Battery operated computer power management system

Claim 1

A battery operated computer (10) including: a main processor (12) for executing application programs under the control of an operating system; a plurality of I/O devices (16, 18); monitoring means including a power management processor (30) for monitoring predetermined conditions including battery conditions and generating interrupt requests upon the occurrence of predetermined first conditions, the type of interrupt request depending on which of said first conditions occur; logic means (96) responsive to signals indicative of predetermined second conditions for generating interrupt requests in response thereto, the type of interrupt request depending on which of said second conditions occur; storage means (24) for storing a plurality of interrupt handlers; characterised in that the computer further comprises: interrupt means including an interrupt controller (100) for transmitting interrupt requests to said main processor in response to said interrupt requests from said power management processor and said logic means; and a power control register (108) for individually controlling the supply of power to said plurality of I/O devices; said main processor (12) being operable in response to said interrupt requests from said interrupt means to execute the interrupt handler corresponding to the type of interrupt request received and set said power control register (108) in accordance therewith to thereby individually control the supply of power to said plurality of I/O devices.