Patent · US Active

Function based dynamic power control

US8438416B2 · kind B2 · utility

14Cited by
25References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 21, 2010
Grant dateMay 7, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 13, 2031

Classification

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

Abstract

A system and method for dynamic function based power control is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a bridge unit having a memory controller and a communication hub coupled to the memory controller. The system further includes a power management unit, wherein the power management unit is configured to clock-gate the communication hub responsive to determining that each of a plurality of processor cores are in an idle state and that an I/O interface unit has been idle for an amount of time exceeding a first threshold. The power management unit is further configured to clock-gate the memory controller responsive to clock-gating the communication hub and determining that a memory coupled to the memory controller is in a first low power state. The power management unit may also perform power-gating of functional units subsequent to clock-gating the same.

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