# US 2018/0321735 A1 · Operating voltage regulators in an information handling system

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- Number: US 2018/0321735 A1
- Document ID: US20180321735A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/588,455
- Filed: 2017-05-05
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-05
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products, L.P.
- Inventors: SHIGUO LUO; RALPH H. JOHNSON; KEJIU ZHANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321735A1

## CPC

- G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage
- G06F 1/206: {comprising thermal management}
- 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 method, a power control system, and an information handling system (IHS) for operating voltage regulators (VRs) in an IHS. The method includes detecting, via a VR controller, a real time current level of a processor and receiving a first temperature value from a temperature sensor. The VR controller calculates a modified current level based on the real time current level, the first temperature value and a pre-defined temperature value and applies the modified current level to the processor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for operating a voltage regulator (VR) in an information handling system (IHS), the method comprising:
detecting, via a VR controller, a real time load current level of an associated processor;
receiving a first temperature value from a temperature sensor;
calculating a modified current level based on the real time current level, the first temperature value, and a pre-defined temperature value; and
applying the modified current level to the processor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the modified current level further comprises calculating a current gain multiplier and an offset coefficient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the current gain multiplier and the offset coefficient are determined based on a first difference between the first temperature value and the pre-defined temperature value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the modified current level being greater than the real time current level, the method comprises applying the modified current level to enable the processor to operate at a greater clock rate than a clock rate enabled by the real time current level.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, from a board management controller (BMC), a plurality of initial target parameters;
storing the initial target parameters to a VR controller memory; and
calculating a start-up current level based on the initial target parameters.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
monitoring, via a board management controller (BMC), an ambient air temperature and a processor temperature;
determining if the ambient temperature or the processor temperature are greater than a pre-determined threshold temperature;
in response to determining that the ambient temperature or the processor temperature are greater than the pre-determined threshold temperature, retrieving a look-up table;
identifying new target parameters from the look-up table; and
transmitting the new target parameters to the VR.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein identifying the new target parameters from the look-up table are based on the ambient air temperature and the processor temperature.

### Claim 8

A power control system comprising:
a power subsystem configured to be coupled to and supply power to functional components of an information handling system (IHS) including a processor, the power subsystem including a voltage regulator (VR), the VR further including a VR controller, the VR controller having firmware executing thereon that configures the VR controller to:
detect a real time load current level of an associated processor;
receive a first temperature value from a temperature sensor;
calculate a modified current level based on the real time current level, the first temperature value and a pre-defined temperature value; and
apply the modified current level to the processor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The power control system of claim 8, wherein calculating the modified current level further comprises calculating a current gain multiplier and an offset coefficient.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The power control system of claim 9, wherein the current gain multiplier and the offset coefficient are determined based on a first difference between the first temperature level and the pre-defined temperature value.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The power control system of claim 8, wherein in response to the modified current level being greater than the real time current level, applying the modified current level to the processor to enable the processor to operate at a greater clock rate than a clock rate enabled by the real time current level.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The power control system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the VR controller to:
receive, from a board management controller (BMC), a plurality of initial target parameters;
store the initial target parameters to a VR controller memory; and
calculate a start-up current level based on the initial target parameters.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The power control system of claim 8, further comprising:
a board management controller (BMC) communicatively coupled to the processor and the power subsystem, the BMC having firmware executing thereon that configures the BMC to:
monitor an ambient temperature and a processor temperature;
determine if the ambient temperature or the processor temperature are greater than a pre-determined threshold temperature;
in response to determining that the ambient temperature or the processor temperature are greater than the pre-determined threshold temperature, retrieve a look-up table;
identify new target parameters from the look-up table; and
transmit the new target parameters to the VR.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The power control system of claim 13, wherein the new target parameters are identified from the look-up table based on the ambient air temperature and the processor temperature.

### Claim 15

An information handling system (IHS) comprising:
at least one processor; and
a power subsystem communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and to functional components of the IHS, the power subsystem including at least one voltage regulator (VR) assigned to each of the at least one processor, the at least one VR further including a VR controller, the VR controller having firmware executing thereon that configures the VR controller to:
detect a real time load current level of an associated processor;
receive a first temperature value from a temperature sensor;
calculate a modified current level based on the real time current level, the first temperature value and a pre-defined temperature value; and
apply the modified current level to the processor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The information handling system of claim 15, wherein calculating the modified current level further comprises calculating a current gain multiplier and an offset coefficient.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The information handling system of claim 16, wherein the current gain multiplier and the offset coefficient are determined based on a first difference between the first temperature level and the pre-defined temperature value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the modified current level is greater than the real time current level and the modified current level enables the processor to operate at a greater clock rate than a clock rate enabled by the real time current level.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the VR controller to:
receive, from a board management controller (BMC), a plurality of initial target parameters;
store the initial target parameters to a VR controller memory; and
calculate a start-up current level based on the initial target parameters.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The information handling system of claim 15, further comprising:
a board management controller (BMC) communicatively coupled to the processor and the power subsystem, the BMC having firmware executing thereon that configures the BMC to:
monitor an ambient temperature and a processor temperature;
determine if the ambient temperature or the processor temperature are greater than a pre-determined threshold temperature;
in response to determining that the ambient temperature or the processor temperature are greater than the pre-determined threshold temperature, retrieve a look-up table;
identify new target parameters from the look-up table; and
transmit the new target parameters to the VR.