Dynamic Frame Rate Control for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software-based thermal management systems for electronic devices prioritize system performance over display frame rate, leading to potential user experience issues like 'frame lag' without adequately addressing temperature thresholds and frame rate variability, which can result in thermal damage to components.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that dynamically adjust the display frame rate by modifying the frequency of the vertical synchronization signal (VSync) based on temperature thresholds and frame rate variability, ensuring consistent user experience and reducing thermal output by controlling CPU, GPU, and overlay resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If CPU and GPU frequency are throttled to control system power and temperature, then thermal limits are maintained, but display frame rate smoothness deteriorates causing frame lag
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts frame rate based on real-time temperature conditions and frame rate variation thresholds. Instead of static frequency throttling, the frame rate is adaptively controlled to vary smoothly within acceptable ranges, resolving the contradiction between thermal management and display smoothness through dynamic parameter adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter from CPU/GPU frequency to display frame rate. By monitoring temperature and frame rate variation simultaneously, the system adjusts the frame rate parameter to maintain both thermal safety and display quality, avoiding the frame lag caused by traditional frequency throttling approaches.
2Use of energy by moving object
If CPU and GPU frequency are throttled to control system power, then power consumption is reduced, but user experience deteriorates due to frame lag
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes from controlling power through frequency throttling to controlling power through frame rate adjustment. This parameter change allows power reduction while maintaining user experience by ensuring frame rate variations remain within smoothness thresholds, preventing frame lag.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring both temperature and frame rate variation. This dual feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust frame rate in real-time to maintain user experience quality while achieving power savings, unlike open-loop frequency throttling that degrades user experience.
3Reliability
If frame rate is controlled to reduce thermal output, then component damage is prevented, but display quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the control approach by introducing frame rate variation threshold as an additional parameter alongside temperature. This ensures that frame rate adjustments for thermal management do not exceed smoothness limits, preventing both component damage and display quality deterioration simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically balances component protection and display quality by adjusting frame rate within variation thresholds. This dynamic control ensures that thermal management actions maintain reliability while preserving display smoothness, avoiding the quality deterioration that would result from aggressive frame rate limiting.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques pertaining to thermal management for smooth variation in display frame rate are described. A method may involve performing either or both of: (1) determining whether a temperature of at least one portion of an electronic apparatus exceeds a temperature threshold; and (2) determining whether a variation in a frame rate of images displayed on a display device associated with the electronic apparatus exceeds a variation threshold. The method may also involve controlling the frame rate in response to either or both of a first determination that the monitored temperature exceeds the temperature threshold and a second determination that the variation in the frame rate exceeds the variation threshold.