Integrated circuit device having power domains and partitions based on use case power optimization

• US 9,411,390 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Sriram, Parthasarathy, Smith, Brian, Le Provost, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US12/029,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,102 Days
• Field of Search: 713/321, 713/322, 713/324
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A programmable SoC (system on a chip) having optimized power domains and power islands. The SoC is an integrated circuit device including a plurality of power domains, each of the power domains having a respective voltage rail to supply power to the power domain. A plurality of power islands are included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power domain includes at least one power island. A plurality of functional blocks are included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power island includes at least one functional block. Each functional block is configured to provide a specific device functionality. The integrated circuit device adjusts power consumption in relation to a requested device functionality by individually turning on or turning off power to a selected one or more power domains, and for each turned on power domain, individually power gating one or more power islands.

Claims

1. A programmable SoC (system on a chip) comprising:

an integrated circuit device;

a plurality of power domains included within the integrated circuit device, each of the power domains having a respective voltage rail to supply power to the power domain;

a plurality of power islands included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power domain includes at least one power island;

a plurality of functional blocks included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power island includes at least one functional block, and wherein each functional block is configured to provide a specific device functionality,

wherein the integrated circuit device is configured to adjust power consumption in relation to a requested device functionality by;

individually turning on or turning off power to one or more selected power domains;

individually power gating one or more selected power islands within a turned on power domain; and

individually enabling one or more selected function blocks based on the requested device functionality within a turned on power island.

2. The programmable SoC of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power domains is coupled to a dedicated voltage rail, and wherein the integrated circuit device is configured to receive power from an external power management unit adapted to provide power for the respective voltage rails.

3. The programmable SoC of claim 1, wherein the plurality of functional blocks are allocated among the plurality of power islands to enable a first subset of functional blocks to be power gated when providing a first requested device functionality and to enable a second subset of functional blocks to be power gated when providing a second requested device functionality.

4. The programmable SoC of claim 1, wherein the plurality of power islands are allocated among the plurality of power domains to enable a first subset of power islands to be turned off when providing a first requested device functionality and to enable a second subset of power islands to be turned off when providing a second requested device functionality.

5. The programmable SoC of claim 1, wherein the plurality of power domains comprises an always on power domain configured to control turning power off and turning power on for a remaining plurality of power domains of the integrated circuit device, wherein the integrated circuit device is operable to enter a deep sleep mode while the always on power domain remains active.

6. The programmable SoC of claim 5, wherein the always on power domain is configured to control the power gating of the one or more selected power islands.

7. The programmable SoC of claim 5, wherein the always on power domain is configured to control clock gating of the one or more selected functional blocks.

8. The programmable SoC of claim 7, wherein the always on power domain is coupled to control an external power management unit adapted to provide power for the respective voltage rails, and to turn off a voltage rail associated with a turned off power domain and to turn on a voltage rail associated with a turned on power domain.

9. The programmable SoC of claim 5, wherein the always on power domain is configured to:

receive a wake-up signal indicative of a wake up from the sleep mode;

determine the requested device functionality; and

identify the one or more selected function blocks for performing the requested device functionality.

10. The programmable SoC of claim 9, wherein the power domain comprises an internal state machine configured to detect the wake-up signal.

11. A battery-powered handheld device, comprising:

a programmable system on a chip integrated circuit device;

a plurality of power domains included within the integrated circuit device, each of the plurality of power domains having a respective voltage rail to supply power to the power domain, wherein one of the plurality of power domains is an always on power domain and is configured to;

remain active while the integrated device is in a sleep mode; and

control turning power off and turning power on for a remaining plurality of power domains;

a plurality of power islands included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power domain includes at least one power island;

a plurality of functional blocks included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power island includes at least one functional block, and wherein each functional block is configured to provide a specific device functionality,

wherein the integrated circuit device is configured to adjust power consumption in relation to a requested device functionality by;

individually turning on or turning off power to one or more selected power domains of the plurality of domains;

individually power gating one or more selected power islands within a turned on power domain; and

individually enabling one or more selected function blocks within a turned on power island based on the requested device functionality.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of functional blocks are allocated among the plurality of power islands to enable a first subset of functional blocks to be power gated when providing a first requested device functionality and to enable a second subset of functional blocks to be power gated when providing a second requested device functionality.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of power islands are allocated among the plurality of power domains to enable a first subset of power islands to be turned off when providing a first requested device functionality and to enable a second subset of power islands to be turned off when providing a second requested device functionality.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the always on power domain is configured to control the power gating of the one or more selected power islands and is configured to control clock gating of the one or more selected functional blocks.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the always on power domain is configured to control an external power management unit adapted to provide power for the respective voltage rails, and to turn off a respective voltage rail associated with a turned off power domain and to turn on a respective voltage rail associated with a turned on power domain.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of functional blocks are allocated among the plurality of power islands and the plurality of power domains of the integrated circuit device to optimize power consumption by enabling one or more functional blocks to be shut down when not needed for the requested device functionality.

17. A handheld smart phone, comprising:

an RF transceiver;

a keyboard;

a display;

an audio output device;

a programmable system on a chip integrated circuit device coupled to the RF transceiver, the keyboard, the display, and the audio output device;

a plurality of power domains included within the integrated circuit device, each of the plurality of power domains having a respective voltage rail to supply power to the power domain, wherein one of the plurality of power domains is an always on power domain and is configured to;

remain active while the integrated device is in a sleep mode; and

control turning power off and turning power on for a remaining plurality of power domains;

a plurality of power islands included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power domain includes at least one power island;

a plurality of functional blocks included within the integrated circuit device, wherein each power island includes at least one functional block, and wherein each functional block is configured to provide a specific device functionality; and

wherein the integrated circuit device is configured to adjust power consumption in relation to a requested device functionality by;

individually turning on or turning off power to one or more selected power domains;

for each turned on power domain, individually power gating one or more selected power islands; and

individually clock gating one or more selected function blocks based on the requested device functionality within a turned on power island.

18. The handheld smart phone of claim 17, wherein the plurality of functional blocks are allocated among the plurality of power islands to enable a first subset of functional blocks to be power gated when providing a first requested device functionality and to enable a second subset of functional blocks to be power gated when providing a second requested device functionality.

19. The handheld smart phone of claim 17, wherein the always on power domain is configured to control an external power management unit adapted to provide power for the respective voltage rails, and to turn off a respective voltage rail for a turned off power domain and to turn on a respective voltage rail for a turned on power domain.

20. The handheld smart phone of claim 17, wherein the plurality of functional blocks are allocated among the plurality of power islands and plurality of the power domains of the integrated circuit device to optimize power consumption by enabling one or more functional blocks to be shut down when not needed for the requested device functionality.

21. The handheld smart phone of claim 17, further comprising a power management controller residing in the always on power domain and configured to execute a state machine operable to recognize wake-up signals and wakes up power domains or power islands.

22. The handheld smart phone of claim 17, wherein multiple power domains and multiple power islands within the plurality of power domains are used to enable a customized and optimized power consumption versus performance profile.