Hypervisor VM Suspend Control for Low-Power SoC Controllers

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Solution Overview

Problem

System on chips (SoCs) consume excessive power during operations, particularly when controlling semiconductor devices, and existing power management strategies do not effectively reduce power consumption while maintaining performance.

Innovation Solution

Implement a controller with a processor and memory device that generates and manages multiple virtual machines using a hypervisor, allowing for dynamic mode switching between normal, sleep, and idle DRX modes to optimize power usage by independently powering on/off processor clusters and virtual machines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If multiple virtual machines are generated and managed with dynamic mode switching, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into multiple independent virtual machines (first VM and second VM) that can be managed separately. Each virtual machine can be independently suspended or resumed, allowing selective power management of different functional components without affecting the entire system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements dynamic mode switching between normal mode and sleep mode for different virtual machines. The processor can dynamically transition virtual machines between active and suspended states based on operational requirements, enabling adaptive power consumption management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Use of energy by moving object

If processor clusters are selectively powered down, then power consumption is reduced, but operation speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidoperation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs suspend operations on virtual machines in advance before transitioning to sleep mode. Data for suspended virtual machines is stored in the memory device beforehand, enabling rapid resumption when needed without losing computational progress or requiring complete system restart.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic mode switching between normal operation and sleep mode for virtual machines. Virtual machines can be alternated between active and suspended states based on workload demands, allowing the system to cycle through power states efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS12578982B2System on chip, controller and vehicle

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A controller that reduces power consumption and has improved performance is provided. The controller comprises a processor, and a memory device, wherein the processor is configured to generate a first virtual machine and a second virtual machine, which are different from each other, perform a first operation by using the first virtual machine, perform a second operation different from the first operation by using the second virtual machine, stop the second operation by performing a suspend operation for the second virtual machine, store data for the second virtual machine in the memory device, stop the first operation by performing a suspend operation for the first virtual machine after stopping the second operation, store data for the first virtual machine in the memory device, generate the second virtual machine by using the data for the second virtual machine from the memory device by performing a resume operation for the second virtual machine while the first operation is being stopped, and perform the second operation by using the second virtual machine.