Power-saving clock control apparatus and method

• US 6,073,244 A
• Filed: 08/04/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwazaki, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/128,969
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/322, 713/323, 713/501, 713/601
• US Class Current: 713/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A clock control type information processing apparatus of the invention selects clock frequency according to load state, which reduces electric power consumption without substantially reducing the effective performance of the program. The clock control type information processing apparatus including a central processing unit for executing programs and a plurality of peripheral processing units connected to the central processing unit using a bus, includes a clock generating unit for generating clock signals having a plurality of frequencies and selectively supplying any one of the clock signals to the central processing unit and the peripheral processing units, a bus access monitoring unit for monitoring load state of the bus which connects the central processing unit with the peripheral processing units; and a clock selection control unit for generating control signals to control the clock frequencies generated by the clock generating unit according to the load state of the bus.

Claims

1. A clock control type information processing apparatus including a central processing unit for executing programs and at least one peripheral processing unit connected to the central processing unit using a bus comprising:

a clock generating unit for generating clock signals having a plurality of frequencies and selectively supplying any one of the clock signals to the central processing unit and the peripheral processing unit;

a bus access monitoring unit for monitoring load state of the bus which connects the central processing unit with the peripheral processing unit; and

a clock selection control unit for generating control signals to control the clock frequencies generated by the clock generating unit according to the load state of the bus such that one of at least a first, second, and third clock frequency is generated according to a corresponding first, second, and third load state of the bus.

2. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a clock stop control unit for instructing the clock generating unit to stop clock signal generation when the bus access monitoring unit detects no bus access on the bus for a predetermined time; and

a clock restart control unit for instructing the clock generating unit to restart the clock signal generation in response to a restart signal when the clock signal generation is stopped.

3. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said clock generating unit sets oscillation frequencies by controlling the frequencies of a voltage controlling oscillator (VCO).

4. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said clock generating unit comprises a plurality of oscillators for setting a oscillation frequency by selecting one of said plurality of oscillators.

5. A clock control type information processing apparatus including a central processing unit for executing the programs and at least one peripheral processing unit connected to the central processing unit using a bus comprising:

a first clock generating unit for generating clock signals having a plurality of frequencies and selectively supplying any one of the clock signals to the peripheral processing unit;

a second clock generating unit for generating clock signals having a plurality of frequencies and selectively supplying any one of the clock signals to the central processing unit;

a bus access monitoring unit for monitoring the load state of the bus which connects the central processing unit with the peripheral processing unit;

a first clock selection control unit for generating control signals to switch clock frequencies of the first clock generating unit according to a load state of the bus; and

a second clock selection control unit for generating control signals to switch clock frequencies of the second clock generating unit according to a load state of the central processing unit.

6. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a second clock stop control unit for instructing the second clock generating unit to stop clock signal generation when the central processing unit detects no load for more than a predetermined time; and

a second clock restart control unit for instructing the second clock generating unit to restart the clock signal generation in response to a restart signal when the clock signal generation of the second clock generating unit is stopped.

7. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said clock generating unit sets oscillation frequencies by controlling the frequencies of a voltage controlling oscillator (VCO).

8. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first generating unit comprises a plurality of oscillators for setting a oscillation frequency by selecting one of said plurality of oscillators.

9. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said second generating unit comprises a plurality of oscillators for setting a oscillation frequency by selecting one of said plurality of oscillators.

10. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a first clock stop control unit for instructing said first clock generating unit to stop the clock signal generation when the bus access monitoring unit detects no bus access on the bus for more than a predetermined time; and

a clock restart control unit for instructing the first clock generating unit to restart the clock signal generation in response to a restart signal when the clock signal generation of the first clock generating unit is stopped.

11. The clock control type information processing apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a second clock stop control unit for instructing said second clock generating unit to stop the clock signal generation when said central processing unit detects no load for more than a predetermined time; and

a second clock restart control unit for instructing the second clock generating unit to restart the clock signal generation in response to a restart signal when the clock signal generation of the second clock generating unit is stopped.

12. A method of controlling a clock and information processing apparatus having a central processing unit and at least one peripheral processing unit operatively connected to the central processing unit with a bus, comprising:

generating a clock signal having a variable frequency;

supplying the clock signal to the central processing unit and the peripheral processing unit;

monitoring a load state of the bus; and

controlling said generating step to vary the clock signal frequency according to the load state of the bus as determined by said monitoring step such that one of at least a first, second, and third clock frequency is generated according to a corresponding first, second, and third load state of the bus.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

instructing said generating step to stop clock signal generation when said monitoring step detects no bus access on the bus for a predetermined time; and

instructing said generating step to restart the clock signal generation in response to a restart signal when the clock signal generation has been stopped.

14. A method of controlling clock signals in an information processing apparatus having a central processing unit and a peripheral processing unit operatively connected to the central processing unit via a bus, comprising:

generating a first clock signal having a variable frequency;

supplying the first clock signal to the peripheral processing unit;

generating a second clock signal having a variable frequency;

supplying the second clock signals to the central processing unit;

monitoring a load state of the bus;

controlling said generating first clock signal step to vary the first clock signal frequency according to the load state of the bus as determined by said monitoring step; and

controlling said generating second clock signal step to vary the frequency of the second clock signal according to a load state of the central processing unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

instructing said generating second clock signal step to stop generating the second clock signal when the central processing unit has no load for more than a predetermined time; and

instructing said generating second clock step to restart generation of the second clock signals in response to a restart signal when the second clock signal generation has been stopped.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

instructing said generating first clock step to stop the generation of the first clock signal when said monitoring step detects no bus access on the bus for more than a predetermined time; and

instructing said generating first clock step to restart generation of the first clock signal in response to a restart signal.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

instructing said generating second clock step to stop generating the second clock signal when the central processing unit is under no load for more than a predetermined time; and

instructing said generating second clock step to restart generating the second clock signal in response to a restart signal.