Methods and apparatuses for dynamic power control

• US 8,751,849 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Conroy, David G., Culbert, Michael, Cox, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US13/708,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 713300-340
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• 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: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatuses to manage a power of a system that leverage intermediate power margins are described. One or more subsystems of the system are operated at one or more performance points. A power consumed by the one or more subsystems at each of the one or more performance points is measured. An operational power of the one or more subsystems at the one or more performance points is determined. The one or more subsystems are operated at well-known conditions at the one or more performance points. The operational power may be adjusted based on data associated with the one or more subsystems. The operational power is provided to a power lookup table. The power is distributed among the one or more subsystems based on the operational power.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

operating a subsystem at a current performance setting which is one of a plurality of performance settings, the subsystem having a maximum power allocation, the subsystem being capable of operating at each of the performance settings and wherein the current performance setting has a power consumption which is less than the maximum power allocation;

determining an operational power of the subsystem at the current performance setting by using an actual power consumed by the subsystem that was previously measured at the current performance setting; and

allocating an additional power to one or more other subsystems, wherein the additional power is determined based on a difference between the maximum power allocation for the subsystem and the operational power of the subsystem at the current performance setting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational power of the subsystem is the actual power consumed by the subsystem determined dynamically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the performance settings is a frequency, voltage, temperature, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further including

adjusting the operational power based on a data associated with the subsystem.

5. The method of claim 1, further including

reading the operational power from one or more power lookup tables.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsystem is operated at the current performance setting to consume a power that is less than the maximum power allocation.

7. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine readable-storage medium storing data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising,

operating a subsystem at a current performance setting which is one of a plurality of performance settings, the subsystem having a power maximum allocation, the subsystem being capable of operating at each of the performance settings and wherein the current performance setting has a power consumption which is less than the maximum power allocation;

determining an operational power of the subsystem at the current performance setting by using an actual power consumed by the subsystem that was previously measured at the current performance setting; and

allocating an additional power to one or more other subsystems, wherein the additional power includes a difference between the maximum power allocation for the subsystem and the operational power of the subsystem at the current performance setting.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the operational power of the subsystem is the actual power consumed by the subsystem determined dynamically.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein each of the performance settings is a frequency, a voltage, a temperature, or any combination thereof.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the machine-readable storage medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations, comprising,

adjusting the operational power based on a data associated with the subsystem.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 7, wherein the machine-readable storage medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations, comprising,

reading the operational power from one or more power lookup tables.

12. A data processing system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to operate a subsystem at a current performance setting which is one of a plurality of performance settings, the subsystem having a maximum power allocation, the subsystem being capable of operating at each of the performance settings and wherein the current performance setting has a power consumption which is less than the maximum power allocation;

to determine an operational power of the subsystem at the current performance setting by using an actual power consumed by the subsystem that was previously measured at the current performance settings;

setting; and

the processor is configured to allocate an additional power that includes a difference between the maximum power allocation for the subsystem and the operational power of the subsystem at the current performance setting to one or more other subsystems.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein

the operational power of the subsystem is the actual power consumed by the subsystem determined dynamically.

14. The data processing system of claim 12, further comprising

one or more subsystems coupled to the processor.

15. The data processing system of claim 12, further comprising one or more sensors coupled to the processor.

16. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to

adjust the operational power based on a data associated with the subsystem.

17. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to

read the operational power from the memory.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the performance settings is a frequency, a voltage, a temperature, or any combination thereof.

19. A machine-accessible storage medium storing data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

storing a value representing an intermediate operational power setting of a subsystem and a maximum value, wherein the intermediate operational power setting is determined using an actual power consumed by the subsystem that was previously measured at a current performance setting which is one of a plurality of performance settings, the subsystem being capable of operating at each of the performance settings, the current performance setting having power consumption which is less than the maximum value; and

allocating an additional power to the system to operate another subsystem based on the value.

20. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 19, wherein each of the performance settings is a frequency, voltage, temperature, or any combination thereof.

21. The machine-accessible medium of claim 19, wherein the intermediate operational power setting is determined dynamically by measuring the actual power consumed by the subsystem at one or more performance settings, estimating the actual power consumed by the subsystem at one or more performance settings, or both.

22. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 19, wherein the value includes a difference between the maximum value and the intermediate operational power setting of the subsystem.

23. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 19, wherein the subsystem is operated to consume a maximum power at the current performance setting that is less than the maximum value.

24. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 19, wherein the machine-readable storage medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations, comprising,

storing the intermediate operational power setting in a memory.

25. The machine-accessible medium of claim 19, wherein the intermediate operational power setting is adjusted based on a data associated with the subsystem.

26. A machine-accessible storage medium storing data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

determining an intermediate operational power setting of a subsystem at a current performance setting which is one of a plurality of performance settings, the subsystem having a maximum power allocation, the subsystem being capable of operating at each of the performance settings, wherein the intermediate operational power setting is determined using an actual power consumed by the subsystem that was previously measured at the current performance setting, the current performance setting having power consumption which is less than the maximum power allocation;

storing the intermediate operational power setting; and

allocating an additional power to another subsystem based on the intermediate operational power setting and the maximum power.

27. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 26, wherein each of the performance settings is a frequency, voltage, temperature, or any combination thereof.

28. The machine-accessible medium of claim 26, wherein the intermediate operational power setting is determined dynamically by measuring the actual power consumed by the subsystem at one or more performance settings, estimating the actual power consumed by the subsystem at one or more performance settings, or both.

29. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 26, wherein the additional power is provided based on a difference between the maximum power allocation and the intermediate operational power setting of the subsystem.

30. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 26, wherein the subsystem is operated at the current performance setting to consume a maximum power that is less than the maximum power allocation.

31. The machine-accessible medium of claim 26, wherein the machine-readable storage medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations, comprising,

adjusting the intermediate operational power setting based on a data associated with the subsystem.

32. A data processing system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to store a value representing an intermediate operational power setting of a subsystem and an maximum value in the memory, wherein the intermediate operational power setting is determined using an actual power consumed by the subsystem that was previously measured at a current performance setting which is one of a plurality of performance settings, the subsystem being capable of operating at each of the performance settings, the current performance setting having power consumption which is less than the maximum value; and

to allocate an additional power to the system to operate another subsystem based on the value.

33. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein each of the performance settings is a frequency, voltage, temperature, or any combination thereof.

34. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the intermediate operational power setting is determined dynamically by measuring the actual power consumed by the subsystem at one or more performance settings, estimating the actual power consumed by the subsystem at one or more performance settings, or both.

35. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the value includes a difference between the maximum value and the intermediate operational power setting of the subsystem.

36. The data processing system of claim 32, further comprising one or more subsystems coupled to the processor.

37. The data processing system of claim 32, further comprising one or more sensors coupled to the processor.

38. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the intermediate operational power setting based on a data associated with the subsystem.