Low-power gpu states for reducing power consumption
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsIan C. Hendry, Rajabali M. Koduri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that drives a display from a computer system. During operation, the system detects an idle state in a first graphics-processing unit (GPU) used to drive the display. During the idle state, the system switches from using the first GPU to using a second GPU to drive the display and places the first GPU into a low-power state, wherein the low-power state reduces a power consumption of the computer system.
Claims22
A method for driving a display in a computer, comprising:
- driving the display with a first graphics-processing unit (GPU);
- switching from using the first GPU to drive the display to using a second GPU to drive the display;
- and
- transitioning the first GPU into a low-power state, wherein transitioning the first GPU into the low-power state comprises powering off the first GPU and an interface with the first GPU, and maintaining power to video memory of the first GPU.
A computer system that drives a display, comprising:
- the display;
- a first GPU;
- a second GPU;
- and
- a switching mechanism that performs operations for:
- switching from using the first GPU to drive the display to using the second GPU to drive the display;
- and
- transitioning the first GPU into a low-power state, wherein transitioning the first GPU into the low-power state comprises powering off the first GPU and an interface with the first GPU, and maintaining power to video memory of the first GPU.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for driving a display in the computer, the method comprising:
- driving a display with a first GPU;
- switching from using the first GPU to drive the display to using a second GPU to drive the display;
- and
- transitioning the first GPU into a low-power state, wherein transitioning the first GPU into the low-power state comprises powering off the first GPU and an interface with the first GPU, and maintaining power to video memory of the first GPU.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.