SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CAUSING REDUCED POWER CONSUMPTION ASSOCIATED WITH THERMAL REMEDIATION

• US 20140189390A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gough, Robert, Cooper, Barnes, Gedeon, Mazen, Soe, Soethiha, Astekar, Basavaraj
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Particular embodiments described herein can offer a method that includes receiving a signal indicating whether at least one device is in a low power mode, determining that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, and performing a first operation associated with a reduced thermal remediation power consumption.

Claims

1. A method to reduce power consumption, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating whether at least one device is in a low power mode;

determining that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal; and

performing a first operation associated with reduced thermal remediation power consumption.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one device comprises at least one of a processor or a controller hub.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state comprises determining that a low power duty cycle of the signal exceeds a threshold duty cycle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operation relates to reducing power consumption associated with at least one of:

a software module associated with monitoring thermal sensor information, a thermal sensor, or a cooling device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operation relates to reducing a sampling frequency associated with a thermal sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one device is in a second thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, wherein the second thermally benign state is associated with less heat generation than the first thermally benign state; and

performing a second operation associated with causing reduced thermal remediation power consumption, wherein the second operation is associated with causing greater reduction of power consumption associated with thermal remediation than the reduction of power consumption associated with the first operation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first operation relates to reducing a sampling frequency associated with a thermal sensor, wherein the second operation relates to disabling a thermal sensor, and further comprising:

determining that the at least one device is in a third thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, wherein the third thermally benign state is associated with less heat generation than the second thermally benign state; and

causing reduction of power consumption associated with a cooling device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving thermal sensor information; and

determining that the thermal sensor information indicates a temperature within a predetermined temperature threshold.

9. An apparatus to reduce power consumption comprising:

logic, the logic at least partially including hardware logic, to;

receive a signal indicative of whether at least one device is in a low power mode;

determine that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal; and

perform a first operation associated with reduced thermal remediation power consumption.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one device comprises at least one of a processor or a controller hub.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein determination that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state comprises determination that a low power duty cycle of the signal exceeds a threshold duty cycle.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first operation relates to reduced power consumption associated with at least one of:

a software module associated with monitoring of thermal sensor information, a thermal sensor, or a cooling device.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first operation relates to reduction of a sampling frequency associated with a thermal sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising logic, the logic at least partially including hardware logic, to:

determine that the at least one device is in a second thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, wherein the second thermally benign state is associated with less heat generation than the first thermally benign state; and

perform a second operation associated with causing reduced thermal remediation power consumption, wherein the second operation is associated with causing greater reduction of power consumption associated with thermal remediation than the reduction of power consumption associated with the first operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first operation relates to reducing a sampling frequency associated with a thermal sensor, wherein the second operation relates to disabling a thermal sensor, and further comprising logic, the logic at least partially including hardware logic, to:

determine that the at least one device is in a third thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, wherein the third thermally benign state is associated with less heat generation than the second thermally benign state; and

cause reduction of power consumption associated with a cooling device.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising logic, the logic at least partially including hardware logic, to:

receive thermal sensor information; and

determine that the thermal sensor information indicates a temperature within a predetermined temperature threshold.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium to reduce power consumption comprising computer instructions, that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus comprising the processor to:

receive a signal indicative of whether at least one device is in a low power mode;

determine that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal; and

perform a first operation associated with reduced thermal remediation power consumption.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one device comprises at least one of a processor or a controller hub.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein determination that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state comprises determination that a low power duty cycle of the signal exceeds a threshold duty cycle.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first operation relates to reduction of power consumption associated with at least one of:

a software module associated with monitoring of thermal sensor information, a thermal sensor, or a cooling device.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first operation relates to reduction of a sampling frequency associated with a thermal sensor.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises computer instructions, that, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the apparatus comprising the processor to:

determine that the at least one device is in a second thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, wherein the second thermally benign state is associated with less heat generation than the first thermally benign state; and

perform a second operation associated with causing reduced thermal remediation power consumption, wherein the second operation is associated with causing greater reduction of power consumption associated with thermal remediation than the reduction of power consumption associated with the first operation.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the first operation relates to reduction of a sampling frequency associated with a thermal sensor, wherein the second operation relates to disablement of a thermal sensor, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises computer instructions, that, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the apparatus comprising the processor to:

determine that the at least one device is in a third thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, wherein the third thermally benign state is associated with less heat generation than the second thermally benign state; and

cause reduction of power consumption associated with a cooling device.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises computer instructions, that, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the apparatus comprising the processor to:

receive thermal sensor information; and

determine that the thermal sensor information indicates a temperature within a predetermined temperature threshold.

25. A system to reduce power consumption comprising:

at least one controller and at least one device, the controller comprising logic, the logic at least partially including hardware logic, to;

receive, at the controller, a signal indicative of whether at least one device is in a low power mode;

determine, at the controller, that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal; and

perform, at the controller, a first operation associated with a reduced thermal remediation power consumption.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one device comprises at least one of a processor or a controller hub.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein determination that the at least one device is in a first thermally benign state comprises determination that a low power duty cycle of the signal exceeds a threshold duty cycle.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the first operation relates to reduced power consumption associated with at least one of:

a software module associated with monitoring of thermal sensor information, a thermal sensor, or a cooling device.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the first operation relates to reduction of a sampling frequency associated with a thermal sensor.

30. The system of claim 25, the controller further comprises logic, the logic at least partially including hardware logic, to:

determine, at the controller, that the at least one device is in a second thermally benign state based, at least in part, on the signal, wherein the second thermally benign state is associated with less heat generation than the first thermally benign state; and

perform, at the controller, a second operation associated with causing reduced thermal remediation power consumption, wherein the second operation is associated with causing greater reduction of power consumption associated with thermal remediation than the reduction of power consumption associated with the first operation.