Techniques for communications power management based on system states

• US 8,156,353 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tsai, Jr-Shian
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHIL K
• Application Number:
  US12/208,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/400, 713/500, 713/310, 713/320, 713/324, 713/340, 370/229
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Techniques for communications based power management based on system states are described. An apparatus may comprise a communications sub-system having a control policy module, a controller and a first transceiver capable of operating at different communications rates. The control policy module may be operative to receive computing power state information and communications state information, determine a communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state information and the communications state information, and instruct the controller to modify a communications rate for the first transceiver based on the communications rate parameter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a communications sub-system having a control policy module, a controller and a first transceiver capable of operating at different communications rates, the control policy module operative to receive computing power state information and communications state information, compare the computing power state information and the communications state information against one or more control policies programmed for the control policy module, determine a communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the comparing of the computing power state information and the communications state information, instruct the controller to modify a communications rate for the first transceiver based on the communications rate parameter,

receive a computing power state parameter with the computing power state information, and determine the communications state parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state parameter and the communications state information,

the communications state information comprises a network link utilization parameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the control policy module operative to determine the communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state parameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the control policy module to receive, a computing idle duration parameter, and a computing resume latency parameter, and determine the communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state parameter, the computing idle duration parameter, the computing resume latency parameter, and the communications state information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a network state module operative to monitor a communications link for a defined time period, calculate an average transmit period and an average receive period, and determine the network link utilization parameter based on the average transmit period and the average receive period.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the control policy module operative to receive the network link utilization parameter as the communications state information, and determine the communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state information and the network link utilization parameter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a buffer to couple to the transceiver, the buffer operative to buffer packets for the first transceiver, the network state module to compare a number of packets in the buffer with a threshold value, and determine a buffer utilization parameter based on the comparison.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the control policy module operative to receive a buffer utilization parameter as the communications state information, and determine the communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state information and the buffer utilization parameter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a buffer to couple to the transceiver, the buffer operative to buffer packets until the communications rate for the transceiver has been modified.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the controller to perform flow control operations to modify a communications rate for a second transceiver based on the communications rate parameter.

10. A system, comprising:

a node having a managed power system with a digital electronic display and a communications sub-system, the communications sub-system having a first transceiver, a controller, and a control policy module, the first transceiver capable of operating at different communications rates, the control policy module operative to receive computing power state information and communications state information, compare the computing power state information and the communications state information against one or more control policies programmed for the control policy module, determine a communications rate parameter for the first transceiver based on the comparing of the computing power state information and the communications state information, instruct the controller to modify a communications rate for the first transceiver based on the communications rate parameter,

receive a computing power state parameter with the computing power state information, and determine the communications state parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state parameter and the communications state information,

the communications state information comprises a network link utilization parameter.

11. The system of claim 10, comprising a power management module having a power management controller operative to receive computing power state information from a computing sub-system, the computing power state information to include a computing idle duration parameter and a computing resume latency parameter, the power management controller to determine the computing power state parameter for the computing sub-system, and send a power management message to the control policy module with the computing power state information including the computing power state parameter, the computing idle duration parameter and the computing resume latency parameter.

12. The system of claim 10, comprising a computing sub-system having a computing state module operative to generate the computing power state information for the computing sub-system, and send a power management message with the computing power state information to a power management module.

13. The system of claim 10, the communications sub-system having a second transceiver, the control policy module to switch operations from the first transceiver to a second transceiver to modify communications rates.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving computing power state information by a control policy module;

receiving communications state information by the control policy module

comparing a computing power state information and a communications state information against one or more control policies;

determining a communications rate parameter for a transceiver based on the comparing of the computing power state information and the communications state information; and

modifying a communications rate for the transceiver based on the communications rate parameter;

receiving a computing power state parameter with the computing power state information by the control policy module operative, and

determining the communications state parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state parameter and the communications state information,

the communications state information comprises a network link utilization parameter.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving computing idle duration parameter and a computing resume latency parameter as the computing power state information; and

determining the communications rate parameter for the transceiver based on the computing power state parameter, the computing idle duration parameter, the computing resume latency parameter, and the communications state information.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising:

monitoring a communications link for a defined time period;

calculating an average transmit period and an average receive period; and

determining the network link utilization parameter based on the average transmit period and the average receive period.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving the network link utilization parameter as the communications state information; and

determining the communications rate parameter for the transceiver based on the computing power state information and the network link utilization parameter.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising:

storing packets for the first transceiver in a buffer;

comparing a number of packets in the buffer with a threshold value; and

determining a buffer utilization parameter based on the comparison.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving a buffer utilization parameter as the communications state information;

and determining the communications rate parameter for the transceiver based on the computing power state information and the buffer utilization parameter.

20. An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

receive computing power state information by a control policy module;

receive communications state information by the control policy module;

compare the computing power state information and the communications state information against one or more control policies programmed for the control policy module;

determine a communications rate parameter for a transceiver based on the comparing of the computing power state information and the communications state information;

modify a communications rate for the transceiver based on the communications rate parameter;

receive a computing power state parameter with the computing power state information by the control policy module; and

determine the communications state parameter for the first transceiver based on the computing power state parameter and the communications state information,

the communications state information comprises a network link utilization parameter.

21. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

receive the computing power state parameter, a computing idle duration parameter and a computing resume latency parameter as the computing power state information; and

determine the communications rate parameter for the transceiver based on the computing power state parameter, the computing idle duration parameter, the computing resume latency parameter, and the communications state information.

22. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

receive the network link utilization parameter as the communications state information; and

determine the communications rate parameter for the transceiver based on the computing power state information and the network link utilization parameter.

23. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

receive a buffer utilization parameter as the communications state information; and

determine the communications rate parameter for the transceiver based on the computing power state information and the buffer utilization parameter.