Edge Power Mode Switching for Low-Power MR Patient Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
High power consumption and heat dissipation in low-power edge devices lead to throttling or shutdown, and conventional cooling solutions interfere with other processes, posing challenges in environments like MRI scans.
Innovation Solution
A power management apparatus dynamically changes operational modes of edge devices based on trigger points and time intervals, reducing power consumption and heat generation by transitioning between sleep, low power, and high power modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ML algorithms are implemented continuously in edge devices, then performance is maximized, but power consumption and heat dissipation increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions between different operational modes (active, low-power, sleep) periodically based on workload requirements. ML algorithms execute in bursts during active mode, then the system enters low-power or sleep modes when intensive computation is not required, achieving periodic action to balance performance and power consumption
2Temperature
If cooling solutions such as fans or liquid cooling mechanisms are used, then heat dissipation is improved, but interference with other processes occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes active cooling mechanisms (fans, liquid cooling) from the edge device design. Instead of adding cooling components that interfere with MRI scanning, the system manages thermal issues through software-controlled power mode transitions and workload scheduling
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful effect of heat generation into a beneficial control mechanism by using power mode transitions. Rather than fighting heat with active cooling, the system prevents excessive heat generation by dynamically adjusting computational workload and power consumption levels
3Power
If edge devices operate in high-power mode continuously, then computation capability is maintained, but throttling or system shutdown occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its operational state by transitioning between multiple power modes (active, low-power, sleep) based on real-time requirements. This dynamic adaptation prevents continuous high-power operation that causes throttling while ensuring computation capability is available when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (CPU frequency, memory access patterns, sensor sampling rates) when transitioning between power modes. These parameter adjustments allow the device to maintain reliability by preventing thermal throttling while preserving computation capability through optimized parameter settings in each mode
Data Source
AI summary
A power management apparatus for a workflow to enable low power MR patient positioning on edge devices is disclosed. The power management apparatus changes an operational mode of an edge device from a first power mode to a second power mode after a defined time-interval. The power management apparatus further controls the edge device to capture a first image of a first scene. The power management apparatus further determines a trigger point based on a detection of a plurality of objects in the captured first image. The power management apparatus further changes the operational mode of the edge device from the second power mode to a third power mode to control a consumption of electric power while a set of operations is executed at the edge device. The operational mode of the edge device may be changed at the determined trigger point.