Structure and method to optimize computational efficiency in low-power environments
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A structure, comprising:
- a plurality of processing units; and
a load manager controlling selective parallel operation of at least one processing unit of the plurality of processing units based upon a determined optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency, wherein;
the optimal point is determined by sensing or measuring directly available sunlight, and knowing the available sunlight, or present operating condition, an applicable surface plot of operations per second as a function of frequency and number of operating units is accessed such that the optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in low-power environments is determined from the surface plot for a current operating condition.
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Abstract
A method and structure to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment. The method includes determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment, and selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point. The structure includes a plurality of processing units, a load manager controlling selective parallel operation of at least one processing unit of the plurality of processing units, and an unregulated power source.
14 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A structure, comprising:
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a plurality of processing units; and a load manager controlling selective parallel operation of at least one processing unit of the plurality of processing units based upon a determined optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency, wherein; the optimal point is determined by sensing or measuring directly available sunlight, and knowing the available sunlight, or present operating condition, an applicable surface plot of operations per second as a function of frequency and number of operating units is accessed such that the optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in low-power environments is determined from the surface plot for a current operating condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment, comprising:
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determining a present power available; selecting from data, obtained from an analysis applied voltage versus current, applicable data based upon the present power available; determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment from the applicable data; and selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment, comprising:
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determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment; selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point; and determining a present power available, wherein the determining the present power available comprises sensing the present power available with a sensing element, and the sensing element is a solar intensity sensor.
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12. A method to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment, comprising:
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determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment; selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point; determining a present power available; selecting from data, obtained from an analysis of operations/second versus frequency of operation and number of active processing units, applicable data based upon the determined present power available; and determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency from the applicable data. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment, comprising:
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determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment; selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point; determining a present power available; selecting from data, obtained from an analysis applied voltage versus current, applicable data based upon the present power available; and determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency from the applicable data, wherein the determining a present power available comprises; measuring a present voltage and a present current; and calculating the present power available from the present voltage and the present current. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment, comprising:
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determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment, the determining comprising inferring a current power condition; selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point; assuming a minimum power available; activating all processing units; outputting a minimum frequency as a present frequency to the active processing units; saving the present frequency and a number which is representative of a quantity of active processing units; designating an operations/second, determined according to the present frequency and the quantity of active processing units, as a maximum operations/second; iteratively increasing the present frequency to a new present frequency where the voltage is at about a minimum for the new present frequency; designating an operations/second, determined according to the new present frequency and the quantity of active processing units, as a current operations/second; if the current operations/second is greater than the maximum operations/second, setting the current operations/second as a new maximum operations/second, saving the new present frequency and the number which is representative of the quantity of active processing units, and decrementing the quantity of active units; and if the current operations/second is not greater than the maximum operations/second, restoring a last saved present frequency and a last saved number representative of the quantity of active units.
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17. A method to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment, comprising:
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determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment, the determining comprising inferring a current power condition; selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point; assuming a minimum power available; activating all processing units; outputting a maximum frequency, based on a given power source voltage, as a present frequency to the active processing units; saving the present frequency and a number representative of a quantity of active processing units; designating an operations/second, determined according to the present frequency and the quantity of active processing units, as a maximum operations/second; decrementing the quantity of active processing units; designating an operations/second, determined according to the present frequency and a new quantity of active processing units, as a current operations/second; if the current operations/second is greater than the maximum operations/second, setting the current operations/second as a new maximum operations/second and saving the new present frequency and a number representative of the new quantity of active processing units; and if the current operations/second is not greater than the maximum operations/second, restoring a last saved present frequency and a last saved number representative of the quantity of active units.
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18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component to:
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determine an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment; and selectively control operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point, wherein the determined optimal point is determined by sensing or measuring directly available power, and knowing the available power, an applicable surface plot of operations per second as a function of frequency and number of operating units is accessed such that the optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in low-power environments is determined. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method to optimize computational efficiency in a low-power environment, comprising:
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determining an optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency in a low-power environment; and selectively controlling operation of at least one processing unit of a plurality of processing units in accordance with the determined optimal point; and
one of;(i) wherein the determining the optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency comprises; assuming a minimum power available; activating all processing units; outputting a minimum frequency as a present frequency to the active processing units; saving the present frequency and a number which is representative of a quantity of active processing units; designating an operations/second, determined according to the present frequency and the quantity of active processing units, as a maximum operations/second; iteratively increasing the present frequency to a new present frequency where the voltage is at about a minimum for the new present frequency; designating an operations/second, determined according to the new present frequency and the quantity of active processing units, as a current operations/second; if the current operations/second is greater than the maximum operations/second, setting the current operations/second as a new maximum operations/second, saving the new present frequency and the number which is representative of the quantity of active processing units, and decrementing the quantity of active units; and if the current operations/second is not greater than the maximum operations/second, restoring a last saved present frequency and a last saved number representative of the quantity of active units; and (ii) wherein the determining the optimal point for maximizing computational efficiency comprises; assuming a minimum power available; activating all processing units; outputting a maximum frequency, based on a given power source voltage, as a present frequency to the active processing units; saving the present frequency and a number representative of a quantity of active processing units; designating an operations/second, determined according to the present frequency and the quantity of active processing units, as a maximum operations/second; decrementing the quantity of active processing units; designating an operations/second, determined according to the present frequency and a new quantity of active processing units, as a current operations/second; if the current operations/second is greater than the maximum operations/second, setting the current operations/second as a new maximum operations/second and saving the new present frequency and a number representative of the new quantity of active processing units; and if the current operations/second is not greater than the maximum operations/second, restoring a last saved present frequency and a last saved number representative of the quantity of active units.
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Specification