System and method of providing scalable computing between a portable computing device and a portable computing device docking station

• US 8,707,061 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gill, Manjit Singh, Collopy, Thomas Kevin, Tessitore, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): REHMAN, MOHAMMED H
• Application Number:
  US12/645,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method of managing processor cores within a portable computing device (PCD) is disclosed and may include determining whether the PCD is docked with a PCD docking station when the PCD is powered on and energizing a first processor core when the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station. The method may include determining an application processor requirement when an application is selected, determining whether the application processor requirement equals a two processor core condition, and energizing a second processor core when the application processor requirement equals the two processor core condition.

Claims

1. A method of managing processor cores within a portable computing device (PCD) having at least three processor cores, the method comprising:

determining whether the PCD is docked with a PCD docking station when the PCD is powered on;

energizing a first processor core in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

energizing the first processor core, a second processor core, and a third processor core in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

determining a first application processor requirement when an application is selected in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

determining whether the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application; and

energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first total processor requirement in response to determining that the first application processor requirement does not require more than one processor core prior to execution of the application;

determining whether the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core; and

energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second application processor requirement in response to determining that a second application is selected when the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

determining whether the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application; and

energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a second total processor requirement when the second application processor requirement does not require more than three processor cores to execute the second application;

determining whether the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores; and

energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores.

5. A portable computing device (PCD) having at least three processor cores, comprising:

means for determining whether the PCD is docked with a PCD docking station when the PCD is powered on;

means for energizing a first processor core in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

means for energizing the first processor core, a second processor core, and a third processor core in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

means for determining a first application processor requirement when an application is selected in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

means for determining whether the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application; and

means for energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application.

6. The portable computing device of claim 5, further comprising:

means for determining a first total processor requirement in response to determining that the first application processor requirement does not require more than one processor core prior to execution of the application;

means for determining whether the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core; and

means for energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core to execute the application.

7. The portable computing device of claim 5, further comprising:

means for determining a second application processor requirement when a second application is selected in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

means for determining whether the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application; and

means for energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application.

8. The portable computing device of claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining a second total processor requirement in response to determining that the second application processor requirement does not equal the four require more than three processor cores to execute the second application;

means for determining whether the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores; and

means for energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores.

9. A portable computing device (PCD) having at least three processor cores, comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining whether a portable computing device (PCD) is docked with a PCD docking station when the PCD is powered on;

energizing a first processor core in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

energizing the first processor core, a second processor core, and a third processor core in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

determining a first application processor requirement when an application is selected in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

determining whether the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application; and

energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application.

10. The portable computing device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining a first total processor requirement in response to determining that the first application processor requirement does not require more than one processor core prior to execution of the application;

determining whether the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core; and

energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core.

11. The portable computing device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining a second application processor requirement when a second application is selected in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

determining whether the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application; and

energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application.

12. The portable computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:

determining a second total processor requirement in response to determining that the second application processor requirement does not require more than three processor cores to execute the second application;

determining whether the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores; and

energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a portable computing device (PCD) having at least four processor cores to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the PCD is docked with a PCD docking station when the PCD is powered on;

energizing a first processor core in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

energizing the first processor core, a second processor core, and a third processor core in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

determining a first application processor requirement when an application is selected in response to determining that the PCD is not docked with the PCD docking station;

determining whether the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application; and

energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first application processor requirement requires more than one processor core prior to execution of the application.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining a first total processor requirement in response to determining that the first application processor requirement does not require more than one processor core prior to execution of the application;

determining whether the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core; and

energizing the second processor core in response to determining that the first total processor requirement requires more than one processor core.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium computer program product of claim 13, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining a second application processor requirement when a second application is selected in response to determining that the PCD is docked with the PCD docking station;

determining whether the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application; and

energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second application processor requirement requires more than three processor cores to execute the second application.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium computer program product of claim 15, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining a second total processor requirement in response to determining that the second application processor requirement does not require more than three processor cores to execute the second application;

determining whether the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores; and

energizing a fourth processor core in response to determining that the second total processor requirement requires more than three processor cores.