Method and apparatus for reducing power consumption in a digital processing system

A method of controlling power consumption in a digital processing system having a volatile random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile memory, said method comprising:

• using said non-volatile memory as a virtual memory for said volatile RAM;
• determining a selection of a reduced power consumption state;
• storing, in response to said selection, data from said volatile RAM to said non-volatile memory, wherein said storing determines whether to store said data to said non-volatile memory by determining if first data previously stored as virtual memory in said non-volatile memory is valid relative to corresponding data in said volatile RAM after said selection;
• reducing power to at least one element of said digital processing system after said storing;
• increasing power to said at least one element after said storing in response to a selection of an increased power consumption state;
• and
• determining, in response to said selection of said increased power consumption state, whether a hardware change to said digital processing system has occurred.

A method of controlling power consumption in a digital processing system having a volatile random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile memory, said method comprising:

• using said non-volatile memory as a virtual memory for said volatile RAM;
• determining a selection of a reduced power consumption state;
• storing, in response to said selection, first data from said volatile RAM to said non-volatile memory in order to save a first operating state of said digital processing system;
• reducing power to at least one element of said digital processing system after said storing;
• increasing power to said at least one element after said storing in response to a selection of an increased power consumption state;
• and
• determining, in response to said selection of said increased power consumption state, whether said first operating state of said digital processing system can be obtained from said first data stored on said non-volatile memory, said determining including checking for a looping condition in which said digital processing system attempts more than once to achieve said first operating state from said first data.

A computer readable media storing executable computer program instructions which when executed on a digital processing system cause said digital processing system, which has a volatile random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile memory, to perform a method comprising:

• using said non-volatile memory as a virtual memory for said volatile RAM;
• determining a selection of a reduced power consumption state;
• storing, in response to said selection and through a virtual memory process, data from said volatile RAM to said non-volatile memory;
• reducing power to at least one element of said data processing system after said storing, wherein said storing comprises determining whether to store said data to said non-volatile memory by determining if first data previously stored as virtual memory in said non-volatile memory is valid (not dirty) after said selection.

A computer readable media storing executable computer program instructions which when executed on a digital processing system cause said digital processing system, which has a volatile random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile memory, to perform a method comprising:

• using said non-volatile memory as a virtual memory for said volatile RAM;
• determining a selection of a reduced power consumption state;
• storing, in response to said selection, data from said volatile RAM to said non-volatile memory, wherein said storing determines whether to store said data to said non-volatile memory by determining if first data previously stored as virtual memory in said non-volatile memory is valid relative to corresponding data in said volatile RAM after said selection;
• reducing power to at least one element of said digital processing system after said storing;
• increasing power to said at least one element after said storing in response to a selection of an increased power consumption state;
• and
• determining, in response to said selection of said increased power consumption state, whether hardware change to said digital processing system has occurred.

A computer readable media storing executable computer program instructions which when executed on a digital processing system cause said digital processing system, which has a volatile random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile memory, to perform a method comprising:

• using said non-volatile memory as a virtual memory for said volatile RAM;
• determining a selection of a reduced power consumption state;
• storing, in response to said selection, first data from said volatile RAM to said non-volatile memory in order to save a first operating state of said digital processing system;
• reducing power to at least one element of said digital processing system after said storing;
• increasing power to said at least one element after said storing in response to a selection of an increased power consumption state;
• and
• determining, in response to said selection of said increased power consumption state, whether said first operating state of said digital processing system can be obtained from said first data stored on said non-volatile memory, said determining including checking for a looping condition in which said digital processing system attempts more than once to achieve said first operating state from said first data.

A method of controlling power consumption in a digital processing system having a volatile random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile memory, said method comprising:

• determining a selection of a reduced power consumption state;
• storing, in response to said selection, data from said volatile RAM to said non-volatile memory, wherein said storing determines whether to store said data to said non-volatile memory by determining if first data previously stored as virtual memory in said non-volatile memory is valid relative to corresponding data in said volatile RAM after said selection;
• reducing power to at least one element of said digital processing system after said storing;
• increasing power to said at least one element after said storing in response to a selection of an increased power consumption state;
• and
• determining, in response to said selection of said increased power consumption state, whether a hardware change to said digital processing system has occurred.

A method of controlling power consumption in a digital processing system having a volatile random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile memory, said method comprising:

• determining a selection of a reduced power consumption state;
• storing, in response to said selection, first data from said volatile RAM to said non-volatile memory in order to save a first operating state of said digital processing system;
• reducing power to at least one element of said digital processing system after said storing;
• increasing power to said at least one element after said storing in response to a selection of an increased power consumption state;
• and
• determining, in response to said selection of said increased power consumption state, whether said first operating state of said digital processing system can be obtained from said first data stored on said non-volatile memory, said determining including checking for a looping condition in which said digital processing system attempts more than once to achieve said first operating state from said first data.