Volatile Non-Volatile Memory Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in mobile devices consumes high power even in low power consumption states due to the need for continuous refreshing, which limits the standby time of portable devices.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with both volatile and non-volatile memory, where non-system data from the volatile memory is moved to the non-volatile memory when entering a low power mode, allowing the volatile memory to be disabled and reducing the need for self-refreshing, thereby lowering power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If DRAM enters self-refreshing state to reduce power consumption in low power mode, then power consumption is reduced compared to external clock mode, but power consumption remains high because all memory banks must still be refreshed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the memory system into two independent memory banks: a first memory bank that can be disabled during low power mode, and a second memory bank that remains active. This segmentation allows the system to refresh only the necessary portion of memory, reducing the overall refresh power consumption while maintaining data integrity for active operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of refreshing all memory banks during low power mode, the patent implements partial refreshing by disabling the first memory bank and refreshing only the second memory bank. This partial action approach reduces the workload and power consumption of the refresh operation while still maintaining the necessary data in the active memory bank.
2Reliability
If volatile memory is continuously refreshed to maintain data, then data integrity is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data from the volatile first memory bank and stores it in the non-volatile second memory bank before disabling the first memory bank. This extraction allows the system to maintain data integrity by preserving data in a non-volatile medium while eliminating the need for continuous refreshing of the volatile memory, thereby reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational state of the memory system by switching from a single active volatile memory bank to a configuration where the first memory bank is disabled and the second memory bank is active. This parameter change in memory bank states allows the system to reduce refresh operations and power consumption while maintaining necessary data through non-volatile storage.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a processor, a volatile memory, and a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory stores a first operating system, and the electronic device works in a first working mode and a second working mode. When the electronic device is in the first working mode, a second operating system is run in the volatile memory. When the processor detects that the electronic device reaches a preset condition for entering the second working mode, the non-volatile memory is enabled, and non-system data in the volatile memory is moved to the non-volatile memory. The non-system data does not include the second operating system. After the movement of the non-system data is completed, the volatile memory is disabled, and the first operating system is run in the non-volatile memory, so that the electronic device enters the second working mode.