Power management

• US 20060117192A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Nokkonen, Erkki
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Each of at least two power management (PM) circuits interconnected by a signal line is adapted to control a power supply to at least one functional component associated to the power management circuit. Each PM circuit is adapted to detect a condition which allows or requires a change of a powering state of the at least one associated functional component and to contribute to a change of a state of the signal line, in case the PM circuit detects a condition which allows or requires, respectively, a change of a powering state of the at least one associated functional component. Each PM circuit is adapted to monitor a state of the signal line. Each PM circuit is adapted to change a powering state of all associated functional components upon detection of a change of state of the signal line.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising at least two power management circuits and a signal line connecting said at least two power management circuits;

wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted to control a power supply to at least one functional component of said electronic device associated to said power management circuit;

wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted to detect at least one of a condition which allows a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit and a condition which requires a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit;

wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted to contribute to a change of a state of said signal line, in case said power management circuit detects a condition which allows or requires, respectively, a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit;

wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted to monitor a state of said signal line; and

wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted to change a powering state of all functional components associated to it upon detection of a change of state of said signal line.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least two power management circuits is a master power management circuit, wherein at least one other of said at least two power management circuits is a slave power management circuit, and wherein said master power management circuit is adapted to control said at least one slave power management circuit.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a condition which allows a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to a power management circuit comprises a condition which allows powering up said at least one functional component, and wherein said at least two power management circuits are adapted to change a state of said signal line to cause said at least two power management circuits to power up their associated functional components, in case each of said at least two power management circuits detects a condition which allows powering up associated functional components.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising a battery providing a supply voltage, wherein a condition which allows powering up said at least one functional component associated to one of said power management circuits comprises a battery voltage exceeding a power-up threshold associated to said power management circuit.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a condition which requires a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to a power management circuit comprises a condition which requires powering down said at least one functional component, and wherein said at least two power management circuits are adapted to change a state of said signal line to cause said at least two power management circuits to power down their associated functional components, in case at least one of said at least two power management circuits detects a condition which requires a powering down of said at least one associated functional component.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, further comprising a battery providing a supply voltage, wherein a condition which requires powering down said at least one functional component associated to one of said power management circuits comprises a battery voltage falling short of a cut-off threshold associated to said power management circuit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein either of said at least two power management circuits monitors a plurality of conditions which allow or require a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein one of said plurality of conditions which requires a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit is a temperature exceeding a predetermined limit.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said signal line is arranged to carry an open drain type of signal which can be activated by any of said at least two power management circuits.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a pull-up resistor is associated to at least one of said at least two power monitoring circuits, and wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted to enable an active state of said signal line by switching an associated pull-up resistor between a power supply and said signal line.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least two power management circuits comprises a switching element, wherein said signal line is connected via said switching element to ground, and wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted cause an inactive state of said signal line by closing said switching element.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein said switching element is a transistor.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said power management circuits comprises a state machine, which state machine defines a handling of a signal on said signal line.

14. A power management circuit comprising:

a signal line terminal enabling a connection to a signal line; and

a power supply terminal enabling a control of a power supply to at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit;

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to detect at least one of a condition which allows a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component and a condition which requires a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component;

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to contribute to a change of a state of a signal line connected to said signal line terminal, in case said power management circuit detects a condition which allows or requires, respectively, a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component;

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to monitor a state of a signal line connected to said signal line terminal; and

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to change a powering state of said functional components upon detection of a change of state of a signal line connected to said signal line terminal.

15. A chip comprising at least one functional component and a power management circuit adapted to control a power supply to said at least one functional component,

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to detect at least one of a condition which allows a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component and a condition which requires a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component;

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to contribute to a change of a state of a signal line, in case said power management circuit detects a condition which allows or requires, respectively, a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component;

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to monitor a state of said signal line; and

wherein said power management circuit is adapted to change a powering state of said functional components upon detection of a change of state of said signal line.

16. A method for operating an electronic device comprising at least two power management circuits and a signal line interconnecting said at least two power management circuits, wherein at least one functional component of said electronic device is associated to each of said at least two power management circuits, and wherein each of said at least two power management circuits is adapted to control a power supply to said at least one associated functional component, said method comprising at one of said at least two power management circuits:

monitoring a state of said signal line;

monitoring an entry of at least one of a condition which allows a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit and a condition which requires a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit;

contributing to a change of a state of said signal line, in case a condition which allows or requires, respectively, a change of a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit is detected; and

changing a powering state of said at least one functional component associated to said power management circuit upon detection of a change of state of said signal line.