Method and system for reducing an amount of power utilized by selecting a lowest power mode from a plurality of power modes
US5404543A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 29, 1992 |
| Grant date | Apr 4, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 29, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D10/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for managing the utilization of power is provided. In a system having one or more devices, such as a memory subsystem having one or more banks of memory, the amount of power necessary for the operation of one or more of the devices is monitored and if possible, the power being supplied to one or more of the devices is reduced. A scoreboard located within a memory controller is used to retain the available power modes for each of the devices. When it is determined that it is desirable to reduce the power being supplied to a particular device, then the scoreboard is accessed in order to determine the lowest power level available for the device. Using this information, an amount of power commensurate with the lowest power level is applied to the device, thereby reducing the amount of power being applied to the device. In one aspect of the invention, a device is automatically placed in its lowest power level when it has not been accessed for a preselected amount of time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.