APPARATUS POWER CONTROL

• US 20140032939A1
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Jeddeloh, Joseph M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/00 Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store G11C5/00 takes precedence; auxiliary circuits for stores using semiconductor devices G11C11/4063, G11C11/413
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for apparatus power control. A number of embodiments include determining a power profile for each of a number of commands in a command queue that are ready for execution and selecting a portion of the number of commands in the command queue for execution based on the power profiles of the number of commands to control power consumption in the apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for controlling power in an apparatus, comprising:

determining a power profile for each of a number of commands in a command queue that are ready for execution; and

selecting a portion of the number of commands in the command queue for execution based on the power profiles of the number of commands to control power consumption in the apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the portion of the number commands in the command queue for execution control powers consumption of the apparatus such that an average power level for the apparatus is achieved.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the portion of the number commands in the command queue for execution controls power consumption of the apparatus such that a peak power level for a particular amount of time is achieved.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a power profile for each of a number of commands comprises determining the power profile for a respective one of the number of commands using a type of the respective command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a power profile for each of a number of commands comprises determining the power profile for a respective one of the number of commands using a length of time the respective command has been in the command queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a power profile for each of a number of commands comprises determining the power profile for a respective one of the number of commands using a parameter associated with a channel and/or memory device on which the respective command is to be executed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the portion of the number commands in the command queue for execution comprises selecting the portion of the number of commands based on a temperature of the apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes executing the portion of the number of commands that were selected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the power profile for each of the number of commands in the command queue that axe ready for execution comprises determining the power profile at a controller.

10. A method for controlling power in an apparatus, comprising:

determining a power profile for each command of a number of commands in a command queue that are ready for execution; and

determining a sum of the power profiles for each of a number of combinations of commands to determine an amount of power the apparatus will consume during execution of each combination of commands.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method includes selecting all of the number of commands for execution when the sum of all the power profiles is no more than a particular average power level.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method includes selecting one of the number of combinations of commands for execution to limit power consumption of the apparatus to below a particular average power level when the apparatus has performed at a peak power level for a particular period of time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method includes selecting one of the number of combinations of commands for execution when the sum of all the power profiles is greater than a particular average power level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting one of the number of combinations of commands for execution includes giving priority to a respective one of the commands for execution based on a length of time the respective command has been in the command queue.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting one of the number of combinations of commands for execution includes giving priority to read commands for execution.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting one of the number of combinations of commands for execution includes giving priority to write commands for execution.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the power profile for each command of the number of commands in the command queue that are ready for execution comprises determining the power profile at a controller.

18. A method for controlling power in an apparatus, comprising:

receiving a number of commands ready for execution in a command queue;

determining a power profile for each of the number of commands; and

selecting a portion of the number of commands for execution based on the determined power profiles.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting the portion of the number of commands for execution includes analyzing the power profiles to determine which commands to include in the portion of the number of commands for execution.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein analyzing the power profiles includes determining a combination of commands that when executed consume power at a level that is no more than a determined average power level.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein analyzing the power profiles includes determining a combination of commands that when executed consume power at a peak level for no more than a particular period of time.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein analyzing the power profiles includes prioritizing a respective one of the commands based on a length of time the respective command has been in the command queue.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein analyzing the power profiles includes prioritizing the commands based on command type and device parameters.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein determining a power profile for each of the number of commands comprises determining the power profile at a controller.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a number of memory cells; and

a controller coupled to the number of memory cells and configured to;

determine a power profile for each of a number commands in a command queue, the power profiles indicating an amount of power associated with executing the respective number of commands in the command queue; and

select a portion of the number of commands in the command queue for execution based on the power profiles.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is coupled to the number of memory cells via a number of channels.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the controller is configured to execute the selected portion of the number of commands by enabling each of the number of channels that are associated with the portion of the selected portion of the number of commands.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the power profile of a respective one of the number of commands is based on a length of time the respective command has been in the command queue and a type of the respective command.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the power profile of a respective one of the number of commands is based on an amount of power the respective command will consume.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

a number of memory cells; and

a controller coupled to the number of memory cells and configured to;

determine a power profile for each command of a number of commands in a command queue that are ready for execution; and

determine a sum of the power profiles for each of a number of combinations of commands to determine an amount of power the apparatus will consume during execution of each combination of commands; and

compare the amount of power the apparatus will consume during execution of each combination of commands to a particular average power level.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured to update the power profiles as commands are executed.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured to update the power profiles as commands are received by the controller.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured to select one of the number of combinations of commands for execution based on the amount of power the apparatus will consume during execution of the selected combination of commands.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the selected combination of commands consume an amount of power that is no more than the particular average power level.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the selected combination of commands consume an amount of power that is greater than the average power level for no more than a particular period of time.