Computer system, operational method for a microcontroller, and computer program product

1. A computer system comprising:

at least one power supply unit that converts a primary supply voltage into at least one secondary supply voltage and that provides the at least one secondary supply voltage to generate at least one operating voltage and a standby voltage;

at least one system board with a plurality of system components of the computer system arranged thereon;

at least one chipset arranged on the system board,

at least one sequencing microcontroller arranged on the system board for time-controlled provision of at least one of the operating voltage and the standby voltage to the plurality of system components; and

at least one button that switches the computer system from a standby state to an operating state;

wherein the sequencing microcontroller is configured, when the button is held for a first predefined time period indicating a forced switching of the computer system from the operating state to the standby state, and when a control signal is activated by the chipset after the first predefined time period has elapsed and before the button is released, the control signal indicating that the computer system is switched off, to disconnect the plurality of system components from both the operating voltage and the standby voltage for a second predefined time period so that each of the plurality of system components is reset.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein, with the provision of the at least one secondary supply voltage by the power supply unit following a previous interruption of the at least one secondary supply voltage, the sequencing microcontroller is configured to supply at least one subgroup of the plurality of system components with the standby voltage in a predefined temporal sequence, and is furthermore configured to supply the at least one subgroup of the plurality of system components with the standby voltage in the predefined temporal sequence upon expiration of the second predefined time period so that the computer system is reset to a predefined basic state.

3. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the sequencing microcontroller is connected via at least one control line to the button and configured to monitor the switching state of the button via the control line and detect the holding of the button for the first predefined time period.

4. The computer system according to claim 3 , wherein at least a part of the chipset is connected via the at least one control line to the button and configured to monitor the switching state of the button via the control line and detect the holding of the button for the first predefined time period.

5. The computer system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one chipset, wherein at least a part of the chipset is connected via at least a first control line to the button and via at least a second control line to the sequencing microcontroller and configured to monitor the switching state of the button via the first control line, detect holding of the button for the first predefined time period and signal the forced switching of the computer system from the operating state to the standby state via the second control line to the sequencing microcontroller.

6. The computer system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one status register, wherein a first value is stored in the status register if the computer system is switched via a software request from the operating state to the standby state, and a second value is stored in the status register if the computer system is intended to be switched forcibly from the operating state to the standby state by holding the button for the first predefined time period.

7. The computer system according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one status register is comprised in at least one of a part of a chipset or the sequencing microcontroller.

8. The computer system according to claim 6 , wherein the sequencing microcontroller is configured to supply the standby voltage without interruption to at least one predefined subgroup of the plurality of system components during a transition from the operating state to the standby state if the value stored in the status register indicates that the computer system has been switched via a software request from the operating state to the standby state.

9. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of system components comprises at least two of: a processor; a memory module; the chipset; a mass storage controller; a USB controller; and a network controller.

10. The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the following system components is supplied with the standby voltage in the standby state: at least a part of the chipset, the USB controller, and the network controller.

11. A method of operating a sequencing microcontroller of a computer system for time-controlled provision of a standby voltage to a plurality of system components of the computer system connected to the sequencing microcontroller, comprising:

monitoring a button of the computer system for actuation and changing to a first state when the button is held for a first predefined time period indicating a forced switching of the computer system from an operating state to a standby state,

waiting in the first state before releasing the button for

a control signal activated by a chipset of the computer system, the control signal indicating that the computer system is switched off,

following detection of the control signal in the first state, changing to a shutdown state and disconnecting the plurality of system components from the standby voltage for a second predefined time period, and

upon expiration of the second predefined time period, time-controlled provision of the standby voltage to at least one subgroup of the plurality of system components so that the computer system is reset to a predefined basic state.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the sequencing microcontroller is connected via at least one control line to the button for monitoring the switching state of the button via the control line and for detecting holding of the button for the first predefined time period indicating the forced switching of the computer system from the operating state to the standby state.

13. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code executable within a data processing unit, wherein, when the program code is executed by a data processing unit of a sequencing microcontroller of a computer system, carries out the following steps:

monitoring a button of the computer system for actuation and changing to a first state when the button is held for a first predefined time period indicating a forced switching of the computer system from an operating state to a standby state,

waiting in the first state before releasing the button for

a control signal activated by a chipset of the computer system, the control signal indicating that the computer system is switched off,

following detection of the control signal in the first state, changing to a shutdown state and disconnecting the plurality of system components of the computer system from a standby voltage for a second predefined time period, and

upon expiration of the second predefined time period, time-controlled provision of the standby voltage to at least one subgroup of the plurality of system components so that the computer system is reset to a predefined basic state.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the sequencing microcontroller is connected via at least one control line to the button for monitoring the switching state of the button via the control line and for detecting holding of the button for the first predefined time period indicating the forced switching of the computer system from the operating state to the standby state.