Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for automatic CPU speed control based on application-specific criteria

US6298448A · kind A · utility

62Cited by
18References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 21, 1998
Grant dateOct 2, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 21, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D10/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A CPU speed control system for use in devices having microprocessors or microcontrollers which may also be operated using battery power. The system includes a programmable frequency synthesizer for providing the CPU and other system buses in the device with a variable clocking frequency based on the application or interrupt being executed by the device. The frequency synthesizer output may be dynamically varied according to a particular application or task that is to be executed by the device or based on total CPU usage. The operating system of the device and the CPU are both capable of controlling the frequency synthesizer output to ensure that the CPU is operating at the most power efficient level possible.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.