Semiconductor integrated circuit device and power consumption control device

• US 7,646,197 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Tetsuya, Osada, Kenichi, Toyama, Keisuke, Misaka, Satoshi, Saen, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shrivastav; Brij B
• Application Number:
  US11/542,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 324300-322, 365/226, 365/227, 713/300, 713/320, 275/130, 327/544, 375/316
• US Class Current: 324/300
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

To perform execution scheduling of function blocks so as to control the total required power of the function blocks within a supplyable power budget value, and thereby realize stable operations at low power consumption. Function block identifiers are allotted to all the function blocks, and to a RAM area that a power consumption control device can read and write, a list to store identifiers and task priority, power mode value showing power states, and power mode time showing the holding time of power states can be linked. A single or plural link lists for controlling the schedules of tasks operating on the function blocks, a link list for controlling the function block in execution currently in high power mode, a link list for controlling the function block in stop currently in stop mode, and a link list for controlling the function block in execution currently in low power mode are allotted, and thereby the power source and the operation clock are controlled by the power consumption control device.

Claims

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit device having a single or plural function blocks equipped with a sensor that outputs a power consumption structural element signal and a register that can set functions, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a volatile semiconductor memory, and a timer, the device comprising

an operation clock distribution unit that is equipped with a register that can access from all the function blocks and set power consumption, and further supplies an operation clock to all the function blocks,

a power source voltage distribution unit that is equipped with a register that can access from all the function blocks and set power consumption, and further supplies power source voltage to all the function blocks,

a power conversion unit that collects and adds all the power consumption structural element signals and converts them into a total required power value and stores it and can access from any of the function blocks and read the total required power value,

a power consumption control unit that receives a timer interrupt from the timer and loads the total required power value, and

buses that connect the function blocks and the operation clock distribution unit and the power source voltage distribution unit and the power conversion unit and the power consumption control unit and the nonvolatile semiconductor memory and the volatile semiconductor memory and the timer and can make data communications among them, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

when the power result value obtained by subtracting the total required power value from the power budget value which is the value loaded in prior and obtained by subtracting an arbitrary margin from allowable power of the power source is negative, shuts down the operation clock to the operation clock distribution unit, or decreases the operation frequency, or shuts down the power source voltage to the power source voltage distribution unit, so that the total required power value should be the power budget value or below.

2. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein

after an execution start just after data showing that the function blocks are just after the start of execution is written into a specified shared memory of the volatile semiconductor memory, an execution start just after notification interrupt event is sent to the power consumption control unit, and the power consumption control unit receives the execution start just after notification interrupt event and reads the data from the specified shared memory and holds the data, and

after an execution start just before data showing that the function blocks are just before the start of execution is written into a specified shared memory of the volatile semiconductor memory, an execution start just before notification interrupt event is sent to the power consumption control unit, and the power consumption control unit receives the execution start just before notification interrupt event and reads the data from the specified shared memory and holds the data, and

after an execution end just after data showing that the function blocks are just after the end of execution is written into a specified shared memory of the volatile semiconductor memory, an execution completion just after notification interrupt event is sent to the power consumption control unit, and the power consumption control unit receives the execution end just after notification interrupt event and reads the data from the specified shared memory and hold the data.

3. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 2, wherein

when the function block issues a command to other single or plural function blocks, the function block that issues the command sends the execution start just after notification interrupt event, and the execution start just before notification interrupt event, and the execution end just after notification interrupt event.

4. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 3, wherein

the power consumption control unit sends to the power consumption control unit itself the execution start just after notification interrupt event, and the execution start just before notification interrupt event, and the execution end just after notification interrupt event.

5. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 4, wherein

the function blocks and the power consumption control unit send the execution start just after notification interrupt event, and the execution start just before notification interrupt event, and thereby the power consumption control unit acquires the power budget value and the total required power value.

6. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 5, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

makes a task unit a function block unit at which a thread and a process and a command are issued,

allots a function block identifier to all the function blocks,

is equipped with a function block control link list for controlling tasks to all the function blocks, is equipped with a power control link list for controlling the function blocks when the power mode is high power mode, is equipped with a low power control link list for controlling the function blocks when the power mode is low power mode, and is equipped with a suspending link list for controlling the function blocks when the power mode is stop mode,

to the lists to be inserted into the function block control link list and the power control link list and the low power control link list and the suspending link list, the task priority and the function block identifier and the power mode and power mode time for setting a holding time of the power mode are stored, and

the power control link list arranges the lists in the order of low task priority, and the function block control link list, the low power control link list, and the suspending link list arrange the lists in the order of high task priority, thereby the function blocks are scheduled.

7. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 6, wherein

the power consumption control unit performs the scheduling,

at the execution start just after notification interrupt event, the execution start just before notification interrupt event, and the execution end just after notification interrupt event, for the function block control link list, the power control link list, the low power control link list, and the suspending link list.

8. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 7, wherein

the power consumption control unit is equipped with a time control unit that converts the timer event from the timer into cycle event and alarm event, and performs the scheduling at the cycle event and the alarm event, for the function block control link list, the power control link list, the low power control link list, and the suspending link list.

9. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 8, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

when the power result value is negative, removes the lists in the order of low task priority from the power control link list, sets the power mode time stored in the removed list to the time control unit as alarm time,

when the power mode stored is the low power mode, sets the function block corresponding to the function block identifier stored to the low power mode, and inserts the removed list to the low power control link list in the order of high task priority, and

on the contrary, when the power mode stored is the stop mode, sets the function block corresponding to the function block identifier stored to the stop mode, and inserts the removed list to the low power control link list in the order of high task priority.

10. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 9, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

after lapse of the alarm time, when the low power control link list or the suspending control link list is not empty, removes the list of the highest task priority,

sets the function block corresponding to the function block identifier stored in the removed list to the high power mode, and

inserts the removed list in the order of lowest task priority from the power control link list.

11. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 10, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

shuts down the operation clock or the power source voltage when the function block control link list is empty.

12. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 11, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

is a set of the function blocks whose power switches are same, and shuts down the operation clock or the power source voltage when the function block control link list corresponding to all the function blocks of the set is empty.

13. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 12, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

at the execution start just after notification interrupt event, newly stores the task priority, the function block identifier, the power mode, and the power time in the execution start just after data into the list, and inserts the list into the function block control link list corresponding to the function block identifier in the order of high task priority, and then inserts the list into the power control link list in the order of low task priority.

14. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 13, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

at the execution start just before notification interrupt event, newly stores the task priority, the function block identifier, the power mode, and the power time in the execution start just before data into the list, and inserts the list into the function block control link list corresponding to the function block identifier in the order of high task priority, and then inserts the list into the power control link list in the order of low task priority, and

generates an interrupt in the function block corresponding to the function block identifier.

15. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 14, wherein

the power consumption control unit,

at the execution end just after notification interrupt event, removes the list of the highest task priority from the function block control link list corresponding to the function block identifier in the execution end just after data, and removes the list corresponding to the function block identifier stored in the removed list from the power control link list.

16. A power consumption control device for controlling the power consumption of a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a single or plural function blocks equipped with a sensor that outputs a power consumption structural element signal and a register that can set functions, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a volatile semiconductor memory, and a timer,

the power consumption control device,

when the power result value obtained by subtracting the total required power value from the power budget value which is the value loaded in prior and obtained by subtracting an arbitrary margin from allowable power of the power source is negative, shuts down the operation clock to the operation clock distribution unit, or decreases the operation frequency.

17. A power consumption control device according to claim 16, wherein

the power consumption control device,

receives an execution start just after notification interrupt event issued after an execution start just after data showing that the function blocks are just after the start of execution is written into a specified shared memory of the volatile semiconductor memory, and reads the data from the specified shared memory and holds the data,

receives an execution start just before notification interrupt event issued after an execution start just before data showing that the function blocks are just before the start of execution is written into a specified shared memory of the volatile semiconductor memory, and reads the data from the specified shared memory and holds the data, and

receives an execution end just after notification interrupt event issued after an execution end just after data showing that the function blocks are just after the end of execution is written into a specified shared memory of the volatile semiconductor memory, and reads the data from the specified shared memory and holds the data.