Hardware Controller for SoC Power State Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software-controlled power state transitions in computing systems, such as SoCs, are inefficient due to high latency and limited frequency of measurements, leading to missed opportunities for power consumption savings during short periods of idleness.
Innovation Solution
A hardware-based controller, referred to as a Z-state controller, tracks system metrics to enable fine-grained power state transitions, allowing for reduced power consumption during both short and long periods of idleness by transitioning the SoC into various power states based on measured metrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If software-controlled techniques are used to determine power state transitions, then the system can make decisions based on measured hardware information, but the collection of measurements by software increases system latency and limits measurement frequency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based measurement and control with a hardware-based controller that directly monitors hardware components and autonomously manages power state transitions. This hardware controller collects measurements at high frequency without involving the software layer, eliminating the latency and frequency limitations inherent in software-controlled approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware-based controller acts as an intermediary between the hardware components and the software layer. It continuously monitors hardware metrics and autonomously determines when power state transitions are beneficial, serving as a mediator that eliminates the need for software to directly collect hardware measurements, thereby reducing latency and increasing measurement frequency.
2Loss of energy
If software-controlled power state transitions are used, then the system can transition into lower power states during idle periods, but short periods of system idleness cannot be capitalized upon for power consumption saving
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware controller enables high-frequency power state transitions by operating independently of software measurement cycles. It continuously monitors hardware metrics and can rapidly determine when short idle periods occur, enabling the system to capitalize on even brief idle moments for power savings without the latency constraints of software-controlled approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware controller operates continuously, maintaining constant monitoring of hardware components and readiness to trigger power state transitions at any moment. This continuous operation allows the system to capture both long and short idle periods for power savings, unlike software-controlled systems that can only react at discrete measurement intervals.
3Speed
If hardware-based controller is introduced for fine-grained power state control, then measurement frequency and response speed improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware controller is designed as a multi-functional component that integrates measurement collection, metric analysis, and power state transition control within a single structure. By combining these functions in one unified controller rather than separate components, the patent reduces overall system complexity while achieving high-speed decision making and fine-grained control capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for transitioning, by a hardware-based controller, a system on a chip (SoC) into different power states. Techniques disclosed include tracking, by the controller, metrics associated with the SoC and transitioning, by the controller, the SoC from a first power state to a second power state based on the tracked metrics. Were the total amount of power that is used by at least a portion of the transition between the first power state to the second power state and a time spent in the second power state is less than the total amount of power that would have been used by remaining in the first power state.