Electronic device and method thereof for controlling power consumption of electronic device in busy-waiting state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11733760-B2
Application number	US-202117527292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2021
Priority date	Oct 22, 2021
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A method of an electronic device for controlling power consumption includes the following steps. A busy-waiting command is received, wherein the busy-waiting command indicates that the operating system of a processing device is in a busy-waiting state. The microcode of the busy-waiting command is obtained according to the busy-waiting command. A waiting enabling command is generated and a counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command is obtained according to the microcode. According to the waiting enabling command, the subsequent microcode is stopped sending to the processing device, so that the processing device enters an idle state, and the counter is enabled to start counting according to the counting value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of an electronic device for controlling power consumption, comprising:
using a processing device for receiving a busy-waiting command, wherein the busy-waiting command indicates that an operating system of the processing device is in a busy-waiting state;
using the processing device for obtaining a microcode of the busy-waiting command according to the busy-waiting command;
using the processing device for generating a waiting enabling command and obtaining a counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command according to the microcode; and
according to the waiting enabling command, using a control device for stopping sending a subsequent microcode to the processing device, so that the processing device enters an idle state, and a counter of the control device is enabled to start counting according to the counting value.

2. The method of the electronic device for controlling power consumption as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the counting value reaches a predetermined value;
when determining that the counting value does not reach the predetermined value, the counter continuing counting and continuously stopping sending the subsequent microcode to the processing device; and
when determining that the counting value reaches the predetermined value, the counter stopping counting and resuming sending the subsequent microcode to the processing device, so that the processing device returns to a normal operation mode.

3. The method of the electronic device for controlling power consumption as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command comprises:
reading a first register and a second register of the processing device to obtain a first digit and a second digit, and generating a first value according to the first digit and the second digit;
reading a third register of the processing device to obtain a second value; and
selecting the first value or the second value as the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command.

4. The method of the electronic device for controlling power consumption as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the step of selecting the first value or the second value as the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command comprises:
determining whether the first value is greater than the second value;
when determining that the first value is greater than the second value, selecting the second value as the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command; and
when determining that the first value is not greater than the second value, selecting the first value as the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command.

5. The method of the electronic device for controlling power consumption as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first register is an EDX register, the second register is an EAX register, and the third register is a model-specific register.

6. The method of the electronic device for controlling power consumption as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
generating an interrupt command;
saving a current operating state of the processing device and performing an interrupt handler according to the interrupt command; and
resuming sending the subsequent microcode to the processing device according to the interrupt command, so that the processing device returns to a normal operation mode.

7. An electronic device, comprising:
a processing device, configured to receive a busy-waiting command, wherein the busy-waiting command indicates that an operating system of the processing device is in a busy-waiting state, the processing device is configured to obtain a microcode of the busy-waiting command according to the busy-waiting command, and generate a waiting enabling command and obtain a counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command according to the microcode; and
a control device, coupled to the processing device and comprising a counter, wherein the control device is configured to receive the waiting enabling command, and according to the waiting enabling command, the control device is configured to stop sending a subsequent microcode command to the processing device, so that the processing device enters an idle state, and the counter is enabled to start counting according to the counting value.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the control device determines whether the counting value reaches a predetermined value, and when determining that the counting value does not reach the predetermined value, the counter continues counting and the control device continuously stops sending the subsequent microcode to the processing device, and when determining that the counting value reaches the predetermined value, the counter stops counting, and the control device resumes sending the subsequent microcode to the processing device, so that the processing device returns to a normal operation mode.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing device reads a first register and a second register of the processing device to obtain a first digit and a second digit, and generates a first value according to the first digit and the second digit, the processing device reads a third register of the processing device to obtain a second value, and the processing device selects the first value or the second value as the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the processing device determines whether the first value is greater than the second value, when determining that the first value is greater than the second value, the processing device selects the second value as the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command, and when determining that the first value is not greater than the second value, the processing device selects the first value as the counting value corresponding to the waiting enabling command.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first register is an EDX register, the second register is an EAX register, and the third register is a model-specific register.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the operating system of the processing device generates an interrupt command, the processing device saves a current operating state of the processing device and performs an interrupt handler according to the interrupt command, and the control device resumes sending the subsequent microcode to the processing device according to the interrupt command, so that the processing device returns to a normal operation mode.

Assignees

• Shanghai Zhaoxin Semiconductor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Weilin
• Guan Yingbing
• Cheng Long

Classifications

• G06F1/3228 Primary

  Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands · CPC title

• G06F1/329

  by task scheduling · CPC title

• G06F11/3062 Primary

  where the monitored property is the power consumption (power management in a computing system G06F1/3203) · CPC title

• G06F1/3234

  Power saving characterised by the action undertaken · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title