Abstract: Power usage of computing device components is controlled in a holistic manner. The projected total power consumption for the computing device to satisfy a power consumption policy for the device is determined. Power usage of each component of the computing device is controlled in a holistic manner—i.e., balancing the power usage of the component against the power usage of other components—so that the total power usage of the computing device falls within the projected total power consumption needed to satisfy the power consumption policy. How the user is currently utilizing the computing device may be periodically detected, based at least on a power consumption distribution of the components of the computing device. A current usage model is determined based on how the user is currently utilizing the computing device. The power usage of each component of the computing device is controlled based on the current usage model.

Abstract: A touch panel that improves operability for users is provided. The touch panel monitors and calibrates operation positions made by a user on a display screen is provided, including a mark display part that displays marks indicating operation target positions on the display screen such that the densities of the marks in the main scanning line direction or sub-scanning line direction are different in response to positions of the directions; an operation position reader part that reads operation positions on the touch panel by the user; a relative position acquisition part that obtains relative positions of the operation positions from the mark made by the user relative to a display position of the mark; and a calibration part that calibrates the position of a new operation by the user different from an operation applied to the mark based on the relative positions.

Abstract: A method for is disclosed. A boot block that contains a first public key is activated and a system Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) that contains a second public key and a first digital signature is verified, the verifying being performed by confirming that the first and second public keys match. In response to a determination that the first and second public keys match, the BIOS is activated and a system image is loaded to a real device. The system image is verified by confirming that the first digital signature that is stored in the system BIOS matches a second digital signature that is stored in a mass storage device. In response to the first and second digital signatures matching, a virtual mass storage device is created. Control of the virtual mass storage device is transferred to a boot strap code in an operating system image and the operating system image is booted from the virtual mass storage device.

Abstract: Devices, compilers and methods to reduce energy consumption associated with execution of a program by adjusting a computational capability of a CPU with higher accuracy than before. A device sets an appropriate computational capability to the CPU. It includes: changing a computational capability of the CPU every time each of a plurality of program areas included in the execution program is executed while the execution program is being executed, and measuring execution time each of the program areas; deciding an optimal computational capability required to execute the program area using the CPU, based on the execution time for each of the computational capabilities measured for the respective program areas; and performing setting of the optimal computational capability for executing the program area, which is to be used when executing the program area again in the course of executing the execution program, for each of the program areas.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a storage device having an access-restricted area accessible if the password is properly authenticated and an access-unrestricted area accessible regardless of whether or not the password is authenticated. The information processing apparatus allows a password to be registered in a registration server beforehand, prompts a user to enter the password when accessing the access-restricted area and, if the password is not entered, reads from the access-unrestricted area a password retrieval program for retrieving the password from the registration server, activates and executes the password retrieval program to retrieve the password from the registration server, and causes the storage device to authenticate the retrieved password to place the access-restricted area in an accessible state.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method of detecting, within a predetermined time period after an input of a first coordinate, an input of a second coordinate being apart a predetermined distance or more from a first coordinate, or detecting, within a predetermined time period after an input of the first coordinate, an input of the second coordinate being apart a predetermined distance or more from the first coordinate and the following input of a third coordinate near the first coordinate, whereby a first processing in accordance with the first coordinate or a second processing in accordance with the first coordinate is performed depending on the detected result.

Abstract: An information processor having a plurality of operating modes differing in power consumption and capable of changing the operating mode according to the amount of processing has periodic switching detection means of performing detection as to whether the information processor is periodically switching from a low-power-consumption operating mode in which the power consumption is lower to a high-power-consumption operating mode in which the power consumption is higher in the plurality of operating modes, and operating mode changing means of changing the operating modes between which the information processor switches to a combination of the operating modes such that the difference between the power consumptions is reduced relative to that at the time of switching between the low-power-consumption operating mode and the high-power-consumption operating mode if the switching cycle detected by the periodic switching detection means is shorter than a set cycle determined in advance.

Abstract: An information processor having a normal-operation mode in which coherence control is performed for making data in a cache memory of a processor identical to data in a main memory and a power-saving mode in which the coherence control is suppressed to lower the power consumption from power consumption in the normal-operation mode and entering the normal-operation mode when an input/output device accesses the main memory in the power-saving mode includes an attribute setting module for setting a device area of the main memory, accessed by the input/output device of the information processor to a non-cacheable attribute for exempting said device area from said coherence control even in the normal-operation mode; an operation mode setting module for allowing the input/output device to access the device area while keeping the operation mode of the information processor in the power-saving mode when the input/output device requests access to the device area in the power-saving mode.

Abstract: Provided is a method for automatically selecting a screen saver to display on a display device when no input has been made by a user of an information processing apparatus for a predetermined period of time. The selection may depend of any of several environmental factors of the apparatus, including; the power source, the location, the communication status or the types of devices attached to the apparatus.

Abstract: A computer apparatus provides control for automatically switching the apparatus between various operating modes requiring varying levels of power consumption. An embedded controller determines whether or not the computer apparatus is in motion (vibration, acceleration, rotation, etc.) on the basis of acceleration information obtained through an accelerometer provided in the computer apparatus. If the computer apparatus is in motion, the embedded controller provides control so as to prevent switching between system operating modes in order to protect certain components of the apparatus from damage which might be caused by switching operating modes while in motion.

Abstract: A computer system requiring input of a password on startup has an on-screen keyboard generation division for displaying an on-screen keyboard having a predetermined key layout on a touch panel, a keyboard type determination division for determining the key layout of the on-screen keyboard displayed on this touch panel, and a password checking division for processing a password inputted by pointing to the on-screen keyboard displayed on this touch panel. The key layout displayed on the touch panel is determined by a user pressing a particular key on a mechanical keyboard, which identifies which layout is to be displayed on the touch panel.

Abstract: The method for controlling a computer that notifies an operating system of a request event corresponding to a device event from hardware. A device event may be generated, for example by a user operating a keyboard or mouse connected to the computer. That is, the device event occurs when a certain event is provided to the hardware of the computer. A request event causes a process corresponding to the device event to be performed under the control of an operating system. Then a response event from the operating system caused by the notification of the request event is accepted and a process event corresponding to the accepted response event is output to the hardware.

Abstract: An information processor includes a power-saver which switches a display memory to a power-saving state that causes image data to be lost and restores the display memory from the power-saving state. A storage area stores a predetermined activation condition and an activation routine mechanism activates a predetermined routine when the activation condition is satisfied. A routine termination mechanism ends the routine and an image data re-creation mechanism executes re-creation of the image data on the display memory when the routine is terminated. Provided are: an activation condition rewriting mechanism which rewrites the activation condition stored in the storage area so that the routine is activated when the display memory is switched to or restored from the power-saving state; and an activation condition restoration mechanism which restores the rewritten activation condition to the original condition after the routine is activated.

Abstract: There is provided an information processor including a central processing unit that includes an instruction execution module and has a normal mode for operating the instruction execution module and an execution halt mode for halting the instruction execution module.

Abstract: An information processor having a plurality of operating modes differing in power consumption and capable of changing the operating mode according to the amount of processing has periodic switching detection means of performing detection as to whether the information processor is periodically switching from a low-power-consumption operating mode in which the power consumption is lower to a high-power-consumption operating mode in which the power consumption is higher in the plurality of operating modes, and operating mode changing means of changing the operating modes between which the information processor switches to a combination of the operating modes such that the difference between the power consumptions is reduced relative to that at the time of switching between the low-power-consumption operating mode and the high-power-consumption operating mode if the switching cycle detected by the periodic switching detection means is shorter than a set cycle determined in advance.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for enabling screen brightness of a display unit to be adjusted automatically according to display brightness, thereby improving the visibility of the display screen to a viewing user. A brightness adjusting system including a gray scale gradation evaluator 20 for calculating the display brightness in a certain window displayed on the screen of a display-unit and a display controller 30 for controlling the screen brightness of the display unit according to the display brightness in the certain window, calculated by the gray scale gradation evaluator 20, is provided for.

Abstract: A robust information processing apparatus that prevents damage to an executable program for an OS due to an unintended operation by a user is provided. The apparatus includes an external storage device having a normal partition that can be referred to by a user and a hidden partition storing an executable program for an operating system and hidden from the user, a reading portion that reads the executable program for the operating system from the hidden partition to a main storage unit, and an execution portion that executes the operating system read into the main storage unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for enabling screen brightness of a display unit to be adjusted automatically according to display brightness, thereby improving the visibility of the display screen to a viewing user. A brightness adjusting system including a gray scale gradation evaluator 20 for calculating the display brightness in a certain window displayed on the screen of a display unit and a display controller 30 for controlling the screen brightness of the display unit according to the display brightness in the certain window, calculated by the gray scale gradation evaluator 20, is provided for.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for enabling screen brightness of a display unit to be adjusted automatically according to display brightness, thereby improving the visibility of the display screen to a viewing user. A brightness adjusting system including a gray scale gradation evaluator 20 for calculating the display brightness in a certain window displayed on the screen of a display unit and a display controller 30 for controlling the screen brightness of the display unit according to the display brightness in the certain window, calculated by the gray scale gradation evaluator 20, is provided for.

Abstract: An expansion unit control method for use with an expansion control unit containing at least one device, includes allocating a predetermined input/output (I/O) resource, ensured not to be used in processing, to the at least one device as an I/O resource used for sending and receiving information, performing a predetermined process for the at least one device by sending and receiving information to and from the at least one device through the predetermined I/O resource, and deallocating the predetermined I/O resource allocated to the at least one device.