Execution Context Migration for Docked Processor Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices with ultra-low-voltage microprocessors face limitations in computing performance due to cost and power efficiency, necessitating additional resources like processor power, while maintaining portability and power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an execution context migration method and apparatus that allows a portable electronic device to utilize a dock's additional processor and memory resources through hot swapping, enabling improved performance without compromising portability or power efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If an ultra-low-voltage microprocessor is used, then power efficiency and cost are improved, but computing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the portable device's processor with the dock's processor to form a unified computing system. When docked, the device can utilize the dock's more powerful processor for computationally intensive tasks while maintaining its own ultra-low-voltage processor for basic operations, thus combining the advantages of both low power consumption and high performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different processor resources based on the device's state (docked or undocked) and task requirements. The execution context migration mechanism enables dynamic allocation of computational tasks to either the device's processor or the dock's processor, optimizing the balance between power efficiency and computing performance in real-time.
2Productivity
If additional processor resources are made available, then computing performance is improved, but device portability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The computing resources are segmented between the portable device and the dock. The device maintains its own processor for portability and basic functions, while the dock provides additional processor resources when needed. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high performance when docked while maintaining full portability when undocked, as the device can operate independently in either state.
3Productivity
If execution context is migrated to the dock, then computing performance is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an execution management module as an intermediary that handles the complexity of execution context migration. This module automatically manages the transfer of execution contexts between the device's processor and the dock's processor, abstracting the complexity from the user and the operating system. The intermediary handles memory mapping, process migration, and resource allocation, thereby enabling performance improvement without proportionally increasing visible system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses and storage medium associated with migration between processors by a computing device are disclosed. In various embodiments, a portable electronic device having an internal processor and internal memory may be attached to a dock. The dock may include another processor as well other memory. The attachment of the dock to the portable electronic device may cause an interrupt. In response to this interrupt, a state associated with the internal processor may be copied to the other memory of the dock. Instructions for the computing device may then be executed using the other processor of the dock. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.