diff --git a/drivers/acpi/fan.c b/drivers/acpi/fan.c
index eaaee16..ae41cf3 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/fan.c
+++ b/drivers/acpi/fan.c
@@ -68,31 +68,35 @@
 };
 
 /* thermal cooling device callbacks */
-static int fan_get_max_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, char *buf)
+static int fan_get_max_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned long
+			     *state)
 {
 	/* ACPI fan device only support two states: ON/OFF */
-	return sprintf(buf, "1\n");
+	*state = 1;
+	return 0;
 }
 
-static int fan_get_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, char *buf)
+static int fan_get_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned long
+			     *state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
-	int state;
 	int result;
+	int acpi_state;
 
 	if (!device)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	result = acpi_bus_get_power(device->handle, &state);
+	result = acpi_bus_get_power(device->handle, &acpi_state);
 	if (result)
 		return result;
 
-	return sprintf(buf, "%s\n", state == ACPI_STATE_D3 ? "0" :
-			 (state == ACPI_STATE_D0 ? "1" : "unknown"));
+	*state = (acpi_state == ACPI_STATE_D3 ? 0 :
+		 (acpi_state == ACPI_STATE_D0 ? 1 : -1));
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int
-fan_set_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned int state)
+fan_set_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned long state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
 	int result;
diff --git a/drivers/acpi/processor_thermal.c b/drivers/acpi/processor_thermal.c
index b1eb376..0e47e29 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/processor_thermal.c
+++ b/drivers/acpi/processor_thermal.c
@@ -373,7 +373,8 @@
 	return max_state;
 }
 static int
-processor_get_max_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, char *buf)
+processor_get_max_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
+			unsigned long *state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
 	struct acpi_processor *pr = acpi_driver_data(device);
@@ -381,28 +382,29 @@
 	if (!device || !pr)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	return sprintf(buf, "%d\n", acpi_processor_max_state(pr));
+	*state = acpi_processor_max_state(pr);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int
-processor_get_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, char *buf)
+processor_get_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
+			unsigned long *cur_state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
 	struct acpi_processor *pr = acpi_driver_data(device);
-	int cur_state;
 
 	if (!device || !pr)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	cur_state = cpufreq_get_cur_state(pr->id);
+	*cur_state = cpufreq_get_cur_state(pr->id);
 	if (pr->flags.throttling)
-		cur_state += pr->throttling.state;
-
-	return sprintf(buf, "%d\n", cur_state);
+		*cur_state += pr->throttling.state;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int
-processor_set_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned int state)
+processor_set_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev,
+			unsigned long state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
 	struct acpi_processor *pr = acpi_driver_data(device);
diff --git a/drivers/acpi/thermal.c b/drivers/acpi/thermal.c
index 99e6f1f..1c410ef 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/thermal.c
+++ b/drivers/acpi/thermal.c
@@ -954,7 +954,8 @@
 /* sys I/F for generic thermal sysfs support */
 #define KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(t) (t * 100 - 273200)
 
-static int thermal_get_temp(struct thermal_zone_device *thermal, char *buf)
+static int thermal_get_temp(struct thermal_zone_device *thermal,
+			    unsigned long *temp)
 {
 	struct acpi_thermal *tz = thermal->devdata;
 	int result;
@@ -966,25 +967,28 @@
 	if (result)
 		return result;
 
-	return sprintf(buf, "%ld\n", KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(tz->temperature));
+	*temp = KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(tz->temperature);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static const char enabled[] = "kernel";
 static const char disabled[] = "user";
 static int thermal_get_mode(struct thermal_zone_device *thermal,
-				char *buf)
+				enum thermal_device_mode *mode)
 {
 	struct acpi_thermal *tz = thermal->devdata;
 
 	if (!tz)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	return sprintf(buf, "%s\n", tz->tz_enabled ?
-			enabled : disabled);
+	*mode = tz->tz_enabled ? THERMAL_DEVICE_ENABLED :
+		THERMAL_DEVICE_DISABLED;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int thermal_set_mode(struct thermal_zone_device *thermal,
-				const char *buf)
+				enum thermal_device_mode mode)
 {
 	struct acpi_thermal *tz = thermal->devdata;
 	int enable;
@@ -995,9 +999,9 @@
 	/*
 	 * enable/disable thermal management from ACPI thermal driver
 	 */
-	if (!strncmp(buf, enabled, sizeof enabled - 1))
+	if (mode == THERMAL_DEVICE_ENABLED)
 		enable = 1;
-	else if (!strncmp(buf, disabled, sizeof disabled - 1))
+	else if (mode == THERMAL_DEVICE_DISABLED)
 		enable = 0;
 	else
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -1013,7 +1017,7 @@
 }
 
 static int thermal_get_trip_type(struct thermal_zone_device *thermal,
-				 int trip, char *buf)
+				 int trip, enum thermal_trip_type *type)
 {
 	struct acpi_thermal *tz = thermal->devdata;
 	int i;
@@ -1022,27 +1026,35 @@
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (tz->trips.critical.flags.valid) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "critical\n");
+		if (!trip) {
+			*type = THERMAL_TRIP_CRITICAL;
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
 	if (tz->trips.hot.flags.valid) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "hot\n");
+		if (!trip) {
+			*type = THERMAL_TRIP_HOT;
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
 	if (tz->trips.passive.flags.valid) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "passive\n");
+		if (!trip) {
+			*type = THERMAL_TRIP_PASSIVE;
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ACPI_THERMAL_MAX_ACTIVE &&
 		tz->trips.active[i].flags.valid; i++) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "active%d\n", i);
+		if (!trip) {
+			*type = THERMAL_TRIP_ACTIVE;
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
@@ -1050,7 +1062,7 @@
 }
 
 static int thermal_get_trip_temp(struct thermal_zone_device *thermal,
-				 int trip, char *buf)
+				 int trip, unsigned long *temp)
 {
 	struct acpi_thermal *tz = thermal->devdata;
 	int i;
@@ -1059,31 +1071,39 @@
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (tz->trips.critical.flags.valid) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "%ld\n", KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
-				tz->trips.critical.temperature));
+		if (!trip) {
+			*temp = KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
+				tz->trips.critical.temperature);
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
 	if (tz->trips.hot.flags.valid) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "%ld\n", KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
-					tz->trips.hot.temperature));
+		if (!trip) {
+			*temp = KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
+				tz->trips.hot.temperature);
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
 	if (tz->trips.passive.flags.valid) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "%ld\n", KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
-					tz->trips.passive.temperature));
+		if (!trip) {
+			*temp = KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
+				tz->trips.passive.temperature);
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ACPI_THERMAL_MAX_ACTIVE &&
 		tz->trips.active[i].flags.valid; i++) {
-		if (!trip)
-			return sprintf(buf, "%ld\n", KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
-					tz->trips.active[i].temperature));
+		if (!trip) {
+			*temp = KELVIN_TO_MILLICELSIUS(
+				tz->trips.active[i].temperature);
+			return 0;
+		}
 		trip--;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/acpi/video.c b/drivers/acpi/video.c
index bb5ed05..5259d50 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/video.c
+++ b/drivers/acpi/video.c
@@ -358,32 +358,36 @@
 
 
 /* thermal cooling device callbacks */
-static int video_get_max_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, char *buf)
+static int video_get_max_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned
+			       long *state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
 	struct acpi_video_device *video = acpi_driver_data(device);
 
-	return sprintf(buf, "%d\n", video->brightness->count - 3);
+	*state = video->brightness->count - 3;
+	return 0;
 }
 
-static int video_get_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, char *buf)
+static int video_get_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned
+			       long *state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
 	struct acpi_video_device *video = acpi_driver_data(device);
 	unsigned long long level;
-	int state;
+	int offset;
 
 	acpi_video_device_lcd_get_level_current(video, &level);
-	for (state = 2; state < video->brightness->count; state++)
-		if (level == video->brightness->levels[state])
-			return sprintf(buf, "%d\n",
-				       video->brightness->count - state - 1);
+	for (offset = 2; offset < video->brightness->count; offset++)
+		if (level == video->brightness->levels[offset]) {
+			*state = video->brightness->count - offset - 1;
+			return 0;
+		}
 
 	return -EINVAL;
 }
 
 static int
-video_set_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned int state)
+video_set_cur_state(struct thermal_cooling_device *cdev, unsigned long state)
 {
 	struct acpi_device *device = cdev->devdata;
 	struct acpi_video_device *video = acpi_driver_data(device);