Video processing device with ring oscillator for power adjustment and methods for use therewith

• US 9,239,604 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weinberg, Yoav, Stewart, Norman Vernon Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US13/741,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20140063349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 713/3, 713/320, 713/324
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/127 Prioritisation of hardware or computational resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/156 Availability of hardware or computational resources, e.g. encoding based on power-saving criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/14 Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00

Abstract

A video processing device includes a substrate. A plurality of ring oscillators generate a corresponding plurality of ring oscillator outputs. A control circuit generates power adjustment signals for adjusting at least one power supply voltage of the video processing device, based on the plurality of oscillator outputs.

Claims

1. A video processing device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of ring oscillators coupled to the substrate, the plurality of ring oscillators generating a corresponding plurality of ring oscillator outputs, wherein the plurality of ring oscillators are distributed along a plurality of rows and columns of the substrate;

a control circuit, coupled to monitor the plurality of ring oscillator outputs, that generates power adjustment signals for adjusting at least one power supply voltage of the video processing device, based on the plurality of ring oscillator outputs; and

a column decoder and a row decoder, coupled to the control circuit and the plurality of ring oscillators, that couple a selected one of the plurality of ring oscillator outputs to the control circuit in response to a row and column address.

2. The video processing device of claim 1 wherein the at least one power supply generates a plurality of power supply voltages and the plurality of ring oscillators are distributed at different locations on the substrate, and wherein the control circuit generates the power adjustment signals to adjust the plurality of power supply voltages corresponding to at least two of the different locations on the substrate.

3. The video processing device of claim 1 wherein the control circuit includes:

a ring oscillator output selector that generates a selected ring oscillator output from one of the plurality of ring oscillators corresponding to a row and column of the substrate based on a ring oscillator selection that includes the row and column address corresponding to the row and column of the substrate;

a frequency detector, coupled to the ring oscillator output selector, that generates a ring oscillator frequency based on the selected ring oscillator output; and

a control signal generator, coupled to the frequency detector and the ring oscillator output selector, that generates the ring oscillator selection and the power adjustment signals, based on the selected ring oscillator output.

4. The video processing device of claim 3 wherein the control signal generator generates the ring oscillator selection to scan the plurality of ring oscillator outputs.

5. The video processing device of claim 1 wherein the control circuit further generates at least one clock adjustment signal for adjusting a frequency of a clock generator.

6. A method for use in a video processing device that includes a substrate, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of ring oscillator outputs via a corresponding plurality of ring oscillators distributed along a plurality of rows and columns of the substrate;

monitoring the plurality of ring oscillator outputs by selecting ones of the plurality of ring oscillator outputs in response to a row and column address; and

generating power adjustment signals, via a control circuit, for adjusting at least one power supply voltage of the video processing device, based on the plurality of ring oscillator outputs.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one power supply generates a plurality of power supply voltages and the plurality of ring oscillators are distributed at different locations on the substrate, and the method further comprises:

adjusting the plurality of power supply voltages corresponding to at least two of the different locations on the substrate, based on the power adjustment signals.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein generating the power adjustment signals includes:

generating a ring oscillator selection that includes the row and column address;

generating a selected ring oscillator output from one of the plurality of ring oscillators at a row and column of the substrate that corresponds to the row and column address;

generating a ring oscillator frequency based on the selected ring oscillator output; and

generating the power adjustment signals, based on the selected ring oscillator output.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein generating the ring oscillator selection includes scanning the plurality of ring oscillator outputs.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

generating at least one clock adjustment signal for adjusting a frequency of a clock generator.