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US 6,915,438 B2Granted
Distributed power management method for monitoring control/status signal of sub-modules to manage power of sub-modules by activating clock signal during operation of sub-modules
AssigneeArrayComm, Inc.
InventorTibor Boros
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to an embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus are described for distributed power management. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method comprises monitoring one or more signals relating to the operation of each of a plurality of sub-modules; and managing power independently for each sub-module based on the monitored signals.
Claims48
A method comprising:
- monitoring one or more signals relating to the operation of each of a plurality of sub-modules, the plurality of sub-modules including a first sub-module coupled with a second sub-module, wherein monitoring signals for the second sub-module comprises monitoring a control signal from the first sub-module and monitoring a status signal for the second sub-module;
- and
- managing power independently for each sub-module based on the monitored signals, wherein managing power for the second sub-module comprises activating a clock signal for the second sub-module upon receiving the control signal from the first sub-module and deactivating the clock signal for the second sub-module upon receiving the status signal for the second sub-module.
A power management system comprising:
- a plurality of power management units, each power management unit being associated with one of a plurality of sub-modules;
- each power management unit to control the operation of a clock signal for the associated sub-module, a first power management unit to provide a signal to activate an associated first sub-module upon receiving a control signal for the first sub-module from a second sub-module and the first power management unit to provide a signal to deactivate the first sub-module upon receiving a status signal from the first sub-module.
A power management unit comprising:
- a plurality of detectors to detect signals relating to the operation of a sub-module, the detectors including comprise a detector to detect an initiation signal for the sub-module and a detector to detect a completion signal from the sub-module;
- an output to provide a signal for activation or deactivation of clocking of the sub-module;
- a delay unit to produce a delayed start signal to the sub-module upon receiving an initiation signal for the sub-module;
- and
- an output to provide the delayed start signal to the sub-module.
2 more elements
A power management system comprising:
- a power management unit master;
- and
- a plurality of power management unit slaves, each power management unit slave being coupled with the power management unit master, each power management unit slave being associated with a corresponding sub-module of a plurality of sub-modules, each power management unit slave to provide a clock enable signal to the power management unit master upon receiving a control signal for the associated sub-module and to provide a clock disable signal to the power management unit master upon receiving a status signal from the associated sub-module.
An interchangeable computer adapter card comprising:
- a master control unit to control operations performed on the card;
- a physical layer processor;
- and
- a radio section to transmit and receive radio signals to and from the card, the radio section comprising a power management system, the power management system comprising:
- a plurality of power management units, each power management unit being associated with one of a plurality of sub-modules;
- each power management unit to control the operation of a clock signal for the associated sub-module, a first power management unit to provide a signal to activate an associated first sub-module upon receiving a control signal for the sub-module from a second sub-module and the first cower management unit to provide a signal to deactivate the first sub-module upon receiving a status signal from the first sub-module.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.