Bidirectional Ring Semiconductor Token Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional semiconductor devices with unidirectional ring structures face performance deterioration due to excessive current consumption during peak zone operations, as next chips cannot perform peak zone operations even if they have sufficient tokens, leading to inefficient token utilization and potential failures.

Innovation Solution

A semiconductor device with a bidirectional ring structure, where each chip determines if tokens are required for operations and allocates them efficiently between adjacent chips in opposite directions, ensuring that operations are performed only when sufficient tokens are available, optimizing token usage and reducing standby states.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If a unidirectional ring structure is used for power management, then current consumption is controlled, but operation performance deteriorates due to standby states

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecurrent consumptionVSAvoidoperation performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The unidirectional ring structure segments the token flow into a single direction, allowing centralized control of current consumption. Each chip receives tokens sequentially from its predecessor, ensuring that peak current is distributed and controlled across the system rather than all chips consuming peak current simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by using a bidirectional ring structure instead of unidirectional. This allows chips to receive tokens from both adjacent chips (previous and next chips), enabling multiple chips to perform peak zone operations simultaneously without excessive current consumption, thereby improving operation performance while maintaining power control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If tokens are allocated in a unidirectional ring structure, then power consumption is managed, but token utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower managementVSAvoidtoken utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

In the bidirectional ring structure, each chip serves multiple functions: it acts as a token source for its next chip in the first direction and as a token source for its next chip in the second direction. This multi-functionality allows tokens to be utilized more efficiently across the system, reducing standby states and improving overall token utilization while maintaining reliable power management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The bidirectional ring structure enables continuous token circulation in both directions, ensuring that tokens are constantly being utilized by various chips performing peak zone operations. This eliminates idle standby states where tokens would otherwise be wasted, maintaining continuous useful action throughout the system while preserving power management control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Productivity

If multiple chips perform peak zone operations simultaneously in a unidirectional ring, then operation performance improves, but current consumption exceeds power budget

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation performanceVSAvoidcurrent consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The bidirectional ring structure dynamically adjusts token distribution based on operational needs. Tokens can flow in either direction depending on which chips require them for peak zone operations, allowing the system to adaptively balance operation performance with current consumption constraints rather than following a fixed unidirectional pattern.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the topological parameter of the ring structure from unidirectional to bidirectional, fundamentally altering how tokens are distributed and how current consumption is managed. This parameter change enables the system to achieve both high operation performance and adherence to power budget by allowing flexible, multi-directional token flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10379585B2Semiconductor device managing power budget and operating method thereof

Publication Date: 2019.08.13 SK HYNIX INC

AI summary

A semiconductor device may comprise a plurality of chips coupled in a bidirectional ring structure. The plurality of chips includes a first chip, and the first chip determines whether a token is required to perform a specific operation in the first chip. The first chip further determines whether an amount of an available token in the first chip is equal to or greater than an amount of the required token to perform the specific operation. When the amount of the available token is equal to or greater than the amount of the required token, the first chip performs the specific operation and then the first chip outputs one or both of a first portion of the available token in a first direction and a second portion of the available token in a second direction. The first direction is opposite to the second direction in the bidirectional ring structure.