Media Workload Alignment Circuitry for Lower Power Consumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Media workloads in electronic devices, such as video conferencing applications, result in high power consumption and package residency due to unsynchronized processing by different components, leading to increased latency and reduced battery life.
Innovation Solution
Implementing alignment controlling circuitry to synchronize the processing events of IP devices by delaying input signals based on threshold values, ensuring that all components operate at the same cadence and enter power-saving states when possible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If different IP devices process media workloads independently without synchronization, then processing flexibility and throughput are improved, but power consumption and package residency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the independent processing operations of multiple IP devices into a synchronized, coordinated workflow. By introducing an alignment controlling circuitry that receives input signals from multiple IP devices and generates aligned output signals, the system combines previously independent processing activities into unified time slots, enabling power saving while maintaining processing throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic synchronized processing cycles where IP devices operate in coordinated time slots rather than continuously. The alignment controlling circuitry periodically generates output signals that trigger synchronized processing events, creating periodic action patterns that allow devices to enter low-power states between cycles while maintaining overall productivity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different IP devices operate independently without alignment, then processing flexibility is maintained, but package residency and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment controlling circuitry performs preliminary alignment of processing events by receiving input signals from multiple IP devices at different times and pre-calculating the necessary delays. The circuitry determines delay values based on the timing of input signals and generates aligned output signals in advance, ensuring that all IP devices are ready to process simultaneously without increasing overall package residency.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment controlling circuitry acts as an intermediary between multiple IP devices, coordinating their operations without requiring direct inter-device synchronization. This mediator receives signals from various IP devices, processes timing information, and generates unified output signals that align all processing events, thereby reducing package residency while maintaining processing flexibility.
3Device complexity
If processing events are not aligned across IP devices, then implementation complexity is reduced, but power-saving opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment controlling circuitry implements self-service alignment by automatically determining delay values based on the timing of input signals it receives. The circuitry monitors the timing of signals from multiple IP devices and autonomously calculates the necessary delays to achieve synchronization, eliminating the need for complex external coordination mechanisms while enabling power-saving operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to align processing events. An example apparatus includes a comparator to compare a value of a counter to a threshold value, the threshold value associated with an amount of time to defer provision of a first or second input signal to a corresponding first or second IP device, respectively, signal deferring circuitry to defer provision of the first or second input signals to a corresponding one of the first or second IP devices based on an output of the comparator, deferral of the first or second input signals to cause alignment of first and second processing events performed by the first and second IP devices, respectively, and power controlling circuitry to cause the first and second IP devices to power down based on completion of the first and second processing events.