| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080229068 | ADAPTIVE FETCH GATING IN MULTITHREADED PROCESSORS, FETCH CONTROL AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING FETCHES - A multithreaded processor, fetch control for a multithreaded processor and a method of fetching in the multithreaded processor. Processor event and use (EU) signals are monitored for downstream pipeline conditions indicating pipeline execution thread states. Instruction cache fetches are skipped for any thread that is incapable of receiving fetched cache contents, e.g., because the thread is full or stalled. Also, consecutive fetches may be selected for the same thread, e.g., on a branch mis-predict. Thus, the processor avoids wasting power on unnecessary or place keeper fetches. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080256345 | Method and Apparatus for Conserving Power by Throttling Instruction Fetching When a Processor Encounters Low Confidence Branches in an Information Handling System - An information handling system includes a processor that throttles the instruction fetcher whenever the inaccuracy, or lack of confidence, in branch predictions for branch instructions stored in a branch instruction queue exceeds a predetermined threshold confidence level of inaccuracy or error. In this manner, fetch operations slow down to conserve processor power when it is likely that the processor will mispredict the outcome of branch instructions. Fetch operations return to full speed when it is likely that the processor will correctly predict the outcome of branch instructions. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080281476 | METHODS FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A method of dynamic thermal management in a multi-dimensional integrated circuit or device is provided. The method includes monitoring on-chip temperatures, power dissipation, and performance of device layers. The method includes comparing on-chip temperatures to thermal thresholds, on-chip power dissipation to power thresholds and on-chip performance to performance thresholds. Also, the method includes analyzing interactions between temperatures, power, and performance of different device layers within the multi-dimensional integrated circuits. The method includes activating layer-specific thermal and power management within performance constraints on one or more device layers through actuators in the corresponding device layers, depending on the severity of heating. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20090049318 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING POWER IN A CHIP THROUGH A POWER-PERFORMANCE MONITOR AND CONTROL UNIT - A system and method for controlling power and performance in a microprocessor system includes a monitoring and control system integrated into a microprocessor system. The monitoring and control system includes a hierarchical architecture having a plurality of layers. Each layer in the hierarchal architecture is responsive to commands from a higher level, and the commands provide instructions on operations and power distribution, such that the higher levels provide modes of operation and budgets to lower levels and the lower levels provide feedback to the higher levels to control and manage power usage in the microprocessor system both globally and locally. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090089602 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PEAK POWER ENFORCEMENT VIA AUTONOMOUS TOKEN-BASED CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT - A method of power management of a system of connected components includes initializing a token allocation map across the connected components, wherein each component is assigned a power budget as determined by a number of allocated tokens in the token allocation map, monitoring utilization sensor inputs and command state vector inputs, determining, at first periodic time intervals, a current performance level, a current power consumption level and an assigned power budget for the system based on the utilization sensor inputs and the command state vector inputs, and determining, at second periodic time intervals, a token re-allocation map based on the current performance level, the current power consumption level and the assigned power budget for the system, according to a re-assigned power budget of at least one of the connected components, while enforcing a power consumption limit based on a total number of allocated tokens in the system. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090199020 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF MULTI-CORE MICROPROCESSOR POWER MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL VIA PER-CHIPLET, PROGRAMMABLE POWER MODES - A computer-implemented method and a system for managing power in a multi-core microprocessor are provided. A power management control microarchitecture in a chiplet translates a first command comprising a power setting. A chiplet comprises a processor core and associated memory cache. The power management control microarchitecture comprises power mode registers, power mode adjusters, translators, and microarchitectural power management techniques. The power management control microarchitecture sets microarchitectural power management techniques according to the power setting. The global power management controller issues the first command. The global power management controller may reside either on or off of the microprocessor. The global power management controller issues commands either directly for a specific chiplet out of the plurality of chiplets or to the plurality of chiplets and the control slave bus translates the command into sub-commands dedicated to specific chiplets within the plurality of chiplets. Each chiplet may be set to separate power levels. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090249349 | Power-Efficient Thread Priority Enablement - A mechanism for controlling instruction fetch and dispatch thread priority settings in a thread switch control register for reducing the occurrence of balance flushes and dispatch flushes for increased power performance of a simultaneous multi-threading data processing system. To achieve a target power efficiency mode of a processor, the illustrative embodiments receive an instruction or command from a higher-level system control to set a current power consumption of the processor. The illustrative embodiments determine a target power efficiency mode for the processor. Once the target power mode is determined, the illustrative embodiments update thread priority settings in a thread switch control register for an executing thread to control balance flush speculation and dispatch flush speculation to achieve the target power efficiency mode. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090328055 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THREAD ASSIGNMENT AND CORE TURN-OFF FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE - A system and method for improving efficiency of a multi-core architecture includes, in accordance with a workload, determining a number of cores to shut down based upon a metric that combines parameters to represent operational efficiency. Threads of the workload are reassigned to cores remaining active by assigning threads based on priority constraints and thread execution history to improve the operational efficiency of the multi-core architecture. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100057404 | Optimal Performance and Power Management With Two Dependent Actuators - Techniques for processor chip power management and performance optimization are provided. In one aspect, a method for maximizing performance of a processor chip within a given power consumption budget is provided. The method comprises the following steps. A power consumption and performance of the processor chip at all possible voltage level and frequency combinations is predicted. The processor chip is adjusted to the voltage level and frequency combination that provides the highest performance while having a power consumption that does not exceed the power budget. After a time interval t | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100058084 | Self-Tuning Power Management Techniques - Power management techniques include a method for power management of a processor chip which comprises the following steps. An initial operating level is set for the processor chip. After a predetermined time interval, slack is calculated. If the slack is greater than zero, the initial operating level is increased to a next higher level, otherwise the initial operating level is maintained. After the predetermined time interval, the slack is re-calculated and further includes accumulated slack. If the re-calculated slack is greater than zero, the operating level is increased to the next higher level if the processor chip is being operated at the initial operating level, otherwise the operating level is returned to the initial operating level if the processor chip is being operated at the next higher operating level. The steps to re-calculate the slack and either increase the operating level to the next higher level or return the operating level to the initial operating level are repeated. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100180081 | Adaptive Data Prefetch System and Method - A data processing system includes a processor, a unit that includes a multi-level cache, a prefetch system and a memory. The data processing system can operate in a first mode and a second mode. The prefetch system can change behavior in response to a desired power consumption policy set by an external agent or automatically via hardware based on on-chip power/performance thresholds. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100262808 | MANAGING INSTRUCTIONS FOR MORE EFFICIENT LOAD/STORE UNIT USAGE - The illustrative embodiments described herein provide a computer-implemented method, apparatus, and a system for managing instructions. A load/store unit receives a first instruction at a port. The load/store unit rejects the first instruction in response to determining that the first instruction has a first reject condition. Then, the instruction sequencing unit activates a first bit in response to the load/store unit rejection the first instruction. The instruction sequencing unit blocks the first instruction from reissue while the first bit is activated. The processor unit determines a class of rejection of the first instruction. The instruction sequencing unit starts a timer. The length of the timer is based on the class of rejection of the first instruction. The instruction sequencing unit resets the first bit in response to the timer expiring. The instruction sequencing unit allows the first instruction to become eligible for reissue in response to resetting the first bit. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100268930 | ON-CHIP POWER PROXY BASED ARCHITECTURE - The embodiments provide an assigned counter of a first set of counters and stores a value for an activity of a set of activities forming a set of stored values. The value comprises the count multiplied by a weight factor specific to the activity. A power manager manages the first set of counters, receives a set of activities to be monitored for a unit, groups the portion into subsets based on at least one of a frequency of occurrence of each activity and power consumption for each activity, sums the stored values corresponding to each activity in each subset to reach a total value for each subset, multiplies the total value of each subset by factor corresponding to the subset to form a scaled value for each subset, and sums the scaled value of each subset to form a power usage value. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100268975 | On-Chip Power Proxy Based Architecture - A method for estimating power consumption within a multi-core microprocessor chip is provided. An authorized user selects a set of activities to be monitored. A value for each activity of the set of activities is stored in a separate counter of a set of counters, forming a set of stored values. The value comprises the count multiplied by a weight factor specific to the activity. The set of activities are grouped into subsets. The stored values corresponding to each activity in each subset are summed, forming a total value for each subset. The total value of each subset is multiplied by a factor corresponding to the subset, forming a scaled value for each subset. The scaled value of each subset is summed, forming a power usage value. A power manager adjusts the operational parameters of the unit based on a comparison of the power usage value to a threshold value. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110040994 | Two-Level Guarded Predictive Power Gating - A mechanism is provided for two-level guarded predictive power gating of a set of units within the data processing system. A success determines whether a unit within the set of units is power gated during a monitoring interval. If the unit is power gated, the success monitor determines whether a count of idle cycles for the unit is below a breakeven point. If the count is above the breakeven point, the success monitor increments a success efficiency counter. If the count is below the breakeven point, the success monitor determines whether the unit needs to be woke up. If the unit needs to be woke up, the success monitor increments a harmful efficiency counter. If the value of the harmful efficiency counter is less than the value from the success efficiency counter, the success monitor enables power gating for the unit via a first-level power-gating mechanism. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110040995 | Predictive Power Gating with Optional Guard Mechanism - A mechanism is provided for predictively power gating a set of units within the data processing system. A second-level power gating controller monitors a set of events for each unit in a set of units within the data processing system. The second-level power gating controller identifies idle sequences of a predetermined set of cycles within the events from each unit where the unit is idle. The second-level power gating controller determines preceding sequences of a predetermined length that precede the idle sequences. The second-level power gating controller determines an accuracy of the preceding sequences. Responsive to the accuracy being above a threshold, the second-level power gating controller sends a permit command to a first-level power gating mechanism associated with the unit to permit power gating of the unit. | 02-17-2011 |
