Thermal throttling of peripheral components in a processing device

• US 8,304,698 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Inventors: Tischler, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCHALL, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US11/299,071
• Time in Patent Office: 2,524 Days
• Field of Search: 219/481, 219/494, 219/492, 219/501, 219/479, 219483-486, 713/300, 713/501
• US Class Current: 219/497
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Whether a temperature of a portion of a die of an integrated circuit device having a central processing device and one or more peripheral components has exceeded a first temperature threshold is determined. In response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded the first temperature threshold, a first thermal reduction process for a first peripheral component of the one or more peripheral components is selected and the first thermal reduction process for the first peripheral component is implemented.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether a temperature of a portion of a die of an integrated circuit device has exceeded a first temperature threshold, wherein the integrated circuit device comprises a central processing unit and one or more peripheral components; and

in response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded the first temperature threshold;

selecting a first thermal reduction process for a first peripheral component of the one or more peripheral components; and

implementing the first thermal reduction process for the first peripheral component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing a second thermal reduction process for the central processing unit in response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the die continues to exceed the first temperature threshold after the first thermal reduction process has been implemented.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the first peripheral component from the one or more peripheral components.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the first peripheral component comprises selecting the first peripheral from one or more peripheral components based on operating capacity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first peripheral component is selected from the one or more peripheral components operating using a round-robin selection process.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first thermal reduction process comprises selecting a thermal reduction process expected to have the lowest performance degradation of a plurality of thermal reduction processes applicable to the first peripheral component, wherein the first thermal reduction process comprises the selected thermal reduction processes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded a second temperature threshold higher than the first temperature threshold; and

in response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded the second temperature threshold;

selecting a second thermal reduction process for a second peripheral component of the one or more peripheral components; and

implementing the second thermal reduction process for the second peripheral component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second thermal reduction process comprises selecting a thermal reduction process expected to have the greatest thermal reduction of a plurality of thermal reduction processes applicable to the second peripheral component, wherein the second thermal reduction process comprises the selected thermal reduction processes.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising implementing a third thermal reduction process for the central processing unit in response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the die continues to exceed the first temperature threshold and the second temperature threshold after the first thermal reduction process and the second thermal reduction process have been implemented.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral component comprises at least one of a bus interface, a graphics controller, a universal serial bus interface, a video processor, a memory controller, a PCI bus interface, a PCI express bus interface, an ATA bus interface, or a display interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first thermal reduction process comprises at least one of reducing a number of operations to be performed by the first peripheral component, reducing a power provided to the first peripheral component, reducing an operating frequency of a bus associated with the first thermal reduction process, reducing a bandwidth of the first peripheral component, or reducing a number of operations that one or more other peripheral components can receive from the first peripheral component.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral component comprises a video processor and the first thermal reduction process comprises reducing a color depth of video data processed by the video processor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral component comprises a graphics controller and the first thermal reduction process comprises reducing a display refresh rate.

14. An integrated circuit device comprising:

a central processing unit disposed at a die;

a plurality of peripheral components disposed at the die;

a thermal diode disposed at the die; and

a thermal throttling component disposed at the die and operably connected to the thermal diode, wherein the thermal throttling component is to;

determine whether a temperature of a portion of the die has exceed a first temperature threshold based on an output of the thermal diode; and

in response to a determination that the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded the first temperature threshold;

select a first thermal reduction process for a first peripheral component of the plurality of peripheral components; and

implement the first thermal reduction process for the first peripheral component.

15. The integrated circuit device of claim 14, wherein the thermal throttling module further is to implement a second thermal reduction process for the central processing unit in response to a determination that the temperature of the portion of the die continues to exceed the first temperature threshold after the first thermal reduction process has been implemented.

16. The integrated circuit device of claim 14, wherein the thermal throttling module further is to select the first peripheral component from the one or more peripheral components.

17. The integrated circuit device of claim 14, wherein the thermal throttling module further is to:

determine whether the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded a second temperature threshold higher than the first temperature threshold; and

in response to a determination that the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded the second temperature threshold;

select a second thermal reduction process for a second peripheral component of the plurality of peripheral components; and

implement the second thermal reduction process for the second peripheral component.

18. A method comprising:

operating a central processing unit of an integrated circuit device in a first operational mode during a first time period;

operating a first peripheral component of the integrated circuit device in a second operational mode during the first time period;

determining whether a temperature of a portion of a die of the integrated circuit device has exceeded a first temperature threshold, wherein the central processing unit and the first peripheral component are disposed at the die; and

in response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded the first temperature threshold;

operating the central processing unit in the first operational mode during a first time period subsequent to the first time period;

operating the first peripheral component of the integrated circuit device in a third operational mode during the second time period, wherein the first peripheral component has a lower thermal output in the third operational mode than in the second operational mode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether the temperature of a portion of the die has exceeded a second temperature threshold; and

in response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the die has exceeded the second temperature threshold, operating the central processing unit in a fourth operational mode during a third time period subsequent to the first time period, wherein the central processing unit has a lower thermal output in the fourth operational mode than in the first operational mode.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

operating a second peripheral component of the integrated circuit device in a fourth operational mode during the first time period, wherein the second peripheral component is disposed at the die;

determining whether the temperature of a portion of the die has exceeded a second temperature threshold; and

in response to determining that the temperature of the portion of the dies has exceeded a second temperature threshold;

operating the central processing unit in the first operational mode during a third time period subsequent to the first time period; and

operating the second peripheral component in a fifth operational mode during the third time period, wherein the second peripheral component has a lower thermal output in the fifth operational mode than in the fourth operational mode.