Using multiple thermal points to enable component level power and thermal management

Abstract

A component in a computer includes multiple functional unit blocks (FUB). Each FUB may be associated with a sensor and may be managed individually. When the sensor detects that a problem associated with a particular FUB may arise, a controller may be used to adjust operation of the FUB instead of operation of the entire component.

45 . A method, comprising: 
 monitoring one or more regions of an integrated circuit using a sensor associated with each of the one or more regions; and    when a sensor associated with a first region detects that the first region violates an operating threshold, adjusting operating condition of the first region.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the integrated circuit is capable of generating heat.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the integrated circuit is a processor or a chipset.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein adjusting the operating condition of the first region comprises: 
 if the operating condition of the first region can be adjusted, adjusting the operating condition of the first region; otherwise adjusting operating condition of a second region, the second region being a neighbor of the first region.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising: 
 if a third region depends on the first region and the operating condition of the first region is adjusted, adjusting operating condition of the third region.    
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein operating condition of a fourth region is not impacted by adjusting operating condition of the first region.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the sensors are thermal sensors, and wherein the operating threshold is a temperature threshold.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein adjusting operating condition of the first region comprises: 
 throttling frequency applied to the first region.    
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein adjusting operating condition of the first region further comprises: 
 throttling voltage applied to the first region.    
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein adjusting operating condition of the first region comprises: 
 throttling power consumption of the first region.    
   
   
       55 . A method, comprising: 
 when a first region of a heat generating integrated circuit in a computer system violates an operating threshold, throttling operating condition of the first region instead of throttling operating condition of the integrated circuit.    
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein throttling the operating condition of the first region includes throttling operating condition of a second region of the integrated circuit when the second region depends on the first region.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein throttling the operating condition of the first region includes throttling operating condition of a third region of the integrated circuit when throttling the operating condition of the third region enables the first region to not violate the operating threshold.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the heat-generating integrated circuit is a processor.  
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the operating threshold is a thermal threshold.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein throttling the operating condition of the first region includes throttling power consumption of the first region.  
   
   
       61 . A system, comprising: 
 a heat-generating component having multiple regions, each of the regions associated with a sensor to monitor its operating condition; and    a controller coupled to the heat-generating component, wherein the controller is to manage operating condition of each of the multiple regions based on operating condition information provided by the sensor associated with each of the multiple regions.    
   
   
       62 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the controller and the heat-generating component share a single die.  
   
   
       63 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the controller and the heat-generating component are on different dies.  
   
   
       64 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the sensors are thermal sensors, and wherein when the operating condition information of a first region detected by its corresponding thermal sensor indicates that temperature of the first region violates a temperature threshold, the controller is to manage the operating condition of the first region by reducing the temperature of the first region.  
   
   
       65 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein when operating condition of a first region violates a threshold, the controller is to manage the operating condition of the first region by throttling the operating condition of the first region.  
   
   
       66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the controller is to throttle the operating condition of the first region instead of throttling operating condition of the heat-generating component.  
   
   
       67 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the controller is to throttle the operating condition of the first region by adjusting operating condition of a second region.  
   
   
       68 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the operating condition of the second region is throttled when it is not desirable to throttle the operating condition of the first region.  
   
   
       69 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the controller is to further throttle operating condition of a third region when the third region depends on the first region.  
   
   
       70 . A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed in a processing system, causes the processing system to perform a method, comprising: 
 monitoring one or more regions of an integrated circuit (IC) using a sensor associated with each of the one or more regions; and    when a sensor associated with a first region of the IC detects that the first region violates an operating threshold, adjusting operating condition of the first region.    
   
   
       71 . The computer readable medium of  claim 70 , wherein the IC is capable of generating heat.  
   
   
       72 . The computer readable medium of  claim 71 , wherein the IC is a processor or a chipset.  
   
   
       73 . The computer readable medium of  claim 70 , wherein adjusting the operating condition of the first region comprises: 
 if the operating condition of the first region can be adjusted, adjusting the operating condition of the first region, otherwise adjusting operating condition of a second region of the IC, the second region being a neighbor of the first region.    
   
   
       74 . The computer readable medium of  claim 73 , further comprising: 
 if a third region of the IC depends on the first region and the operating condition of the first region is adjusted, adjusting operating condition of the third region.    
   
   
       75 . The computer readable medium of  claim 70 , wherein operating condition of a fourth region of the IC is not impacted by adjusting operating condition of the first region of the IC.  
   
   
       76 . The computer readable medium of  claim 70 , wherein the sensors are thermal sensors, and wherein the operating threshold is a temperature threshold.  
   
   
       77 . The computer readable medium of  claim 70 , wherein adjusting operating condition of the first region comprises: 
 throttling frequency applied to the first region.    
   
   
       78 . The computer readable medium of  claim 77 , wherein adjusting operating condition of the first region further comprises: 
 throttling voltage applied to the first region.    
   
   
       79 . The computer readable medium of  claim 70 , wherein adjusting operating condition of the first region comprises: 
 throttling power consumption of the first region.    
   
   
       80 . A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed in a processing system, causes the processing system to perform a method, comprising: 
 when a first functional unit block (FUB) of a heat generating integrated circuit (IC) in a computer system violates an operating threshold, throttling operating condition of the first FUB instead of throttling operating condition of the (IC).    
   
   
       81 . The computer readable medium of  claim 80 , wherein throttling the operating condition of the first FUB includes throttling operating condition of a second FUB of the IC when the second region depends on the first region.  
   
   
       82 . The computer readable medium of  claim 80 , wherein throttling the operating condition of the first region includes throttling operating condition of a third region of the IC when throttling the operating condition of the third region enables the first region to not violate the operating threshold.  
   
   
       83 . The computer readable medium of  claim 80 , wherein the heat-generating IC is a processor.  
   
   
       84 . The computer readable medium of  claim 80 , wherein the operating threshold is a thermal threshold.  
   
   
       85 . The computer readable medium of  claim 80 , wherein throttling the operating condition of the first region includes throttling power consumption of the first region.  
   
   
       86 . An integrated circuit (IC), comprising: 
 two or more regions, each of the regions associated with a different sensor; and    a controller associated with the two or more regions, wherein the controller is to receive operating condition information from the sensor for each of the two or more regions, and wherein the controller is capable of adjusting operating condition of each of the two or more regions based on their operating condition information.    
   
   
       87 . The IC of  claim 86 , wherein the controller is to adjust the operating condition of a first region when the operating condition information of the first region indicates that the first region is a hot spot.  
   
   
       88 . The apparatus of  claim 87 , wherein the controller is to adjust the operating condition of a first region rather than the operating condition of all of the two or more regions.