Changing power limits based on device state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016266629-A1
Application number	US-201514641513-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes adjusting a maximum skin temperature threshold of a device based on a device state, adjusting a power limit for the device based on the adjusted maximum skin temperature threshold, and operating the device based on the adjusted power limit. A processor includes a processing unit and a power management controller to adjust a maximum skin temperature threshold based on a device state and adjust a power limit for the processing unit based on the adjusted maximum skin temperature threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
adjusting a maximum skin temperature threshold of a device based on a device state; adjusting a power limit for the device based on the adjusted maximum skin temperature threshold; and operating the device based on the adjusted power limit.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating the device at a power level above the adjusted power limit responsive to a determined skin temperature of at least one location on an outer surface of a device housing the computing system being less than the adjusted maximum skin temperature threshold.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining the skin temperature at the at least one location using a temperature sensor positioned proximate the outer surface.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining the skin temperature at the at least one location using a skin temperature model to estimate the skin temperature at the at least one location as a function of heat power generated by at least one component in the device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one component is one of a plurality of components, and the method further comprises:
estimating heat power generated by each component based on an activity metric associated with the component; and summing contributions of the heat power of each of the plurality of components to determine the skin temperature of the at least one location.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
querying a user of the device to determine a value for adjusting to the maximum skin temperature threshold.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises an external state, and the method further comprises:
adjusting the maximum skin temperature threshold of the device based on an ambient temperature of the device.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
estimating the ambient temperature of the device based on a physical location of the device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises an application state, and the method further comprises:
determining a user interactivity metric for at least one application executing on the device; and adjusting the maximum skin temperature threshold of the device based on the user interactivity metric.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises a usage state, and the method further comprises:
determining a touch frequency for user interactions with the device; determining a user interactivity metric based on the touch frequency; and adjusting the maximum skin temperature threshold of the device based on the user interactivity metric.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the device comprises a display and determining the touch frequency comprises:
determining a frequency of user interactions with the display.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the device comprises a casing and a touch sensor to detect user interactions with the casing, and determining the touch frequency comprises:
determining a frequency of user interactions with the casing using the touch sensor.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises a usage state, and the method further comprises:
determining a call status of the device; and adjusting the maximum skin temperature threshold of the device based on the call status.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
increasing the maximum skin temperatures threshold responsive to the call state indicating an active all and to the device being communicatively coupled to a headset.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises a hardware state, and the method further comprises:
increasing the maximum skin temperatures threshold responsive to a cover being engaged to the device.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises a hardware state, and the method further comprises:
increasing the maximum skin temperatures threshold responsive to the device being coupled to an external cooling source.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises a hardware state, and the method further comprises:
increasing the maximum skin temperatures threshold responsive to the device being coupled to an external power supply.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device state comprises a hardware state, and the method further comprises:
increasing the maximum skin temperatures threshold responsive to the device being coupled to a docking device.

19 . A processor, comprising:
a processing unit; and a power management controller to adjust a maximum skin temperature threshold based on a device state and adjust a power limit for the processing unit based on the adjusted maximum skin temperature threshold.

20 . A device, comprising:
a casing; a display supported by the casing; a processing unit mounted within the casing; and a power management controller to adjust a maximum skin temperature threshold of the device based on a device state, adjust a power limit for the device based on the adjusted maximum skin temperature threshold, and operate the processing unit based on the adjusted power limit.

Assignees

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc

Inventors

• Merrikh Ali Akbar
• Jain Ashish
• Bates Benjamin David
• Eckert Yasuko
• Paul Indrani
• Huang Wei
• Arora Manish
• Branover Alexander Joseph
• Gada Sridhar V
• Mcnamara Andrew
• Naffziger Samuel David
• Liepe Steven Frederick
• Govindan Madhu Saravana Sibi

Classifications

• G06F1/28 Primary

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

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

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G06F1/324

  by lowering clock frequency · CPC title

• G06F1/3296

  by lowering the supply or operating voltage · CPC title