Non-volatile Primary Storage with Region Power Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional data processing systems face high power consumption due to the continuous need to power volatile storage circuitry, even when regions of primary storage are not actively being used, limiting opportunities for power savings.

Innovation Solution

Implementing non-volatile storage circuitry as primary storage, with power control circuitry to power down unused regions, eliminating the need for state saving and restoration, allowing for more frequent and efficient power management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If volatile storage circuitry is used for primary storage, then fast data access is achieved, but power consumption increases due to continuous powering requirement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access speedVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of storage volatility to non-volatility, allowing storage circuitry to maintain data without continuous power while enabling power-down modes for unused regions, thus resolving the contradiction between fast access and continuous power requirement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the non-volatile storage circuitry into multiple powerable regions that can be independently powered up or down based on usage, allowing selective power management that maintains fast access for active regions while saving power in inactive regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Use of energy by moving object

If non-volatile storage circuitry is used for primary storage, then power consumption is reduced through power-down capability, but access speed may be slower compared to volatile storage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddata access speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-loading data into non-volatile storage regions before they are needed and maintaining them in a powered state during active use, so that when power is restored after a power-down, the data is already in place and ready for immediate access, minimizing speed penalty

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic power management where regions of non-volatile storage are dynamically powered up or down based on real-time usage patterns, optimizing the balance between power consumption and access speed by keeping only necessary regions active

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Use of energy by moving object

If volatile storage is powered down, then power is saved, but state saving and restoration overhead is incurred

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower savingsVSAvoidstate saving and restoration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the storage medium parameter from volatile to non-volatile, which fundamentally eliminates the need for state saving and restoration when powering down, as the non-volatile storage inherently retains data without power, thus achieving power savings without time loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11249657B2Non-volatile storage circuitry accessible as primary storage for processing circuitry

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 ARM LTD

AI summary

Non-volatile storage circuitry is provided as primary storage accessible to processing circuitry, e.g. as registers, a cache, scratchpad memory, TLB or on-chip RAM. Power control circuitry powers down a given region of the non-volatile storage circuitry when information stored in said given region is not being used. This provides opportunities for more frequent power savings than would be possible if primary storage was implemented using volatile storage.