# US 12,117,880 B2 · Information processing apparatus and control method

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- Number: US 12,117,880 B2
- Document ID: US12117880B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/895,429
- Filed: 2022-08-25
- Published: 2023-04-06
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-04
- Assignees: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
- Applicants: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
- Inventors: Atsunobu Nakamura; Akinori Uchino; Hiroki Oda; Tomoki Maruichi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12117880B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/206: {comprising thermal management}
- G06F 1/28: Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
- G06F 1/3215: Monitoring of peripheral devices
- G06F 1/3228: Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
- G06F 1/324: by lowering clock frequency
- G06F 1/3293: by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
- G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
- G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

An information processing apparatus and an information processing method capable of fulfilling an image processing function expected in a selected power control mode are provided. The information processing apparatus includes a first processor, a second processor, and a power control unit that determines one power control mode from among a plurality of stages of power control modes different in rated power, and controls power consumption of the first processor and the second processor in the determined power control mode, wherein the power control unit stops an operation of the second processor in response to the determined power control mode being a low power control mode which is a power control mode with the rated power lower than predetermined rated power.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information processing apparatus comprising:
a first processor;
a second processor; and
a microcomputer that:
determines one power control mode from among a plurality of stages of power control modes different in rated power,
controls power consumption of the first processor and the second processor in the determined power control mode,
in response to the determined power control mode being a low-power control mode, stops an operation of the second processor,
stores startup application information indicative of an application program that has been started,
sets image processing setting information that indicates the first processor as a processor to execute image processing of an application program indicated by the startup application information in response to the determined power control mode being the low-power control mode, and
erases the image processing setting information in response to the high-power control mode being instructed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer:
sets, as user-designated image processing setting information, image processing setting information indicative of a processor to execute image processing of an application program instructed by a user operation, and
maintains the user-designated image processing setting information in response to the high-power control mode being instructed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the microcomputer stores user designation information indicative of an application program for which the user-designated image processing setting information has been set.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer causes image processing of an application program for which startup has been instructed to be executed by a processor instructed by the image processing setting information pertaining to the application program.

### Claim 5

A control method for an information processing apparatus including a first processor and a second processor, the control method causing the information processing apparatus to execute:
determining one power control mode from among a plurality of stages of power control modes different in rated power;
controlling power consumption of the first processor and the second processor in the determined power control mode;
stopping an operation of the second processor in response to the one power control mode being a low power control mode which is a power control mode with the rated power lower than predetermined rated power;
storing startup application information indicative of an application program that has been started;
setting image processing setting information that indicates the first processor as a processor to execute image processing of an application program indicated by the startup application information in response to the determined power control mode being the low-power control mode; and
erasing the image processing setting information in response to the high-power control mode being instructed.