Contextual Power Management Using Sensor-Based Thermal Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing power requirements and energy consumption of computing devices, driven by advances in semiconductor processing and logic design, pose a significant challenge for energy efficiency and conservation, particularly in mobile systems where thermal management is critical for extending battery life and optimizing performance.
Innovation Solution
A contextual power management system that utilizes sensor data and device context information, such as orientation, physical contact, and proximity to air flow, to dynamically adjust thermal constraints and power states of processors, thereby enhancing performance and extending battery life by optimizing thermal and power management policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If processor power and logic density are increased to improve performance, then computing capability is improved, but power consumption and energy requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts processor operational states based on real-time thermal sensor data. The processor transitions between different power states (active, idle, sleep) depending on thermal conditions, allowing the system to optimize computing capability while adapting power consumption to thermal constraints rather than using fixed power levels
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of the processor based on thermal feedback. When thermal sensors detect elevated temperatures, the system modifies processor parameters such as clock frequency, voltage levels, or workload distribution to reduce power consumption while maintaining acceptable performance levels
2Productivity
If processor power is increased to improve performance, then computing capability is improved, but thermal output and heat generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a closed-loop thermal feedback mechanism where thermal sensors continuously monitor processor temperature and feed this information back to the power management system. This feedback enables real-time adjustment of processor power states to maintain thermal output within acceptable limits while preserving computing capability when thermal conditions permit
Solution Approach 2:
The processor operational state is made dynamic rather than static, continuously adapting to thermal conditions. The system can transition between high-performance states (when cooling is adequate) and low-power states (when thermal constraints are reached), optimizing the balance between computing capability and thermal output
3Productivity
If thermal constraints are reduced to improve performance, then computing capability is improved, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts processor power states based on real-time thermal sensor data. The processor transitions between different power states (active, idle, sleep) depending on thermal conditions, allowing the system to optimize computing capability while adapting power consumption to thermal constraints rather than using fixed power levels
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of the processor based on thermal feedback. When thermal sensors detect elevated temperatures, the system modifies processor parameters such as clock frequency, voltage levels, or workload distribution to reduce power consumption while maintaining acceptable performance levels
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor including logic to determine from data received from one or more sensors, whether the apparatus is in physical contact with a user. The logic is further to set a power management policy of the apparatus based on a processor context, where the processor context is determined based at least in part on whether the apparatus is in physical contact with the user, and where the power management policy is used by the logic to determine a level of power consumption at which to operate the processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.