Suspension state control for information processing devices such as battery powered computers

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a battery for supplying power to a device that requires power;
• first storage means, for retaining data in a power supplied state, that includes expanded memory areas that are acquired by dividing available space into a plurality of blocks and an expanded memory system that has a plurality of page frames that are assigned to said plurality of blocks, and that further includes expanded memory management means for managing correspondence between said plurality of blocks of said expanded memory areas and said plurality of page frames of said expanded memory system;
• second storage means for retaining data in a non-power supplied state and in the power supplied state;
• transfer means for transferring the data stored in said first storage means to said second storage means while power is supplied;
• remaining power detection means for detecting a remaining power of said battery;
• and
• power supply halting means for, when said remaining power detection means determines that said remaining power level of said battery is lower than a first predetermined reference value, halting a supply of power to the device upon completion of the transfer of the data by said transfer means.

An information processing apparatus, which retains suspension data indicating a state in use immediately before said information processing apparatus is powered off, comprising:

• power supply means for supplying power;
• volatile storage means for storing data in a power supplied state;
• non-volatile storage means for storing data in a non-power supplied state and in the power supplied state;
• 0 V suspension means for storing the suspension data in said non-volatile storage means and for performing a 0 V suspension process by which are turned off all power sources of said information processing apparatus;
• active suspension means for storing the suspension data in said volatile storage means and for performing an active suspension process by which are turned off power sources of said information processing apparatus, excluding a power source that supplies power to said volatile storage means;
• and
• selection means for selecting said 0 V suspension process when a voltage level of the power supplied by said power supply means is lower than a predetermined value, and for selecting said active suspension process when said voltage level is higher than said predetermined level.

An information processing method comprising the steps of:

• supplying power, by means of a battery, to a device that requires power;
• retaining, in a first storage means, data in a power supplied state;
• retaining, in a second storage means, data in a non-power supplied state and in the power supplied state;
• transferring the data stored in the first storage means to the second storage means while power is supplied;
• predicting a processing time required to perform said transferring step;
• predicting a power characteristic for the second storage means;
• detecting a remaining power level for the battery, that uses a reference value setting means for setting a first predetermined value in accordance with results obtained in said predicting steps;
• and
• when it is detected in said remaining power detecting step that the remaining power level for the battery is lower than a first predetermined reference value, halting a supply of power to the device upon completion of the transfer of the data.

An information processing method comprising the steps of:

• supplying power, using a battery, to a device that requires power;
• retaining data in a power supplied state, the data being retained in a first storage means that includes expanded memory areas that are acquired by dividing available space into a plurality of blocks and an expanded memory system that has a plurality of page frames that are assigned to said plurality of blocks, and that further includes expanded memory management means for managing correspondence between the plurality of blocks of the expanded memory areas and the plurality of page frames of the expanded memory system;
• retaining, in a second storage means, data in a non-power supplied state and in the power supplied state;
• transferring the data stored in the first storage means to the second storage means while power is supplied;
• detecting a remaining power level of the battery;
• and
• when it is determined in said detecting step that the remaining power level of the battery is lower than a first predetermined reference value, halting a supply of power to the device upon completion of the transfer of the data.

An information processing method which retains suspension data indicating a state in use immediately before an apparatus in which said information processing method is performed, is powered off, comprising the steps of:

• supplying power;
• storing, in a volatile storage means, data in a power supplied state;
• storing, in a non-volatile storage means, data in a non-power supplied state and in the power supplied state;
• storing the suspension data in the non-volatile storage means and performing a 0 V suspension process by which are turned off all power sources of the information processing apparatus;
• storing the suspension data in the volatile storage means and performing an active suspension process by which are turned off power sources of the information processing apparatus, excluding a power source that supplies power to the volatile storage means;
• and
• selecting said 0 V suspension process when a voltage level of the power supplied in said power supplying step is lower than a predetermined value, and selecting said active suspension process when the voltage level is higher than said predetermined level.