System and method for adaptive thermal and performance management in electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9690340-B2
Application number	US-201514669275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for adaptive thermal and performance management in electronic devices are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: providing a processor with a plurality of selectable performance levels and a sensor in an electronic device; receiving sensor information from the sensor, the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow; determining a device context from the sensor information; and dynamically modifying the performance level of the processor by implementing one of a plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a processor with a plurality of selectable performance levels;
a thermal sensor to measure a current temperature of the electronic device;
an airflow sensor to determine if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow and to determine a fan state corresponding to the active airflow; and
an adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem in data communication with the processor, the thermal sensor, and the airflow sensor, the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to:
receive sensor information from the thermal sensor and the airflow sensor, the sensor information including information indicative of the current temperature of the electronic device, the fan state, and information for determining if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow;
determine a device context from the sensor information; and
dynamically modify the performance level of the processor by implementing one of the plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem being further configured to select a policy from the group consisting of: an active cooling policy, a passive policy, an adaptive performance policy, and a critical policy.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is inserted into a dock with an active airflow.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to dynamically increase the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to dynamically decrease the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is not positioned proximately to an active airflow.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the adaptive thermal and performance management subsystem to dynamically modify the performance level of the processor by changing a power level and changing a thermal envelope by modifying skin temperature (T skin ) limits.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the sensor information includes orientation data associated with orientation of the electronic device, wherein the device context is further based on the orientation of the electronic device.

8. A method comprising:
providing a processor with a plurality of selectable performance levels, a thermal sensor, and an airflow sensor in an electronic device;
receiving sensor information from the thermal sensor and the airflow sensor, the sensor information including information indicative of the current temperature of the electronic device, a fan state corresponding to an active airflow, and information for determining if the electronic device is positioned proximately to the active airflow;
determining a device context from the sensor information; and
dynamically modifying the performance level of the processor by implementing one of a plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

9. The method of claim 8 including selecting a policy from the group consisting of: an active cooling policy, a passive policy, an adaptive performance policy, and a critical policy.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is inserted into a dock with an active airflow.

11. The method of claim 8 including dynamically increasing the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow.

12. The method of claim 8 including dynamically decreasing the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is not positioned proximately to an active airflow.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein dynamically modifying the performance level of the processor includes changing a power level and changing a thermal envelope by modifying skin temperature (T skin ) limits.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensor information includes orientation data associated with orientation of the electronic device, wherein the device context is further based on the orientation of the electronic device.

15. A non-transitory machine-useable storage medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
receive sensor information from a thermal sensor and an airflow sensor, the sensor information including information indicative of a current temperature of an electronic device, a fan state corresponding to an active airflow, and information for determining if the electronic device is positioned proximately to the active airflow;
determine a device context from the sensor information; and
dynamically modify the performance level of a processor having a plurality of selectable performance levels by implementing one of a plurality of selectable performance levels of the processor based on the device context.

16. The machine-useable storage medium of claim 15 being further configured to select a policy from the group consisting of: an active cooling policy, a passive policy, an adaptive performance policy, and a critical policy.

17. The machine-useable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the sensor information including information for determining if the electronic device is inserted into a dock with an active airflow.

18. The machine-useable storage medium of claim 15 being further configured to dynamically increase the performance level of the processor if the electronic device is positioned proximately to an active airflow.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Edwards James W
• GUPTA Meenakshi
• Peil Brian R
• Weber Nicholas R
• Kurczewski Nicolas A

Classifications

• H10W90/288

  characterised by arrangements for thermal management of the stacked chips · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• H05K7/20209

  Thermal management, e.g. fan control · CPC title

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title

• Y02B60/1275

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic