Adaptive power control
DC CAFCFirst Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- determining a level of permitted power consumption by a processing device from a set of operating conditions of the processing device, with the determining the level of permitted power consumption not based upon instructions to be executed by the processing device;
determining a highest allowable frequency of operation of the processing device that would result in power consumption not exceeding the level of permitted power consumption;
determining a lowest allowable level of voltage to apply to the processing device that would allow execution of the instructions by the processing device at the highest allowable frequency; and
changing power consumption of the processing device during execution of the instructions by reducing a magnitude of a difference between an operating frequency of the processing device and the highest allowable frequency of operation of the processing device and reducing a magnitude of a difference between a voltage applied to the processing device and the lowest allowable level of voltage.
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Abstract
A method for controlling the power used by a computer including the steps of measuring the operating characteristics of a central processor of the computer, determining when the operating characteristics of the central processor are significantly different than required by the operations being conducted, and changing the operating characteristics of the central processor to a level commensurate with the operations being conducted.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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determining a level of permitted power consumption by a processing device from a set of operating conditions of the processing device, with the determining the level of permitted power consumption not based upon instructions to be executed by the processing device; determining a highest allowable frequency of operation of the processing device that would result in power consumption not exceeding the level of permitted power consumption; determining a lowest allowable level of voltage to apply to the processing device that would allow execution of the instructions by the processing device at the highest allowable frequency; and changing power consumption of the processing device during execution of the instructions by reducing a magnitude of a difference between an operating frequency of the processing device and the highest allowable frequency of operation of the processing device and reducing a magnitude of a difference between a voltage applied to the processing device and the lowest allowable level of voltage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising
using a processing device, monitoring operating parameters of the processing device operating at a first voltage and a first frequency; -
using the processing device and the operating parameters, determining a second frequency, less than the first frequency, for operation of the processing device, with the determining the second frequency not based upon instructions to be executed by the processing device; using the processing device and the operating parameters, determining a second voltage, having a magnitude less than a magnitude of the first voltage, for operation of the processing device, with the determining the second voltage not based upon instructions to be executed by the processing device; using the processing device, controlling a frequency generator to change a first clock signal supplied to the processing device from the first frequency to the second frequency; and using the processing device, controlling a voltage source to change a voltage supplied to the processing device from the first voltage to the second voltage while the processing device executes the instructions. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus, comprising:
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a frequency generator configured to generate a first clock signal at a first frequency; and a processing device configured to receive the first clock signal and a first voltage provided by a voltage source, the processing device operable to monitor operating parameters of the processing device, the processing device operable to determine a second frequency of the first clock signal and a second voltage for operation of the processing device at lower power than operation at the first frequency and the first voltage, with the processing device operable to determine the second frequency and the second voltage not based on instructions to be executed by the processing device, the processing device operable to control the frequency generator to change from generating the first clock signal at the first frequency to generating the first clock signal at a second frequency, and the processing device operable to control the voltage source to change from providing the first voltage to providing the second voltage during execution of the instructions by the processing device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification