# US 12,222,797 B2 · Dynamic configuration of processor sub-components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,797 B2 - Document ID: US12222797B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/084,499 - Filed: 2022-12-19 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-19 - Assignees: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. - Applicants: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. - Inventors: James Mossman; Robert Cohen; Sudherssen Kalaiselvan; Tzu-Wei Lin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222797B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage - G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode - G06F 1/3243: {Power saving in microcontroller unit} - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract The disclosed method includes observing a utilization of a target sub-component of a functional unit of a processor using a control circuit coupled to the target sub-component. The method also includes detecting that the utilization is outside a desired utilization range and throttling one or more sub-components of the functional unit to reduce a power consumption of the functional unit. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: observing, using a control circuit coupled to a target sub-component of a functional unit of a processor, a utilization of the target sub-component, wherein the target sub-component corresponds to one of a plurality of pipelines executing in parallel; detecting that the utilization is outside a desired utilization range; and throttling at least one sub-component of the functional unit to shut off the one of the plurality of pipelines. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising observing, using the control circuit, a workload that is input into the target sub-component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sub-component of the functional unit is selected for throttling based on reducing the workload that is input into the target sub-component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sub-component of the functional unit is selected for throttling based on a workload type of the workload. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the workload corresponds to a minimal workload and the at least one sub-component corresponds to the target sub-component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein throttling the at least one sub-component comprises putting the at least one sub-component into a low-power state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein throttling the at least one sub-component comprises throttling the functional unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting that the utilization is within the desired utilization range; and dethrottling the at least one sub-component in response to detecting that the utilization is within the desired utilization range. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the target sub-component corresponds to a micro-operation cache for storing predecoded instructions; the functional unit further comprises at least a first pipeline and a second pipeline each comprising sub-components for providing predecoded instructions to the micro-operation cache; and the at least one sub-component corresponds to at least one of the first and second pipelines. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the functional unit corresponds to at least one of an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a floating-point unit (FPU), or a load-store unit (LSU). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the processor corresponds to a multi-core processor and the functional unit corresponds to a core of the multi-core processor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting, using a higher-level control circuit coupled to the control circuit, the throttling of the at least one sub-component of the functional unit, wherein the higher-level control circuit is further coupled to a second control circuit that is coupled to a second target sub-component of a second functional unit of the processor; and coordinating, using the higher-level control circuit, throttling of sub-components by the control circuit and the second control circuit. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: observing, using a control circuit coupled to a target sub-component of a functional unit of a processor, a utilization of the target sub-component based on a workload that is input into the target sub-component, wherein the target sub-component corresponds to one of a plurality of pipelines executing in parallel; detecting that the utilization is outside a desired utilization range for the workload; and throttling at least one sub-component of the functional unit to shut off the one of the plurality of pipelines. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sub-component of the functional unit is selected for throttling based on reducing the workload that is input into the target sub-component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the workload corresponds to a minimal workload and the at least one sub-component corresponds to the target sub-component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein: the target sub-component corresponds to a micro-operation cache for storing predecoded instructions; the functional unit further comprises at least a first pipeline and a second pipeline each comprising sub-components for providing predecoded instructions to the micro-operation cache; and the at least one sub-component corresponds to at least one of the first and second pipelines. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: detecting, using a higher-level control circuit coupled to the control circuit, the throttling of the at least one sub-component of the functional unit, wherein the higher-level control circuit is further coupled to a second control circuit that is coupled to a second target sub-component of a second functional unit of the processor; and coordinating, using the higher-level control circuit, throttling of sub-components by the control circuit and the second control circuit. ### Claim 18 A system comprising: a physical memory; and at least one physical processor comprising: a functional unit comprising at least one sub-component including a target sub-component, wherein the target sub-component corresponds to one of a plurality of pipelines executing in parallel; a control circuit coupled to the target sub-component and configured to: observe a workload and a utilization of the target sub-component; detect that the utilization is outside a desired utilization range for the workload; and throttle at least one sub-component of the functional unit to shut off the one of the plurality of pipelines. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one sub-component of the functional unit is selected for throttling based on reducing the workload that is input into the target sub-component. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein: the target sub-component corresponds to a micro-operation cache for storing predecoded instructions; the functional unit further comprises at least a first pipeline and a second pipeline each comprising sub-components for providing predecoded instructions to the micro-operation cache; and the at least one sub-component corresponds to at least one of the first and second pipelines.