Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for reducing power consumption in multi-channel memory controller systems

US8024594B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
0References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 31, 2008
Grant dateSep 20, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2030

Classification

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

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, apparatus and computer program product for reducing memory power consumption in a server system. The server system includes a memory controller and a plurality of Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs). The method for reducing the memory power consumption includes determining a status of a channel of a plurality of channels of the memory controller. The plurality of channels is associated with the plurality of DIMMs of the server system. The status of the channel represents a presence of at least one scheduled transaction in the channel. The method further includes monitoring the status of the channel by checking whether the status of the channel is in an idle mode for a period of at least equal to a first threshold time. Thereafter, the method includes driving the channel into a power down state based on the monitoring of the status of the channel.

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