# US 2014/0191794 A1 · Method for performing adaptive voltage scaling (avs) and integrated circuit configured to perform avs

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- Number: US 2014/0191794 A1
- Document ID: US20140191794A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/736,295
- Filed: 2013-01-08
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: Qualcomm Incorporated
- Inventors: Madan Krishnappa; Stephen Simmonds; Parag Arun Agashe; Sajjad Pagarkar; Ashwin Rabindranath; Sagar Digwalekar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191794A1

## CPC

- G05F 1/10: Regulating voltage or current (G05F1/02 takes precedence)
- G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
- G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- 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

An integrated circuit (IC) includes an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller configured to control a voltage supplied to a portion of the IC and at least one sensor configured to sense at least one state of the IC and to provide an output signal indicative of the at least one sensed state to the AVS controller, the IC having a first setting and a second setting, the AVS controller being configured to use the output signal to control the voltage in the first setting and the AVS controller being configured to control the voltage independently of the output signal in the second setting. Also a method of performing AVS is provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of power management comprising:
providing an integrated circuit (IC) having an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller;
performing a first AVS operation on a voltage supplied to a portion of the IC using the AVS controller under a first condition; and
not performing the first AVS operation on the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC under a second condition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first AVS operation is a dynamic adjustment of the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC based on at least one sensed state of the IC or an environment of the IC.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensed state of the IC comprises a temperature of the IC or a temperature of an environment of the IC.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first AVS operation is a dynamic adjustment of the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC based on at least one sensed state of the IC or an environment of the IC and wherein the at least one sensed state of the IC comprises a temperature or a frequency or a voltage of the IC.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including performing a second AVS operation on the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC using the AVS controller under the second condition.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the second AVS operation comprises setting a baseline operating voltage for the portion of the IC based on a value stored in a non-volatile memory of the IC.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first AVS operation comprises a dynamic adjustment of the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC based on at least one sensed state of the IC and the second AVS operation comprises setting a baseline operating voltage for the portion of the IC based on a value stored in the IC.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including setting a baseline operating voltage for the portion of the IC based on a value stored in the IC and wherein the first AVS operation is a dynamic adjustment of the baseline operating voltage based on at least one sensed state of the IC or an environment of the IC.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first condition comprises an operating state of the IC.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first condition comprises a power source of the IC.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the second condition comprises the IC operating in a high-performance mode.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first condition comprises the IC operating in a power conservation mode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the second condition comprises the IC performing a boot operation.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second condition comprises a processor of the IC operating at more than a given percentage of a maximum capacity of the processor.

### Claim 15

An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller configured to control a voltage supplied to a portion of the IC; and
at least one sensor configured to sense at least one state of the IC and to provide an output signal indicative of the at least one sensed state to the AVS controller,
wherein the IC has a first setting and a second setting, the AVS controller being configured to use the output signal to control the voltage in the first setting and the AVS controller being configured to control the voltage independently of the output signal in the second setting.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The IC of claim 15, wherein in the second setting the AVS controller is configured to control the voltage based on a value stored in a non-volatile memory of the IC.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The IC of claim 15, wherein the at least one state of the IC is a temperature of the IC or an environment of the IC.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The IC of claim 15, wherein the at least one state of the IC is a temperature or a frequency or a voltage of the IC.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The IC of claim 15, wherein the AVS controller is configured to select the first setting under a first condition and to select the second setting under a second condition.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The IC of claim 19, wherein the first condition comprises an operating state of the IC.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The IC of claim 19, wherein the first condition comprises a power source of the IC.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The IC of claim 19, wherein the second condition comprises the IC operating in a high-performance mode.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The IC of claim 19, wherein the first condition comprises the IC operating in a power conservation mode.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The IC of claim 19, wherein the second condition comprises the IC performing a boot operation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The IC of claim 19, wherein the second condition comprises a processor of the IC operating at more than a given percentage of a maximum capacity of the processor.

### Claim 26 (depends on 15)

The IC of claim 15 integrated into at least one semiconductor die.

### Claim 27 (depends on 15)

A device selected from the group consisting of a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, and a computer, including the integrated circuit of claim 15.

### Claim 28

A method comprising:
providing an integrated circuit (IC) having a nominal operating voltage and an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller configured to control a voltage provided to a portion of the IC;
determining a power saving operating voltage for the IC different than the nominal operating voltage;
storing an indication of the power saving operating voltage on the IC;
sensing a state of the IC;
performing a first AVS operation on the voltage provided to the portion of the IC based on the power saving operating voltage and the sensed state of the IC under a first condition; and
performing a second AVS operation on the voltage provided to the portion of the IC based on the power saving operating voltage independently of the sensed state of the IC under a second condition.

### Claim 29

A method of power management comprising:
step for providing an integrated circuit (IC) having an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller;
step for performing a first AVS operation on a voltage supplied to a portion of the IC using the AVS controller under a first condition; and
step for not performing the first AVS operation on the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC under a second condition.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29 including step for performing a second AVS operation on the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC using the AVS controller under the second condition.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29 including step for setting a baseline operating voltage for the portion of the IC based on a value stored in the IC and wherein the first AVS operation is a dynamic adjustment of the baseline operating voltage based on at least one sensed state of the IC or an environment of the IC.

### Claim 32 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein the first AVS operation is a dynamic adjustment of the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC based on at least one sensed state of the IC or an environment of the IC and wherein the at least one sensed state of the IC comprises a temperature or a frequency or a voltage of the IC.

### Claim 33

An integrated circuit (IC) having an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller and comprising
means for performing a first AVS operation on a voltage supplied to a portion of the IC using the AVS controller under a first condition; and
means for preventing the performance of the first AVS operation on the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC under a second condition.

### Claim 34

An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
means for controlling a voltage supplied to a portion of the IC;
means for sensing at least one state of the IC; and
means for providing an output signal indicative of the at least one sensed state to the means for controlling,
wherein the IC has a first setting and a second setting, the means for controlling being configured to use the output signal to control the voltage in the first setting and the means for controlling being configured to control the voltage independently of the output signal in the second setting.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the means for controlling comprises an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller.

### Claim 36

A method comprising:
step for providing an integrated circuit (IC) having a nominal operating voltage and an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller configured to control a voltage provided to a portion of the IC;
step for determining a power saving operating voltage for the IC different than the nominal operating voltage;
step for storing an indication of the power saving operating voltage on the IC;
step for sensing a state of the IC;
step for performing a first AVS operation on the voltage provided to the portion of the IC based on the power saving operating voltage and the sensed state of the IC under a first condition; and
step for performing a second AVS operation on the voltage provided to the portion of the IC based on the power saving operating voltage independently of the sensed state of the IC under a second condition.

### Claim 37

An article comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, cause an adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) controller of an integrated circuit (IC) to perform a first AVS operation on a voltage supplied to a portion of the IC using the AVS controller under a first condition to not perform the first AVS operation on the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC under a second condition.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The article of claim 37, wherein the first AVS operation is a dynamic adjustment of the voltage supplied to the portion of the IC based on at least one sensed state of the IC or an environment of the IC, and wherein the at least one sensed state of the IC comprises a temperature or a frequency or a voltage of the IC.

### Claim 39 (depends on 37)

The article of claim 37, wherein the second AVS operation comprises setting a baseline operating voltage for the portion of the IC based on a value stored in a non-volatile memory of the IC.