Secure Voltage Adjustment in Processing Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices face challenges in reducing power consumption while maintaining performance, as existing methods like throttling and voltage regulation often require significant voltage margins, leading to increased component stress and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
A method of determining reduced operating voltages for processing devices through functional tests that exercise entire computing systems, allowing for incremental voltage adjustments and storage of secure, authenticated voltage settings, which can be used to supply adjusted input voltages to the processing device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voltage margins are increased to maintain performance during throttling and voltage regulation, then reliability is improved, but power consumption increases and component stress increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating voltage parameter dynamically by determining reduced operating voltages through functional tests and authenticated voltage offset information. Instead of using fixed voltage margins, the system adjusts voltage levels based on actual device characteristics and operational requirements, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing device performs self-testing through functional tests to determine its own reduced operating voltages. The device authenticates voltage offset information and generates adjusted input voltages autonomously, eliminating the need for external voltage margin compensation and reducing overall power consumption.
2Reliability
If voltage margins are increased to maintain performance during throttling and voltage regulation, then reliability is improved, but component stress increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes voltage parameters by determining reduced operating voltages that eliminate excessive voltage margins. By adjusting voltage levels to match actual device needs rather than applying uniform voltage margins, the system reduces component stress while maintaining reliability through authenticated voltage offset information.
3Use of energy by moving object
If functional tests are performed to determine reduced operating voltages, then power savings are achieved, but testing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing device performs its own functional tests to determine reduced operating voltages, eliminating the need for external testing equipment and complex test procedures. The device autonomously authenticates voltage offset information and generates adjusted input voltages, simplifying the overall testing process while achieving power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary security portion that handles the complex authentication of voltage offset information and generation of adjusted input voltages. This intermediary component manages the testing complexity internally, allowing the rest of the system to benefit from reduced power consumption without dealing with the complexity of the testing process.
4Reliability
If secure voltage adjustment is implemented with authenticated voltage offset information, then reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a security portion as an intermediary component that handles the complex authentication of voltage offset information and generation of adjusted input voltages. This security portion acts as a mediator between the functional tests and the voltage regulation circuitry, managing security protocols internally while simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the voltage control system into distinct functional portions: functional tests for determining reduced operating voltages, a security portion for authenticating voltage offset information and generating adjusted input voltages, and voltage regulation circuitry for supplying adjusted voltages. This segmentation isolates complexity to specific components, improving overall system reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Secure voltage adjustment techniques for computing systems and processing devices are presented herein. In one example, a method of controlling operating voltages for a processing device includes initializing a security portion of the processing device after application of input voltages to the processing device as supplied by voltage regulation circuitry according to voltage identifiers (VIDs) established for the processing device. The method includes, in the security portion, generating adjusted input voltages based on at least the VIDs and authenticated voltage offset information stored according to a digitally signed security process, and instructing the voltage regulation circuitry to supply the adjusted input voltages to the processing device.