Information processing device

Abstract

The auxiliary storage device is controlled according to the power mode of the host system. [Solution] The system comprises a host system and an auxiliary storage device. The host system selects one of several power modes with different power limit values, operates according to that power mode, retrieves the operating parameters corresponding to the selected power mode from a non-volatile memory that has pre-stored operating parameters for the auxiliary storage device for each power mode, and sets the retrieved operating parameters in the auxiliary storage device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the setting of temperature management of an information processing device, for example, an auxiliary storage device.

Background Art

[0002] An information processing device such as a personal computer (PC) may be equipped with an auxiliary storage device. The auxiliary storage device stores various programs and data in a readable and writable manner. As the auxiliary storage device, a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) may be applied. The SSD enables faster random access than the HDD and is advantageous in terms of reducing power consumption, miniaturization, and weight reduction. Therefore, in recent years, the SSD has been rapidly popularized. However, the SSD has a disadvantage in that it generates more heat than the HDD.

[0003] Therefore, an SSD having a thermal throttling function has been proposed. The thermal throttling function is a function that monitors its own temperature and reduces the processing power to suppress heat generation when the temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Patent Document 1 describes a control device for controlling an SSD having a thermal throttling function. The control device activates the thermal throttling function with an initial setting value from startup to startup completion, and after startup completion, the thermal throttling function can be activated at a temperature different from the initial setting value.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Information processing equipment (IEMs) are equipped with processors that perform various arithmetic operations, and the power consumption of these processors accounts for the majority of the overall power consumption of the IEM. Some processors have multiple power modes with different power limits, and depending on the operating conditions, one of these power modes is designated and the system operates under that designated power mode. Because the processing speed of the processor differs depending on the power mode, the amount of heat generated by the SSD accessed by the processor can also differ. However, power modes have not been adequately considered in SSD control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This application was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an information processing device according to one aspect of this application is an information processing device comprising a host system and an auxiliary storage device, wherein the host system selects one of several power supply modes with different power limit values, operates according to the selected power supply mode, obtains operating parameters corresponding to the selected power supply mode from a non-volatile memory in which operating parameters related to the auxiliary storage device are pre-stored for each power supply mode, and sets the obtained operating parameters in the auxiliary storage device.

[0007] In the above-described information processing device, the host system may store the first power mode in the auxiliary storage device and operate according to the stored power mode after the startup process begins.

[0008] The above-described information processing device includes an input device that generates an operation signal in response to an operation, and a display. The host system may display a setting screen on the display that shows the multiple power modes, and identify the power mode indicated by the operation signal from among the multiple power modes.

[0009] In the information processing device described above, the operating parameters include a throttling temperature, and the auxiliary storage device is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature, and throttling may be performed when the temperature is equal to or greater than the throttling temperature.

[0010] In the above-described information processing device, the host system may read the operating parameters corresponding to its own system configuration from a non-volatile memory where the operating parameters for each system configuration are stored. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary storage device can be controlled according to the power mode of the host system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the settings screen according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows another example of the settings screen according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of setting the throttling temperature for each power mode according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows examples of surface temperature settings for each power mode according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the procedure for setting the throttling temperature according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the parameter table according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the drawings. An example of the configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 1 is configured as a general-purpose PC.

[0014] The information processing device 1 comprises a host system 10, a display 14, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, an SSD 23, a communication module 25, an input / output interface 26, an embedded controller (EC) 31, an input device 32, a power supply circuit 33, a heat dissipation mechanism 35, and a power switch 36. The host system 10, display 14, ROM 22, SSD 23, communication module 25, input / output interface 26, EC 31, input device 32, power supply circuit 33, heat dissipation mechanism 35, and power switch 36 are housed in a chassis.

[0015] The host system 10 is the core computer system of the information processing device 1. The host system 10 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, main memory 12, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 13, and a chipset 21. In this application, the hardware constituting the host system 10 may be referred to as the "host device."

[0016] The CPU 11 controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus 1. That is, the CPU 11 is a core processing unit that executes arithmetic processing instructed by various instructions (commands) described in software (program). The CPU 11 includes reading and writing of data with storage media such as the main memory 12 and the SSD 23, reading of data from the ROM 22, and input / output with other devices. Programs executed by the CPU 11 include, for example, an OS (Operating System), firmware, a device driver (which may be simply referred to as a "driver" in this application), a utility program, and an application program (which may be simply referred to as an "application" or an "app" in this application). In this application, executing the processing instructed by the instructions described in the program may be referred to as "executing the program" or "execution of the program".

[0017] The main memory 12 is a writable memory that is used as a loading area for the program executed by the CPU 11 or as a working area for writing the processing data of the executed program. The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, a plurality of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips. The CPU 11 and the main memory 12 are the minimum hardware components that form the host system 10.

[0018] The GPU 13 is an arithmetic processing unit mainly for realizing functions related to image display. The GPU 13 processes (image processes) the drawing instructions issued from the CPU 11 and writes the display data indicating the obtained display information into the video memory provided in its own unit. The GPU 13 sequentially reads out the display data written from the video memory and outputs the read display data to the display 14. The GPU 13 may share some processing with the CPU 11. The GPU 1 may be integrated with the CPU 11 and formed on the same core, or may be formed on a core separate from the CPU 11. The GPU 13 may execute parallel arithmetic processing other than image processing or share some processing with the CPU 11.

[0019] The display 14 displays a display screen based on the display data input from the GPU 13. The display 14 may be, for example, any of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, etc.

[0020] The chipset 21 includes a plurality of controllers and enables connection so that various data can be input and output with a plurality of devices. The controllers included in the chipset 21 may be, for example, any of a USB (Universal Serial Bus), an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus, a PCI-Express bus, etc. In the example of FIG. 1, the chipset 21 is connected to the ROM 22, the SSD 23, the communication module 25, the input / output I / F 26, and the EC 31.

[0021] The ROM 22 mainly stores firmware. The firmware stored in the ROM 22 includes BIOS and other firmware related to individual devices. The ROM 22 is configured to include a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a flash ROM, etc.

[0022] The SSD 23 stores various data used for the processing of the host system 10, various data obtained by those processes, or various programs, etc. The SSD 23 functions as an auxiliary storage device. The SSD 23 includes an access controller, a temperature sensor, and a memory. The access controller accesses the memory according to a command input from the host system and executes writing or reading of information stored in the memory. The access controller generates a clock signal and executes access to the memory and data transmission with the host system in synchronization with the generated clock signal.

[0023] The temperature sensor measures its own temperature and notifies the host system 10 of the measured temperature via the access controller. The temperature sensor may be built into the SSD 23 or mounted on the surface of the SSD 23. In this application, the temperature sensor built into or mounted on the SSD 23 may be referred to as the "SSD temperature sensor." The temperature detected by the SSD temperature sensor may be referred to as the "SSD temperature."

[0024] Memory stores (writes) various types of data provided by the access controller through access from the access controller. Alternatively, already stored data can be read, and the read data can be returned to the access controller. Memory is composed of, for example, NAND flash memory. When memory is accessed, electric charge is accumulated in the memory, or electric charge is released from the memory. In this process, power is consumed and heat is generated.

[0025] Therefore, the access controller is configured to have a throttling temperature, and it determines whether the SSD temperature reported by the temperature sensor exceeds the throttling temperature. When the SSD temperature exceeds the throttling temperature, the access controller performs throttling to suppress heat generation. Throttling is a process that reduces the access speed or data transfer speed by lowering the clock frequency below the standard frequency. The access controller does not perform throttling when the SSD temperature is lower than the throttling temperature. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the host system 10 determines the throttling temperature according to the power supply mode.

[0026] The communication module 25 connects to a communication network, enabling it to send and receive various types of data wirelessly or via wired connections. The communication module 25 communicates various types of data with other devices connected to the communication network. The communication module 25 is, for example, a wireless LAN module that connects to a wireless LAN.

[0027] The I / F26 input / output interface connects to various devices for data input and output via wired or wireless connections. For example, the I / F26 includes a connector (USB connector) for wired data input and output in accordance with USB specifications.

[0028] EC31 is a controller that monitors and controls the operation of various devices connected to it, regardless of the operating state of the host system 10. EC31 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, timer, and input / output interface, separate from the host system 10. Devices with a lower data transfer speed than the chipset 21 can be connected to EC31. In the example shown in Figure 1, an input device 32, a power supply circuit 33, a heat dissipation mechanism 35, and a power switch 36 are connected to EC31.

[0029] The input device 32 detects user operations, generates an operation signal according to the detected operation, and outputs it to EC31. The input device 32 may be, for example, a keyboard, a touchpad, or any other.

[0030] The power supply circuit 33 includes a voltage converter. The voltage converter converts the voltage of DC power supplied from an external power supply or battery (not shown) into a voltage required for the operation of each device constituting the information processing device 1, and supplies power with the converted voltage to the target device. The power supply circuit 33 performs power supply to the device according to the control of EC31. The power supply circuit 33 includes a charger.

[0031] The charger charges the battery with any remaining power from the external power source that is not consumed by each device. If no power is supplied from the external power source, or if the power supplied from the external power source does not meet the demand, the charger supplies power discharged from the battery to each device. The battery charges with power supplied from the power supply circuit 33, or discharges power stored in itself to the power supply circuit 33. The battery may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, or any other type.

[0032] The heat dissipation mechanism 35 controls the dissipation of heat generated inside the enclosure based on the detected temperature, in accordance with the control of EC31. The heat dissipation mechanism 35 includes, for example, a temperature sensor, a drive circuit, and a heat dissipation fan. In this application, this temperature sensor is referred to as the "heat dissipation temperature sensor" to distinguish it from the SSD temperature sensor. The heat dissipation temperature sensor is installed, for example, on the surface of the enclosure and detects the temperature of the enclosure surface (hereinafter referred to as "surface temperature (skin temperature)") and notifies EC31 of the detected surface temperature. The drive circuit supplies power to the cooling fan from the power supply circuit 33 according to the control of EC31. The output of the cooling fan, i.e., the amount of heat dissipated, is controlled according to the power supplied from the power supply circuit 33.

[0033] The cooling fan is equipped with a motor that rotates using power supplied from the drive circuit, and the motor rotates the blades. The rotation of the blades causes air to flow into the casing, creating an airflow. The incoming air exchanges heat with the components of the information processing device 1 and is then discharged outside the casing.

[0034] Each time a press operation is received, the power switch 36 controls the power supply state to the host system 10 to either power ON or power OFF. When a press operation is received, the power switch 36 outputs a press signal to EC31. When the information processing device 1 is powered off and a press signal is input from the power switch 36, EC31 instructs the power supply circuit 33 to start supplying power to each device of the information processing device 1 (power on). When power is supplied to the information processing device 1 and a press signal is input from the power switch 36, EC31 causes the host system 10 to perform a shutdown process.

[0035] Next, we will describe an example of the functional configuration of the host system 10. The functions of the host system 10 are realized by the CPU 11 executing various programs in cooperation with the main memory 12, chipset 21, and other hardware. In this application, the firmware relating to the host system 10 is referred to as "system firmware." The system firmware includes a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System). The BIOS is a program for performing input and output with hardware resources. The BIOS includes a system BIOS based on the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) standard. In this application, the system firmware may be referred to as BIOS. The memory accessed based on the BIOS may be referred to as "BIOS memory." A portion of the storage area of ​​ROM 22 may be used as BIOS memory, or a separate memory from ROM 22 may be used as BIOS memory.

[0036] The CPU 11 starts booting when power is turned on. The BIOS is the first program to start running after power is turned on. The CPU 11 executes the boot loader and reads the BIOS from ROM 22. The CPU 11 performs the POST (Power On Self Test) process according to the BIOS. The POST process includes basic device initialization, consistency verification, device detection, system configuration, and system startup (OS startup). After system startup, the host system 10 may perform processes indicated by commands instructed by calls from the OS or other programs.

[0037] The host system 10 operates according to one of several predetermined power modes. The host system 10 has a pre-set power limit for each power mode. Additionally, the BIOS memory has a throttling temperature set for each power mode. In the example in Figure 4, the throttling temperatures TST1, TST2, and TST3 are set for Eco mode, Balance mode, and Performance mode, respectively. The throttling temperature is set to increase as the power limit for the corresponding power mode increases. The throttling temperatures TST1, TST2, and TST3 increase in that order, with TST3 being the highest.

[0038] The power limit values ​​may include, for example, a first power limit (PL1: Power Limit 1). PL1 corresponds to the rated power. The rated power is a threshold that allows the moving average of the CPU 11's power consumption to temporarily exceed this value, but prevents it from consistently exceeding this value (for example, for several seconds to tens of seconds or more). The window length in the moving average (i.e., the observation period for the moving average of power consumption) is, for example, about 1 to 10 seconds. The power limit values ​​may also include a second power limit (PL2: Power Limit 2). PL2 is a threshold that prevents the power consumption from exceeding this value, even if it is only temporary. In general, the higher the clock frequency of the CPU 11, the more calculations it performs, and the more power it consumes. The CPU 11 adjusts its clock frequency so that, for example, the instantaneous value of power consumption does not exceed PL2, and the moving average of power consumption does not exceed PL1.

[0039] The host system 10 may select a power mode indicated by an operation signal input from the input device 32 in response to user operation, or it may select a power mode that satisfies the power consumption due to the processing of the CPU 11 or the application program being executed. The host system 10 notifies EC31 of the selected power mode.

[0040] Power modes include, for example, performance mode, balanced mode, and eco mode. PL1 is set to decrease in the order of performance mode, balanced mode, and eco mode, and to be largest relative to performance mode. PL2 may decrease in the order of performance mode, balanced mode, and eco mode, or it may be equal across some or all power control modes.

[0041] The host system 10 displays a setting screen on the display 14 showing multiple power modes and selects a power mode indicated by an operation signal input from the input device 32 in response to user operation. The host system 10 may also select a power mode that satisfies the power consumption due to the processing of the CPU 11 or the application program being executed. The host system 10 notifies the EC31 of the selected power mode and stores the power limit parameters corresponding to that power mode in the main memory 12. The host system 10 controls the power consumption of its own system according to the power limit parameters stored in the main memory 12.

[0042] Figure 2 shows an example of a settings screen according to this embodiment. The settings screen illustrated in Figure 2 is configured based on a slider bar. The slider bar has a horizontally extending bar and a pointer, and the position of the pointer can be set to one of three pre-set locations on the bar according to the operation. The host system 10 identifies the power mode corresponding to the set pointer position. In the example in Figure 2(a), the pointer is positioned at the left end of the bar. In this state, the Eco (high efficiency) mode is selected. In the example in Figure 2(b), the pointer is positioned in the center of the bar. In this state, the Balanced mode is selected. In the example in Figure 2(c), the pointer is positioned at the right end of the bar. In this state, the Performance (high performance) mode is selected.

[0043] Figure 3 shows another example of the settings screen according to this embodiment. The settings screen illustrated in Figure 3 is configured based on radio buttons. The settings screen lists the configurable power modes in each row. Radio buttons are placed at the beginning of each row, and one of the power modes is exclusively selected depending on the operation. The host system 10 displays the last indicated radio button in response to the operation, including a black circle in the center, and displays the other radio buttons blank. Displaying the radio button with a black circle indicates that the power mode shown in that row is selected. Figure 3 illustrates the state in which eco mode is selected. The host system 10 identifies the last selected power mode out of the three power modes in response to the operation.

[0044] When EC31 instructs the host system 10 to shut down, the host system 10 initiates the shutdown process. The host system 10 stops processing any programs currently running and saves image data representing the execution state at that time to the SSD23. The image data includes various parameters used in the processing, intermediate values ​​generated by the processing, etc. The power mode selected during the operation of the host system 10 (for example, the power mode selected according to the operation) is included in the image data as part of the parameters related to power control and saved.

[0045] Next, an example of control of the heat dissipation mechanism 35 by EC31 will be described. EC31 has a surface temperature set for each power mode. In the example in Figure 5, surface temperatures TSO1, TSO2, and TSO3 are set for eco mode, balance mode, and performance mode, respectively. Surface temperatures TSO1, TSO2, and TSO3 increase in that order, with TSO3 being the highest. EC31 identifies the surface temperature corresponding to the power mode notified by the host system 10 and operates the heat dissipation mechanism 35 so that the surface temperature notified by the heat dissipation temperature sensor is below the identified surface temperature. Here, EC31 supplies power to the drive circuit so that the heat dissipation fan operates to reduce the notified surface temperature to below the identified surface temperature. For power modes (e.g., eco mode) in which power consumption is expected to be below a predetermined amount and the target surface temperature is not expected to be exceeded, the EC31 may stop the operation of the heat dissipation mechanism 35.

[0046] Next, an example of the procedure for setting the throttling temperature according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the procedure for setting the throttling temperature according to this embodiment. For storage media accessible from the host system 10, a throttling temperature is pre-set for each power mode. In the examples in Figures 6 and 7, the throttling temperature is set for each power mode for each system configuration. Here, the system configuration refers to the set of host systems and peripheral devices that constitute the information processing device 1. Each system can be identified by its model, part number, or a combination of model or part numbers for each device.

[0047] Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of the parameter table according to this embodiment. The parameter table illustrated in Figure 7 is stored in the area of ​​the ROM22 memory designated as BIOS memory. The parameter table describes the throttling temperature for each system configuration and power mode set. In other words, the parameter table is part of the BIOS parameter set. More specifically, for system A, the throttling temperatures are set as TST1A, TST2A, and TST3A for eco mode, balanced mode, and performance mode, respectively. The throttling temperatures TST1A, TST2A, and TST3A increase in that order, with TST3A being the highest.

[0048] The host system 10 executes the SSD driver 10d to control the input / output between the BIOS 10b and the SSD 23, thereby realizing its functionality. Here, the functional parts realized by the BIOS 10b and the SSD driver 10d are simply referred to as the BIOS 10b and the SSD driver 10d. The host system 10 selects one of three power modes. In the example in Figure 6, the balanced mode is selected. The SSD driver 10d queries the BIOS 10b for the selected power mode and the throttling temperature corresponding to its system.

[0049] BIOS10b reads the power mode and throttling temperature corresponding to the system configuration of its own system, as instructed by the SSD driver 10d, from ROM22. BIOS10b notifies the SSD driver 10d of the read throttling temperature in response to the inquiry. SSD driver 10d then notifies SSD23 of the notified throttling temperature. The access controller of SSD23 controls throttling based on the throttling temperature notified by the host system 10 and the SSD temperature detected by the SSD temperature sensor.

[0050] The host system 10 may also set the throttling temperature for the SSD 23 according to the following procedure. First, CPU11 starts the POST process according to the BIOS during startup. After detecting SSD23 during the POST process, CPU11 sets the SSD23 to an initial throttling temperature value that has been pre-configured in the BIOS. SSD23 then starts throttling control based on the set initial value and SSD temperature. After the system starts up via POST processing, the power mode may be updated as described above. Therefore, the SSD driver 10d reads the updated power mode and the throttling temperature corresponding to the system configuration from the ROM 22. The SSD driver 10d notifies the SSD 23 of the read throttling temperature. The SSD 23 then starts controlling throttling based on the newly notified throttling temperature and the SSD temperature, replacing the existing throttling temperature.

[0051] On the other hand, in the comparative example, the throttling temperature was set uniformly regardless of the power mode. Generally, the higher the processing speed of the host system 10, the more heat is generated, and the faster the access speed from the host system 10 to the SSD 23. The higher the access frequency, the more heat is generated by the SSD 23 itself, leading to an increase in SSD temperature. If throttling is uniformly applied to keep the SSD temperature low, the allowable access speed decreases. Because data reading and writing to the SSD 23 is delayed, the host system 10 may not be able to perform its functions. In this embodiment, since the throttling temperature is set variably for each power mode, the SSD 23 can be operated at an access speed that corresponds to the operating status of the host system 10.

[0052] In the above explanation, the throttling temperature of the SSD23 was used as an example of an operating parameter for the SSD23 corresponding to the power mode, but this is not the only example. It can be applied to the operating parameters related to the heat generated by the SSD23 for each power mode. For example, it may be applied to the operating parameters of a heat dissipation mechanism (e.g., a heat sink) for dissipating the heat generated by the SSD23. The heat dissipation mechanism may be configured together with the SSD23 or separately from the SSD23. For air-cooled heat dissipation mechanisms with a cooling fan, the reference output of the cooling fan may be applied as an operating parameter.

[0053] The reference output of the cooling fan is set to be higher for power modes with larger power limits. For air-cooled heat dissipation mechanisms with cooling fans, the reference output of the cooling fan may be applied as an operating parameter. For circulating heat dissipation mechanisms that circulate a refrigerant through piping arranged in a heat radiator, the reference output of the compressor that compresses the refrigerant may be applied as an operating parameter. The reference output of the compressor is set to be higher for power modes with larger power limits. The above explanation primarily focuses on the case where the power mode has three stages, but it is not limited to this. The power mode may have two stages or four or more stages.

[0054] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment comprises a host system 10 and an SSD 23. The host system 10 selects one of several power modes with different power limit values ​​and operates according to the selected power mode. For each power mode, it retrieves the operating parameters corresponding to the selected power mode from a non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM 22) in which the operating parameters for the SSD 23 are pre-stored, and sets the retrieved operating parameters to the SSD 23. In this configuration, the host system 10 operates according to a power mode selected from multiple power modes, and the SSD 23 operates based on the operating parameters corresponding to the selected operating mode. Therefore, the SSD 23 operates with performance appropriate to the operating status of the host system 10, thereby enabling the overall performance of the information processing device 1 to be realized.

[0055] The host system 10 may save the selected power mode to the SSD 23 and operate according to the saved power mode after the start of the boot process. In this configuration, the host system 10 operates according to a previously saved power mode after the startup process begins, and the SSD 23 operates based on the operating parameters corresponding to that power mode. Therefore, the information processing device 1 can perform to its full potential by starting up with the power mode selected according to past operating conditions.

[0056] The information processing device 1 includes an input device 32 that generates an operation signal in response to an operation, and a display 14. The host system 10 may display a setting screen on the display 14 that shows multiple power modes, and identify the power mode indicated by the operation signal from among the multiple power modes. In this configuration, one power mode is selected from multiple power modes shown on the settings screen according to the user's operation, and the operating parameters corresponding to the selected power mode are set in the SSD23. Therefore, the SSD23 can perform according to the operating parameters corresponding to the power mode selected by the user, thereby enabling the information processing device 1 to perform to its full potential.

[0057] The above operating parameters include the throttling temperature, and the SSD23 is equipped with a temperature sensor (e.g., an SSD temperature sensor) to detect the temperature. When the detected temperature is equal to or greater than the throttling temperature, throttling is performed. In this configuration, heat generation is suppressed by throttling when the SSD temperature exceeds the throttling temperature. Therefore, SSD23 is protected from heat generated during operation.

[0058] The host system 10 reads the operating parameters corresponding to its own system configuration from a non-volatile memory (for example, ROM 22) that stores the operating parameters for each system configuration. In this configuration, the operating parameters corresponding to the system configuration of the system are set from among the predetermined operating parameters for each system configuration. By applying the operating parameters corresponding to the different operating characteristics of the system configuration to the SSD23, the SSD23 can be operated with characteristics suitable for the system configuration of the system.

[0059] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to the embodiments described above, and include designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. The configurations described in the embodiments described above can be combined in any way. For example, while the above explanation uses SSD23 as an example of auxiliary storage, it is not limited to this. Instead of SSD23, or in conjunction with SSD23, other auxiliary storage devices including NAND flash memory, such as eMMC (embedded multimedia card), may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1...Information processing unit, 10...Host system, 11...CPU, 12...Main memory, 13...GPU, 14...Display, 21...Chipset, 22...ROM, 23...SSD, 25...Communication module, 26...Input / Output I / F, 31...EC, 32...Input device, 33...Power supply circuit, 35...Heat dissipation mechanism, 36...Power switch

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising a host system and an auxiliary storage device, The aforementioned host system Select one of several power modes with different power limit values. It operates according to the power mode of the said stage, For each power mode, the operating parameters related to the auxiliary storage device are pre-stored in a non-volatile memory, and the operating parameters corresponding to the selected power mode are obtained from the non-volatile memory, which stores the operating parameters for the auxiliary storage device in advance. The acquired operating parameters are set in the auxiliary storage device. Information processing device.

2. The aforementioned host system The aforementioned power mode for the first stage is stored in the auxiliary storage device, After the startup process begins, it operates according to the saved power mode. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. An input device that generates an operation signal in response to an operation, Equipped with a display, The aforementioned host system A setting screen representing the multiple power modes is displayed on the display. The power mode indicated by the operation signal is identified from among the multiple power modes described above. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned operating parameters include throttling temperature, The auxiliary storage device includes a temperature sensor for detecting temperature, When the temperature in question becomes equal to or greater than the throttling temperature, Perform throttling The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The host system reads the operating parameters corresponding to its own system configuration from the non-volatile memory where the operating parameters for each system configuration are stored. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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