Appeal No. 2000-2205
Application No. 08/991,107
OPINION
All of the claims on appeal require the generation of power
consumption state information that indicates an impending
transition of a load from a low power consumption state to a high
power consumption state.
Appellants argue (brief, page 4; reply brief, page 2) that
the applied references neither teach nor would have suggested
changing a supply voltage in response to an impending power
consumption state change.
Mozdzen discloses a method and apparatus that permits a
microprocessor to enter and exit a reduced power consumption
state (column 1, lines 10 through 14). As the microprocessor
emerges from the reduced power consumption state, the current
level in the microprocessor suddenly rises because parts of the
microprocessor are powered up, and the sudden rise in the current
level causes voltage fluctuations in the microprocessor (column
1, lines 47 through 65). Mozdzen notes that “the voltage
fluctuations dampen over time after the processor has completely
exited the reduced power consumption state” (column 1, lines
65 through 67). In order to ensure that the voltage fluctuations
have completely dampened, Mozdzen has chosen to “wait out” the
voltage fluctuations for two clock cycles before permitting the
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