Context Filter Logic for Processor Performance Scaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices, especially portable ones like laptops and smartphones, experience significant battery drain due to standby connectivity and background tasks that require aggressive frequency/voltage ramping, leading to increased power consumption and heat dissipation, which negatively impacts battery life and user experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a context filter logic that analyzes system context conditions, such as display activity, to preempt or filter requests for increased performance, thereby controlling voltage and frequency scaling, allowing only necessary resource allocation and maintaining a balanced power state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If aggressive frequency/voltage ramping is implemented to handle background tasks, then system responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts processor frequency and voltage based on real-time context conditions. The context filter logic continuously monitors system state and dynamically ramps frequency/voltage only when necessary, rather than maintaining aggressive settings continuously. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by providing high performance only when contextually appropriate while conserving power during low-activity periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes operating parameters (frequency and voltage) based on context conditions. The context filter logic analyzes system context and selectively applies frequency/voltage scaling requests only when context indicates genuine need. This parameter-based control resolves the contradiction by matching performance levels to actual system requirements rather than maintaining fixed high-performance settings.
2Speed
If processor performance is increased to handle standby connectivity, then connectivity responsiveness is improved, but battery life deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The context filter logic performs preliminary analysis of system context before granting frequency/voltage scaling requests. By pre-evaluating context conditions (such as display state, user activity, and task priority), the system determines whether connectivity tasks genuinely require high performance. This preliminary filtering prevents unnecessary performance ramping and preserves battery life while maintaining connectivity responsiveness when actually needed.
3Productivity
If frequency/voltage scaling is allowed for all requests, then task completion speed is improved, but heat dissipation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The context filter logic acts as an intermediary between frequency/voltage scaling requests and the actual scaling execution. It mediates by filtering requests based on context analysis, allowing scaling only when contextually justified. This intermediary layer reduces unnecessary frequency/voltage changes, thereby decreasing heat dissipation while maintaining task completion speed for genuinely important tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a processor includes a core to execute instructions, a power controller to control an operating frequency of the core, and a context filter logic coupled to the power controller to prevent a performance state change request from being granted by the power controller based at least in part on a context of a system including the processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.