Methods and apparatuses for dynamic power control

• US 9,671,845 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• 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): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US14/149,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20140121854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 700300, 700299, 439894, 62129
• 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 provide a cooling arrangement for a system are described. The system includes a component coupled to a heat sink. A signal associated with a temperature control of the component is asserted. A target temperature of the heat sink is adjusted based on the signal. In one embodiment, a temperature control loop of the heat sink is operated. The temperature of the heat sink may be monitored using one or more sensors placed on the heat sink. An operation of the component, a cooling unit coupled to the heat sink, or both, may be adjusted based on a relationship between the temperature of the heat sink and an adjusted target temperature. Adjusting the target temperature of the heat sink based on the asserted signal increases efficiency of the system while decreasing cooling.

Claims

1. A method to set a target temperature of a heat sink, comprising:

monitoring a temperature of a heat sink;

receiving, via an electrical pin of an integrated circuit chip, a component-specific electrical signal asserted by logic circuitry of the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is thermally coupled to the heat sink, and wherein the component-specific electrical signal is asserted in response to a current temperature of the integrated circuit chip equaling or exceeding a component-specific threshold temperature for the integrated circuit chip;

adjusting a target temperature of the heat sink to an adjusted target temperature based on the assertion of the component-specific electrical signal; and

adjusting an operation of the integrated circuit chip, a cooling unit coupled to the heat sink, or both based on whether the monitored temperature of the heat sink is above the adjusted target temperature of the heat sink.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the operation of the integrated circuit chip includes changing a frequency of the integrated circuit chip, a voltage of the integrated circuit chip, or both.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the cooling unit includes changing a speed of a fan.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the target temperature comprises:

decreasing the target temperature if the component-specific electrical signal is asserted by the logic circuitry for longer than a predetermined fraction of time over a predetermined time interval.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the target temperature comprises:

increasing the target temperature if the component-specific electrical signal is asserted by the logic circuitry for shorter than a predetermined fraction of time over a predetermined time interval.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the component-specific electrical signal indicates that the current temperature of the integrated circuit chip exceeds a threshold value for the integrated circuit chip.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the component-specific electrical signal asserted by the logic circuitry of the integrated circuit chip comprises receiving the component-specific electrical signal via a pin out of the integrated circuit chip.

7. A data processing system, comprising:

an integrated circuit chip;

a heat sink thermally coupled to the integrated circuit chip;

a sensor coupled to the heat sink; and

a thermal controller coupled to the integrated circuit chip, wherein the thermal controller is to receive, via an electrical pin of the integrated circuit chip, a component-specific electrical signal asserted by logic circuitry of the integrated circuit chip, wherein the component-specific electrical signal is asserted in response to a current temperature of the integrated circuit chip equaling or exceeding a component-specific threshold temperature for the integrated circuit chip, and wherein the thermal controller is to adjust a target temperature of the heat sink to an adjusted target temperature based on the assertion of the component-specific electrical signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the thermal controller adjusts the target temperature by decreasing the target temperature if the component-specific electrical signal is asserted for longer than a predetermined fraction of time over a predetermined time interval.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the thermal controller adjusts the target temperature by increasing the target temperature if the component-specific electrical signal is asserted for shorter than a predetermined fraction of time over a predetermined time interval.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the thermal controller operates a temperature control loop of the heat sink.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the thermal controller receives the component-specific electrical signal that indicates the current temperature control of the integrated circuit chip, wherein the thermal controller measures a temperature of the heat sink, and wherein the thermal controller determines a difference between the measured temperature of the heat sink and a maximum temperature of the integrated circuit chip.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the thermal controller sets a baseline target temperature of the heat sink based on the difference.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the thermal controller sets tolerance parameters based on the difference.

21. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein receiving the component-specific electrical signal asserted by the logic circuitry of the integrated circuit chip comprises receiving the component-specific electrical signal via a pin out of the integrated circuit chip.

14. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including executable program instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising,

monitoring a temperature of a heat sink;

receiving, via an electrical pin of an integrated circuit chip, a component-specific electrical signal asserted by logic circuitry of the integrated circuit chip, wherein the integrated circuit chip is thermally coupled to the heat sink, and wherein the component-specific electrical signal is asserted in response to a current temperature of the integrated circuit chip equaling or exceeding a component-specific threshold temperature for the integrated circuit chip;

adjusting a target temperature of the heat sink to an adjusted target temperature based on the assertion of the component-specific electrical signal; and

adjusting an operation of the integrated circuit chip, a cooling unit coupled to the heat sink, or both based on whether the monitored temperature of the heat sink is above the adjusted target temperature of the heat sink.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein adjusting the operation of the integrated circuit chip includes changing a frequency of the integrated circuit chip, a voltage of the integrated circuit chip, or both.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein adjusting the cooling unit includes changing a speed of a fan.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein adjusting the target temperature comprises:

decreasing the target temperature if the component-specific electrical signal is asserted by the logic circuitry for longer than a predetermined fraction of time over a predetermined time interval.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein adjusting the target temperature comprises:

increasing the target temperature if the component-specific electrical signal is asserted by the logic circuitry for shorter than a predetermined fraction of time over a predetermined time interval.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein receiving the component-specific electrical signal asserted by the logic circuitry of the integrated circuit chip comprises receiving the component-specific electrical signal via a pin out of the integrated circuit chip.

19. A system, comprising:

means for monitoring a temperature of a heat sink;

means for asserting a component-specific electrical signal for an electrical pin of an integrated circuit chip thermally coupled to the heat sink, wherein the component-specific electrical signal is asserted in response to a current temperature of the integrated circuit chip equaling or exceeding a component-specific threshold temperature for the integrated circuit chip;

means for adjusting a target temperature of the heat sink to an adjusted target temperature based on the assertion of the component-specific electrical signal; and

means for adjusting an operation of the integrated circuit chip, a cooling unit coupled to the heat sink, or both based on whether the monitored temperature of the heat sink is above the adjusted target temperature of the heat sink.