Patent ID: 7360106
Filing Date: 2008-04-15
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A power-saving processing unit which switches an operation mode of an object apparatus between a plurality of modes that includes an ordinary mode and one or more power-saving modes, comprising: a power-consumption information management section which manages information on a processing for switching the operation mode; a time prediction section which, when a request is made to switch from a current mode to another mode among the plurality of modes, then predicts a period of time until such another mode is removed if the switching request is accepted or a period of time until a return is given to the current mode if the switching request is accepted; a mode-switching decision section which calculates a period of time when such another mode continues based on management information which is the information that is managed by the power-consumption information management section and prediction time which is the period of time that is predicted by the time prediction section, and using the calculated value, decides whether or not the operation mode should be switched from the current mode to such another mode; and a mode-switching execution section which switches the operation mode of the object apparatus according to a decision by the mode-switching decision section, wherein the management information includes information for deriving a period of time when each of the other modes continues based upon the prediction time for each mode, from among a processing time which is taken for a shift processing from the current mode to each of the other modes and a processing time which is taken for a return processing from each of the other modes to the current mode.