Method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting the power consumption of a circuit block within an integrated circuit
First Claim
1. A method of dynamically adjusting the power consumption of a circuit block within an integrated circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) incrementing a count total maintained by a counter on the occurrence of a first type of trigger event, and detecting the occurrence of a predetermined event when the count total maintained by the counter equals, or transcends, a predetermined threshold value, the predetermined event providing a speculative indication of a future state of activity of the circuit block by reason of a predicted proximity of the predetermined event to the future state of activity of the circuit block; and
(b) adjusting the power consumption of the circuit block in response to the occurrence of the predetermined event.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of dynamically adjusting the power consumption of a circuit block within an integrated circuit includes the step of incrementing a count total maintained by a counter on the occurrence of a first type of trigger event. The occurrence of a predetermined event is detected when the count total maintained by the counter equals, or transcends, a predetermined threshold value. The predetermined event provides a speculative indication of a future state of activity of the circuit block by reason of a predicted proximity of the predetermined event to the future state of activity of the circuit block. The power consumption of the circuit block is adjusted in response to the occurrence of the predetermined event.
144 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of dynamically adjusting the power consumption of a circuit block within an integrated circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) incrementing a count total maintained by a counter on the occurrence of a first type of trigger event, and detecting the occurrence of a predetermined event when the count total maintained by the counter equals, or transcends, a predetermined threshold value, the predetermined event providing a speculative indication of a future state of activity of the circuit block by reason of a predicted proximity of the predetermined event to the future state of activity of the circuit block; and (b) adjusting the power consumption of the circuit block in response to the occurrence of the predetermined event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for dynamically adjusting the power consumption of a circuit block within an integrated circuit, the apparatus comprising:
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a counter to maintain a count of a first type of trigger event; detection circuitry to detect the occurrence of a predetermined event by detecting when the count of the first type of trigger events maintained by the counter equals, or transcends, a predetermined threshold value, the predetermined event providing a speculative indication of a future state of activity of the circuit block by reason of a predicted proximity of the predetermined event to the future state of activity of the circuit block; and adjustment circuitry, coupled to the detection circuitry, to adjust the power consumption of the circuit block in response to the occurrence of the predetermined event. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A processor for a computer system, the processor comprising:
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a circuit block; a counter to maintain a count of trigger events; a detection circuit to detect the occurrence of a predetermined event by detecting when the count of trigger events maintained by the counter is equal to, or transcends, a predetermined threshold value, the predetermined event providing a speculative indication of a future state of activity of the circuit block by reason of a predicted proximity of the predetermined event to the future state of activity of the circuit block; and an adjustment circuit, coupled to the detection circuitry to adjust the power consumption of the circuit block in response to the occurrence of the predetermined event. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of dynamically reducing the power consumption of a circuit block within an integrated circuit, the circuit block being clocked by a clock signal, the method comprising the steps of:
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incrementing a count total value if the circuit block is inactive during a monitored clock cycle; detecting a threshold event, the threshold event occurring when the count total value is equal to, or transcends, a predetermined threshold value, the threshold event providing a speculative indication of future inactivity of the circuit block by reason of a predicted proximity of the threshold event to a future event which does not require activity by the circuit block; and
reducing the power consumption of the circuit block in response to the occurrence of the threshold event.
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29. A mechanism for dynamically reducing the power consumption of a circuit block within an integrated circuit, the circuit block being clocked by a clock signal, the mechanism comprising:
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an activity monitoring circuit configured to monitor the circuit block over a monitored clock cycle to determine whether the circuit block is active or inactive during the monitored clock cycle, and to generate an increment signal on the determination that the circuit block was inactive during the monitored clock cycle; a counter, coupled to receive the increment signal from the monitoring circuit, and configured to increment a count total value maintained by the counter on reception of the increment signal; a register storing a threshold value; and a comparator, coupled to receive the count total value from the counter and the threshold value from the register, and being adapted to compare the count total value to the threshold value, and to output a clock disable signal, for disabling the clock signal, when the count total value is determined to be equal to, or to transcend, the threshold value.
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Specification