POWER AND THERMAL OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESSOR AND COOLING

• US 20120166015A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Steinbrecher, Robin A., Ahuja, Sandeep, Winkel, Casey R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In some embodiments a processor is adapted to store a relationship of power as a function of temperature and voltage, wherein the stored relationship data is to be used for managing power in a system including the processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor adapted to store a relationship of power as a function of temperature and voltage, wherein the stored relationship data is to be used for managing power in a system including the processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to store the relationship data in response to testing of the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power management device to enable a speed of one or more fans in response to the stored temperature and power data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power management device to enable a cooling of the system in response to the stored temperature and power data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power management device to optimize a power use of the system in response to the stored temperature and power data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the temperature corresponds to a temperature measured by a Digital Thermal Sensor associated with the processor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stored temperature and power data relates to a leakage of the processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to load a thermal resistance relating to a temperature difference between a processor case temperature and local ambient air temperature, fan revolutions per minute, and/or fan power data.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the processor adapted to deliver a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.

10. A method comprising:

characterizing power, temperature and voltage data relating to a processor; and

storing the calculated power, temperature and voltage data;

wherein the stored power, temperature and voltage data is to be used for managing power in a system including the processor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

testing the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications; and

characterizing the power, temperature and voltage data in response to the testing.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising enabling a speed of one or more fans in response to the stored power, temperature and voltage data.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising enabling a cooling of the system in response to the stored power, temperature and voltage data.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising optimizing a power use of the system in response to the stored power, temperature and voltage data.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a temperature from a Digital Thermal Sensor associated with the processor and using the received temperature from the Digital Thermal Sensor as the calculated temperature.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the stored power, temperature and voltage data relates to a leakage of the processor.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising loading in the processor a thermal resistance relating to a temperature difference between a processor case temperature and local ambient air temperature, fan revolutions per minute, and/or fan power data.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising delivering a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.

19. A method comprising:

optimizing a power use of a system in response to stored power, temperature and voltage data relating to a processor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the stored power, temperature and voltage data corresponds to a testing of the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising enabling a speed of one or more fans in response to the stored power, temperature and voltage data.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising enabling a cooling of the system in response to the stored power, temperature and voltage data.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the stored temperature data is a temperature from a Digital Thermal Sensor associated with the processor.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the stored power, temperature and voltage data relates to a leakage of the processor.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising loading in the processor a thermal resistance relating to a temperature difference between a processor case temperature and local ambient air temperature, fan revolutions per minute, and/or fan power data.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising delivering a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a power manager adapted to optimize a power use of a system in response to stored power, temperature and voltage data relating to a processor.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the stored temperature and power data corresponds to a testing of the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, the power manager adapted to enable a speed of one or more fans in response to the stored temperature and power data.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, the power manager adapted to enable a cooling of the system in response to the stored temperature and power data.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the stored temperature data is a temperature from a Digital Thermal Sensor associated with the processor.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the stored temperature and power data relates to a leakage of the processor.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor is adapted to load a thermal resistance relating to a temperature difference between a processor case temperature and local ambient air temperature, fan revolutions per minute, and/or fan power data.

34. The apparatus of claim 27, the processor adapted to deliver a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.