Portable communication device having dynamic power management control and method therefor

• US 7,162,279 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Vivek G.
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US10/326,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20040121797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/550.1, 455/574, 455/572, 455/557, 455/127.5, 455/522, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 370/311, 370/318, 709/223, 709/229, 713322-324, 713/340, 713/501
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0293 having a sub-controller with a low clock frequency switching on and off a main controller with a high clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a portable communication device includes two processors. A power management controller may be adapted to alter an operational characteristic of the processors. In an alternative embodiment, the power management controller may be further adapted to vary an operational characteristics of one processor while leaving the other processor substantially unchanged.

Claims

1. A portable communication device comprising:

an application subsystem having a first processor and a first dynamic power management policy manager adapted to monitor operation of the application subsystem;

a communication subsystem having a second processor and a second dynamic power management policy manager adapted to monitor operation of the communication subsystem; and

a power management circuit adapted to adjust power consumption of both the first processor and the second processor,

wherein the first and second dynamic power management policy managers are adapted to indicate to the power management circuit how to adjust power consumption.

2. The portable conimunication device of claim 1, wherein the power management circuit is adapted to reduce a clocking frequency of the first processor and the second processor.

3. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the power management circuit is adapted to reduce a power supply voltage potential of the first processor and the second processor.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1, further comprising a third processor, wherein the power management circuit is further adapted to adjust power consumption of the third processor.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, further comprising an interface to couple the application subsystem to the communication subsystem.

6. The portable communication device of claim 5, wherein the power management circuit is able to receive information from the communication subsystem via the interface.

7. The portable communication device of claim 6, wherein the power management circuit is able to receive an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) compliant message from the communication subsystem via the interface.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the first dynamic power management policy manager is provided, at least in part, by instructions executed by the first processor.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the power management circuit is adapted to provide control signals directly to the first processor and the second processor.

10. The portable coniniunication device of claim 1, wherein the second dynamic power management policy manager is provided, at least in part, by instructions executed by the second processor.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a first processor coupled to the transceiver;

a first dynamic power management policy manager adapted to monitor operation relating to power consumption by the first processor;

a second processor;

a second dynamic power management policy manager adapted to monitor operation relating to power consumption by the second processor; and

a power management controller adapted to adjust an operational characteristic of the first processor in response to a request from the first dynamic power management policy manager and to adjust an operational characteristic of the second processor in response to a request from the second dynamic power management policy manager.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an interface to couple the first processor to the second processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an application subsystem that includes the second processor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a communication subsystem that includes the first processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an inter-integrated circuit controller to provide the power management controller with instructions to adjust the operational characteristic of the first processor and the second processor in response to requests from the first and second dynamic power management policy managers.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the power management controller is adapted to adjust one of a frequency or a power supply voltage potential of the first processor and the second processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the power management controller is further adapted to adjust an operational characteristic of the first processor without altering operation of the second processor.

18. A method comprising:

monitoring operation relating to power consumption by a first processor with a first dynamic power management policy manager;

monitoring operation relating to power consumption by a second processor with a second dynamic power management policy manager; and

varying with a power management controller an operational characteristic of the first processor in response to a request from the first dynamic power management policy manager and an operational characteristic of the second processor in response to a request from the second dynamic power management policy manager, wherein the power management controller is adapted to vary an operational characteristic of the first processor independently of the second processor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising varying a frequency of the first processor while leaving operation of the second processor substantially unchanged.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the varying comprises increasing a frequency of the first processor while decreasing a frequency of the second processor.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising varying a power supply voltage potential of the first processor while leaving operation of the second processor substantially unchanged.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising sending a request from the first dynamic power management policy manager in a communication subsystem via an interface to the power management controller.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the varying comprises varying an operational characteristic of the first processor in the communication subsystem.