Methods and systems for power management in a data processing system

• US 7,917,784 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Michael, de Cesare, Joshua, Semeria, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US11/620,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,542 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/322, 713/324, 712/214, 712/216
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing power consumption in data processing systems are described. In one embodiment, a data processing system includes a general purpose processing unit, a graphics processing unit (GPU), at least one peripheral interface controller, at least one bus coupled to the general purpose processing unit, and a power controller coupled to at least the general purpose processing unit and the GPU. The power controller is configured to turn power off for the general purpose processing unit in response to a first state of an instruction queue of the general purpose processing unit and is configured to turn power off for the GPU in response to a second state of an instruction queue of the GPU. The first state and the second state represent an instruction queue having either no instructions or instructions for only future events or actions.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method comprising:

scheduling a future action for a subsystem of a data processing system, the subsystem having an associated setup time, the future action being scheduled by determining a future time value for the future action to be performed by the subsystem based on a list of time-related events associated with the subsystem, the list of time-related events comprising future actions and time values at which the future actions are to be performed;

adjusting, at a run-time, the future time value by a latency value which represents a latency in powering up the subsystem from a reduced power state, wherein the latency value is based on the associated setup time of the subsystem for which the future action is scheduled; and

supplying power to the subsystem to be powered up in response to the adjusted future time value.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the subsystem is at least one of (a) a general purpose processing unit;

(b) a data codec;

(c) a camera interface controller;

(d) a wireless interface controller;

(e) a controller for a dock;

(f) a serial bus interface controller;

(g) a digital signal processor and (h) a display controller.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the latency includes a period of time after initially supplying power to the subsystem until the subsystem has stabilized in a powered up state.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reduced power state includes supplying zero volts to the subsystem.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reduced power state includes supplying a reduced voltage to the subsystem while operating the subsystem at a reduced operating frequency.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein data representing the future action is stored in a data structure for future actions which include future events.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the future action is stored in the data structure before reducing power to the subsystem.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein power to the subsystem is reduced in response to a first state of an instruction queue, the first state having either no instructions or instructions for only future actions.

9. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium containing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

scheduling a future action for a subsystem of a data processing system, the subsystem having an associated setup time, the future action being scheduled by determining a future time value for the future action to be performed by the subsystem based on a list of time-related events associated with the subsystem, the list of time-related events comprising future actions and time values at which the future actions are to be performed;

adjusting, at a run-time, the future time value by a latency value which represents a latency in powering up the subsystem from a reduced power state, wherein the latency value is based on the associated setup time of the subsystem for which the future action is scheduled; and

supplying power to the subsystem to be powered up in response to the adjusted future time value.

10. The medium as in claim 9 wherein the subsystem is at least one of (a) a general purpose processing unit;

(b) a data codec;

(c) a camera interface controller;

(d) a wireless interface controller;

(e) a controller for a dock;

(f) a serial bus interface controller;

(g) a digital signal processor and (h) a display controller.

11. The medium of claim 9 wherein the latency includes a period of time after initially supplying power to the subsystem until the subsystem has stabilized in a powered up state.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the reduced power state includes supplying zero volts to the subsystem.

13. The medium of claim 9 wherein the reduced power state includes supplying a reduced voltage to the subsystem while operating the subsystem at a reduced operating frequency.

14. The medium of claim 9 wherein data representing the future action is stored in a data structure for future actions which include future events.

15. The medium of claim 14 wherein the future action is stored in the data structure before reducing power to the subsystem.

16. The medium of claim 15 wherein power to the subsystem is reduced in response to a first state of an instruction queue, the first state having either no instructions or instructions for only future actions.

17. A data processing system comprising:

means for scheduling a future action for a subsystem of a data processing system, the subsystem having an associated setup time, the future action being scheduled by determining a future time value for the future action to be performed by the subsystem based on a list of time-related events associated with the subsystem, the list of time-related events comprising future actions and time values at which the future actions are to be performed;

means for adjusting, at a run-time, the future time value by a latency value which represents a latency in powering up the subsystem from a reduced power state, wherein the latency value is based on the associated setup time of the subsystem for which the future action is scheduled; and

means for supplying power to the subsystem to be powered up in response to the adjusted future time value.

18. A data processing system comprising:

a processing unit;

at least one bus coupled to the processing unit;

at least one subsystem coupled to the at least one bus;

a memory coupled to the at least one bus;

a power controller coupled to the processing unit, wherein the memory is configured to store data representing a future action for at least one of the subsystem and the processing unit, the subsystem and the processing unit each having an associated setup time, the future action being scheduled by determining a future time value for the future action based on a list of time-related events associated with the subsystem, the list of time-related events comprising future actions and time values at which the future actions are to be performed, wherein the power controller is configured to adjust, at a run-time, the future time value by a latency value which represents a latency in powering up the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit from a reduced power state, wherein the latency value is based on the associated setup time of the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit for which the future action is scheduled, and wherein the power controller is configured to supply power to the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit in response to the adjusted future time value.

19. The data processing system of claim 18 wherein the subsystem is at least one of (a) a data codec;

(b) a camera interface controller;

(c) a wireless interface controller;

(d) a controller for a dock;

(e) a serial bus interface controller;

(f) a digital signal processor; and

(g) a display controller.

20. The data processing system of claim 18 wherein the latency includes a period of time after initially supplying power to the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit until the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit has stabilized in a powered up state.

21. The data processing system of claim 18 wherein the reduced power state includes supplying zero volts to the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit.

22. The data processing system of claim 18 wherein the reduced power state includes supplying a reduced voltage with a reduced operating frequency.

23. The data processing system of claim 18 wherein the data representing the future action is stored in a data structure for future actions which include future events.

24. The data processing system of claim 23 wherein the future action is stored in the data structure before reducing power to the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit.

25. The data processing system of claim 24 wherein power to the at least one of the subsystem or the processing unit is reduced in response to a first state of an instruction queue, the first state having either no instructions or instructions for only future actions.