Method for task scheduling and electronic device using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9690618-B2
Application number	US-201514789613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A method for task scheduling and an electronic device using the same are provided. The method for scheduling tasks in an electronic device includes assigning a task to one of first processing units functionally connected to the electronic device, measuring a task load of the task, and controlling migration of the task to one of second processing units functionally connected to the electronic device based on the task load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for scheduling tasks in an electronic device, the method comprising:
assigning, by a scheduler, a task to one of first processing units functionally connected to the electronic device;
measuring, by a load measurement module, a task load of the task by using a scaling factor based on a Dhrystone million instructions per second (DMIPS) value; and
controlling, by the scheduler, migration of the task to one of second processing units based on the task load of the task,
wherein the measuring of the task load of the task comprises:
identifying, by the load measurement module, a type and a current frequency of a core to which the task is assigned, and
obtaining, by the load measurement module, a DMIPS-based scaling factor based on the type of the core and the current frequency of the core, and

wherein the obtaining of the DMIPS-based scaling factor comprises:
obtaining, by the load measurement module, a current DMIPS value corresponding to the type of the core and the current frequency of the core by referring to a DMIPS database, and
obtaining, by the load measurement module, the DMIPS-based scaling factor by dividing the current DMIPS value by a maximum DMIPS value stored in the DMIPS database.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the migration of the task comprises:
assigning the task to one of the second processing units when the task load of the task equals or exceeds a preset threshold value, and
assigning the task to one of the first processing units when the task load of the task falls below the preset threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the preset threshold value is a single-value threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first processing units and the second processing units is a minimum entity capable of executing instructions of the task.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first processing units and the second processing units constitute a single processor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first processing units constitute a first processor, and wherein the second processing units constitute a second processor distinct from the first processor.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions implementing a task scheduling method of claim 1 for an electronic device.

8. An electronic device comprising:
first processing units;
second processing units;
a scheduler configured to assign a task to one of the first processing units; and
a load measurement module configured to measure a task load of the task by using a scaling factor based on a Dhrystone million instructions per second (DMIPS) value,
wherein the scheduler controls migration of the task to one of the second processing units based on the task load of the task, and
wherein the load measurement module is further configured to:
identify a type and a current frequency of a core to which the task is assigned,
obtain a DMIPS-based scaling factor based on the type of the core and the current frequency of the core,
obtain a current DMIPS value corresponding to the type of the core and the current frequency of the core by referring to a DMIPS database, and
obtain the DMIPS-based scaling factor by dividing the current DMIPS value by a maximum DMIPS value stored in the DMIPS database.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising a task manager configured to:
check whether the task load of the task equals or exceeds a preset threshold value or falls below the preset threshold value, and
notify a task state change to the scheduler.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the scheduler is further configured to:
assign the task to the one of the second processing units when the task load of the task equals or exceeds the preset threshold value, and
assign the task to one of the first processing units when the task load of the task falls below the preset threshold value.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the preset threshold value is a single-value threshold.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein each of the first processing units and the second processing units is a minimum entity capable of executing instructions of the task.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first processing units and the second processing units constitute a single processor.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the first processing units constitute a first processor, and wherein the second processing units constitute a second processor distinct from the first processor.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Hyunjin
• Kim Dohyoung
• Kim Joohwan

Classifications

• G06F9/5088 Primary

  involving task migration · CPC title

• G06F9/50

  Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU] · CPC title

• G06F9/4868 Primary

  with creation or replication · CPC title

• G06F9/4881

  Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues · CPC title