Using platform idle duration information to notify platform devices of upcoming active periods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9311145-B2
Application number	US-201213719898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2012
Priority date	Jun 29, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems may provide for determining a next active window for a platform and notifying one or more of a plurality of devices of the platform of the next active window being determined. Additionally, one or more of the plurality of devices may be notified of an onset of the next active window. In one example, a pre-warm message is issued to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the next active window being determined.

First claim

We claim:

1. A platform comprising:
a processor; a plurality of devices;
aggregator logic to determine a next active window for the platform wherein the active window represents a period of time when the a processor is in a non-idle state;
first notification logic to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the next active window being determined; and
second notification logic to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of an onset of the next active window, wherein the plurality of devices includes one or more of a timer, an audio device, a display device, a camera device or a network interface device;
wherein the first notification logic is to issue a pre-warm message to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the next active window being determined;
including one or more side-band channels coupled to the first notification logic and one or more of the plurality of devices, wherein the pre-warm message is to be issued via the one or more side-band channels.

2. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the pre-warm message is to indicate; whether a current platform idle duration is deterministic or estimated.

3. The platform of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more side-band channels is an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) side-band channel.

4. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the second notification logic is to assert an optimized buffer flush/fill (OBFF) signal to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the onset of the next active window.

5. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the aggregator logic is to determine the next active window based on a plurality of idle duration messages from the plurality of devices.

6. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
aggregator logic to determine a next active window for a platform including the processor wherein the active window represents a period of time when the a processor is in a non-idle state;
first notification logic to notify one or more of a plurality of devices on the platform of the next active window being determined; and
second notification logic to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of an onset of the next active window, wherein the plurality of devices includes one or more of a timer, an audio device, a display device, a camera device or a network interface device;
the first notification logic is to issue a pre-warm message to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the next active window being determined;
wherein the pre-warm message is to be issued via one or more side-band channels.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pre-warm message is to indicate whether a current platform idle duration is deterministic or estimated.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pre-warm message is to be issued via one or more Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) side-band channels.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second notification logic is to assert an optimized buffer flush/fill (OBFF) signal to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the onset of the next active window.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the aggregator logic is to determine the next active window based on a plurality of idle duration messages from the plurality of devices.

11. At least one machine readable storage medium comprising set of instructions which, if executed by at least one processor, cause a platform comprising a processor and a plurality of devices to:
determine a next active window for the platform including the processor wherein the active window represents a period of time when the a processor is in a non-idle state;
Notify one or more of a plurality of devices on the platform of the next active window being determined; and
notify one or more of the plurality of devices of an onset of the next active window, wherein the plurality of devices includes one or more of a timer, an audio device, a display device, a camera device or a network interface device;
wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the platform to issue a pre-warm message to notify me or more of the plurality of devices of the next active window being determined;
wherein the pre-warm message is to be issued via one or more side-band channels.

12. The at least one machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the pre-warm message is to indicate whether a current platform idle duration is deterministic or estimated.

13. The at least one machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the pre-warm message is to be issued via one or more Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) side-band channels.

14. The at least one machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the platform to assert an optimized buffer flush/fill (OBFF) signal to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the onset of the next active window.

15. The at least one machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the next active window is to be determined based on a plurality of idle duration messages from the plurality of devices.

16. A device comprising:
a processor;
aggregator logic to determine a next active window for the platform wherein the active window represents a period of time when the a processor is in a non-idle state;
first notification logic to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of the next active window being determined; and
second notification logic to notify one or more of the plurality of devices of an onset of the next active window, wherein the plurality of devices includes one or more of a timer, an audio device, a display device, a camera device or a network interface device;
wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the platform to issue a pre-warm message to notify me or more of the plurality of devices of the next active window being determined;
wherein the pre-warm message is to be issued via one or more side-band channels.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the logic is to,
initiate the exit of the device from the idle state if the notification indicates that the next active window is deterministic, and
maintain the device in the idle state if the notification indicates that the next active window is estimated.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the notification is to be received via a side-band channel.

19. The device of claim 16 , wherein the logic is to receive a notification of an onset of the next active window.

Assignees

• Maciocco Christian
• Falik Ohad
• Wang Ren
• Tai Tsung-Yuan C
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Maciocco Christian
• Falik Ohad
• Wang Ren
• Tai Tsung-Yuan C

Classifications

• G06F9/54

  Interprogram communication · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title

• G06F9/4893 Primary

  taking into account power or heat criteria (power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206) · CPC title

• Y02B60/144

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D10/00

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