Power Management Unit Idle Window Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional computing platforms experience a steep drop in energy efficiency during semi-active workloads due to the inability to effectively disable sleep state entry, as key components like processor/graphics cores and main memory remain lightly active, leading to reduced power management efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A power management unit (PMU) that determines latency constraints and creates platform-wide idle windows by instructing devices to cease activities, allowing for deeper, more frequent, and longer-lasting sleep states, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If sleep state entry is enabled to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but semi-active workloads cause components to remain lightly active preventing effective sleep state entry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic idle windows where device activities are synchronized to occur in bursts rather than continuously. During these periodic idle windows, all devices are instructed to cease activities, allowing the platform to enter sleep states. This periodic action pattern enables power savings while maintaining workload processing capability by concentrating activities into specific time intervals.
2Productivity
If devices continue activities during idle periods, then workload processing is maintained, but power consumption increases and sleep states cannot be entered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the idle windows of multiple devices to create a platform-wide idle window. By coordinating and combining individual device idle periods, the system achieves a unified idle state where all devices cease activities simultaneously, enabling effective sleep state entry while maintaining workload processing capability through the coordinated resumption of activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a timer to arm and trigger idle windows in advance. The power management unit determines latency constraints and sets up preliminary idle windows before they are needed, allowing devices to prepare for coordinated activity cessation. This preliminary action ensures that idle windows are available when needed without disrupting workload processing.
3Use of energy by moving object
If platform enters sleep state during semi-active workload, then power consumption is reduced, but latency constraints and quality of service may be violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the power management unit monitors latency constraints and device activities in real-time. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts idle window timing and duration to ensure latency constraints are met. The timer and alignment module use feedback from device status to coordinate activity resumption, guaranteeing quality of service compliance while maximizing power savings.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~4
AI summary
Methods and systems may provide for determining a latency constraint associated with a platform and determine an idle window based on the latency constraint. In addition, a plurality of devices on the platform may be instructed to cease one or more activities during the idle window. In one example, the platform is placed in a sleep state during the idle window.