Predictive Clock Frequency Balancing Under Power Supply Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic systems, particularly nonvolatile memory systems, face challenges in efficiently managing power consumption due to the inability to predict and balance clock signal frequencies across components, leading to suboptimal power savings and potential exceeding of power thresholds in constrained devices.
Innovation Solution
A regulation circuit that monitors and predicts changes in processing power needs of internal components, adjusting clock signal frequencies accordingly to balance power usage and pipeline performance, ensuring efficient power management by increasing or decreasing frequencies as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If clock signal frequencies are increased to meet processing power needs, then processing speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic clock frequency adjustment where the regulation circuit continuously monitors processing needs and adjusts clock signal frequencies in real-time. Each clock signal generator can independently modify its frequency based on current workload requirements, transitioning from static to dynamic operation to optimize the balance between processing speed and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulation circuit changes the frequency parameter of clock signals based on predicted processing needs. By monitoring workload indicators and adjusting the frequency parameter dynamically, the system adapts power consumption to actual processing requirements rather than operating at fixed high frequencies.
2Use of energy by moving object
If clock signal frequencies are dynamically adjusted to balance power usage, then power efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the clock distribution system into independent clock signal generators, each serving specific components. The regulation circuit segments the monitoring and control functions, allowing localized frequency adjustments without affecting the entire system. This modular segmentation reduces overall complexity compared to centralized control of all clock signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulation circuit acts as an intermediary between workload monitoring and clock frequency control. It receives workload information, predicts processing needs, and mediates frequency adjustments to clock signal generators. This intermediary layer simplifies the control architecture by centralizing the decision-making logic while maintaining independent clock generators.
3Productivity
If clock frequencies are increased to prevent bottlenecks in processing, then productivity is improved, but power consumption exceeds thresholds
Solution Approach 1:
The regulation circuit performs preliminary action by predicting future processing needs based on current workload monitoring. It anticipates bottlenecks before they occur and proactively adjusts clock frequencies to prevent productivity losses, rather than reactively increasing power consumption after bottlenecks manifest.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control where the regulation circuit continuously monitors processing workload and uses this information to adjust clock frequencies. The feedback loop ensures that productivity requirements are met while preventing excessive power consumption by adjusting frequencies based on actual system state rather than maximum capacity operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is capable of monitoring internal components to predict changes in processing power needs. When a prediction is made, a clock control circuit can be instructed to increase the clock signal frequency in response to a predicted increase in processing power needs, or decrease the clock signal frequency in response to a predicted decrease in processing power needs. The control circuit can further balance other clock signal frequencies in order to satisfy constraints such as a power supply constraint.