Method and system for dynamically power budgeting with device specific characterization of power consumption using device driver programs

• US 5,964,879 A
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dunstan, Robert A., Silvester, Kelan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US08/974,705
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750.03, 395/750.06, 395/750.08, 395/750.07, 364/707
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices

Abstract

A computer system that provides device specific power characterizations for power control and budgeting functions is disclosed. The device driver programs of the computer system or a power characterizer of the system determines device specific power characterizations for corresponding devices under device specific controlled conditions. The device specific power characterizations are stored in persistent storage for subsequent use by power control and budgeting functions.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a bus;

a device coupled to said bus, said device operating on one of a plurality of operating phases; and

a processing unit coupled to said bus, said processing unit executing a program that dynamically determines up-to-date device specific power consumption values for each of said plurality of operating phases, by determining a difference between an amount of power consumed by the computer system measured at a first point of time during active operation of the computer system while the device is in the computer system and switched on and an amount of power consumed by the computer system measured at a second point of time during said active operation of the computer system while the device in the computer system is switched off, said program further replacing old device specific power consumption values in a persistent storage with the up-to-date device specific consumption values for subsequent use by a power budgeting function in the computer system.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the operating phases of the device include a startup phase that corresponds to a startup time between a low power phase of the device to a steady state phase of the device.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the operating phases of the device include a steady state phase wherein the amount of power consumption by the device remains at a relatively constant level.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the program measures the amount of power consumption by the computer system while the device is switched on and the amount of power consumption by the computer system while the device is switched off using a power meter coupled to a power supply of the computer system.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the program places all other power consuming devices in the computer system in a steady power state.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the program is a device driver program corresponding to the device.

7. A power management method in a computer system comprising the steps of:

dynamically determining an up-to-date device specific power characterization across different operating phases of the device for at least one device in the computer system by measuring at various points of time during active operation of the computer system the power draw of the computer system while varying the operating phases of the one device; and

replacing an old device specific power characterization across different operating phases of the one device in a persistent storage with the up-to-date device specific power characterization across different operating phases of the one device for subsequent use by a power budgeting function in the computer system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the device specific power characterization specifies an amount of power consumption by the device for said different operating phases.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating phases of the device include a startup phase that corresponds to a startup time between a power off phase of the device to a steady state phase of the device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating phases of the device include a steady state phase wherein the amount of power consumption by the device remains at a relatively constant level.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining a device specific power characterization comprises the step of determining a difference between an amount of power consumption by the computer system while the device is on and an amount of power consumption by the computer system while the device is off.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a difference between an amount of power consumption by the computer system comprises the step of measuring the amount of power consumption by the computer system using a power meter coupled to a power supply of the computer system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a difference between an amount of power consumption by the computer system comprises the step of measuring the amount of power consumption by the computer system when said device is on and comparing the measured amount with the power consumption of said computer system when said device is off.

14. A power management apparatus in a computer system, comprising:

means for dynamically determining an up-to-date device specific power characterization across different operating phases of a device by measuring at various points of time during active operation of the computer system power draw of the computer system for at least two different operating phases of the device;

means for replacing an old device specific power characterization across different operating phases of the device in a persistent storage with the up-to-date device specific power characterization across different phases of the device; and

means for storing the up-to-date device specific power characterization across the different operating phases of the device in the persistent storage for subsequent use by a power budgeting function in the computer system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the device specific power characterization specifies an amount of power consumption by the device for each of said different operating phases.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the operating phases of the device include a startup phase that corresponds to a startup time between a power off phase of the device to a steady state phase of the device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the operating phases of the device include a steady state phase wherein the amount of power consumption by the device remains at a relatively constant level.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for determining a device specific power characterization comprises means for determining a difference between an amount of power consumption by the computer system while the device is on and an amount of power consumption by the computer system while the device is off.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for determining a difference between an amount of power consumption by the computer system comprises a power meter coupled to a power supply of the computer system.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising means for monitoring the output of a battery connected to the computer system.

21. A computer system comprising:

a bus;

a power meter coupled to said bus for measuring power supplied to said bus;

a device coupled to said bus, said device operating in one of a plurality of operating phases each phase requiring different power; and

a processing unit coupled to said bus, said processing unit executing a program that;

causes said power meter to measure at one point of time during active operation of the computer system the power supplied to said bus when said device is connected to said bus, but not drawing power from said bus;

causes said power meter to measure at other points of time during said active operation of the computer system the power consumed by said device supplied through said bus in at least a startup and a steady state phase;

determines up-to-date difference values between said power measured when said device is not drawing power from said bus and said power measured when said device is in said startup and said steady state phase; and

replaces old difference values in a persistent memory with said up-to-date difference values for subsequent use by a power budgeting function in the computer system.

22. A method comprising the steps of:

causing all devices connected to a computer system bus and receiving power through said bus including a device to be measured to run in a steady state power consumption phase;

causing said device to be measured to go to an operating phase where it draws no power from said bus;

measuring the power supplied to said bus for all devices connected thereto when said device to be measured is in said operating phase where it draws no power from said bus;

measuring the power supplied to said bus for all devices connected to said bus when said device to be measured is drawing power from said bus in each phase in which said device to be measured operates within said computer system;

determining up-to-date difference values between said power supplied to said bus for all devices connected to said bus when said device to be measured is drawing power from said bus in each phase in which said device to be measured operates within said computer system and the power supplied to said bus for all devices connected thereto when said device to be measured is in said operating phase where it draws no power from said bus; and

replacing old difference values in a persistent storage with said up-to-date difference values for subsequent use by a power budgeting function in the computer system.