Portable Device Resource Management via Interrupt-Polling Hybrid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional remote procedure call (RPC) protocols in portable computing devices are slow in managing resource requests among multiple processing units and inefficient in supporting low-level power states for energy conservation.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a master processor identifies resources, sets desired states, and generates alerts, with a controller determining if previous requests are complete, adjusting states if necessary, and using a meta-resource table to notify processors of status changes, enhancing interprocessor communication and energy conservation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If RPC protocol is used for managing resource requests among processing units, then resource management can be implemented, but the protocol becomes slow and energy inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the resource management protocol into two distinct parts: a fast interrupt-driven mechanism for urgent resource requests and a slower polling mechanism for non-critical updates. This segmentation allows critical resource allocation to occur rapidly through interrupts while non-critical communications can use lower-power polling modes, thereby resolving the contradiction between speed and energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic communication mode selection where the system can switch between interrupt-driven mode (high speed, high power) and polling mode (lower speed, lower power) based on the current operational requirements. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize the balance between response speed and energy consumption depending on the specific resource management scenario.
2Adaptability or versatility
If RPC protocol is used for resource management, then interprocessor communication can be established, but support for low-level power states is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing a robust interrupt acknowledgment mechanism that ensures reliable resource allocation before the processing units enter low-power states. The interrupt acknowledgment protocol guarantees that critical resource management operations are completed and acknowledged before power state transitions occur, thereby maintaining reliability while enabling adaptability to various power states.
3Speed
If traditional polling mechanism is used for resource status checking, then resource status can be monitored, but the communication speed is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through a hybrid mechanism where interrupt acknowledgments occur periodically at fixed intervals to maintain communication reliability, while actual resource allocation events trigger immediate interrupt-driven responses. This periodic structure ensures that the system maintains synchronized state information without requiring continuous high-speed communication, thereby reducing overall communication time while maintaining allocation speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for managing requests to resources among processors of a portable computing device (“PCD”) includes each master processor identifying a plurality of resources of the PCD in a storage device, such as a message RAM. This message RAM is part of the PCD. A master processor may identify desired states for the plurality of resources in the message RAM. Then, the master processor may generate an alert that the plurality of resources and desired states for resources have been set in the message RAM. After receiving the alert, a controller may determine if one or more previous requests have been processed to completion. If so, then the controller may review the contents of the message RAM to identify the plurality of resources and to identify the desired states of the resources. If appropriate, the controller may pass the desired states to the plurality of resources.