Resonant induction to power a graphics processing unit

• US 8,508,540 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Porwal, Gunjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Richer, Joni
• Application Number:
  US12/499,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/520
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method, system and an apparatus of resonant induction to power a graphics processing unit (GPU) are disclosed. In one embodiment, a resonant induction system is described. The resonant induction system includes a transmitter circuit tuned to a resonant frequency. The transmitter circuit generates a non-radiative magnetic field when a control current is passed through the transmitter circuit. The resonant induction system also includes a receiver circuit, resonantly coupled to the non-radiative magnetic field generated by the transmitter circuit, and tuned to the resonant frequency of the transmitter circuit. The receiver circuit is located in a GPU. The transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit are resonantly coupled to each other at the resonant frequency. A control current source supplies the control current to the transmitter circuit. A feedback module may be communicatively coupled to the GPU to determine a power requirement of a particular computer graphics application.

Claims

1. A resonant induction system comprising:

a transmitter circuit tuned to a resonant frequency, wherein the transmitter circuit generates a non-radiative magnetic field when a control current is passed through the transmitter circuit;

a receiver circuit, resonantly coupled to the non-radiative magnetic field generated by the transmitter circuit, and tuned to the resonant frequency of the transmitter circuit, wherein the receiver circuit is located in a graphics processing unit, and wherein the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit are resonantly coupled to each other at the resonant frequency;

a control current source to supply the control current to the transmitter circuit;

a feedback module communicatively coupled to the graphics processing unit to determine a power requirement of the graphics processing unit while executing a computer graphics application; and

a current control module communicatively coupled to the feedback module to set the control current value according to the power requirement provided by the feedback module, the resonant frequency of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit being related according to the equation;

2. The resonant induction system of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuit provides an induced current to the graphics processing unit.

3. The resonant induction system of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuit comprises a single-layer solenoid and a capacitor, wherein the capacitance of the capacitor is mechanically modified to tune the receiver circuit to the resonant frequency.

4. The resonant induction system of claim 3, wherein the transmitter circuit modifies the resonant frequency of the non-radiative magnetic field according to a control current value.

5. The resonant induction system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of receiver circuits resonantly coupled to the non-radiative magnetic field, wherein each receiver circuit resonates at a different resonant frequency.

6. The resonant induction system of claim 5, further comprising:

a switch circuit of the graphics processing unit to couple a particular receiver circuit of the plurality of receiver circuits to a particular component of the graphics processing unit as a function of the power requirement of the particular computer graphics application.

7. The resonant induction system of claim 1, wherein the current control module modifies the waveform of the control current to at least one of a rectangular waveform and transient waveform.

8. A graphics processing unit comprising:

a graphics processor;

a plurality of receiver circuits each designed to resonantly couple with a non-radiative magnetic field at a different resonant frequency, and to provide an induced current;

a power distribution module to distribute the induced current to the graphics processor;

a feedback module to determine a power requirement of the graphics processor, the feedback module rendering a signal comprising an information of the power requirement of the graphics processing unit; and

a switch circuit to communicatively couple with a particular receiver circuit of the plurality of receiver circuits according to the different resonant frequency, wherein the switch circuit receives the induced current from the particular receiver circuit.

9. The graphics processing unit of claim 8, wherein the particular receiver circuit comprises at least one capacitor.

10. The graphics processing unit of claim 9, wherein a capacitance of the at least one capacitor is varied to modulate a receiver circuit resonant frequency according to a non-radiative magnetic field resonant frequency.

11. A method comprising:

providing a graphics processing unit;

obtaining a design parameter of a receiver circuit according to a range of power used by a graphics processing unit;

coupling a resonant receiver circuit with a non-radiative magnetic field, wherein the non-radiative magnetic field mediates a power transfer by causing an induced current in the resonant receiver circuit;

determining a power requirement of the graphics processing unit while executing a computer graphics application; and

controlling the induced current according to the determined power requirement, a resonant frequency of the non-radiative magnetic field with reference to a transmitter circuit and the resonant receiver circuit being related according to the equation;

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising,

obtaining a solenoid design parameter of a single-layer solenoid of the resonant receiver circuit to resonantly couple the resonant receiver circuit to the non-radiative magnetic field.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining a capacitor design parameter of a capacitor of the resonant receiver circuit to resonantly couple the resonant receiver circuit to the non-radiative magnetic field.