Method and apparatus for selectively invoking a particular interrupt service routine for a particular interrupt request

In a computer system, a circuit comprising:

• an interrupt request input;
• a first storage device to store an interrupt selection bit, the interrupt selection bit being programmable to generate an interrupt request signal in response to a power management interrupt request, the generated interrupt request signal being one of a system management interrupt (SMI) request signal corresponding to a SMI service routine and at least one operating system (OS) interrupt request signal corresponding to an OS service routine depending on the programming of the interrupt selection bit;
• and
• a second storage device to store said plurality of interrupt service routines.

In a computer system, a method for selectively invoking an interrupt service routine, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a particular type of power management interrupt request on an interrupt request line;
• reading a data value stored in a programmable data store corresponding to the particular power management interrupt request type;
• and
• invoking an interrupt service routine indicated by said data value to service said power management interrupt request, wherein when said data value is a first value said interrupt service routine is a system management interrupt (SMI) service routine and when said data value is a second value, said interrupt service routine is an operating system service routine.

A computer system comprising:

• a bus;
• a processor coupled to said bus;
• an input/output component having a first output;
• and
• interrupt request steering logic including:
• a first interrupt request input coupled to said input/output component to receive power management interrupt requests of a plurality of types including a first power management interrupt request type and a second sower management interrupt request type,
• at least one programmable register bit associated with said first power management interrupt request type corresponding to a system management interrupt service routine and a second programmable register bit corresponding to an operating system service routine, and
• interrupt selection logic having a first input coupled to said interrupt request input, a second input coupled to said at least one programmable register bit, and an output, said output being selectively coupled to assert on said bus a first interrupt of said plurality of interrupts in response to said interrupt request input receiving a power management interrupt request of said first type, and a value programmed in said at least one programmable bit.

A circuit for selectively outputting an interrupt signal, said circuit comprising:

• an interrupt request input;
• a programmable register for storing at least one programmable interrupt selection bit;
• and
• an interrupt steering logic circuit which outputs an interrupt request signal, the interrupt steering logic circuit using the interrupt request input and the at least one interrupt selection bit to select the interrupt request signal, said interrupt steering logic selecting from a group including at least one operating system interrupt request signal and a system management interrupt request signal.