System for managing power of a computer with removable devices

For a system having at least one PCMCIA socket capable of accepting a PCMCIA device, wherein a device removal signal is normally generated in response to removing the PCMCIA device from the PCMCIA socket and a device insertion signal is normally generated in response to inserting the PCMCIA device into the PCMCIA socket, a method for managing electrical power distributed to the PCMCIA device, comprising the steps of:

• sending the device removal signal to a controller of the PCMCIA socket in response to a first power management event and while the PCMCIA device is installed with the PCMCIA socket, the device removal signal providing an indication that power will be removed from the PCMCIA device;
• sending a removal advisory signal from the controller to a device driver for the PCMCIA device in response to the device removal signal, the device driver responsive to the removal advisory signal to preserve device configuration information for the PCMCIA device;
• terminating electrical power to the PCMCIA device in response to the first power management event, by breaking a signal path between the socket and the controller, wherein the PCMCIA device loses its device configuration in response to power termination;
• sending the device insertion signal to the controller of the PCMCIA socket in response to a second power management event and while the PCMCIA device remains installed with the PCMCIA socket, the device insertion signal providing an indication that power will be applied to the PCMCIA device;
• applying electrical power to the PCMCIA device in response to the second power management event;
• sending an insertion advisory signal from the controller to the device driver for the PCMCIA device in response to the device insertion signal;
• configuring the PCMCIA device by supplying the device configuration information to the PCMCIA device in response to the insertion advisory signal and after electrical power is applied to the PCMCIA device.

A power management system for a computer-controlled device, comprising

• at least one PCMCIA socket capable of accepting a PCMCIA device, wherein a device removal signal is normally generated by at least one card detect line in response to removing the PCMCIA device from the PCMCIA socket and a device insertion signal is normally generated by the at least one card detect line in response to inserting the PCMCIA device into the PCMCIA socket;
• a controller, for controlling operations by the PCMCIA device;
• a device driver for configuring the PCMCIA device for operation with the computer-controlled device;
• a switching device, coupled between the controller and the socket, responsive to a first power management event, generated by a power management module, to enter an open state and to disconnect the socket from the controller even while the PCMCIA device is installed within the PCMCIA socket, thereby sending the device removal signal to the controller and providing an indication that power will be removed from the PCMCIA device,
• the switching device, responsive to a second power management event, generated by the power management module, to enter the normally closed state and to connect the socket to the controller while the PCMCIA device is installed within the PCMCIA socket, thereby sending the device insertion signal to the controller and providing an indication that power will be distributed to the PCMCIA device;
• the controller operative to (1) send a removal advisory signal to the device driver in response to the device removal signal and (2) to send an insertion advisory signal to the device driver in response to the device insertion signal;
• the device driver operative to save the device configuration information for the PCMCIA device in response to the removal advisory signal and to configure the PCMCIA device by supplying the device configuration information to the PCMCIA device in response to the insertion advisory signal.

An improvement for a power management system of a computer-controlled device comprising at least one PCMCIA socket capable of accepting a PCMCIA device, wherein a device removal signal is normally generated by at least one card detect line in response to removing the PCMCIA device from the PCMCIA socket and a device insertion signal is normally generated by the at least one card detect line in response to inserting the PCMCIA device into the PCMCIA socket, a controller for controlling operations by the PCMCIA device, and a device driver for configuring the PCMCIA device for operation with the computer-controlled device, the controller operative to send a removal advisory signal to the device driver in response to the device removal signal and to send an insertion advisory signal to the device driver device in response to the device insertion signal, the device driver operative to save the device configuration information for the PCMCIA device in response to the removal advisory signal and to configure the PCMCIA device by supplying the device configuration information to the PCMCIA device in response to the insertion advisory signal the improvement comprising:

• a switch, coupled between the controller and the socket, responsive to a first power management event, generated by a power management module, to enter an open state and to disconnect the socket from the controller even while the PCMCIA device is installed with the PCMCIA socket, thereby sending the device removal signal to the controller and causing the device driver to save the device configuration for the PCMCIA device prior to removal of power from the PCMCIA device;
• the switch, responsive to a second power management event, generated by the power management module, to enter a closed state and to connect the socket to the controller while the PCMCIA device is installed with the PCMCIA socket, thereby sending the device insertion signal to the controller and causing the device driver to configure the PCMCIA device based on the stored device configuration after power is provided to the PCMCIA device.