Information processing device and control method

Abstract

When running preferred applications, the expected performance is maintained regardless of whether they are running in the background or foreground. [Solution] The host system executes the processing of an application program and can determine one of N power modes (where N is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels as the power mode of its device, depending on the program being executed. The host system refers to a list of application programs for each power mode and determines the power mode corresponding to the application program whose processing is executed in the foreground. When processing of a priority application, which is a predetermined specific application program, is executed, the power mode for that priority application is given priority.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an information processing apparatus and a control method, and more particularly, to control of power consumption required for execution of an application program (which may be referred to as an "application" or an "app" in this application).

Background Art

[0002] An information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (PC) executes various applications to realize their functions. Generally, the power consumption required for execution varies greatly depending on the execution status of the application. Some information processing apparatuses control the operation mode according to the execution status of the application.

[0003] For example, the terminal control method described in Patent Document 1 includes a step of detecting whether the power saving mode activation condition is satisfied when the screen of the terminal is switched from the screen-on state to the screen-off state, and a step of executing the power saving mode when the power saving mode activation condition is satisfied. The power saving operation is used to reduce the power consumption that occurs when an application in the terminal is executed in the background.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Information processing devices that support multitasking can run multiple applications simultaneously. It is conceivable that the information processing device could define its operating mode depending on the type of application running in the foreground. If the operating mode were uniformly defined based on the type of application running in the foreground, it could result in insufficient performance for other applications or even cause performance disruptions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an information processing device according to one aspect of this invention includes a host system that executes the processing of an application program and can determine one of N power modes (where N is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels as the power mode of the device, depending on the program being executed, the host system refers to a list of application programs for each power mode, determines the power mode corresponding to the application program whose processing is executed in the foreground, and when processing of a priority application, which is a predetermined specific application program, is executed, the power mode for that priority application is given priority.

[0007] In the above-described information processing device, the power supply mode for the priority application may be the high-load mode, which has the highest operating power among the N power supply modes.

[0008] In the above-described information processing device, if the power mode corresponding to an application program whose processing is performed in the foreground is a power mode with lower operating power than the high-load mode, and the processing of the priority application is performed in the background, the host system may set the high-load mode as the power mode of its own device.

[0009] In the above-described information processing device, N is 3, and the list indicates one or more application programs for each of the N power supply modes: a low-load mode, which is the power supply mode with the lowest operating power, and a high-load mode, which is the power supply mode with the highest load. If no application program that runs in the foreground is listed, the host system may set a standard mode, which is a load intermediate between the low-load mode and the high-load mode, as the power supply mode of its system.

[0010] In the above-described information processing device, the host system can select one of M power modes (where M is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels as the power mode of the device according to user operation. One predetermined power mode among the M power modes is common to one predetermined power mode among the N power modes. When the one predetermined power mode is selected, one of the N power modes may be designated as the power mode of the device according to the application program being executed.

[0011] In the above-described information processing device, the indicator of operating power may include thermal design power.

[0012] In the above-described information processing device, a heat dissipation mechanism may be provided to dissipate heat generated within the device, and the output of the heat dissipation mechanism may be set to increase with higher operating power in the power supply mode.

[0013] A control method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a control method for an information processing device comprising a host system that executes the processing of an application program and can determine one of N power modes (where N is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels as the power mode of the device, wherein the host system refers to a list showing application programs for each power mode, determines the power mode corresponding to the application program whose processing is executed in the foreground, and when processing of a priority application, which is a predetermined specific application program, is executed, the power mode for that priority application is given priority. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the embodiments of the present invention, when running a preferred application, the expected performance can be maintained regardless of whether it is running in the background or in the foreground. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a mode transition diagram illustrating the power supply modes according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows examples of setting operating parameters for each power mode. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates a whitelist according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the power mode settings screen. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the display of a window and icons according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the Task Manager screen display according to this embodiment. [Figure 9]This is a flowchart exemplifying a power mode control method according to this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an overview of the information processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present application will be described. In the following description, the case where the information processing apparatus 1 is a PC is mainly assumed. The information processing apparatus 1 is not necessarily limited to a PC and may be configured as a smartphone, a tablet terminal device, or the like.

[0017] The information processing apparatus 1 includes a host system that executes various application programs. In the present application, "executing a program" or "execution of a program" refers to executing the processing instructed by the instructions described in the program (including applications). The host system has variable operating power. The host system operates according to one of a plurality of power modes with different operating powers. A list indicating an application is preset for each power mode in the host system. The host system operates in a multitasking environment and operates in an operation mode corresponding to the application executed in the foreground. However, a specific application determined in advance is set as a priority application in the host system. When the priority application is executed, the host system gives priority to the power mode applied to the priority application.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus 1 includes a host system 10, a ROM 22, a storage 23, an audio system 24, a video subsystem 25, a display 252, a communication module 26, an input / output interface 27, an EC 31, an input device 32, a power circuit 33, a battery 34, a heat dissipation mechanism 35, and a power switch 36. The host system 10 is a computer system that forms the core of the information processing apparatus 1. The host system 10 includes a processor 11, a main memory 12, and a chipset 21. The processor 11 and the main memory 12 are the minimum hardware components that constitute the host system 10. The heat dissipation mechanism 35 dissipates the heat generated inside the information processing apparatus 1. The heat dissipation mechanism 35 includes a temperature sensor 351, a drive circuit 352, and a heat dissipation fan 353.

[0019] The processor 11 is a core processing device that executes various arithmetic processes instructed by instructions described in software (program). The processes executed by the processor 11 include reading and writing data to storage media such as the main memory 12 and the storage 23, and input / output with other devices. The processor 11 includes at least one CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus 1. The CPU executes program processes such as, for example, an OS (Operating System), firmware, a device driver, a utility, and an application.

[0020] The main memory 12 is a writable memory that is used as a loading area for the execution program of the processor 11 or as a working area for writing the processing data of the execution program. The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, a plurality of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips.

[0021] The chipset 21 includes multiple controllers, enabling connection to multiple devices for input and output of various types of data. The controllers are, for example, one or a combination of bus 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). Connected devices include ROM 22, storage 23, audio system 24, video subsystem 25, communication module 26, input / output interface 27, and EC31.

[0022] ROM (Read Only Memory) 22 primarily stores system firmware, firmware for controlling the operation of EC31 and other devices, etc. ROM 22 can be either EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or flash ROM, for example.

[0023] Storage 23 is an auxiliary storage device that stores various data used for processing by the processor 11 and other devices, or various data and programs obtained through such processing. Storage 23 may be, for example, one or a combination of SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives).

[0024] The audio system 24 is connected to a microphone and a speaker (not shown) and records, plays back, and outputs audio data. The microphone and speaker may be built into the information processing device 1 or may be separate from the information processing device 1.

[0025] The video subsystem 25 is a subsystem for realizing functions related to image display and includes a video controller. The video controller processes drawing instructions from the processor 11, writes the obtained drawing information to video memory, reads this drawing information from video memory, and outputs it to the display 252 as display data indicating the display information (image processing). The video subsystem 25 may be configured to include one or more GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) or coprocessors. A GPU is a processor that is mainly responsible for real-time image processing and other parallel processing. The GPU may share some processing with the CPU. The GPU may be integrated with the CPU, which is configured as the processor 11, and formed on the same core, or it may be formed on a separate core from the CPU. The GPU may also perform parallel processing other than image processing, or share some processing with the CPU.

[0026] The display 252 displays a screen based on display data input from the video subsystem 25. The display 252 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.

[0027] The communication module 26 connects to a communication network wirelessly or via a wired connection. The communication module 26 communicates various types of data with other devices connected to the communication network. The communication module 26 includes, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and enables the transmission and reception of various types of data between devices according to a predetermined wireless communication method (e.g., IEEE 802.11). In a wireless LAN, communication between devices is performed via an access point.

[0028] The input / output interface 27 connects to various devices, such as peripherals, via wired or wireless connections. For example, the input / output interface 27 is a connector for wired data input and output in accordance with USB specifications.

[0029] The EC (Embedded Controller) 31 is a one-chip microcomputer that monitors and controls various devices (peripheral devices, sensors, etc.) regardless of the operating status of the information processing device 1 system. The EC31 is separate from the processor 11 and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, multiple A / D (Analog-to-Digital) input terminals, D / A (Digital-to-Analog) output terminals, a timer, and digital input / output terminals (not shown). For example, input devices 32, power supply circuits 33, temperature sensors 351, drive circuits 352, and power switches 36 are connected to the input / output terminals of the EC31.

[0030] The input device 32 detects user operations and outputs an operation signal to EC31 corresponding to the detected operation. The input device 32 may include, for example, a keyboard, a touchpad, or any other combination. The input device 32 may also be a touch sensor, or it may overlap with the display 252 to form a touch panel.

[0031] The power supply circuit 33 converts the voltage of the DC power supplied from an external power source or battery 34 into the voltage required for the operation of each device constituting the information processing device 1, and supplies power with the converted voltage to the target device. The power supply circuit 33 performs power supply according to the control of EC31. The power supply circuit 33 includes a converter that converts the voltage of the power supplied to itself, and a power supply that charges the battery 34 with the power whose voltage has been converted. The power supply charge the battery 34 with the power that is not consumed by each device from the power supplied from the external power source. If power is not supplied from the external power source, or if the power supplied from the external power source is insufficient, the power discharged from the battery 34 is supplied to each device as operating power.

[0032] The battery 34 charges or discharges power using the power supply circuit 33. The battery 34 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, or any other type. The temperature sensor 351 detects its own temperature and outputs a temperature signal indicating the detected temperature to the EC31. The temperature sensor 351 may be installed, for example, in close proximity to the processor 11 within a predetermined distance. In that case, the temperature of the processor 11 can be detected, and the processor 11 can be protected.

[0033] The drive circuit 352 supplies power to the cooling fan 353 from the power supply circuit 33 according to the control of EC31. This controls the operation of the cooling fan 353. The cooling fan 353 dissipates the heat generated by the information processing device 1. The cooling fan 353 is equipped with a motor that rotates its fins (blades) using power supplied from the drive circuit 352, and draws air into the housing of the information processing device 1. The incoming air exchanges heat with various parts of the information processing device 1 and is then discharged outside the housing.

[0034] Each time a press operation is detected, the power switch 36 controls the power supply state to the entire information processing device 1 to either power ON or power OFF. When a press operation is detected, the power switch 36 outputs a press signal to EC31. When the information processing device 1 is powered off and a press signal is input from the power switch 36, EC31 instructs the power supply circuit 33 to start supplying power to each device of the information processing device 1 (power on). When the processor 11 detects the start of power supply to itself, it reads the system firmware from the ROM 22, loads it into the main memory 12, and executes the startup process (boot) according to the commands written in the system firmware. In the startup process, the processor 11 loads the data that had been saved in the storage 23 into the main memory 12. After that, the processor 11 starts the OS, and after the OS startup is complete, it starts executing device drivers related to the control of devices such as the storage 23, communication module 26, and input / output interface 27.

[0035] On the other hand, when power is supplied to the information processing device 1 and a push signal is input from the power switch 36, EC31 causes the processor 11 to perform a shutdown process. During the shutdown process, the processor 11 saves the data currently present in the work area to the storage 23. After the data saving is complete, the processor 11 stops processing by applications, device drivers, and other programs that are currently running. After that, the processor 11 notifies EC31 that the shutdown process is complete. EC31 causes the power supply circuit 33 to stop supplying power to each device of the information processing device 1.

[0036] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 1 includes a host system 10. The host system 10 has a processor 11 that executes various programs and works in cooperation with hardware such as main memory 12, chipset 21, communication module 26, input / output interface 27, and EC31 to realize its functions.

[0037] The host system 10 is a computer system that runs the OS and manages the execution of other programs such as applications, manages computing resources such as memory and processes, and manages input / output with each device. The host system 10 operates according to an operating mode defined by itself. The host system 10 refers to a set of power control parameters that have been pre-stored in the registers of the processor 11 and identifies the power control parameters related to the operating mode. The host system 10 controls power consumption using the identified power control parameters. The EC31 also refers to a set of parameters that have been pre-stored in its ROM and identifies the drive parameters related to the operating mode. The EC31 uses the identified drive parameters to drive the heat dissipation fan 353 via the drive circuit 352. Examples of operating modes will be described later.

[0038] The host system 10 includes an execution management unit 102 and a power control unit 104. The execution management unit 102 enables the execution of one or more applications simultaneously in a multitasking environment according to the OS. For example, the execution management unit 102 starts the execution of the application corresponding to the icon selected in response to an operation from among the icons displayed on the display 252. After the host system 10 has finished its startup process, the execution management unit 102 may start the execution of a pre-configured application (also called a "startup application").

[0039] When multiple applications are running, the execution management unit 102 designates one application as the foreground process and the other applications as background processes. The execution management unit 102 houses the display screen generated according to the running application into a window and displays it on the display 252. The execution management unit 102 controls the window of the foreground process (also called the "foreground window" or "active window"). That is, the execution management unit 102 accepts operation signals indicating coordinates within the foreground window as input to the foreground process, and ignores operation signals indicating coordinates within other windows. In this application, the act of operating or executing processing based on input operation signals may be referred to as "acting in response to an operation" or "acting in response to an operation."

[0040] The execution management unit 102 may arrange and display icons representing running applications on a taskbar assigned along the bottom edge of the display area of ​​the display 252. For example, the execution management unit 102 selects the application corresponding to the icon selected in response to the user's operation from among the displayed icons as the foreground process. Alternatively, the execution management unit 102 may select the application related to the window that indicates coordinates within that area in response to the user's operation as the foreground process at that time (the current moment).

[0041] Figure 7 shows an example of the display of windows and icons that appear when an application is executed. Figure 7 illustrates three windows and three icons. The three windows occupy most of the display area of ​​display 252. Each window contains the display screen that appears when applications App1, App2, and App3 are executed, respectively. The icons for applications App1, App2, and App3 are arranged in that order along the bottom edge of the display area. In the example in Figure 7, when the icon for application App1 is clicked, that window is brought to the foreground as the foreground window.

[0042] The execution management unit 102 manages operational status information indicating the operational status of each running application. The execution management unit 102 manages status, CPU usage, memory usage, disk usage, and network usage for each application. The status includes information indicating whether the running application is a foreground process or not. The execution management unit 102 may display a screen showing the operational status of each running application as a task manager screen (see Figure 8) on the display 252. The execution management unit 102 may notify the power control unit 104 of the updated operational status information each time the operational status changes, or it may notify the power control unit 104 of the operational status information at that time as a response to an inquiry about the operational status from the power control unit 104.

[0043] The power control unit 104 controls the power mode based on the operation signal input from the input device 32 or the application being run. Figure 3 is a mode transition diagram of the power modes according to this embodiment. In the example in Figure 3, the host system 10 has five power modes. The five power modes are Eco Mode (E), Balanced Mode (B), Performance Mode (P), Auto Quiet Mode (AQM), and Auto Performance Mode (APM). The host system 10 operates according to one of the five power modes.

[0044] The power consumption parameters (sometimes referred to as "power parameters" in this application) of the processor 11 differ between the five power modes. The power consumption of the processor 11 is highest in Eco Mode, followed by Balance Mode and then Performance Mode, and the power parameters of the processor 11 are set so that the power consumption is lowest in Eco Mode. The power parameters of the processor 11 related to AQM are lower than the power parameters of the processor 11 related to Balance Mode. The power parameters of the processor 11 related to APM are higher than the power parameters of the processor 11 related to Balance Mode.

[0045] When the power consumption of the processor 11 is high, the amount of heat generated also increases, thus increasing the need for heat dissipation. The EC31 may be configured so that the parameters that drive the heat dissipation mechanism 35 (sometimes referred to as "drive parameters" in this application) increase with increasing power supply modes. The power control unit 104 notifies the EC31 of the changed operating mode in response to the change in operating mode. The EC31 may be configured so that the output of the heat dissipation mechanism 35 increases in the order of eco mode, balance mode, and performance mode, corresponding to the notified operating mode. The drive parameters of the heat dissipation mechanism 35 related to AQM may be less than the drive parameters of the heat dissipation mechanism 35 related to balance mode. The drive parameters of the heat dissipation mechanism 35 related to APM may be more than the drive parameters of the heat dissipation mechanism 35 related to balance mode.

[0046] Next, we will explain examples of operating parameters for each power mode. In the example in Figure 4, TDP and maximum noise level are set for each power mode. TDP (Thermal Design Power) is the maximum heat dissipation that is assumed in the design of the processor 11. In other words, TDP is an indicator that shows the power consumption that can be steadily allowed, and it is also an indicator that shows the degree of heat generation. The power control unit 104 monitors the power consumption of the processor 11, for example, and controls the clock frequency so that the moving average value of power consumption over a predetermined period up to that point does not exceed the TDP. Generally, the higher the clock frequency of the processor 11, the higher the power consumption.

[0047] The maximum noise level is the upper limit of the noise level generated by the operation of the cooling fan 353. In other words, the maximum noise level can be considered a drive parameter that indicates the degree of output of the cooling fan 353 that is permissible. For example, the noise level related to the output of the cooling fan 353 when it exerts a heat dissipation amount equivalent to the TDP is set as the maximum noise level. Instead of the maximum noise level, the rotational speed or power consumption of the cooling fan 353 may be used as the drive parameter. The EC31 drives the cooling fan 353 by instructing the drive circuit 352 to drive the cooling fan 353 so that the temperature notified by the temperature sensor 351 is equal to or greater than a predetermined operating start temperature and does not exceed the drive parameter corresponding to the power supply mode notified by the power control unit 104.

[0048] In the example in Figure 4, the TDP for Eco Mode, AQM, Balance Mode, APM, and Performance Mode are set as TDPe, TDPaqm, TDPb, TDPapm, and TDPp, respectively. They are set to increase in the order of TDPe, TDPb, and TDPp. The maximum noise levels for Eco Mode, AQM, Balance Mode, APM, and Performance Mode are set as NLe, NLaqm, NLb, NLapm, and NLp, respectively. They are set to increase in the order of NLe, NLb, and NLp. However, TDPe and NLe for Eco Mode may be equivalent to TDPaqm and NLaqm for AQM, respectively. TDPapm and NLapm for APM may be equivalent to or smaller than TDPp and NLp for Performance Mode, respectively.

[0049] The power control unit 104 displays a power mode setting screen on the display 252. Based on the operation signal input from the input device 32, the power control unit 104 selects one of three power modes: eco mode, balanced mode, and performance mode. The power control unit 104 operates the processor 11 in the selected power mode. The power mode setting screen illustrated in Figure 6 has a slider bar, and the position of the cursor indicated by the operation signal can be set to one of the three scales arranged on the slider bar. The power control unit 104 selects the power mode corresponding to the set scale. The labels "Emphasis on power saving," "Balance," and "Emphasis on performance" next to each scale indicate eco mode, balanced mode, and performance mode, respectively. In other words, Figure 6 shows the state when eco mode is selected.

[0050] The power control unit 104 generates and pre-stores a whitelist of application names for each power mode. A whitelist may not be set for a given power mode, while whitelists may be set for other power modes. In the example in Figure 5(i), the whitelist related to AQM includes App_11, App_12, ..., App_52, ... These applications, such as business applications and browsers, consume relatively little power during processing. In the example in Figure 5(ii), the whitelist related to APM includes App_61, App_62, ..., App_92, ... These applications, such as benchmarks and creative applications, consume relatively large power during processing.

[0051] Therefore, the power control unit 104 determines whether the name of the application that is the foreground process at that time (also called the "app name") is included in the whitelist. The power control unit 104 can identify the app name of the running application by referring to the operational status information notified by the execution management unit 102. If a whitelist containing the app name exists, the power control unit 104 selects the power mode corresponding to that whitelist. If a whitelist containing the app name exists, the power control unit 104 selects the power mode corresponding to that whitelist (for example, either AQM or APM). If a whitelist containing the app name does not exist, the power control unit 104 may select a predetermined power mode (for example, balanced mode).

[0052] In this embodiment, the power control unit 104 may set a specific application as a priority application and pre-set a power mode for that priority application. The power control unit 104 may also set a priority application list indicating the priority application separately from the whitelist for each power mode. The priority application list illustrated in Figure 5(iii) describes App_01, App_02, ... For a priority application that is currently running, the power control unit 104 selects a power mode for that priority application, regardless of whether the priority application is a foreground process or not. That is, the power mode for the priority application is applied with priority over other running applications. For example, APM may be set as a priority application for an application that consistently consumes a large amount of power while running. The power control unit 104 can execute the priority application with the power mode set to APM and thus be able to perform at its best. For example, applications that constantly involve a large amount of computational processing, such as video generation using generative AI or AI model inference, may be set as priority applications. Furthermore, if there are multiple priority applications running, the power control unit 104 may select the power mode with the highest power mode among the power modes related to each of those priority applications.

[0053] Next, an example of a power mode control method according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the power mode control method according to this embodiment. However, the example shown is one in which the power mode of the host system 10 is set to balanced mode according to the operation, and is variable between balanced mode, APM, and AQM.

[0054] (Step S102) The execution management unit 102 monitors for foreground window change events. Foreground window change events refer to operations that change the foreground process. For example, this includes clicking the icon of the running application mentioned above, and operations on the window of the running application. When a foreground window change event is detected (Step S102 YES), the process proceeds to Step S104. When no foreground window change event is detected (Step S102 NO), the process in Step S102 is repeated.

[0055] (Step S104) The execution management unit 102 performs stack window handling to display the window related to the new foreground process at the very front on the display 252 as the foreground window. The execution management unit 102 starts accepting operations within the display area of ​​the new foreground process as input. The execution management unit 102 displays the original foreground window behind the foreground window as a background window and stops accepting operations within the display area of ​​that window.

[0056] (Step S106) The power control unit 104 refers to the operation status information notified by the execution management unit 102 and identifies the application name (binary name) related to the latest foreground window. (Step S108) The power control unit 104 determines whether the priority application is currently running. If it is determined to be running (Step S108 YES), the process proceeds to step S112. If it is determined to be not running (Step S108 NO), the process proceeds to step S110.

[0057] (Step S110) The power control unit 104 refers to the whitelist to identify the power mode corresponding to the latest foreground application and sets the identified power mode to the processor 11. (Step S112) The power control unit 104 identifies a power mode (e.g., AQM) corresponding to the latest foreground application and sets the identified power mode to the processor 11. After that, the process shown in Figure 9 is terminated.

[0058] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment includes a host system 10 that executes the processing of an application program and can determine one of N power modes (e.g., APM, balanced mode, AQM) with different operating power (i.e., power consumption) as the power mode of the device, depending on the program being executed. The host system 10 refers to a list (e.g., a whitelist) indicating application programs for each power mode, determines the power mode corresponding to the application program whose processing is executed in the foreground, and prioritizes the power mode for a preferred application, which is a predetermined specific application program, when processing is executed. With this configuration, when the priority application is running, the host system 10 operates according to the power mode for the priority application, regardless of whether it is running in the foreground or not. Therefore, the information processing device 1 can deliver the performance required for the execution of the priority application.

[0059] Furthermore, the power mode for the priority application may be the high-load mode, which has the highest operating power among the N-stage power modes. In this case, if the power mode corresponding to the application program whose processing is performed in the foreground is a power mode with lower operating power than the high-load mode, and the processing of the priority application is performed in the background, the host system 10 may set the high-load mode as the power mode of its own device. With this configuration, the host system 10 operates in high-load mode regardless of the power mode corresponding to other applications running. Therefore, even when other applications are running in the foreground, it can still perform at the performance required for processing the preferred application.

[0060] Furthermore, if N is 3, the list of applications indicates one or more application programs for each of the N power modes: a low-load mode (e.g., AQM), which is the power mode with the lowest operating power, and a high-load mode (e.g., APM), which is the power mode with the highest operating power. If no application program that runs in the foreground is listed, the host system 10 may define a standard mode (e.g., balanced mode), which has an operating power intermediate between the low-load mode and the high-load mode, as the power mode of its own system. N is not limited to 3; it may be 2 or 4 or greater. Furthermore, AQM may be a power supply mode with power parameters equivalent to Eco Mode. APM may be a power supply mode with power parameters equivalent to Performance Mode.

[0061] Furthermore, the host system may select one of M power modes (where M is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels (e.g., eco mode, balanced mode, performance mode) as the power mode of its device, depending on user operation. A predetermined specific power mode (e.g., balanced mode) among the M power modes is common to a predetermined specific power mode among the N power modes, and when a specific power mode is selected, the host system may determine one of the N power modes as the power mode of its device, depending on the application program being executed. In this configuration, one of the M power modes is selected in response to user input. If the power mode selected in response to user input is a predetermined specific power mode, then one of the N power modes is selected in response to the application program running on it. Furthermore, M is not limited to three levels; it may have two or more levels.

[0062] Furthermore, the operating power index may include thermal design power. Furthermore, the device may be equipped with a heat dissipation mechanism 35 to dissipate heat generated within the device, and the output of the heat dissipation mechanism 35 may be set to be larger in power supply modes with higher operating power. With this configuration, the amount of heat generated increases with higher operating power modes. Therefore, the amount of heat dissipated can be increased by increasing the output of the heat dissipation mechanism 35. This helps to mitigate degradation due to heat generation.

[0063] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to the embodiments described above, and include designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily as long as they do not contradict each other, and some configurations may be omitted.

[0064] For example, the heat dissipation mechanism 35 may be omitted in the information processing device 1. In that case, the processing related to setting the drive parameters for the heat dissipation mechanism 35 is omitted. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 may be equipped with a refrigerant circulation circuit instead of the drive circuit 352 and the heat dissipation fan 353, or together with the drive circuit 352 and the heat dissipation fan 353. In that case, the amount of refrigerant circulation in the refrigerant circulation circuit should be controlled in a manner similar to the relationship between the power consumption of the host system 10 and the amount of heat dissipation fan 353, either instead of or together with the amount of heat dissipation fan 353. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1...Information processing unit, 11...Processor, 12...Main memory, 21...Chipset, 22...ROM, 23...Storage, 24...Audio system, 25...Video subsystem, 26...Communication module, 27...Input / output interface, 31...EC, 32...Input device, 33...Power supply circuit, 34...Battery, 35...Heat dissipation mechanism, 36...Power switch, 252...Display, 351...Temperature sensor, 352...Drive circuit, 353...Cooling fan

Claims

1. Execute the processing of the application program, The device is equipped with a host system that can select one of N power modes (where N is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels as the power mode of the device, depending on the program being executed. The aforementioned host system Refer to the list showing application programs for each power mode. Define the power mode corresponding to the application program that runs in the foreground. When processing is performed for a predetermined, specific application program, the power mode for that application takes precedence. Information processing device.

2. The power mode for the aforementioned priority application is the high-load mode, which has the highest operating power among the N-stage power modes. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The power mode corresponding to the application program that runs in the foreground is a power mode with lower operating power than the high-load mode, When the processing of the aforementioned preferred application is executed in the background, The aforementioned host system The aforementioned high-load mode is defined as the power mode of the device. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. N is 3, The aforementioned list is, For each of the N power supply modes, one or more application programs are shown: a low-load mode, which is the power supply mode with the lowest operating power, and a high-load mode, which is the power supply mode with the highest operating power. When no application program that runs in the foreground is present in the list, The aforementioned host system The system's power supply mode is defined as a standard mode in which the operating power is intermediate between the low-load mode and the high-load mode. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

5. The host system can select one of M power modes (where M is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels as the power mode for its device, according to user operation. One predetermined power mode among the M stages of power modes is common to one predetermined power mode among the N stages of power modes, When the aforementioned specific power mode is selected, one of the N power modes is designated as the power mode of the device, depending on the application program being executed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

6. The aforementioned operating power index includes thermal design power. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. It is equipped with a heat dissipation mechanism that dissipates the heat generated within the device. The output of the heat dissipation mechanism is determined such that it increases with higher operating power in the power supply mode. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. Execute the processing of the application program, A control method for an information processing device comprising a host system that can set one of N power modes (where N is an integer of 2 or more) with different operating power levels as the power mode of the device, depending on the program being executed. The aforementioned host system Refer to the list showing application programs for each power mode. Define the power mode corresponding to the application program that runs in the foreground. When processing is performed for a predetermined, specific application program, the power mode for that application takes precedence. Control method.

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