Activity-Aware Voltage Compensation for Semiconductor Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computing devices face challenges in extending battery life without compromising performance, as reducing supply voltage and operating frequency to conserve power results in noticeable performance degradation during low activity periods.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with an activity monitor and power controller that adjusts supply voltage and applies reverse back bias voltage based on activity levels to balance power consumption and performance, using a voltage regulator and bias voltage generator to set optimal voltage values for transistors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If supply voltage is reduced to conserve power during low activity periods, then power consumption is reduced, but device performance degrades noticeably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the threshold voltage parameter of transistors using reverse back bias voltage during low activity periods. This allows the device to operate at higher supply voltage (maintaining performance) while reducing dynamic power consumption, as the increased threshold voltage compensates for the higher voltage operation. The activity monitor detects low activity states and triggers the voltage regulator and bias voltage generator to adjust these parameters accordingly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts both supply voltage and threshold voltage based on real-time activity monitoring. The activity monitor continuously tracks device activity, and the power controller responds by dynamically changing voltage parameters. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize the balance between power consumption and performance based on actual usage conditions rather than using static voltage levels.
2Duration of action of moving object
If supply voltage is reduced to extend battery life, then battery duration is extended, but device performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the threshold voltage parameter through reverse back bias voltage application during low activity periods. This parameter change enables the system to operate at higher supply voltage levels (which would normally increase power consumption) while actually reducing overall power usage. The increased threshold voltage reduces leakage current and allows efficient operation at optimized voltage points, thereby extending battery life without sacrificing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The activity monitor provides continuous feedback about device activity levels to the power controller. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically adjust voltage parameters in response to actual usage conditions. When low activity is detected, the system adjusts threshold voltage and supply voltage to optimize power consumption, and when high activity is detected, it restores performance-oriented voltage settings, thus balancing battery life extension with performance maintenance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces power consumption during low activity periods by increasing threshold voltage and during high activity periods by decreasing supply voltage, maintaining performance while minimizing power usage.
Implementation Method 1
apply a first reverse back bias voltage to the plurality of transistors to increase a threshold voltage of the plurality of transistors
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device is disclosed that includes, among other things, a computing device including a plurality of transistors, an activity monitor to determine an activity metric associated with the plurality of transistors, and a power controller to, responsive to the activity metric indicating a first activity level, set a power supply voltage for the plurality of transistors to a first value, and responsive to the activity metric indicating a second activity level less than the first activity level, set the power supply voltage to a second value greater than the first value and apply a first reverse back bias voltage to the plurality of transistors to increase a threshold voltage of the plurality of transistors.