Control of performance levels of different types of processors via a user interface

• US 10,067,555 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, I-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/185,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for controlling power consumption associated with a computing device having first and second processors configured to perform different types of operations includes providing a user interface that allows, during normal operation of the computing device, at least one of: (i) a user selection of desired performance levels of the first and second processors relative to one another, such that higher desired performance levels of one processor correspond to lower desired performance levels of the other processor, and (ii) a user selection of a desired performance level of the first processor and a user selection of a desired performance level of the second processor, the two user selections being made independently of one another. The apparatus and method control, during normal operation of the computing device, performance levels of the processors in response to the one or more user selections of the desired performance levels.

Claims

1. A method for controlling power consumption associated with a computing device having a first processor and a second processor, the first processor and the second processor being configured to perform different types of operations, the method comprising:

providing a user interface that allows a user selection, during normal operation of the computing device, of desired performance levels of the first processor and the second processor relative to one another, the desired performance levels representing percentage performance levels of the first processor and the second processor, the user selection directly selecting and specifying the desired performance levels of the first processor and the second processor being relative to one another such that higher desired performance levels of either one of the first and second processors correspond to lower desired performance levels of the other of the first and second processors;

during normal operation of the computing device, directly adjusting a performance level of the first processor and a performance level of the second processor to the desired performance levels as specified by the user selection via the user interface; and

during an overcurrent or an overtemperature condition of the computing device, directing the user interface to be unresponsive to the user selection of the desired performance levels of either one of the first and second processors until a combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor is within a combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the user interface comprises providing the user interface that allows the user selection of the desired performance levels to include one or more user selections of at least one of a desired performance state of the first processor and a desired performance state of the second processor;

wherein directly adjusting at least one of the performance level of the first processor and the performance level of the second processor comprises controlling at least one of the performance state of the first processor and the performance state of the second processor; and

wherein the performance state of the first processor corresponds to particular control parameters of the first processor and the performance state of the second processor corresponds to particular control parameters of the second processor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the user interface comprises providing the user interface such that the user selection via the user interface are one or more user selections of desired percentage performance levels;

and

wherein directly adjusting the at least one of the performance states of the first and second processors comprises mapping the corresponding desired percentage performance levels to desired performance states of at least one of the first and second processors and controlling the performance states of at least one of the first and second processors based on the desired performance states of the first and second processors.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting, independently of a user change via the user interface to the desired performance level of either of the first processor or the second processor, at least one of the performance level of the first processor and the performance level of the second processor relative to the corresponding at least one desired performance level so as to cause the combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor to be within the combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the at least one performance level is performed in response to at least one of:

(i) an overcurrent condition associated with at least one of the first processor and the second processor, and (ii) an overtemperature condition associated with the computing device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first processor is a central processing unit (CPU) of the computing device, the second processor is a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the computing device, and the CPU and the GPU are implemented within an integrated circuit die having a die-level thermal design power (TDP);

and wherein the combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor is the die-level TDP.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the at least one performance level comprises implementing feedback control using operating parameter information of each of the first and second processors as feedback information to generate control parameter information to control the performance level of the first processor and the performance level of the second processor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the control parameter information includes voltage and frequency control information for the first processor and voltage and frequency control information for the second processor.

9. An apparatus comprising:

user interface providing logic of a computing device operative to provide a user interface that allows, during normal operation of the computing device, a user selection of desired performance levels of a first processor of the computing device and a second processor of the computing device relative to one another, the desired performance levels representing percentage performance levels of the first processor of the computing device and the second processor of the computing device, the first processor and the second processor being configured to perform different types of operations, and the user selection directly selecting and specifying the desired performance levels of the first processor and the second processor being relative to one another such that higher desired performance levels of either one of the first and second processors correspond to lower desired performance levels of the other of the first and second processors; and

performance level management logic operatively coupled to the user interface providing logic and operative to;

during normal operation of the computing device, directly adjust a performance level of the first processor and a performance level of the second processor to the desired performance levels as specified by user selection via the user interface; and

during an overcurrent or an overtemperature condition of the computing device, direct the user interface to be unresponsive to the user selection of the desired performance levels of either one of the first and second processors until a combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor is within a combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the performance level management logic is operative to adjust, independently of a user change via the user interface to the desired performance level of either of the first processor or the second processor, at least one of the performance level of the first processor and the performance level of the second processor relative to the corresponding at least one desired performance level so as to cause the combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor to be within the combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the performance level management logic is operative to:

determine that an overtemperature condition exists within the computing device by determining at least one of;

(i) a first thermal sensor indicates that a temperature on a chassis of the computing device exceeds a maximum chassis temperature, and (ii) a second thermal sensor indicates that a temperature of at least one of a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) exceeds a maximum temperature of the at least one of the CPU and the GPU; and

adjust the at least one performance level in response to determining that the overtemperature condition exists within the computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the performance level management logic is operative to:

determine that an overcurrent condition is associated with at least one of the first processor and the second processor using at least one of;

(i) indications of a voltage level, an operating frequency, and a loading associated with the first processor, and (ii) indications of a voltage level, an operating frequency, and a loading associated with the second processor; and

adjust the at least one performance level in response to determining that the overcurrent condition is associated with the at least one processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the performance level management logic is operative to adjust the at least one performance level based on a relative relationship between the desired performance level of the first processor and the desired performance level of the second processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising the first processor and the second processor, wherein the first processor is a central processing unit (CPU) of the computing device, the second processor is a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the computing device, and the CPU and the GPU are implemented within an integrated circuit die having a die-level thermal design power (TDP), wherein the die-level TDP is the combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor;

and

wherein the performance level management logic is operative to adjust the at least one performance level so as to cause the combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor to be within the die-level TDP.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, comprising:

at least one memory operative to store parameters used by the performance level management logic to control the performance levels of the first and second processors; and

at least one thermal sensor operative to provide at least one temperature measurement associated with the computing device to the performance level management logic so that the performance level management logic is operative to control the performance levels of the first and second processors based on the at least one temperature measurement.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising at least one of a display operatively coupled to the user interface providing logic and operative to provide user interface information to a user and one or more additional input/output devices operatively coupled to the user interface providing logic and operative to provide the user interface information to the user.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions that when executed cause an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication system to fabricate one or more ICs that comprise:

user interface providing logic of a computing device operative to provide a user interface that allows a user selection, during normal operation of the computing device, of desired performance levels of a first processor of the computing device and a second processor of the computing device relative to one another, the desired performance levels representing percentage performance levels of the first processor of the computing device and the second processor of the computing device, the first processor and the second processor being configured to perform different types of operations, and the user selection directly selecting and specifying the desired performance levels of the first processor and the second processor being relative to one another such that higher desired performance levels of either one of the first and second processors correspond to lower desired performance levels of the other of the first and second processors; and

performance level management logic operatively coupled to the user interface providing logic and operative to;

during normal operation of the computing device, directly adjust a performance level of the first processor and a performance level of the second processor to the desired performance levels as specified by user selection via the user interface; and

during an overcurrent or an overtemperature condition of the computing device, direct the user interface to be unresponsive to the user selection of the desired performance levels of either one of the first and second processors until a combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor is within a combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, comprising executable instructions that when executed cause the IC fabrication system to fabricate the one or more ICs such that the performance level management logic is operative to adjust, independently of a user change via the user interface to the desired performance level of either of the first processor or the second processor, at least one of the performance level of the first processor and the performance level of the second processor relative to the corresponding at least one desired performance level so as to cause the combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor to be within the combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, comprising executable instructions that when executed cause the IC fabrication system to fabricate the one or more ICs such that the performance level management logic is operative to adjust the at least one performance level in response to at least one of:

(i) an overcurrent condition associated with at least one of the first processor and the second processor, and (ii) an overtemperature condition associated with the computing device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first processor is a central processing unit (CPU) of the computing device, the second processor is a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the computing device, and the CPU and the GPU are implemented within an integrated circuit die having a die-level thermal design power (TDP), wherein the die-level TDP is the combined maximum power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor;

and

wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises executable instructions that when executed cause the IC fabrication system to fabricate the one or more ICs such that the performance level management logic is operative to adjust the at least one performance level so as to cause the combined power consumption level associated with the first processor and the second processor to be within the die-level TDP.