Patent ID: 8458429

Claim:
A method for operating a system, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of memory access requests initiated by at least one initiator module for access to a memory device coupled to the at least one initiator module, wherein the memory device comprises a memory controller coupled to system memory; receiving a request from a power control module to allow an operating condition of the system memory to be modified; preparing the memory controller and the system memory it controls for modification of the operating condition by blocking a later portion of the plurality of memory access requests and completing a earlier portion of the plurality of memory access requests; sending an acknowledgment to the power control module after the earlier portion of memory requests is completed indicating that the operating condition of the memory controller may be modified; receiving the modification in operating condition from the power control module only in response to sending the acknowledgement; reinstating access to the memory controller and to the memory it controls for operation under the modified operating condition by unblocking the later portion of the plurality of memory access requests and performing the requested accesses to the system memory under the modified operating condition; and such that the at least one initiator module continues to initiate requests for access to the system memory without interruption.