Methods and systems to dynamically manage performance states in a data processing system

• US 8,645,740 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: de Cesare, Joshua, Cox, Keith Alan, Begeman, Nathaniel, Hauck, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US11/811,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to dynamically manage a performance state of a data processing system are described. The data processing system includes a plurality of components; one or more buses coupled to the plurality of components, and a dynamic performance state manager unit coupled to the components. The dynamic performance state manager unit is configured to receive information about a first plurality of current states of components of the system. The dynamic performance state manager unit is configured to determine a second plurality of required system performance states for the components; and to determine a current system performance state based on the first plurality and the second plurality.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method to dynamically manage a performance state of a data processing system, comprising:

determining, relative to a maximum system performance state, a plurality of minimum performance states of the system to operate each of a plurality of components of the data processing system;

determining which of the components are active;

determining which of the active components has a highest value of the minimum performance states relative to the maximum system performance state; and

setting a current system performance state to the highest minimum performance state relative to the maximum system performance state.

2. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

adjusting a performance level of at least one component based on the current system performance state and wherein the current system performance state applies to each of the components.

3. The machine-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a frequency.

4. The machine-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a bandwidth.

5. The machine-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a voltage.

6. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining the plurality of minimum performance states includes determining a minimum system performance state that is needed for a component to operate at a power efficient performance level.

7. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

determining if the current system performance state changed;

and

notifying at least one device driver about a change in the system performance state if the current system performance changed.

8. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining which of the components are active includes determining on/off states of the components.

9. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of minimum performance states is determined using performance constraints of the components and a set of performance states that the system supports.

10. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

determining a plurality of actual performances for the components based on the plurality of minimum performance states and which of the components are active, and wherein the current system performance state is determined using the plurality of actual performances.

11. A data processing system, comprising:

a plurality of components;

one or more buses coupled to the plurality of components; and

a dynamic performance state manager unit coupled to the components, the dynamic performance state manager unit being configured to

determine, relative to a maximum system performance state, a plurality of minimum performance states of the system to operate each of the components;

determine which of the components are active;

determine which of the active components has a highest value of the minimum performance states relative to the maximum system performance state; and

set a current system performance state to the highest minimum performance state relative to the maximum system performance state.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the dynamic performance state manager unit is further configured to adjust a performance level of at least one component based on the current system performance state and wherein the current system performance state applies to each of the components.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a frequency and wherein the dynamic performance state manager unit comprises a processor coupled to a memory configured to store software to control the current system performance state.

14. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a bandwidth.

15. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a voltage.

16. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of minimum performance states includes determining a minimum system performance state that is needed for each component to operate at a power efficient performance level.

17. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the dynamic performance state manager unit is further configured to

determine if the current system performance state changed;

and

notify at least one device driver about a change in the system performance state if the current system performance changed.

18. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein determining which of the components are active includes determining on/off states of the components.

19. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of minimum performance states is determined using performance constraints of the components and a set of performance states that the system supports.

20. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the dynamic performance state manager unit is further configured to determine a plurality of actual performances for the components based on the plurality of minimum performance states and which of the components are active, and wherein the current system performance state is determined using the plurality of actual performances.

21. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:

determining, relative to a maximum system performance state, a plurality of minimum performance states of the system to operate each of a plurality of components of the data processing system;

determining which of the components are active;

determining which of the active components has a highest value of the minimum performance states relative to the maximum system performance state; and

setting a current system performance state to the highest minimum performance state relative to the maximum system performance state.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 21 further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

adjusting a performance level of at least one component based on the current system performance state and wherein the current system performance state applies to each of the components.

23. The machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a frequency.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a bandwidth.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein the adjusting the performance level includes adjusting a voltage.

26. The machine readable medium of claim 21 wherein the determining the plurality of minimum performance states includes determining a minimum system performance state that is needed for a component to operate at a power efficient performance level.

27. The machine readable medium of claim 21 further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising

determining if the current system performance state changed;

and

notifying at least one device driver about a change in the system performance state if the current system performance changed.

28. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein determining which of the components are active includes determining on/off states of the components.

29. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the plurality of minimum performance states is determined using performance constraints of the components and a set of performance states that the system supports.

30. The machine readable medium of claim 21, further including data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising

determining a plurality of actual performances for the components based on the plurality of minimum performance states and which of the components are active, and wherein the current system performance state is determined using the plurality of actual performances.

31. A data processing system comprising:

means for determining, relative to a maximum system performance state, a plurality of minimum performance states of the system to operate each of a plurality of components of the data processing system;

means for determining which of the components are active;

means for determining which of the active components has a highest value of the minimum performance states relative to the maximum system performance state; and

means for setting a current system performance state to the highest minimum performance state relative to the maximum system performance state.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising

means for adjusting a performance level of at least one component based on the current system performance state and wherein the current system performance state applies to each of the components.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising

means for determining if the current system performance state changed;

and

means for notifying at least one device driver about a change in the system performance state if the current system performance changed.

34. The system of claim 31, further comprising

means for determining a plurality of actual performances for the components based on the plurality of minimum performance states and which of the components are active, and wherein the current system performance state is determined using the plurality of actual performances.