Various embodiments of a thermal control methodology and apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes one or more thermal sensors, comparison circuitry, and control circuitry. The comparison circuitry is configured to receive temperature readings from the one or more th
Various embodiments of a thermal control methodology and apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes one or more thermal sensors, comparison circuitry, and control circuitry. The comparison circuitry is configured to receive temperature readings from the one or more thermal sensors. The control circuitry is configured to reduce a performance level of one or more controlled subsystems responsive to the comparison circuitry determining that at least one temperature reading from the one or more thermal sensors exceeds one of one or more threshold values. A software-based thermal control mechanism may also execute concurrently with the apparatus.
대표청구항▼
1. An apparatus comprising: one or more thermal sensors;thermal trip point circuitry coupled to the one or more thermal sensors and configured to detect that one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded by respective outputs of the one or more thermal sensors; andthermal control circuitry confi
1. An apparatus comprising: one or more thermal sensors;thermal trip point circuitry coupled to the one or more thermal sensors and configured to detect that one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded by respective outputs of the one or more thermal sensors; andthermal control circuitry configured to respond to the thermal trip point circuitry indicating that one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded by tracking an amount of time that the one or more temperature thresholds have been exceeded and further configured to perform an initial reduction of a performance level of one or more controlled subsystems in the apparatus responsive to an initial indication that the one or more temperature thresholds have been exceeded for at least a predetermined amount of time, and further configured to inhibit performance of the initial reduction of the performance level if the one or more temperature thresholds is exceeded for less than the predetermined amount of time;wherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to cause a subsequent reduction of the performance level responsive to thermal trip point circuitry indicating that one or more of the temperature thresholds has been exceeded for first duration and further configured to increase the performance level subsequent to the thermal trip point circuitry indicating that temperature readings from the first and second temperature sensors have been below each of the one or more temperature thresholds for a second duration. 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to perform the initial reduction of the performance of the one or more controlled subsystems in the apparatus by reducing a frequency of a clock signal provided to the one or more controlled subsystems. 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to perform the initial first reduction of the performance of the one or more controlled subsystems in the apparatus by reducing a supply voltage provided to the one or more controlled subsystems. 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to respond to the thermal trip point circuitry indicating that one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded at a predetermined time subsequent to the thermal trip point circuitry indicating that one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded. 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to discontinue performance reduction of the one or more controlled subsystems at a predetermined time subsequent to the thermal trip point circuitry indicating that one or more of the thermal thresholds are no longer exceeded by the output of the one or more thermal sensors. 6. A method comprising: determining, using thermal trip point circuitry, if one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded by respective outputs received by one or more thermal sensors;determining if the one or more temperature thresholds have been exceeded for at least a predetermined amount of time;performing an initial reduction of a performance level of one or more controlled subsystems of an integrated circuit responsive to the thermal trip point circuitry providing an initial indication that one or more corresponding thermal thresholds have been exceeded for at least the predetermined amount of time, wherein said reducing is performed by thermal control circuitry; andcontinuing operation at a current performance level for the one or more controlled subsystem if the one or more corresponding thresholds are exceeded for less than the predetermined amount of time;performing a subsequent reduction of the performance level responsive to determining that one or more of the temperature thresholds has been exceeded for first duration; andperforming a subsequent increase in the performance level responsive to determining that temperature readings from the first and second temperature sensors have been below each of the one or more temperature thresholds for a second duration. 7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein performing the initial reduction of the performance level comprises the thermal control circuitry reducing a frequency of a clock signal provided to at least one of the one or more controlled subsystems. 8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising the thermal control circuitry performing a second reduction of the performance level of at least one of the controlled subsystems responsive to determining that the one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded for at least a first predetermined time. 9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising, subsequent to a reduction in the performance level of the at least one of the controlled subsystems, increasing the performance of the at least one of the controlled subsystems responsive to determining that outputs from at least one of the thermal sensors is below at least one of the thermal thresholds for at least a second predetermined time. 10. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising: processing circuitry executing instructions of a software thermal control program configured to monitor if the one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded by respective outputs received one or more thermal sensors, wherein intervals in which outputs from the one or more thermal sensors are monitored by the software thermal control program are less frequent than intervals in which the thermal trip point circuitry monitors outputs from the one or more thermal sensors; andshutting down at least one of the controlled subsystems responsive to the software thermal control program determining that one of the one or more thermal thresholds have been exceeded. 11. An integrated circuit comprising: first and second temperature sensors associated with first and second functional units of the integrated circuit, respectively;comparison circuitry configured to determine if a temperature reading from at least one of the first and second temperature sensors exceeds a first threshold; anda comparator circuit configured to determine if temperature readings received from any of the temperature sensors exceed at least one of one or more temperature thresholds including a first temperature threshold and a second temperature threshold; anda control circuit configured to cause an initial reduction of a clock frequency provided to one of the plurality of functional units responsive to the comparator initially determining that a corresponding temperature reading exceeds at least one of the temperature thresholds for at least a predetermined amount of time, wherein the control circuit is further configured to inhibit reducing the clock frequency provided to the one of the plurality of functional units if the temperature reading falls below a first temperature threshold prior to elapsing of the predetermined amount of time;wherein the at least one processor core is configured to execute instructions of a temperature control routine, wherein the temperature control routine includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor core, monitor temperature readings from the plurality of temperature sensors and shut down at least one of the plurality of functional units responsive to determining that a monitored temperature reading exceeds a second temperature threshold; andwherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to cause a second reduction of the frequency of the clock signal responsive to the comparison circuitry determining that the first threshold has been exceeded for a first duration and further configured to increase the frequency of the clock signal subsequent to the comparison circuitry determining that temperature readings from the first and second temperature sensors have been below the first threshold for a second duration. 12. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit further includes a processor configured to execute instructions of a software-based temperature control routine, wherein the software-based temperature control routine is configured to acquire respective temperature readings from the first and second temperature sensors at a first frequency, and wherein the comparison circuitry is configured to acquire respective temperature readings from the first and second temperature sensors at a second frequency that is greater than the first frequency. 13. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 11, wherein the thermal control circuitry is configured to reduce cause a second reduction of the frequency of the clock signal responsive to the temperature reading exceeding a second threshold. 14. A method comprising: executing, on a processor implemented on an integrated circuit, instructions a software temperature control routine, wherein said executing includes acquiring temperature readings from at least one thermal sensor at intervals of a first duration;a temperature comparison circuit acquiring temperature readings from the at least one thermal sensor at intervals of a second duration, wherein the second duration is less than the first duration;a temperature control circuit performing an initial reduction of a performance metric of one of one or more functional units of the integrated circuit responsive to an initial acquisition, by the temperature comparison circuit, of a temperature reading exceeding one of one or more temperature thresholds and determining that the temperature reading continues to exceed the one or more temperature thresholds for at least a predetermined time and further configured to inhibit performing the initial reduction of performance if the temperature reading discontinues exceeding any of the one or more temperature threshold prior to the predetermined time elapsing;the processor executing instructions of the software temperature control routine to shut down at least one of the one or more functional units responsive to acquiring a temperature reading exceeding one of one or more temperature thresholds;the temperature control circuit performing a subsequent reduction of the performance metric of the one of the one or more functional units responsive to the temperature comparison circuit a first acquisition, subsequent to the initial acquisition, of a temperature reading exceeding one of the one or more temperature thresholds and determining that the temperature reading continues to exceed the one or more temperature thresholds for a first duration; andthe temperature control circuit performing an increase of the performance metric of the one of the one or more functional units responsive to the temperature comparison circuit a second acquisition, subsequent to the first acquisition, of a temperature reading below each of the one or more temperature thresholds and determining that the temperature reading continues to remain below the one or more temperature thresholds for a second duration. 15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising: the processor executing the instructions to shut down at least one of the one or more functional units responsive to the temperature reading exceeding a first temperature threshold;the temperature control circuit reducing the performance metric of one or more functional units of the integrated circuit responsive to the temperature comparison circuit acquiring a temperature reading exceeding a second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than the first temperature threshold. 16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the temperature control circuit reducing, by a first amount, a frequency of a clock signal provided to the one or more functional units responsive to the to the temperature comparison circuit acquiring a temperature reading exceeding the second temperature threshold. 17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the temperature control circuit reducing, by a second amount, the frequency of the clock signal responsive to the to the temperature comparison circuit acquiring a temperature reading exceeding the first temperature threshold. 18. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising: the temperature control circuit reducing the performance metric of one or more functional units of the integrated circuit responsive to the temperature comparison circuit acquiring temperature readings exceeding one of one or more temperature thresholds for a first predetermined time; andthe temperature control circuit increasing the performance metric of one or more functional units of the integrated circuit responsive to the temperature comparison circuit acquiring temperature readings below the one of one or more temperature thresholds for a second predetermined time. 19. An integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of functional units including at least one processor core;a plurality of temperature sensors each associated with a respective one of the plurality of functional units;a comparator circuit configured to determine if temperature readings received from any of the temperature sensors exceed at least one of one or more temperature thresholds including a first temperature threshold and a second temperature threshold; anda control circuit configured to cause a first reduction of a clock frequency provided to one of the plurality of functional units responsive to the comparator determining that a corresponding temperature reading has exceeded at least one of the temperature thresholds for at least a predetermined amount of time, wherein the control circuit is further configured to inhibit reducing a clock frequency provided to the one of the plurality of functional units if the temperature falls below the first temperature threshold prior to elapsing of the predetermined amount of time;wherein the at least one processor core is configured to execute instructions of a temperature control routine, wherein the temperature control routine includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor core, monitor temperature readings from the plurality of temperature sensors and shut down at least one of the plurality of functional units responsive to determining that a monitored temperature reading exceeds at least one of the temperature thresholds;wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause a second reduction of the clock frequency provided to one of the plurality of functional units responsive to the comparator determining that a first subsequent corresponding temperature reading has exceeded at least one of the temperature thresholds for at least a first duration; andwherein the control circuitry is configured to cause a increase the clock frequency provided to one of the plurality of functional units responsive to the comparator determining that a second subsequent corresponding temperature reading is below each of the temperature thresholds for at least a second duration. 20. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 19, wherein the processor core is configured to execute instructions of the temperature control routine to compare monitored temperature readings to the one or more temperature sensors at a first periodicity, and wherein the comparator circuit is configured to compare temperature readings from the plurality of temperature sensors to the one or more temperature thresholds at a second periodicity that is less than the first periodicity. 21. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 19, wherein the control circuit is configured to reduce the clock frequency by a first amount responsive to determining that at least one temperature reading from the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds the first temperature threshold and further configured to reduce the clock frequency by a second amount responsive to determining that at least one temperature reading from the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds the second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold. 22. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 21, wherein the temperature control routine includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, shut down at least one of the plurality of functional units responsive to determining that a corresponding temperature reading exceeds the second threshold.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (12)
Bailey Joseph A. (Austin TX), Clock control technique and system for a microprocessor including a thermal sensor.
Mangrulkar,Kedar; Jahagirdar,Sanjeev; George,Varghese; Prasanna,Venkatesh; Sodhi,Inder, Method and apparatus for accurate on-die temperature measurement.
Culbert,Michael; Cox,Keith Alan; Howard,Brian; de Cesare,Josh; Williams,Richard Charles; Falkenburg,Dave Robbins; Huang,Daisie Iris; Radcliffe,Dave, Methods and apparatuses for controlling the temperature of a data processing system.
Borlick, Matthew G.; Gupta, Lokesh M.; Nguyen, Trung N., Performance-based multi-mode task dispatching in a multi-processor core system for extreme temperature avoidance.
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