# US 2010/0250983 A1 · Power saving control system

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- Number: US 2010/0250983 A1
- Document ID: US20100250983A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/430,135
- Filed: 2009-04-27
- Published: 2010-09-30
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-30
- Assignees: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.; Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: DAO-WEI WANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100250983A1

## CPC

- G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
- G06F 1/325: {Power saving in peripheral device}
- G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
- 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

A power saving control system includes a power supply, a voltage conversion unit, an electrical switch, a control chip having a general programmable input output (GPIO) pin and a basic input system (BIOS) chip. The power supply is configured for supplying a voltage. The voltage conversion unit is connected to the power supply to receive the voltage and configured for converting the voltage into a working voltage of an electronic element, and outputting the working voltage. The electrical switch is connected between the voltage conversion unit and an input terminal of the electronic element. The control chip is connected to the electrical switch. The BIOS chip is connected to the control chip to control the electrical switch to be turned on or off via controlling an output value of the GPIO pin of the control chip to control the electrical element to work.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power saving control system for selectively controlling power to an electronic element of a computer to save power when not needed, the power saving system comprising:
a power supply configured for supplying a voltage;
a voltage conversion unit connected to the power supply to receive the voltage supplied by the power supply and configured for converting the voltage into a working voltage of the electronic element, and outputting the working voltage;
an electrical switch connected between the voltage conversion unit and a voltage input terminal of the electronic element;
a control chip having a general programmable input output (GPIO) pin connected to the electrical switch; and
a basic input output system (BIOS) chip connected to the control chip to control the electrical switch to be turned on or off via controlling an output value of the GPIO pin of the control chip, which determines whether the electronic element should receive the working voltage output by the voltage conversion unit, to control the electrical element to work.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power saving control system of claim 1, wherein the control chip is a south bridge chip or a super input/output chip.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power saving control system of claim 1, wherein the electrical switch is a P-typed field-effect transistor (FET), the gate of the FET is connected to the GPIO pin of the control chip, the source of the FET is connected to the voltage conversion unit, the drain of the FET is connected to the voltage input terminal of the electronic element.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The power saving control system of claim 3, wherein the power supply unit comprises a voltage source, the voltage conversion unit is a voltage conversion chip, the voltage conversion chip comprises an input pin, an adjusting pin and an output pin, the input pin of the voltage conversion chip is connected to the voltage source of the power supply, the adjusting pin is grounded, the output pin of the voltage conversion chip is connected to the source of the FET.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power saving control system of claim 1, wherein the electronic element is a functional chip.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The power saving control system of claim 5, wherein the functional chip is a display card.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The power saving control system of claim 1, wherein the BIOS chip controls the GPIO pin to outputs a low level signals or a high level signal via setting the BIOS chip through a BIOS interface of the computer, an output value of the GPIO pin is set to high level to save energy when the chip is not needed, or set to low level when the chip is needed, to turn off or on the electrical switch.

### Claim 8

A method of a power saving control system for controlling an electronic element to work, comprising:
providing a power supply for supplying a voltage;
providing a voltage conversion unit for receiving the voltage supplied by the power supply and converting the voltage into a working voltage of the electronic element, and outputting the working voltage;
providing an electrical switch for connecting the voltage conversion and a voltage input terminal of the electronic element;
providing a control chip having a general programmable input output (GPIO) pin for connecting to the electrical switch;
providing a basic input output system (BIOS) chip for connecting to the control chip;
setting the BIOS chip through a BIOS interface of a computer and setting an output value of the GPIO pin;
saving the output value set in the BIOS interface and restarting the computer;
controlling the GPIO pin to output a signal corresponding to the set output value to turn on or off the electrical switch; and
receiving the working voltage output by the voltage conversion unit via the electrical switch in response to the electrical switch is turned on, failing to receiving the working voltage output by the voltage conversion unit owing to the electrical switch is turned off.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the control chip is a south bridge chip or a super input/output chip.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the electrical switch is a P-typed field-effect transistor (FET), a gate of the FET is connected to the GPIO pin of the control chip, a source of the FET is connected to the voltage conversion unit, a drain of the FET is connected to a voltage input terminal of the electronic element.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the power supply unit comprises a voltage source, the voltage conversion unit is a voltage conversion chip, the voltage conversion chip comprises an input pin, an adjusting pin and an output pin, the input pin of the voltage conversion chip is connected to the voltage source of the power supply, the adjusting pin is grounded, the output pin of the voltage conversion chip is connected to the source of the FET.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic element is a functional chip.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the functional chip is a display card.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the output value of the GPIO pin is set to high level to save energy when the electronic element is not needed, or set to low level when the electronic element is needed, to turn off or on the electrical switch.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic element is capable of working in response to receiving the working voltage output by the voltage conversion unit, the electronic element stops working in response to not receiving the working voltage output by the voltage conversion unit.