Power Management of Components Having Clock Processing Circuits
AssigneeAltera Corporation
InventorDaniel J. Allen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for managing power consumption of a component that employs a clock processing circuit to produce a processed clock signal used by the component from a clock signal supplied to the clock processing circuit. A frequency of a clock signal supplied to the clock processing circuit is changed based on operating characteristics of a voltage regulator module (VRM) or power supply unit so as to maintain acceptable operating parameters of the power supply unit during a change in frequency of a clock signal.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- generating a plurality of clock signals each of which is for supply to a corresponding one of a plurality of clock processing circuits;
- and
- changing a frequency of each of the plurality of clock signals according to at least one operating characteristic of a corresponding clock processing circuit so as to maintain acceptable operating parameters of the respective clock processing circuit during a change in frequency of the corresponding clock signal, wherein changing comprises initiating a change in frequency of a particular clock signal supplied to a corresponding particular clock processing circuit depending on an operating condition of another clock processing circuit.
A method for managing power of a component that uses a processed clock signal produced by a clock processing circuit comprising changing a frequency of the clock signal supplied to the clock processing circuit in order to manage power consumption of the clock processing circuit.
A system comprising:
- a clock circuit that generates a plurality of clock signals each of which is supplied to a corresponding one of a plurality of clock processing circuits;
- and
- a control circuit that controls the clock circuit to change a frequency of each of the plurality of clock signals according to at least one operating characteristic of the corresponding clock processing circuit so as to maintain acceptable operating parameters of the respective clock processing circuit during a change in frequency made thereto, wherein the control circuit initiates a change in frequency of a particular clock signal supplied to a corresponding particular clock processing circuit depending on an operating condition of another clock processing circuit.
A system comprising:
- a clock circuit that is configured to generate a clock signal at a frequency;
- a clock processing circuit that receives the clock signal and produces a processed clock signal for use by a component;
- a control circuit configured to change the frequency of the clock signal in order to manage power consumption of the clock processing circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.