Noise reduction by returning to normal mode upon above threshold usage while periodically changing between sleep mode and low frequency mode

• US 8,117,473 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Jang-Geun
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US12/265,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A noise reduction apparatus and method of a processor to which a dynamic power management technique is applied. The noise reduction apparatus includes a mode setting unit for detecting a use state of a processor and setting an operation mode; and a power supply unit for supplying voltage corresponding to the operation mode set by the mode setting unit. The operation mode includes a general mode in which the processor normally operates; a sleep mode in which activity of the processor is suspended; and a low frequency mode in which the processor operates at voltage and clock frequency lower than those of the general mode and higher than those of the sleep mode. The mode setting unit changes between the general mode and the sleep mode, wherein the processor is set to the low frequency mode as an intermediate step.

Claims

1. A noise reduction apparatus of a dynamic power management processor, the apparatus comprising:

a mode setting unit configured to detect a use state of a processor and to set an operation mode of the processor; and

a power supply unit configured to supply a voltage corresponding to the operation mode set by the mode setting unit,

wherein the mode setting unit is configured to change the operation mode of the processor periodically between a sleep mode and a low frequency mode in response to receiving a periodically generated signal during the sleep mode of the processor,

wherein the low frequency mode includes a low frequency mode voltage and a low frequency mode clock frequency respectively lower than a general mode voltage and a general mode clock frequency and respectively higher than a sleep mode voltage and a sleep mode clock frequency, and

wherein, if usage of the processor is higher than a certain value while the operation mode is periodically changed between the sleep mode and the low frequency mode, the operation mode returns to a general operation mode.

2. The noise reduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the low frequency mode comprises:

a low speed mode in which the processor virtualizes a bus signal by using a dynamic front side bus (FSB) frequency switching and operates at a low speed mode clock frequency and a low speed mode bus frequency, which are lower than the general mode clock frequency and a general mode bus frequency, and

an ultra low speed mode in which the processor operates at an ultra low speed mode voltage and an ultra low speed mode clock frequency, which are lower than the low speed mode voltage and the low speed mode clock frequency.

3. The noise reduction apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ultra low speed mode includes controlling a PLL so that the ultra low speed mode voltage and the ultra low speed mode clock frequency of the processor are set to be lower than the low speed mode voltage and the low speed mode clock frequency.

4. The noise reduction apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ultra low speed mode includes virtualizing the bus signal by a dynamic front side bus (FSB) frequency switching so that the ultra low speed mode voltage and the ultra low speed mode clock frequency of the processor are set to be lower than the low speed mode voltage and the low speed mode clock frequency.

5. A noise reduction method of a dynamic power management processor by an apparatus, comprising the steps of:

(A) detecting, by the apparatus, a use state of a processor and setting an operation mode of the processor;

(B) setting, by the apparatus, the operation mode of the processor to a sleep mode in response to the detected use state of the processor;

(C) changing the operation mode of the processor periodically between the sleep mode and a low frequency mode in response to receiving a periodically generated signal during the sleep mode of the processor; and

(D) if usage of the processor is higher than a certain value while the operation mode is periodically changed between the sleep mode and the low frequency mode, returning the operation mode to a general operation mode by the apparatus,

wherein the low frequency mode is a mode having at a low frequency mode voltage and a low frequency mode clock frequency respectively lower than a general mode voltage and a general mode clock frequency and respectively higher than a sleep mode voltage and a sleep mode clock frequency.

6. The noise reduction method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the low frequency mode comprises:

a low speed mode in which the processor virtualizes a bus signal by using a dynamic front side bus (FSB) frequency switching and including a low speed mode clock frequency and a low speed mode bus frequency lower than the general mode clock frequency and the general mode bus frequency, and

an ultra low speed mode in which the processor operates at an ultra low speed mode voltage and an ultra low speed mode clock frequency lower than the low speed mode voltage and the low speed mode clock frequency.

7. The noise reduction method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ultra low speed mode includes controlling a PLL so that the ultra low speed mode voltage and the ultra low speed mode clock frequency of the processor are set to be lower than the low speed mode voltage and the low speed mode clock frequency.

8. The noise reduction method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ultra low speed mode includes virtualizing the bus signal by a dynamic front side bus (FSB) frequency switching so that the ultra low speed mode voltage and the ultra low speed mode clock frequency of the processor are set to be lower than the low speed mode voltage and the low speed mode clock frequency.