# US 2017/0255251 A1 · Method and system for intelligent load line control of information handling systems

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- Number: US 2017/0255251 A1
- Document ID: US20170255251A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/060,312
- Filed: 2016-03-03
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: Kejiu Zhang; Shiguo Luo; Ralph H. Johnson, III; Hang Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255251A1

## CPC

- G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage
- G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C)
- 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

A voltage regulator for delivering power to a processor subsystem within an information handling system is disclosed. The voltage regulator includes an interface to an embedded controller for receiving a linear load line impedance and an intelligent load line controller. The intelligent load line controller may enable linear load line control, determine that a nonlinear load line condition is satisfied, and enable nonlinear load line control based on the determination that the nonlinear load line condition is satisfied.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of intelligent load line control comprising:
enabling linear load line control by setting a linear load line impedance, wherein the linear load line impedance is based on a load factor of a processor subsystem;
determining that a second range condition corresponding to a second range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the second range nonlinear load line impedance is greater than or equal to both the linear load line impedance and a first range nonlinear load line impedance; and
enabling nonlinear load line control by setting the second range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the second range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the second range nonlinear load line impedance has a first piecewise linear response.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second range condition is satisfied by:
measuring a load current of the processor subsystem;
computing a hysteresis load limit based on a load current threshold and a hysteresis factor; and
determining that the measured load current is less than the hysteresis load limit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second range condition is satisfied by:
receiving a requested power value;
converting the requested power value into a power capability value; and
determining that the power capability value is less than a previous power capability value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that a third range condition corresponding to a third range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the third range nonlinear load line impedance is greater than or equal to the second range nonlinear load line impedance; and
setting the third range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the third range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the third range nonlinear load line impedance has a second piecewise linear response different from the first piecewise linear response.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that an increased first range condition corresponding to the first range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the first range nonlinear load line impedance is less than the second range nonlinear load line impedance; and
setting the first range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the increased first range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the first range nonlinear load line impedance has a third piecewise linear response different from the first piecewise linear response and the second piecewise linear response.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the increased first range condition is satisfied by:
measuring a load current of the processor subsystem;
computing a hysteresis load limit based on a load current threshold and a hysteresis factor; and
determining that the measured load current is greater than the hysteresis load limit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the increased first range condition is satisfied by:
receiving a requested power value;
converting the requested power value into a power capability value; and
determining that the power capability value is greater than a previous power capability value.

### Claim 8

An information handling system, comprising:
a processor subsystem having access to a first memory;
an embedded controller comprising a secondary processor having access to a second memory, the second memory storing instructions executable by the secondary processor to:
read information from the processor subsystem to identify a load factor;
determine a linear load line impedance based on the load factor;
enable linear load line control by setting the linear load line impedance in a voltage regulator subsystem;
determine that a second range condition corresponding to a second range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the second range nonlinear load line impedance is greater than or equal to both the linear load line impedance and a first range nonlinear load line impedance; and
enable nonlinear load line control by setting the second range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the second range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the second range nonlinear load line impedance has a first piecewise linear response.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the instructions to determine that the second range condition is satisfied include:
receive a measured load current from the voltage regulator subsystem;
compute a hysteresis load limit based on a load current threshold and a hysteresis factor; and
determine that the measured load current is less than the hysteresis load limit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the instructions to determine that the second range condition is satisfied include:
receive a requested power value;
convert the requested power value into a power capability value; and
determine that the power capability value is less than a previous power capability value.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The information handling system of claim 8, further storing instructions to:
determine that a third range condition corresponding to a third range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the third range nonlinear load line impedance is greater than or equal to the second range nonlinear load line impedance; and
set the third range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the third range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the third range nonlinear load line impedance has a second piecewise linear response different from the first piecewise linear response.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The information handling system of claim 8, further storing instructions to:
determine that an increased first range condition corresponding to the first range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the first range nonlinear load line impedance is less than the second range nonlinear load line impedance; and
set the first range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the first range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the first range nonlinear load line impedance has a third piecewise linear response different from the first piecewise linear response and the second piecewise linear response.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the instructions to determine that the increased first range condition is satisfied include:
receive a measured load current from the voltage regulator subsystem;
compute a hysteresis load limit based on a load current threshold and a hysteresis factor; and
determine that the measured load current is greater than the hysteresis load limit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the instructions to determine that the increased first range condition is satisfied include:
receive a requested power value;
convert the requested power value into a power capability value; and
determine that the relative power capability value is greater than a previous power capability value.

### Claim 15

A voltage regulator for delivering power to a processor subsystem within an information handling system, comprising:
an interface to an embedded controller for receiving a linear load line impedance based on a load factor determined by information read from the processor subsystem;
an intelligent load line controller, comprising:
a first logic to enable linear load line control by setting the linear load line impedance and to determine a first range nonlinear load line impedance corresponding to the linear load line impedance;
a second logic to determine that a second range condition corresponding to a second range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the second range nonlinear load line impedance is greater than or equal to both the linear load line impedance and the first range nonlinear load line impedance; and
a third logic to enable nonlinear load line control by setting the second range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the second range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the second range nonlinear load line impedance has a first piecewise linear response.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The voltage regulator of claim 15, wherein the second logic determines that the second range condition is satisfied by:
a fourth logic to receive the measured load current from a current logic unit;
a fifth logic to compute a hysteresis load limit based on a load current threshold and a hysteresis factor; and
a sixth logic to determine that the measured load current is less than the hysteresis load limit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The voltage regulator in claim 15, wherein the second logic determines that the second range condition is satisfied by:
an adaptive voltage positioning logic unit within the voltage regulator, comprising:
a first logic to receive a requested power value from the processor subsystem;
a second logic to relay the requested power value to the intelligent load line controller; and
the intelligent load line controller, further comprising:
a fourth logic to convert the requested power value into a power capability value; and
a fifth logic to determine that the power capability value is less than the previous power capability value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The voltage regulator of claim 15, wherein the intelligent load line controller further comprises:
a fourth logic to determine that a third range condition corresponding to a third range nonlinear load line impedance is satisfied, wherein the third range nonlinear load line impedance is greater than or equal to the second range nonlinear load line impedance; and
a fifth logic to set the third range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the third range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear load line control with the third range nonlinear load line impedance has a second piecewise linear response different from the first piecewise linear response.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The voltage regulator of claim 15, wherein the intelligent load line controller further comprises:
a fourth logic to determine that an increased first range condition is satisfied, wherein the first range nonlinear load line impedance is less than the second nonlinear load line impedance; and
a fifth logic to set the first range nonlinear load line impedance based on the determination that the increased first range condition is satisfied, wherein nonlinear control with the first range nonlinear load line impedance has a third piecewise linear response different from the first piecewise linear response and the second piecewise linear response.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The voltage regulator of claim 19, wherein the fourth logic determines that the increased first range condition is satisfied by:
an adaptive voltage positioning logic unit within the voltage regulator, comprising:
a first logic to receive a requested power value from the processor subsystem;
a second logic to relay the requested power value to the intelligent load line controller; and
the intelligent load line controller further comprises:
a sixth logic to convert the requested power value into a power capability value; and
a seventh logic to determine that the power capability value is greater than the previous power capability value.