Power and thermal optimization of processor and cooling

• US 8,538,598 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Steinbrecher, Robin A., Ahuja, Sandeep, Winkel, Casey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US12/977,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 700/299, 700/300, 702/57, 702/64, 702/65, 702/127, 702/130, 702/132, 702/136, 713/300, 713/320, 713/340, 327/538, 327/540
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In some embodiments a processor is adapted to store a relationship of power as a function of temperature and voltage, wherein the stored relationship data is to be used for managing power in a system including the processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor that stores a first relationship of processor power as a function of temperature and voltage, and stores a second relationship of fan power and fan speed as a function of processor thermal resistance; and

a power management device to control a speed of one or more fans based on the first relationship and the second relationship to reduce power consumption of the apparatus by balancing fan power consumption and processor power consumption.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to store the first relationship in response to testing of the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the temperature in the first relationship corresponds to a temperature measured by a Digital Thermal Sensor associated with the processor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor power relates to a leakage of the processor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the processor adapted to deliver a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.

6. A method comprising:

calculating a first relationship of processor power as a function of temperature and voltage;

calculating a second relationship of fan power and fan speed as a function of processor thermal resistance;

storing the first relationship and the second relationship to a processor in a system; and

controlling a speed of one or more fans based on the first relationship and the second relationship to reduce power consumption of the system by balancing fan power consumption and processor power consumption.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

testing the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications; and

characterizing the first relationship in response to the testing.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a temperature reading from a Digital Thermal Sensor associated with the processor and using the received temperature reading from the Digital Thermal Sensor as the temperature in the first relationship.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the processor power relates to a leakage of the processor.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising delivering a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a first relationship of processor power as a function of temperature and voltage from a processor in a system;

receiving a second relationship of fan power and fan speed as a function of processor thermal resistance from the processor; and

controlling a speed of one or more fans based on the first relationship and the second relationship to reduce power consumption of the system by balancing fan power consumption and processor power consumption.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first relationship corresponds to a testing of the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor power, relates to a leakage of the processor.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising delivering a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a power management device to receive a first relationship of processor power as a function of temperature and voltage from a processor;

the power management device to receive a second relationship of fan power and fan speed as a function of processor thermal resistance from the processor; and

the power management device to control a speed of one or more fans based on the first relationship and the second relationship to reduce power consumption of the apparatus by balancing fan power consumption and processor power consumption.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first relationship corresponds to a testing of the processor in a plurality of voltages, temperatures, and/or applications.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the temperature in the first relationship corresponds to a temperature measured from a Digital Thermal Sensor associated with the processor.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor power relates to a leakage of the processor.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the processor adapted to deliver a fan speed value to the system for control purposes.