System and method for power optimization in parallel units
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorMark William Kuemerle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of parallel execution units are selectively powered from a plurality of power sources, the power to each execution unit being selected based upon expected time to completion of processing within the execution unit. Maximum power is gated to execution units executing complex instructions, or time-critical instructions. Less than maximum power is gated to execution units executing simple instructions, or instructions which are not time-critical, or in response to pipeline hazards or stalls. When less than maximum power is gated to an execution unit, a step up circuit may be employed to raise the output of that execution unit to maximum power.
Claims23
A method for selectively powering a plurality of execution units, comprising the steps of:
- selectively operating said plurality of execution units in parallel;
- and
- selectively powering a first execution unit from a first one of a plurality of power supplies.
System for selectively powering a plurality of execution units, comprising:
- a plurality of power sources;
- means for selectively operating said plurality of execution units in parallel;
- and
- means for selectively powering a first execution unit from a first one of said plurality of power sources.
A selective power system, comprising:
- a plurality of power sources;
- a plurality of execution units;
- a first switch for gating power to a first execution unit selectively from a first power source and a second power source;
- and
- a circuit for providing power to a second execution unit from said second power source.
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for selectively powering a plurality of execution units, said method steps comprising:
- selectively operating said plurality of execution units in parallel;
- and
- selectively powering a first execution unit from a first one of a plurality of power supplies.
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for selectively powering a plurality of execution units, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising:
- computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect selectively operating said plurality of execution units in parallel;
- and
- computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect selectively powering a first execution unit from a first one of a plurality of power supplies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.