Controlling power usage of computing device components in holistic manner

• US 20060190745A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawano, Seiichi, Yamazaki, Mitsuhiro, Matsushima, Shinji, Tsukamoto, Yasumichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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

Power usage of computing device components is controlled in a holistic manner. The projected total power consumption for the computing device to satisfy a power consumption policy for the device is determined. Power usage of each component of the computing device is controlled in a holistic manner—i.e., balancing the power usage of the component against the power usage of other components—so that the total power usage of the computing device falls within the projected total power consumption needed to satisfy the power consumption policy. How the user is currently utilizing the computing device may be periodically detected, based at least on a power consumption distribution of the components of the computing device. A current usage model is determined based on how the user is currently utilizing the computing device. The power usage of each component of the computing device is controlled based on the current usage model.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a projected total power consumption for a computing device to satisfy a power consumption policy for the computing device, including determining a usage model of the computing device as to how the computing device is currently being used based at least on a power consumption distribution of a plurality of components of the computing device; and

,

controlling power usage of each of the plurality of components of the computing device in a holistic manner so that total power usage of the computing device falls within the projected total power consumption needed to satisfy the power consumption policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the projected total power consumption for the computing device to satisfy the power consumption policy for the computing device comprises determining the usage model of the computing device further based at least on user preference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the projected total power consumption for the computing device to satisfy the power consumption policy for the computing device comprises determining the usage model of the computing device further based at least on how a user is currently utilizing the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically detecting how the user is currently utilizing the computing device;

determining the usage model based on how the user is currently utilizing the computing device; and

,

controlling the power usage of each component of the computing device based on the usage model.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected total power consumption for the computing device is based at least on a desired amount of power usage for controlling battery discharge of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected total power consumption for the computing device is based at least on a maximum amount of power capable of being provided by a power supply of the computing device, such that the power consumption policy is such that the computing device is to have power managed so that run-time thereof lasts for a user-specified length of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the power usage of each of the plurality of components of the computing device comprises determining an amount of power needed by a hard disk drive or an optical drive to begin rotation of a spindle thereof, and where the amount of power needed to begin rotation of the spindle causes the total power usage of the computing device to exceed the projected total power consumption, reducing power of one or more other components of the computing device temporarily so that there is sufficient power for the spindle to begin rotation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the power usage of each of the plurality of components of the computing device comprises dividing the components into a plurality of zones corresponding to user sensitivity to power management of the components.

9. A computing device comprising:

a power source;

a first sensor to detect an amount of power currently being provided by the power source;

a plurality of components;

a plurality of second sensors corresponding to the plurality of components, each second sensor to detect an amount of power currently being consumed by a corresponding component; and

,

a mechanism to control total power consumed by the computing device in a holistic manner by monitoring the amount of power currently being provided by the power source, determining a usage model of the computing device as to how the computing device is currently being used based at least on a power consumption distribution of the components, and adjusting the amount of power currently being consumed by each component.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the mechanism is to adjust the amount of power currently being consumed by each component at least by communicating with the component to cause the component to operate with less performance, such that the component consumes less power.

11. The computing device of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of voltage regulators corresponding to the plurality of components, each voltage regulator controlling the amount of power currently that can be provided to a corresponding component,

wherein the mechanism is to adjust the amount of power currently being consumed by each component by at least controlling the voltage regulator corresponding to the component to reduce the amount of power provided to the component.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the mechanism is to control total power consumed by the computing device based at least on user preference.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the mechanism is to control total power consumed by the computing device based at least on periodic detection as to how the computing device is currently being utilized by a user.

14. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the mechanism comprises:

a first software component to supervise an operating condition of an operating system running on the computing device to determine how the computing device is being utilized by a user; and

,

a second software component to collect information regarding the components.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the mechanism further comprises a third software component to receive user preference regarding how power is to be consumed by the computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the power source is a battery, such that the computing device is a portable computing device.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the power source is a power supply connectable to an external power source, and the power source is able to provide a limited amount of power to the components of the computing device.

18. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

,

means in the medium for controlling power usage of each of a plurality of components of a computing device in a holistic manner so that total power usage of the computing device satisfies a power consumption policy, based on a usage model of the computing device as to how the computing device is currently being used as determined based on a power consumption distribution of a plurality of components of the computing device.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the power consumption policy is based at least on user preference.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the power consumption policy is based at least on periodic monitoring of the computing device to determine how the computing device is currently being utilized.