Dynamic Power Budget Allocation for Processing Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Processor-based systems face challenges in managing power consumption across multiple processing units (PUs) due to varying workloads, leading to inefficient power distribution and potential thermal limitations.
Innovation Solution
A power limiter circuit dynamically determines a total PU power limit budget based on unused power from non-PU devices and allocates it to PUs based on their workloads, ensuring optimal performance while maintaining overall power consumption within limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If power consumption is increased to support higher frequency and voltage operation, then processing speed is improved, but overall power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power management system into multiple power rails with different voltage levels, allowing different processing units to operate at different power levels based on their specific needs rather than forcing all units to operate at maximum power for maximum speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic power management where the power allocation to processing units is continuously adjusted based on real-time workload demands, allowing the system to optimize the balance between processing speed and power consumption adaptively
2Productivity
If power is allocated to individual processing units based on maximum performance needs, then processing performance is improved, but overall system power consumption exceeds limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power allocation parameters dynamically by adjusting voltage levels on different power rails based on actual workload demands, allowing the system to maintain high processing performance when needed while reducing power consumption during lower-demand periods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal power management approach where multiple processing units share a common power budget through a pool of available power, allowing flexible allocation across different units based on their instantaneous needs rather than assigning fixed power levels
3Use of energy by moving object
If power limiting is applied to individual processing units, then overall power consumption is reduced, but processing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power limiting where the power constraints on individual processing units are adjusted in real-time based on workload characteristics, allowing the system to maintain high performance when power is available while enforcing limits when the power budget is exhausted
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the power management system continuously monitors both power consumption and processing performance, using this information to adjust power allocation dynamically and prevent performance deterioration while maintaining power limits
Data Source
AI summary
Power monitoring and limiting of processing units in a processor-based system to limit the overall power consumption of the processor-based system. In exemplary aspects, to limit the overall power consumption of the processor-based system while attempting to achieve an optimized performance of all the processing units, an overall power limit budget is allocated for the processing units (“processing unit power limit budget”). The processor-based system is configured to dynamically determine a total processing unit power limit budget available for the processing units based on remaining overall power available not consumed by other power consuming circuits. The processor-based system is configured to allocate the total processing unit power limit budget for processing units, that is then allocated to the different processing units based on their variances in workloads to try to achieve an optimal performance of the processing units while keeping the processor-based system within its overall power consumption limit.