Power management system and method

• US 5,894,579 A
• Filed: 02/21/1997
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fujihara, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US08/804,725
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750.01-750.08, 364/707
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4893 taking into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for managing power, in a computer system, whereby it is possible to so manage power, where there are a plurality of peripheral devices which can be simultaneously operated, that the total power consumed by such peripheral devices does not exceed a predetermined capacity.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor executing programs;

memory operatively connected with said processor and storing programs executable by said processor;

a peripheral device operatively connected with said processor and said memory and exchanging data therewith;

a table established in said memory in which is entered data indicative of the power consumption required to operate said peripheral device;

a peripheral control program stored in said memory and executable by said processor for controlling said peripheral device in consonance with an operation request; and

a queue control program stored in said memory and executable by said processor for,

(1) upon receipt of said operation request, reading from said table said power consumption required for said peripheral device when handling said operation request,

(2) comparing said required power consumption with a currently available maximum power and

(3)(i) when said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than a currently available maximum power capacity, transmitting said operation request to said peripheral control program,

(ii) when said power consumption that is read exceeds said currently available maximum power capacity, said queue control program saves said operation request in a queue and goes into a standby mode until at least one request currently being processed is completed, and

wherein after said at least one request is completed said queue control program reads from said table said power consumption required for said peripheral device to process said operation request and if said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than said currently available maximum power capacity, said queue control program transmits said operation request from said queue to said peripheral control program.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein, when at least a first and second operation requests are held in said queue, said queue control program reads, after a current request is completed, from said table said power consumption required for said first operation request, and wherein, when said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than said currently available maximum power capacity, said queue control program transmits said first operation request to said peripheral control program and updates said queue by moving said second operation request to a front of said queue.

3. A computer system comprising:

a processor executing programs;

memory operatively connected with said processor and storing programs executable by said processor;

a plurality of peripheral devices, each said peripheral device operatively connected with said processor and said memory and exchanging data therewith;

a power source for which a maximum power capacity is determined that for simultaneous operation can be allocated to said plurality of peripheral devices;

a table established in said memory in which is stored for each of said plurality of peripheral devices a power consumption required for operation;

a plurality of peripheral control programs for respectively controlling operations of said plurality of peripheral devices in consonance with an operation request; and

a queue control program for, (1) upon receipt of said operation request, reading from said table said power consumption required for handling said operation request, and (2) when said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than said maximum power capacity, transmitting said operation request to one of said peripheral control programs, and (3) when said power consumption that is read exceeds said maximum power capacity, saving said operation request in a queue, and changing to a standby mode until at least one request currently being processed is completed, and

wherein after said at least one request is completed said queue control program reads from said table said power consumption required for said peripheral device to process said operation request and if said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than said currently available maximum power capacity, said queue control program transmits said operation request from said queue to said peripheral control program.

4. In a computer system to which is connected a plurality of peripheral devices and which has power management means, the improvement comprising:

(a) a power source for which a maximum power capacity is determined that for simultaneous operation can be allocated to said plurality of peripheral devices;

(b) a table in which is stored for each of said plurality of peripheral devices a power consumption required for operation;

(c) a plurality of control programs for respectively controlling operations of said plurality of peripheral devices in consonance with an operation request; and

(d) a queue control program for, upon receipt of said operation request, reading from said table said power consumption required for handling said operation request, and for, when said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than a value obtained by subtracting a power consumption employed for an operation request currently being processed from said maximum power capacity, transmitting said operation request to a corresponding control program, and when said power consumption that is read exceeds said value, saving said operation request in a queue, and changing to a standby mode until at least one request currently being processed is completed, and

wherein after said at least one request is completed said queue control program reads from said table said power consumption required for handling said operation request and if said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than a currently available maximum power capacity, said queue control program transmits said operation request from said queue to a corresponding control program.

5. A power management apparatus, for a computer system that includes a plurality of modules, comprising:

a table in which for each of said plurality of modules is entered a power consumption required to process an operation request;

control programs, each of which correspond to one of said plurality of modules, for controlling operations by each of said plurality of modules in consonance with operation requests; and

a queue control program for, upon receipt of said operation request, reading from said table said power consumption required for one of said modules to process said operation request;

for, when said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than a currently available maximum power capacity, transmitting said operation request to said control program; and

for, when said power consumption that is read exceeds said currently available maximum power capacity, saving said operation request in a queue, and

wherein when said operation request is held in said queue and is not yet being processed, said queue control program reads, from said table at a predetermined time interval, said power consumption required to process said operation request; and

wherein, when said power consumption that is read is equal to or less than said currently available maximum power capacity, said queue control program transmits said operation request to said control program.