Token-based power-switch control circuits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9612636-B2
Application number	US-201414497258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A method for operating an electronic apparatus is provided. The method includes receiving a token, activating a power switch for powering up a core in response to the receiving the token, and outputting the token based on a state of powering up the core. The outputting of the received token is delayed until the state of powering up the core is reached. In one aspect, an electronic apparatus includes a power switch configured to power up to a core is provided. A power-switch control circuit is configured to receive a token, activate the power switch for powering up the core in response to receiving the token, output the received token based on a state of powering up the core. The outputting of the received token is delayed until the state of powering up the core is reached. A plurality of the power-switch control circuits is configured as a ring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A electronic apparatus, comprising:
a power switch configured to selectively provide power to a core;
a power-switch control circuit configured to:
receive a token,
activate the power switch in response to receiving the token, and
output the received token to a second power-switch control circuit based on a state of powering up the core, wherein the outputting of the received token is delayed until the state of powering up the core is reached;

a second power switch configured to selectively provide power to a second core; the second power-switch control circuit configured to:
receive the token outputted by the power-switch control circuit, and
activate the second power switch in response to receiving the token outputted by the power-switch control circuit; and

one or more additional power-switch control circuits, wherein the second power-switch control circuit is configured to provide the token to the power-switch control circuit via the one or more additional power-switch control circuits.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power-switch control circuit, the second power-switch control circuit, and the one or more additional power-switch control circuits are a plurality of power-switch control circuits, and the plurality of power-switch control circuits are configured as a ring.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a second plurality of power-switch control circuits configured as a second ring to provide power to a core in the second ring in response to receiving a second token.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the ring of the plurality of power-switch control circuits operates in a first voltage domain, and the second ring of the second plurality of power-switch control circuits operates in a second voltage domain.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the power-switch control circuit is further configured to detect a failure in the ring of the plurality of power-switch control circuits by counting a predetermined amount of time or a number of cycles since receiving the token.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the power-switch control circuit is further configured to generate a new token in the ring of the plurality of power-switch control circuits.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power-switch control circuit is further configured to selectively output the token upon receiving the token without activating the power switch.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power-switch control circuit is configured to output the token upon receiving the token when the power-switch control circuit is in a reset state.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power-switch control circuit is configured to delay outputting the token to the second the power-switch control circuit when the power switch is powering up the core.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power-switch control circuit comprises a storage element configured to store a state of receiving the token.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
a token control circuit including a storage element storing the token, wherein the power-switch control circuit is configured to send a request for the token to the token control circuit and to notify the token control circuit of a release of the token.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the token control circuit is configured to receive requests for the token from a plurality of power-switch control circuits, including the power-switch control circuit, and configured to transmit a predetermined number of tokens to selected power-switch control circuits among the plurality of power-switch control circuits.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the token control circuit is configured to select power-switch control circuits for receiving the predetermined number of tokens based on programmable priorities.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined number of tokens transmitted to the selected power-switch control circuits is programmable.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a second storage element for storing a power-up status of each of the plurality of power-switch control circuits, and the token control circuit is configured to select power-switch control circuits for receiving the predetermined number of tokens based the power-up status stored in the second storage element.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the token control circuit is configured to select power-switch control circuits for receiving the predetermined number of tokens in a ring sequence.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a second token control circuit configured to:
receive a second request for the token from a third power-switch control circuit configured to selectively provide power to a third core;
transmit a third request for the token to the token control circuit;
transmit the token to the third power-switch control circuit in a case that the second token control circuit receives the token from the token control circuit.

18. A method for operating an electronic apparatus, comprising:
receiving a token by a power-switch control circuit;
activating a power switch for powering up a core in response to the receiving the token;
outputting the token to a second power-switch control circuit based on a state of powering up the core, wherein the outputting of the received token is delayed until the state of powering up the core is reached
receiving the token by the second power-switch control circuit; and
activating a second power switch for powering up a second core in response to the receiving the token by the second power-switch control circuit,
wherein the second power-switch control circuit is configured to provide the token to the power-switch control circuit via one or more additional power-switch control circuits.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising broadcasting an event for enabling powering up of a plurality of cores.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Severson Matthew Levi
• Hu Shih-Hsin Jason
• Pal Dipti Ranjan
• Krishnappa Madan
• Gemar Jeffrey
• Ahmed Noman
• Tamjidi Mohammad
• Kempfert Mark

Classifications

• G06F9/4405

  Initialisation of multiprocessor systems · CPC title

• G06F1/3287

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title

• G06F1/32

  Means for saving power · CPC title

• G06F1/26 Primary

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

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