Dynamic Function Control for Selective SoC Wake Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Wake-on-LAN (WoL) techniques activate an entire computing device, including all circuits and cores, regardless of the specific tasks required, leading to unnecessary power consumption and heat generation, especially in systems-on-chip (SoCs) with multiple processing cores and accelerators.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dynamic control circuitry (DCC) that utilizes active and passive function lists (AFL and PFL) to selectively activate or deactivate specific functions or cores within a host device based on dynamic control bitmaps (DCBs), allowing granular control and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing Wake-on-LAN techniques are used to activate a computing device, then the device can be turned on from a low-power state, but the entire device including all circuits and cores is activated leading to unnecessary power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the computing device into multiple independent functional units, each with its own power control. Instead of activating the entire device, only the specific functional unit required for the task is activated. This is achieved through a power management controller that can independently control power supply to different functional units based on workload requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local power control where different functional units within the device can have different power states simultaneously. The power management controller assigns appropriate power levels to specific functional units based on their current operational needs, allowing critical components to remain powered while non-critical components stay in low-power mode.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing Wake-on-LAN techniques activate the entire computing device, then all circuits and functions are available, but heat generation increases due to unnecessary activation of all components
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separable functional units that can be independently powered. The power management controller enables selective activation of only those functional units needed for current tasks, preventing unnecessary heat generation from idle components while maintaining full functionality when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The power management system dynamically adjusts the operational state of functional units based on real-time workload demands. The controller monitors task requirements and continuously optimizes which functional units are active, transitioning components between powered and low-power states as needed to balance functionality with thermal management.
3Use of energy by moving object
If dynamic control circuitry selectively activates specific functions, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The power management controller is designed as a universal control unit that can manage multiple functional units through standardized interfaces. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise be numerous individual control circuits into a single versatile controller, reducing overall system complexity while enabling fine-grained power management across all functional units.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed to perform dynamic function control. An example apparatus includes interface circuitry, machine-readable instructions, and at least one processor circuit to be programmed by the machine-readable instructions to parse a packet for a function directive, activate a function associated with the function directive based on a type of the function directive being associated with an activation instruction, disable the function associated with the function directive based on the type of the function directive being associated with a deactivation instruction, and publish an active function list (AFL) and a passive function list (PFL) based on the type of the function directive.