Portable communication device having dynamic power management contol and method therefor

• US 20040121797A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Vivek G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0293 having a sub-controller with a low clock frequency switching on and off a main controller with a high clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a portable communication device includes two processors. A power management controller may be adapted to alter an operational characteristic of the processors. In an alternative embodiment, the power management controller may be further adapted to vary an operational characteristics of one processor while leaving the other processor substantially unchanged.

Claims

11. An apparatus comprising;

a transceiver;

a first processor coupled to the transceiver;

a second processor; and

a power management controller adapted to adjust an operational characteristic of the first processor and the second processor.

1. A portable communication device comprising:

an application subsystem having a first processor;

a communication subsystem having a second processor; and

a power management circuit adapted to adjust the power consumption of both the first processor and the second processor.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the power management circuit is adapted to reduce the power supply voltage potential of the first processor and the second processor.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1, further comprising a third processor, wherein the power management circuit is further adapted to adjust the power consumption of the third processor.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, further comprising an interface to couple the application subsystem to the communication subsystem.

6. The portable communication device of claim 5, wherein the power management circuit is able to receive information from the communication subsystem via the interface.

7. The portable communication device of claim 6, wherein the power management circuit is able to receive an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) compliant message from the communication subsystem via the interface.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the application subsystem comprises a dynamic power management policy manager adapted to indicate to the power management circuit how to adjust the power consumption of the first processor and the second processor.

9. The portable communication device of claim 8, wherein the dynamic power management policy manger is provided, at least in part, by instructions executed by the first processor.

10. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the power management circuit is adapted to provide control signals directly to the first processor and the second processor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an interface to couple the first processor to the second processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an application subsystem that includes the second processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a communication subsystem that includes the first processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an inter-integrated circuit controller to provide the power management controller with instructions to adjust the operational characteristic of the first processor and the second processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the power management controller is further adapted to adjust an operational characteristic of the first processor without altering operation of the second processor.

15-1. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the power management controller is adapted to adjust one of a frequency or a power supply voltage potential of the first processor and the second processor.

17. A method comprising:

varying an operational characteristic of a first processor and a second processor with a power management controller, wherein the power management controller is adapted to vary an operational characteristic of the first processor independently of the second processor.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the power management circuit is adapted to reduce the clocking frequency of the first processor and the second processor.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising varying the frequency of the first processor while leaving operation of the second processor substantially unchanged.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising varying a power supply voltage potential of the first processor while leaving operation of the second processor substantially unchanged.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising

sending a request from a dynamic voltage manager in a communication subsystem via an interface to the power management controller.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising varying an operational characteristic of the first processor in the communication subsystem.

18-2. The method of claim 17, further comprising increasing the frequency of the first processor while decreasing the frequency of the second processor.

22. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing platform, results in;

sending a request from a dynamic voltage manager in a communication subsystem to a power management controller in an application subsystem; and

varying an operational characteristic of a first processor in the communication subsystem.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in sending the request to the application subsystem via an interface.

24. The article of claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in varying an operational characteristic of a second processor in the application subsystem.

25. The article of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in varying raising a power supply voltage potential of the second processor in the application subsystem while leaving the first processor substantially unchanged.