 .

[0067] The components of the group G2 (second structural elements) are components of the second group that are not related to the supply of electric power to the outside among the plurality of components.

[0068] In this embodiment, the components of group G2 include the audio system 24 , the WLAN module 25 , the SoC unit 27 , the sensor unit 71 , and the TPM 72 .

[0069] The sensor unit 71 is various sensors, and is supplied with operating power from the 1.8 V DC / DC power supply circuit 407 .

[0070] The TPM 72 is a security chip that complies with the TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 standard, for example, and generates and manages passwords, encryption keys, security certificates, etc. The TPM 72 is supplied with operating power from the 1.8 V DC / DC power supply circuit 407 .

[0071] The audio system 24 is supplied with operating power from the 1.8 V DC / DC power supply circuit 407 .

[0072] In addition, the WLAN module 25 is supplied with operating power from the 3.3 V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 via the load switch unit 61 .

[0073] The SoC unit 27 is supplied with operating power from the 3.3 V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 via the load switch unit 61 , and is supplied with operating power from the 1.8 V DC / DC power supply circuit 407 and another DC / DC power supply circuit 408 .

[0074] In addition, the SoC unit 27 is supplied with operating power from the LDO 409 or the coin battery 410 via the diode 62 and the diode 63 .

[0075] The SoC unit 27 includes a BIOS setup menu information storage unit 271 , an ACPI timer 272 , and an RTC timer 273 .

[0076] The BIOS setup menu information storage unit 271 is a storage unit realized by, for example, a RAM (not shown) included in the SoC unit 27. The BIOS setup menu information storage unit 271 stores setting information (for example, wakeup event setting, etc.) set by the BIOS setup menu.

[0077] The ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) timer 272 is a timer for power management, and is used, for example, for recovery from a power-off state such as a shutdown state.

[0078] The RTC (Real Time Clock) timer 273 is a timer based on a real time clock and is used for recovery from a power-off state such as a shutdown state. The RTC timer 273 is operated by power supplied from the LDO 409 or the coin battery 410 .

[0079] The load switch unit 61 (an example of a switch unit) is connected between the power circuit unit 40 and the components of the group G2 (for example, the WLAN module 25 and the SoC unit 27), and can switch the supply and stop of the operating power supplied from the power circuit unit 40 to the components of the group G2. The load switch unit 61 switches the supply and stop of the operating power supplied from the power circuit unit 40 by the control signal S2 output from the embedded controller 31.

[0080] The WLAN module 25 and the SoC unit 27 are supplied with operating power from the 3.3 V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 of the power supply circuit unit 40 via the load switch unit 61 .

[0081] Furthermore, the audio system 24 , the SoC unit 27 , the sensor unit 71 , and the TPM 72 are directly supplied with operating power from the 1.8 V DC / DC power supply circuit 407 of the power supply circuit unit 40 .

[0082] Furthermore, the components of the group G2 include the components of the group G3 (the audio system 24 , the SoC unit 27 , the sensor unit 71 , and the TPM 72 ) to which operating power is directly supplied from the power circuit unit 40 .

[0083] The main control unit 10 is a functional unit realized by causing the CPU 11 and the chipset 21 to execute programs stored in the BIOS memory 22 and the HDD 23 , and executes various information processing of the notebook PC 1 based on the BIOS or the OS.

[0084] The main control unit 10 includes an OS processing unit 101 and a BIOS processing unit 102 .

[0085] The OS processing unit 101 is a functional unit realized by causing the CPU 11 and the chipset 21 to execute an OS program stored in the HDD 23 , and executes processing based on an OS (eg, Windows (registered trademark)).

[0086] The BIOS processing unit 102 is a functional unit realized by causing the CPU 11 and the chipset 21 to execute a BIOS program stored in the BIOS memory 22 , and executes BIOS processing.

[0087] When the BIOS processing unit 102 is transferred to the shutdown state, it confirms the setting information of the BIOS setting menu information storage unit 271 of the SoC unit 27, and when a wake-up event (recovery event) is set, it makes the status information storage unit 311 of the embedded controller 31 described later store "1", for example.

[0088] In addition, when the BIOS processing unit 102 is transferred to the shutdown state, it confirms the setting information of the BIOS setting menu information storage unit 271 of the SoC unit 27, and when the wake-up event (recovery event) is not set, the status information storage unit 311 of the embedded controller 31 described later stores "0", for example.

[0089] The embedded controller 31 can operate in a state where the power supply to the main control unit 10 is stopped, and the operating power is supplied from the LDO 404. The embedded controller 31 performs control of switching the supply and stop of the operating power based on the power circuit unit 40 (for example, the 5VDC / DC power circuit 405 and the 3.3VDC / DC power circuit 406) through the control signal S1 (first control signal), and performs control of switching the supply and stop of the operating power based on the load switch unit 61 through the control signal S2 (second control signal). In addition, the embedded controller 31 switches the supply and stop of the operating power of the 1.8VDC / DC power circuit 407 and other DC / DC power circuits 408 based on the power circuit unit 40 through the control signal S2.

[0090] When the embedded controller 31 is in the ECO shutdown state (second shutdown state) in which the power consumption is lower than the normal shutdown state (first shutdown state), the main control unit 10 is stopped from supplying power, and the operating power based on the power supply circuit unit 40 is supplied to the components of group G1 through the control signal S1, and the supply of operating power based on the load switch unit 61 to the components of group G2 (for example, the WLAN module 25 and the SoC unit 27) is stopped through the control signal S2.

[0091] Furthermore, during ECO shutdown, the embedded controller 31 stops supplying operating power to the components of group G3 (the audio system 24 , the SoC unit 27 , the sensor unit 71 , and the TPM 72 ) among the components of group G2 by using the control signal S2 .

[0092] In addition, during normal shutdown, the embedded controller 31 stops supplying power to the main control unit 10, supplies the operating power based on the power circuit unit 40 to the components of group G1 through the control signal S1, and supplies the operating power based on the load switch unit 61 to the components of group G2 through the control signal S2. That is, during normal shutdown, the embedded controller 31 supplies operating power to the components of both group G1 and group G2 through the control signal S1 and the control signal S2.

[0093] Here, refer to Figure 3 , describes the status of the control signal during normal shutdown and ECO shutdown.

[0094] Figure 31 is a diagram showing an example of the state of the control signal when the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment is in the shutdown state.

[0095] like Figure 3 As shown, during normal shutdown, the embedded controller 31 controls the control signal S1 and the control signal S2 to the "ON" state. In addition, during ECO shutdown, the embedded controller 31 controls the control signal S1 to the "ON" state and controls the control signal S2 to the "OFF" state.

[0096] In addition, the embedded controller 31 controls the control signal S1 and the control signal S2 to the "OFF" state in the Moff state corresponding to the power OFF state. For example, when the embedded controller 31 is transferred to the shutdown state, when the AC adapter 50 is not connected to the notebook PC 1, or when the AC adapter 50 is removed from the notebook PC 1 in the shutdown state, the embedded controller 31 performs control to transfer to the Moff state.

[0097] in addition, Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the status of components in the shutdown state of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0098] The embedded controller 31 performs Figure 3 The controls shown, such as Figure 4 Set the status of each component as shown.

[0099] like Figure 4 As shown, when the computer is normally shut down, the SoC unit 27, WLAN module 25, audio system 24, TPM 72, sensor unit 71, USB Type-A charging unit 82, USB PD controller 81 and TBT Retimer 83 are supplied with operating power and enter an operable "ON" state (operating state).

[0100] In addition, when the ECO is turned off, the SoC unit 27, WLAN module 25, audio system 24, TPM 72 and sensor unit 71 are not supplied with operating power and are in an inoperable "OFF" state (stop state). In addition, the USB Type-A charging unit 82, USB PD controller 81 and TBT Retimer 83 are supplied with operating power and are in an operable "ON" state (operating state).

[0101] In the ECO shutdown state, the USB Type-A charging unit 82 , the USB PD controller 81 , and the TBT Retimer 83 are in an operable “ON” state (operating state), and thus can supply power (eg, charging power) to a device connected to the USB connector 26 .

[0102] Return to Figure 2 In the description, when the power is transferred to the shutdown state, if the recovery event from the shutdown state is set, the embedded controller 31 performs the control of transferring to the normal shutdown state, and if the recovery event is not set, the control of transferring to the ECO shutdown state is performed. Here, the recovery event includes, for example, RTC timer wake-up, ACPI timer wake-up, USB wake-up, LAN-based wake-up, WLAN-based wake-up, and embedded controller 31 (EC)-based wake-up.

[0103] Furthermore, the embedded controller 31 includes a state information storage unit 311 .

[0104] The state information storage unit 311 stores state information indicating which shutdown is to be executed, normal shutdown or ECO shutdown. The state information storage unit 311 is, for example, 1 bit of an interface register in the embedded controller 31, and stores "1" when executing normal shutdown and "0" when executing ECO shutdown.

[0105] The embedded controller 31 performs control to transfer to either normal shutdown or ECO shutdown based on the status information stored in the status information storage unit 311. That is, when "1" is stored in the status information storage unit 311, the embedded controller 31 performs control to transfer to normal shutdown. In addition, when "0" is stored in the status information storage unit 311, the embedded controller 31 performs control to transfer to ECO shutdown.

[0106] Furthermore, when “0” is stored in the state information storage unit 311 , the embedded controller 31 performs control to shift to a normal shutdown state when the ME (Management Engine) function is in the M3 state.

[0107] Here, refer to Figure 5 , the additional functions (optional functions) in the shutdown state of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0108] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of additional functions in the shutdown state of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0109] like Figure 5 As shown, when normally shut down, the notebook PC 1 can use additional functions (optional functions) such as ME function (M3 state), RTC timer wake-up, ACPI timer wake-up, USB wake-up, LAN-based wake-up, WLAN-based wake-up, embedded controller 31 (EC)-based wake-up, and USB port-based charging.

[0110] In addition, when the ECO is turned off, the notebook PC 1 cannot use the ME function (M3 state), RTC timer wake-up, ACPI timer wake-up, USB wake-up, LAN-based wake-up, and WLAN-based wake-up additional functions (optional functions). In addition, when the notebook PC 1 is turned off in the ECO mode, it can use the wake-up based on the embedded controller 31 (EC) and the charging additional function based on the USB port (optional function).

[0111] Next, the operation of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0112] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0113] Here, refer to Figure 6 , the operation when the notebook PC 1 is transferred to the shutdown state is described.

[0114] like Figure 6 As shown, the main control unit 10 of the notebook PC 1 determines whether shutdown is selected from the menu of the OS (step S101). The OS processing unit 101 of the main control unit 10 determines whether shutdown is selected from the menu of the OS by the user (a request for shutdown is made). If shutdown is selected (step S101: Yes), the OS processing unit 101 advances the process to step S102. On the other hand, if shutdown is not selected (step S101: No), the OS processing unit 101 returns the process to step S101.

[0115] In step S102, the OS processing unit 101 requests the BIOS to perform the shutdown state transition in response to the shutdown transition request. The OS processing unit 101 requests the BIOS processing unit 102 to perform the shutdown state transition process.

[0116] Next, the BIOS processing unit 102 determines whether there is a setting to allow wakeup from shutdown (step S103). The BIOS processing unit 102 checks the BIOS setup menu information storage unit 271 of the SoC unit 27 and determines whether there is a setting to allow wakeup (setting to allow recovery events) in the menu information. If there is a setting to allow wakeup (setting to allow recovery events) (step S103: Yes), the BIOS processing unit 102 advances the process to step S104. On the other hand, if there is no setting to allow wakeup (setting to allow recovery events) (step S103: No), the BIOS processing unit 102 advances the process to step S105.

[0117] In step S104, the BIOS processing unit 102 causes the state information storage unit 311 to store "1". That is, the BIOS processing unit 102 causes the state information storage unit 311, which is the interface register of the embedded controller 31, to store "1". After the processing of step S104, the BIOS processing unit 102 advances the processing to step S107.

[0118] In addition, in step S105, the BIOS processing unit 102 determines whether the wake-up timer is in operation. The BIOS processing unit 102 checks the SoC unit 27 and determines whether the RTC timer 273 or the ACPI timer 272 is in operation. If the wake-up timer is in operation (step S105: Yes), the BIOS processing unit 102 advances the process to step S104. If the wake-up timer is not in operation (step S105: No), the BIOS processing unit 102 advances the process to step S106.

[0119] In step S106, the BIOS processing unit 102 causes the status information storage unit 311 to store "0." After the process in step S106, the BIOS processing unit 102 advances the process to step S107.

[0120] In step S107, the BIOS requests the SoC unit 27 to transition to the S5 state. That is, the BIOS processing unit 102 requests the SoC unit 27 to transition to the S5 state (shutdown state).

[0121] Next, the SoC unit 27 sets the notebook PC 1 to the sleep state and requests the embedded controller 31 to shut down (step S108). For example, the SoC unit 27 sets the sleep signals (SLP_S3# and SLP_S4#) to the Low state and stops the supply of operating power to the main parts of the main control unit 10, and requests the embedded controller 31 to shift to the shutdown state.

[0122] Next, the embedded controller 31 determines whether it is in the M3 state (step S109). The embedded controller 31 determines whether the signal of SLP_A# indicating the M3 state of the ME function is in the High state. In the case of the M3 state (step S109: Yes), the embedded controller 31 causes the processing to proceed to step S110. In addition, in the case of not being in the M3 state (step S109: No), the embedded controller 31 causes the processing to proceed to step S111.

[0123] In step S110, the embedded controller 31 is set to normally shut down. That is, the embedded controller 31 controls the control signal S1 to be in a High state so that the power supply is in an "ON" state, and controls the control signal S2 to be in a High state so that the power supply is in an "ON" state. After the processing of step S110, the embedded controller 31 proceeds to step S113.

[0124] In step S111, the embedded controller 31 determines whether "1" is stored in the state information storage unit 311. If "1" is stored in the state information storage unit 311 (step S111: Yes), the embedded controller 31 advances the process to step S110. On the other hand, if "0" is stored in the state information storage unit 311 (step S111: No), the embedded controller 31 advances the process to step S112.

[0125] In step S112, the embedded controller 31 is set to ECO shutdown. That is, the embedded controller 31 controls the control signal S1 to a High state to turn the power supply "ON", and controls the control signal S2 to a Low state to turn the power supply "OFF". After processing step S112, the embedded controller 31 proceeds to step S113.

[0126] In step S113, the embedded controller 31 determines whether the AC adapter 50 is connected. If the AC adapter 50 is connected (step S113: Yes), the embedded controller 31 advances the process to step S114. On the other hand, if the AC adapter 50 is not connected (step S113: No), the embedded controller 31 ends the transition process to the shutdown state.

[0127] In step S114, the embedded controller 31 is set to the Moff state. That is, the embedded controller 31 controls the control signal S1 to the Low state that makes the power supply "OFF" and controls the control signal S2 to the Low state that makes the power supply "OFF". After the processing of step S114, the embedded controller 31 ends the transition process to the shutdown state.

[0128] As described above, the notebook PC 1 (information processing device) according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of components (constituent elements), a power supply circuit unit 40, components of group G1 (first constituent element), components of group G2 (second constituent element), a load switch unit 61 (switch unit), and an embedded controller 31 (sub-control unit). The power supply circuit unit 40 can switch the supply and stop of operating power to the plurality of components. The components of group G1 (for example, the USB PD controller 81, the USB Type-A charging unit 82, and the TBT Retimer 83) are components of the group related to the supply of power to the outside among the plurality of components, and are directly supplied with operating power from the power supply circuit unit 40. Among the plurality of components, the components of group G2 (for example, the WLAN module 25 and the SoC unit 27) are not related to the supply of power to the outside. The load switch unit 61 is connected between the power supply circuit unit 40 and the components of group G2, and can switch the supply and stop of operating power supplied from the power supply circuit unit 40 to the components of group G2. The embedded controller 31 can operate in a state where the power supply to the main control unit 10 that performs information processing based on the OS is stopped. Moreover, the embedded controller 31 executes control of switching the supply and stop of the operating power based on the power supply circuit unit 40 through the control signal S1 (first control signal), and executes control of switching the supply and stop of the operating power based on the load switch unit 61 through the control signal S2 (second control signal).

[0129] Thus, the notebook PC 1 (information processing device) according to the present embodiment can stop supplying operating power to components of group G2 through the load switch unit 61 while supplying operating power to components of group G1 (first component) related to supplying power to the outside. Therefore, the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment can realize a shutdown state (ECO shutdown) in which current consumption is further reduced compared to a normal shutdown state, and can save power.

[0130] The notebook PC 1 according to this embodiment adds a load switch unit 61 to the existing structure, and can realize a shutdown state (ECO shutdown) in which current consumption is further reduced compared to a normal shutdown state by controlling the control signal S2 based on the embedded controller 31 .

[0131] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the embedded controller 31 is in the ECO shutdown state (second shutdown state) in which the power consumption is lower than the normal shutdown state, i.e., the normal shutdown state (first shutdown state), the power supply to the main control unit 10 is stopped, and the operating power based on the power supply circuit unit 40 is supplied to the components of group G1 through the control signal S1, and the supply of operating power to the components of group G2 based on the load switch unit 61 is stopped through the control signal S2.

[0132] Thus, the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment can realize the ECO shutdown (second shutdown state) with a large power saving effect through simple control based on two control signals, the control signal S1 and the control signal S2 .

[0133] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the power is normally shut down, the embedded controller 31 stops supplying power to the main control unit 10, and supplies the operating power based on the power supply circuit unit 40 to the components of group G1 through the control signal S1, and supplies the operating power based on the load switch unit 61 to the components of group G2 through the control signal S2.

[0134] Thus, the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment can be used in the normal shutdown state (first shutdown state) in addition to the ECO shutdown state (second shutdown state).

[0135] In the present embodiment, when the shutdown state is shifted, the embedded controller 31 executes control to shift to normal shutdown when a recovery event from the shutdown state is set, and executes control to shift to ECO shutdown when a recovery event is not set.

[0136] Thus, the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment executes control to shift to normal shutdown when a resume event is set, so that it can be used in a switchable manner between normal shutdown that can be resumed by a set resume event while supporting ECO shutdown.

[0137] In addition, the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment includes a state information storage unit 311 that stores state information indicating which shutdown is to be performed between the normal shutdown and the ECO shutdown. The main control unit 10 determines whether a recovery event is set based on a request for transition to the shutdown state, and stores the state information in the state information storage unit 311 based on the determination result. The embedded controller 31 performs control to transition to either the normal shutdown or the ECO shutdown based on the state information (e.g., "1" or "0") stored in the state information storage unit 311.

[0138] Thus, in the notebook PC 1 according to the present embodiment, the embedded controller 31 can appropriately switch between the normal shutdown and the ECO shutdown by a simple method using the status information storage unit 311 .

[0139] In addition, in the present embodiment, the components of the group G1 include components for operating the USB.

[0140] Thus, according to the notebook PC 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to realize the ECO shutdown which saves more power than the normal shutdown while the USB is in operation.

[0141] In addition, the control method according to the present embodiment is a control method for a notebook PC 1 having a plurality of components (constituent elements), a power circuit unit 40, components of group G1 (first constituent element), components of group G2 (second constituent element), a load switch unit 61 (switch unit), and an embedded controller 31 (sub-control unit), and includes a control step. The power circuit unit 40 can switch the supply and stop of operating power to the plurality of components. The components of group G1 (for example, USB PD controller 81, USB Type-A charging unit 82, and TBT Retimer 83) are components of a group related to the supply of power to the outside among the plurality of components, and are directly supplied with operating power from the power circuit unit 40. Among the plurality of components, the components of group G2 (for example, WLAN module 25 and SoC unit 27) are not related to the supply of power to the outside. The load switch unit 61 is connected between the power circuit unit 40 and the components of group G2, and can switch the supply and stop of operating power supplied from the power circuit unit 40 to the components of group G2. The embedded controller 31 can operate in a state where the power supply to the main control unit 10 that performs information processing based on the OS is stopped. In the control step, the embedded controller 31 performs control of switching the supply and stop of the operating power based on the power supply circuit unit 40 through the control signal S1, and performs control of switching the supply and stop of the operating power based on the load switch unit 61 through the control signal S2.

[0142] Therefore, the control method according to the present embodiment has the same effect as that of the above-mentioned notebook PC 1 , and can realize a shutdown state (ECO shutdown) in which current consumption is further reduced compared with a normal shutdown state, thereby enabling power saving.

[0143] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be modified within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0144] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the information processing device is the notebook PC 1 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and other information processing devices such as a tablet terminal device or a desktop PC may be used.

[0145] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, as an example of a component of group G1 (first constituent element) related to the supply of power to the outside, an example of a component related to USB is described, but it is not limited to this, and components related to other interfaces (other I / O) may also be set as components of group G1 (first constituent element).

[0146] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the load switch unit 61 is inserted into the output line of the 3.3V DC / DC power supply circuit 406 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto and other power supply circuits may be inserted therein.

[0147] In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example in which the notebook PC 1 includes one load switch unit 61 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of load switch units 61 may be included.

[0148] In the above embodiment, the example in which the AC adapter 50 is connected to the USB Type-C connector 26A is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The AC adapter 50 may be connected to a dedicated power supply port or to a port of another interface.

[0149] In addition, each structure of the notebook PC 1 has a computer system inside. In addition, a program for realizing the functions of each structure of the notebook PC 1 can be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and the processing in each structure of the notebook PC 1 can be performed by making the computer system read the program recorded in the recording medium and execute it. Here, the so-called "making the computer system read the program recorded in the recording medium and execute it" is included in the computer system installation program. The so-called "computer system" here includes hardware such as OS and peripheral devices.

[0150] In addition, the "computer system" may also include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including a communication line such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, or a dedicated line. In addition, the so-called "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a floppy disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built into the computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-temporary recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0151] In addition, the recording medium also includes an internal or external recording medium that can be accessed from a distribution server in order to distribute the program. In addition, the program can also be divided into multiple, and the structure formed by the combination of each structure possessed by the notebook PC 1 after different timing downloads, and the distribution server for distributing each program divided out is different.

[0152] Moreover, the so-called "computer-readable recording medium" also includes a structure that keeps the program for a certain period of time, such as a server in the case of sending the program via a network, or a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that becomes a client. In addition, the above-mentioned program may also be a structure for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, it may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions by combining them with a program already recorded in a computer system.

[0153] In addition, part or all of the above functions may be implemented as an integrated circuit such as LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each of the above functions may be processed individually, or part or all of them may be integrated for processing. In addition, the method of integrated circuitization is not limited to LSI, and may also be implemented by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In addition, in the case where an integrated circuit technology that replaces LSI emerges with the advancement of semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit based on the technology may also be used.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: Multiple components; A power circuit unit capable of switching the supply and stop of operating power to the plurality of components; A first component, among the plurality of components, which is related to the supply of power to the outside and is directly supplied with the operating power from the power circuit unit; A second component, among the plurality of components, having no relation to the supply of electric power to the outside; a switch unit connected between the power circuit unit and the second component, capable of switching on and off the supply of the operating power supplied from the power circuit unit to the second component; as well as The sub-control unit can operate in a state where the power supply to the main control unit is stopped, and the main control unit performs information processing based on the OS, wherein the OS is an operating system, The sub-control unit switches the supply and stop of the operating power based on the power supply circuit unit through a first control signal, and switches the supply and stop of the operating power based on the switch unit through a second control signal.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: In the second shutdown state in which the power consumption is lower than that in the first shutdown state, the sub-control unit stops supplying power to the main control unit, and supplies the action power based on the power supply circuit unit to the first component through the first control signal, and stops supplying the action power based on the switch unit to the second component through the second control signal, wherein the first shutdown state is a normal shutdown state.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein: In the first shutdown state, the sub-control unit stops supplying power to the main control unit, and supplies the action power based on the power supply circuit unit to the first component through the first control signal, and supplies the action power based on the switch unit to the second component through the second control signal.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein: When the power is transferred to the shutdown state, if a recovery event from the shutdown state is set, the sub-control unit performs control for transferring to the first shutdown state, and if the recovery event is not set, performs control for transferring to the second shutdown state.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein: A state information storage unit is provided for storing state information indicating which shutdown state is to be executed between the first shutdown state and the second shutdown state. The main control unit determines whether the recovery event is set according to the request for transition to the shutdown state, and causes the state information storage unit to store the state information based on the determination result. The sub-control unit performs control to shift to any one of the first shutdown state and the second shutdown state based on the state information stored in the state information storage unit.

6. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first component includes a component for operating a USB, wherein the USB is a universal serial bus.

7. A control method is a control method for an information processing device, the information processing device comprising: a plurality of components; a power circuit unit capable of switching the supply and stop of operating power for the plurality of components; a first component, which is related to the supply of power to the outside among the plurality of components and is directly supplied with the operating power from the power circuit unit; a second component, which is unrelated to the supply of power to the outside among the plurality of components; a switch unit connected between the power circuit unit and the second component, capable of switching the supply and stop of the operating power supplied from the power circuit unit to the second component; and a sub-control unit capable of operating in a state where the power supply to the main control unit is stopped, the main control unit executing information processing based on the OS, wherein OS is the operating system, The sub-control unit switches the supply and stop of the operating power based on the power supply circuit unit through a first control signal, and switches the supply and stop of the operating power based on the switch unit through a second control signal.

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