Remote Reconfiguration of On-Chip Logic via Distributed Profiling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld devices with limited on-chip resources face challenges in profiling and reconfiguring reconfigurable logic to enhance performance, as they lack sufficient computing power for analysis and design, leading to restricted alternatives for improving device operations.
Innovation Solution
A distributed system where a remote profile server analyzes application runtime profile statistics from client devices, determining suitable reconfigurable logic configurations and application patches, which are then transmitted back to the device for reconfiguration, allowing for enhanced performance enhancements such as reduced power consumption and increased processing speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If on-chip profiling analysis and accelerator design are employed, then performance improvement of reconfigurable logic is achieved, but chip cost increases due to requiring these capabilities onboard even though they are used only infrequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the profiling analysis and reconfiguration design functions from the on-chip resources to external remote servers. The device only retains minimal client functionality for data collection and receiving configuration instructions, while the computationally intensive tasks are performed remotely, thereby avoiding the need to include expensive on-chip profiling and design capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a remote server as an intermediary between the device and the reconfiguration process. The server receives profile data from the device, performs comprehensive analysis, generates optimization configurations, and sends them back to the device. This intermediary handles the complex computational tasks that would be costly to implement onboard.
2Ease of manufacture
If limited on-chip computing power is used for profiling, then chip cost is reduced, but the range of alternatives for reconfiguring reconfigurable logic is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the reconfiguration design process from a two-dimensional on-chip constraint to a three-dimensional distributed architecture. By adding the remote server dimension, the system gains access to virtually unlimited computational resources and design alternatives without constraining the device's hardware architecture, thereby expanding reconfiguration versatility without increasing chip cost.
3Productivity
If reconfigurable logic is reprogrammed to enhance operation, then processing speed and power consumption are improved, but the complexity of determining optimal reconfiguration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by having the remote server automatically analyze profile data, determine optimal reconfigurations, and generate configuration instructions without requiring manual intervention or complex on-chip analysis logic. The device simply collects data and executes received instructions, significantly reducing the complexity burden on the device while achieving performance improvements.
Data Source
AI summary
A system (100) for reconfiguring a remote device (102) (e.g., a client device) that includes at least one processor (200) and reconfigurable logic (202) that is operatively coupled to the processor (200), employs for example, a network element that serves as a remote profile server (104) for the remote device (102). The remote device (102) includes an application profiler (206) that produces application runtime profile statistic information (120) during runtime of an application running on at least one processor (200) of the device. The remote profile server (104) includes a profile analyzer (130) that analyzes the received application runtime profile statistic information (120) to determine suitable reconfigurable logic configuration information (122) and corresponding application patch information (124) for the remote device (102). The remote profile server (104) then sends the reconfiguration logic configuration information (122) and corresponding application patch information (124) back to the remote device (102). The remote device (102) then utilizes the information to reconfigure its onboard reconfigurable logic (202) and to also utilizes the corresponding application patch (124). Corresponding methods are also described.