Intel Corporation

Jawad Haj-Yihia

Efraim Rotem

Ohad Falik

Eliezer Weissmann

Alon Naveh

Nadav Shulman

Shaun M Conrad

Douglas Raymond Moran

Tal Kuzi

Itay Franko

William Knolla

Amit Gur

Vijay S R Degalahal

Sm M Rahman

Nir Rosenzweig

Soethiha Soe

Jeffrey A Carlson

Craig S Forbell

Ruoying Ma

Methods and apparatus relating to autonomous C state mechanism and computational engine alignment for improved processor power efficiency. are described. An embodiment determines whether a semiconductor package should enter a package C state based on energy consumption values for entry into and exit from the package C state, an amount of time the semiconductor package stayed in the package C state previously, and one or more breakeven time points between the various package C states. Another embodiment detects a delay by an imaging computational unit of a processor to enter a low power consumption state relative to one or more other computational units of the processor. The logic causes the imaging computational unit to enter the low power consumption state in response to detection of the delay. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Autonomous C-state algorithm and computational engine alignment for improved processor power efficiency

A processor includes at least one core, a power control unit, and a first interconnect to couple with a peripheral controller. The first interconnect is to provide a first uni-directional communication path for communication of first power management data from the processor to the peripheral controller. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Interconnect to communicate information uni-directionally

Methods and apparatus relating to controlling power consumption by a power management link are described. In one embodiment, the physical interface of a power management (PM) link is shut down when a processor is in a sleep state (e.g., to conserve power), while maintaining the availability of the processor for communication to a (e.g., embedded) controller over the PM link. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Controlling power consumption by power management link

Power consumption and dissipation is reduced during active display of content from an internal display buffer using a power supply topology that powers a display subsystem separately from the other components of a CPU. The power supply topology enables a processor to enter a sleep state without disabling the active display of content. The processor enters a processor sleep state when the display buffer is full and the processor components are no longer needed. The processor exits the processor sleep state when the display buffer is empty and operates in conjunction with the display subsystem to fill the buffer with more content. The processor continues to enter and exit the processor sleep states as appropriate until active display ends.

Active display processor sleep state

Systems and methods may provide for monitoring a current provided from a voltage regulator to a non-core region of a processor, and asserting a throttle signal to the non-core region of the processor if the current exceeds a supply capability threshold of the voltage regulator. In one example, a specified current supply capability of the non-core region is greater than a current supply capability of the voltage regulator, and the supply capability threshold is less than the specified current supply capability of the non-core region and an over current protection threshold of the non-core region.

Voltage regulator supplying power exclusively to a non-core region of a processor having a supply capability threshold

Power consumption and dissipation during sleep states of processors is reduced using a novel connected standby sleep state. In the connected standby sleep state a dedicated power plane is used to maintain processor context. To conserve power, unnecessary components on the processor are powered down, including all of the clock components, and wakeup sources previously directed to the processor are directed to a platform control hub. The platform control hub sustains certain architectural functions for the processor during connected standby sleep state, and manages the wakeup logic for returning the processor to the preceding sleep state.

Connected standby sleep state

Connected standby sleep state for increased power savings

Transferring architectural functions of a processor to a platform control hub responsive to the processor entering a deep sleep state

Growing community of inventors

Haifa, Israel

Jawad Haj-Yihia