SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTIVE THERMAL AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20160091938A1
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Edwards, James W., Kurczewski, Nicolas A., Gupta, Meenakshi, Peil, Brian R., Weber, Nicholas R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,690,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06589 Thermal management, e.g. cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/1094 Thermal management, e.g. cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 Fan mounting or fan specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system and method for adaptive thermal and performance management in electronic devices are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: providing a processor with a plurality of selectable performance levels and a sensor in an electronic device; receiving sensor information from the sensor, the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow; determining a device context from the sensor information; and dynamically modifying the performance level of the processor by implementing one of a plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a processor with a plurality of selectable performance levels;

a sensor; and

an adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem in data communication with the processor and the sensor, the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to;

receive sensor information from the sensor, the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow;

determine a device context from the sensor information; and

dynamically modify the performance level of the processor by implementing one of the plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem being further configured to select a policy from the group consisting of:

an active cooling policy, a passive policy, an adaptive performance policy, and a critical policy.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is inserted into a dock with an active airflow.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to dynamically increase the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to dynamically decrease the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is not positioned proximately to an active airflow.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to dynamically monitor the current temperature of the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to dynamically modify the performance level of the processor by changing a power level and changing a thermal envelope by modifying skin temperature (T_skin) limits.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the sensor information includes orientation data associated with orientation of the electronic device, wherein the device context is further based on the orientation of the electronic device.

9. A method comprising:

providing a processor with a plurality of selectable performance levels and a sensor in an electronic device;

receiving sensor information from the sensor, the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow;

determining a device context from the sensor information; and

dynamically modifying the performance level of the processor by implementing one of a plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

10. The method of claim 9 including selecting a policy from the group consisting of:

an active cooling policy, a passive policy, an adaptive performance policy, and a critical policy.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is inserted into a dock with an active airflow.

12. The method of claim 9 including dynamically increasing the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow.

13. The method of claim 9 including dynamically decreasing the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is not positioned proximately to an active airflow.

14. The method of claim 9 including dynamically monitoring the current temperature of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein dynamically modifying the performance level of the processor includes changing a power level and changing a thermal envelope by modifying skin temperature (T_skin) limits.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the sensor information includes orientation data associated with orientation of the electronic device, wherein the device context is further based on the orientation of the electronic device.

17. A non-transitory machine-useable storage medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive sensor information from a sensor, the sensor information including information for determining if an electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow;

determine a device context from the sensor information; and

dynamically modify the performance level of a processor having a plurality of selectable performance levels by implementing one of a plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

18. The machine-useable storage medium of claim 17 being further configured to select a policy from the group consisting of:

an active cooling policy, a passive policy, an adaptive performance policy, and a critical policy.

19. The machine-useable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is inserted into a dock with an active airflow.

20. The machine-useable storage medium of claim 17 being further configured to dynamically increase the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow.