Methods and apparatuses for load balancing between multiple processing units

摘要

Exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatuses to dynamically redistribute computational processes in a system that includes a plurality of processing units are described. The power consumption, the performance, and the power/performance value are determined for various computational processes between a plurality of subsystems where each of the subsystems is capable of performing the computational processes. The computational processes are exemplarily graphics rendering process, image processing process, signal processing process, Bayer decoding process, or video decoding process, which can be performed by a central processing unit, a graphics processing units or a digital signal processing unit. In one embodiment, the distribution of computational processes between capable subsystems is based on a power setting, a performance setting, a dynamic setting or a value setting.

主权项

1. A machine implemented method comprising:
distributing a processing task for processing by a first processor having a first processor type, in a system comprising a plurality of processors each having a processor type; determining a performance optimization setting that optimizes a plurality of performance criteria including processing throughput, temperature of the system, or power consumption of the system; monitoring system performance including: a processing load of each of the plurality of processors, a temperature of the system, and a power availability of the system; looking up a performance profile for the processing task, wherein the performance profile comprises a matrix that includes a performance value for each of the plurality of performance criteria for each of the plurality of processor types; automatically and dynamically redistributing, by a redistribution process switching the processing task for processing by a second processor having a second processor type, different from the first processor type, wherein the processing task is executable on both the first and second processor types, the switching based at least in part upon: the performance optimization setting for the system; the monitored system performance; and the matrix of performance criteria values of the processing task for the first and second processor types in the performance profile for the processing task.