Abstract: A computer system firmware is provided that includes functionality for using a system management mode (SMM) to efficiently boot to a secondary operating system prior to booting to a primary operating system. The SMM is utilized to store data describing the state of the computer system at a point just prior to booting the secondary operating system. This data is used following execution of the secondary operating system to restore the system to the same state that it was in prior to executing the secondary operating system. Execution can then be continued at a location just following the location at which the secondary operating system was booted in order to execute a primary operating system.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a bus, a control circuit connected to the bus, a first circuit connected to the bus and configured to operate under control of the control circuit, a power source, a switch element connected between the first circuit and the power source, and a second circuit connected between the bus and the first circuit, the second circuit configured to cause the switch element to enter an on-state in response to a first signal transmitted from the control circuit to the first circuit through the bus.

Abstract: A network switch can be configured using a boot loader after a reset of a controller within the network switch. The boot loader configures switching logic within the network switch prior to an operating system becoming operational. By allowing the boot loader to configure the switching logic, the network switch can become operational as fast as possible.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to device-agnostic power monitoring and profiling. A target device may be supplied with power through a power monitor that may generate power data based on the power provided to the target device and also transmit the power data. A diagnostic module in the target device may receive the power data and operational data regarding the target device. The diagnostic module may transmit at least one of the power data or the operational data to another device for processing, or may undertake processing the power and operational data. Processing the power and operational data may include generating relevant data by parsing the power and operational data and may then correlate the relevant power data with the relevant operational data. At least the correlated data may then be presented by the target device, may be made available via the Internet and/or may be transmitted to another device.

Abstract: Methods for returning a computing system to a previous state are provided. In one aspect, a method includes loading a second system state of a second operating system partition, and receiving a request to return to a first system state of a first operating system partition while operating in a second system state of the second operating system partition. The method also includes loading the first system state of the first operating system partition. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus, system and method are described for managing one or more solar cells for a mobile computing device. An apparatus may comprise, for example, a power management module operative to manage a power output received from a plurality of solar cells and an interface management module operative to identify one or more solar cells having a lower power output than other solar cells and to adjust one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements based on the identification. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A voltage regulator includes an integrated circuit, a first power supply circuit, and a second power supply circuit. The integrated circuit includes a first core through which passage of current is continued in a power-saving mode, and a second core through which passage of current is halted in the power-saving mode. A determination unit determines whether operational status of the second core is a predetermined state that increases consumed current of the second core. A detecting unit detects a second DC voltage output from the second power supply circuit when the determination unit determines the operational status of the second core to be the predetermined state. A voltage adjusting unit adjusts the second DC voltage such that difference in voltage between the detected second DC voltage and a required voltage of the second core is equal to or less than a predetermined specified voltage difference.

Abstract: A processing system with multiple processors is switchable between two modes of operation dynamically: symmetrical multi-processing (SMP) and asymmetrical multi-processing (ASMP). The system uses certain criteria to determine when to switch to improve the power consumption or performance. A controller enables control and fast-switching between the two modes. Upon receipt of a switching command to switch between SMP and ASMP, a series or sequence of actions are performed to control voltage supplies and CPU/memory clocks to the multiple processors and cache memory.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a physical device (e.g., packet switching device, computer, server) is booted using custom-created frozen partially-booted virtual machines, avoiding the time required for an end-to-end boot process. In one embodiment while the system is operating under a current version, a partially-booted virtual image of a new operating version for each of multiple processing elements of the device is produced according to static configuration information specific to the device, with each of these partially-booted virtual machines frozen. The device is rebooted to a fully operational device by unfreezing these partially-booted virtual machines, thus removing this portion of a boot process from the real-time booting of the device. The generation of the frozen partially-booted virtual machines is advantageously performed by the device itself based on current static configuration information and the availability of the specific hardware configuration of the device.

Abstract: The user of a portable device defines the charging direction when two devices with bi-directional power transfers interfaces are interconnected. The device detects a gesture of the user and starts the power transfer to the defined direction. The user may also define the amount of charge to be transferred by the same gesture. The portable device may be operational for a longer period as long as there is another device sharing the battery charge. Embodiments of portable devices include smartphones, speakers, tablets, watches or other wearable devices.

Abstract: A system comprising a plurality of self-powered devices and at least one remote device. The plurality of self-powered devices may be configured to (i) perform one or more tasks and (ii) select one of a plurality of modes of operation. The remote device may be configured to (a) determine scheduling data for one or more activities based on a resource capacity of the self-powered devices and (b) communicate with the self-powered devices. The activities may comprise one or more of the tasks. The self-powered devices may determine a computational cost of performing the tasks.

Abstract: Pacing of a producer, operating in a producer clock domain, may be based on at least one heuristic of a credit wire that is used to return credits to the producer. The returned credits may indicate that a consumer, operating in a consumer clock domain, has consumed data produced by the producer. The at least one heuristic may be a rate at which the credits are returned to the producer. Pacing the producer based on the rate at which the credits are returned to the producer may reduce latency of the data, flowing from the producer clock domain to the consumer clock domain, by minimizing an average number of entries in use in a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) operating in a pipeline between the producer and the consumer.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing a core voltage level of a portable computing device (“PCD”) and enhancing frequency performance of individual subcomponents are disclosed. A plurality of voltage values is determined for a plurality of subcomponents within the PCD. Next, a reduced set of voltage values may be calculated with a voltage aggregator based on the plurality of voltage values. An optimized voltage level for a shared power domain may then be determined by a voltage optimizer within the PCD from the reduced set of voltage values. A shared power domain may then be set to the optimized voltage level. Subsequently, an operating frequency of each subcomponent may be optimized with a frequency performance enhancer based on the optimized voltage level. An optimal power collapse duration may also be calculated by the frequency performance enhancer and set for each subcomponent from the optimal frequency.

Abstract: In some implementations, network interface controller (NIC) configuration information can be obtained from a NIC prior to booting up an operating system. For example, a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) can obtain the NIC configuration information from the NIC during the execution of a system check (e.g., Power-On Self-Test). A system controller can receive the NIC configuration information from the BIOS. The system controller can store the NIC configuration information in memory associated with the system controller. A management system can request the NIC configuration information from the system controller using an out-of-band communication channel. For example, the management system can send the request for NIC configuration information to the system controller prior to powering on a server using a dedicated network interface of the system controller.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes an input unit to receive an input of DC power from an external adaptor, a battery unit to store the received DC power, a first control unit to drive the electronic apparatus using power of the battery unit or power received from the input unit in a first operation mode, and to drive the electronic apparatus using both the power of the battery unit and the power input from the input unit in a second operation mode, and a power control unit to prevent a mode of the electronic apparatus from being changed to the second operation mode according to a state of the battery unit.

Abstract: A power state management system of an electronic system is coupled to a plug load device and a method for operation of the same. The system includes a context clock to adjust a duty cycle of the electronic system for controlling the power states of the electronic system for more efficient use of electricity. The context clock is responsive to user input, multiple event driven activities or an external protocol determined policy or command. Interface circuitry communicates user input, multiple event driven activities or an external protocol determined policy or command to the context clock. Interface circuitry also communicates commands to the managed plug load device or devices.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein improve availability of a power plane in a network device by using a PoE manager that is separate from an operating system in the network device. For example, when the operating system (or a PoE application executing in the operating system) becomes unavailable, either because of failure or system upgrade, the PoE manager continues managing a power plane in the network device such that connected PDs continue to receive DC power. Stated differently, by using a PoE manager that is separate from the operating system, there is no fate sharing between the PoE manager and the operating system. If the operating system is unavailable, the PoE manager continues to provide the same power allotment to the PDs. As such, updates and failures which previously made the power plane unavailable no longer affect the power supplied to the PDs.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus operable in a first power state and a second power state includes a noncontact communication unit configured to be driven by power of a radio wave from a mobile terminal and to communicate with the terminal, a storage unit configured to store data necessary for authentication, which the noncontact communication unit has received from the terminal in the second power state, a control unit configured to recover, when the noncontact communication unit receives data from the terminal in the second power state, the information processing apparatus from the second power state to the first power state, and a transmission unit configured to transmit, after the information processing apparatus has been recovered to the first power state by the control of the control unit, the data necessary for authentication stored in the storage unit to an authentication unit.

Abstract: A data processing device is described comprising a first clock generator configured to generate a first clock signal with a first frequency; a second clock generator configured to generate a second clock signal with a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is higher than the first frequency; and a processing circuit configured to sample a clock cycle number of the second clock signal at a plurality of sample times given by the first clock signal and determine a relationship between the first frequency and the second frequency based on a minimization of a measure of a deviation of the sampled clock cycle numbers from the clock cycle numbers of the second clock signal at the plurality of sample times expected according to the determined relationship.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a power supplying method, a power supplying system, and an electronic device to address the technical problems in the related art that the structure of an electronic device is complex, thereby achieving the technical effect that the internal structure of an electronic device is simplified and the cost for manufacturing the electronic device is reduced.