Power Management Kernel for Integrated Circuits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power management control mechanisms in integrated circuits can degrade system performance by increasing latency during normal operational tasks, such as task switching, and fail to be transparent to users, especially when determining required performance based on current workload.

Innovation Solution

The technique separates power management control software into an observation portion and a response portion, with the observation portion capturing data quickly and non-intrusively and the response portion analyzing data to generate predictions for controlling the integrated circuit, using a power management kernel to trigger execution of observation and response code independently of execution points, allowing for dynamic control of voltage and clock speed based on workload.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If power management control software is used to control voltage and frequency, then energy consumption is reduced, but system performance degrades due to increased latency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The power management control software is divided into two separate portions: an observation portion that captures system state data non-intrusively, and a response portion that analyzes data and generates control commands. This segmentation allows the observation portion to run quickly without blocking normal system operations, while the response portion can be triggered at appropriate times to adjust voltage and frequency without causing excessive latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The observation portion continuously captures and stores system state data in advance of when power management decisions are needed. This preliminary data collection ensures that when the response portion is triggered, it has immediate access to relevant information about current workload conditions, allowing for faster and more informed power management decisions without adding latency to normal system operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If power management control mechanisms are implemented, then power consumption is optimized, but system transparency to users is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidsystem transparency

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The power management system operates autonomously by monitoring its own internal state through the observation portion and automatically generating appropriate control commands through the response portion. This self-service approach allows the system to manage its own power consumption without requiring user intervention or awareness, maintaining transparency while optimizing energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8069354B2Power management for system having one or more integrated circuits

Publication Date: 2011.11.29 ARM FINANCE OVERSEAS LTD

AI summary

Power management control software including power management policies is provided with those policies divided into observation code and response code. When predetermined execution points within the operating system 2 are reached or an application specific task is executed, registered observation code is triggered and executed to store event data within an event data store. The operating system subsequently executes the response code to read the event data from the event data store and generates power control predictions and control signals therefrom.