US 2026/0299523 A1 · Proactive Thermal Control for a System-on-Chip

Abstract

Techniques and apparatuses are described for implementing proactive thermal control for a system-on-chip. In example aspects, a thermal-control system utilizes a prediction model to predict a future evolution of an SoC based on a current operation point and a current temperature of the SoC. The prediction is used to proactively update a thermal-control policy that manipulates an operation point of one or more subsystems of the SoC. In aspects, a user perception of a thermal limit to an enclosure (e.g., surface temperature of a surface of the enclosure that the user touches) of a device having the SoC is also used to determine tradeoffs and contradicting goals between the calculated power/thermal metrics for the device and the user's perception of the thermal limit for the enclosure (e.g., surface temperature that the user touches).

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method performed by a system-on-chip, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a thermal-control system of the system-on-chip, a prediction indicating an estimation of a future temperature of a subsystem of the system-on-chip based on a current operation point and a current temperature of the subsystem;
generating, by a policy adjustor of the thermal-control system and based on the prediction, a thermal-control policy for a controller associated with the subsystem, the thermal-control policy defining a temperature target and a cadence for the controller;
determining, by the controller, a new operation point for the subsystem based on the thermal-control policy;
and
enforcing, by the subsystem, the new operation point for proactive thermal mitigation.

2 more elements

A system-on-chip comprising:

at least one subsystem;
and
at least one thermal-control system coupled to the at least one subsystem, the at least one thermal-control system including:
a predictor configured to generate a prediction indicating an estimation of a future temperature of the at least one subsystem based on a current operation point and a current temperature of the at least one subsystem;
one or more controllers configured to generate proposed operation points for the at least one subsystem;
a policy adjustor configured to generate, based on the prediction, a thermal-control policy for the one or more controllers associated with the at least one subsystem, the thermal-control policy defining a temperature target and a cadence for the one or more controllers;
and
a selector logic configured to select one operation point from the proposed operation points to be enforced by the subsystem for proactive thermal mitigation.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Proactive Thermal Control for a System-on-Chip

Life of this patent

Proactive Thermal Control for a System-on-Chip

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20