Method and system for reducing thermal load by forced power collapse

摘要

A system and method for reducing heat in a portable computing device includes clocking a processor such that it is provided with a full frequency over time t0 to t1. A timer is set to trigger a forced power collapse (“FPC”) that removes all power to the processor from time t1 to time t2. At time t2, the processor may be awakened such that it can resume processing at the full frequency. Advantageously, during the FPC, no leakage power (“PL”) is consumed by the processor between t1 and t2. The result is that the processor averages the same processing efficiency over time t0 to t2 as it otherwise would have if a reduced frequency had been provided to it. However, because no PL was consumed during the FPC, the generation of heat between time t1 and t2 that is related to PL is avoided.

主权项

1. A method for reducing thermal energy generation in a portable computing device (“PCD”), the method comprising:
detecting an increase in thermal energy generation on at least a first processing component of the PCD; applying a thermal mitigation technique to reduce thermal energy resulting from leakage power (“PL”) in response to detecting the increase in thermal energy generation on at least the first processing component of the PCD, the thermal mitigation technique comprising:
calculating a processing capability of the first processing component of the PCD over a first period of time; andbased on the calculated processing capability, setting a timer component of the PCD to trigger a forced power collapse that removes all power to the first processing component for a second period of time that is less than the first period of time.