Method and system for refreshing memory of a portable computing device

A system for refreshing memory in a computing device, comprising:

• an operating system originating memory refresh requests;
• and
• a resource power manager coupled to the operating system and coupled to memory, the memory having a plurality of memory ranks;
• the resource power manger receiving a memory refresh request from the operating system;
• the resource power manager determining if the plurality of memory ranks are either symmetrical or asymmetrical;
• if the memory ranks are symmetrical, then the resource power manager distributes the memory refresh request evenly and in a parallel manner across the symmetrical memory ranks;
• if the memory ranks are asymmetrical, then the resource power manager determines an end memory address based upon a start memory address and then the resource power manager determines whether the start memory address and end memory address both exceed a threshold.

A system for refreshing memory in a computing device having asymmetrical memory ranks of different sizes, comprising:

• means for generating a memory refresh request;
• means for initiating a linear only refresh of one memory rank based on the memory refresh request if a start memory address and end memory address exceed the threshold;
• means for initiating a linear with interleave memory refresh of the asymmetrical memory ranks if the start memory address is less than or equal to the threshold and if the end memory address is greater than the threshold;
• and
• means for initiating an interleave only memory refresh of the asymmetrical memory ranks if the start memory address and end memory address are both less than the threshold.

A computer-readable medium for refreshing memory in a computing device having asymmetrical memory ranks of different sizes, the computer-readable medium comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon in computer-executable form instructions that when executed by a processing system of the computing device configure the processing system to:

• receive a memory refresh request from an operating system;
• initiate a linear only refresh of one memory rank based on the memory refresh request if a start memory address and an end memory address exceed the threshold;
• initiate a linear with interleave memory refresh of the asymmetrical memory ranks if the start memory address is less than or equal to the threshold and if the end memory address is greater than the threshold;
• and
• initiate an interleave only memory refresh of the asymmetrical memory ranks if the start memory address and end memory address are both less than the threshold.