System and method for adaptive thermal management in a portable computing device

1. A method for adaptive thermal management in a portable computing device (“PCD”), the method comprising:

defining a discrete number of performance levels for one or more processing components in the PCD, wherein each of the performance levels is associated with a voltage and clock frequency supplied to the one or more processing components;

monitoring a plurality of temperature sensors in the PCD, wherein each temperature sensor is associated with one or more of temperature sensitive components;

receiving an interrupt signal from one of the plurality of temperature sensors;

sampling temperature signals from one or more of the plurality of temperature sensors;

determining that a particular temperature signal indicates that at a temperature threshold associated with one of the temperature sensitive components has been violated;

reducing the performance level of one or more of the processing components from a maximum performance level to a next highest performance level within the defined discrete number of performance levels responsive to the indication that the temperature threshold has been violated;

continuing to sample the particular temperature signal;

determining from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold violation has cleared;

increasing the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level at the conclusion of a first penalty period having a predetermined duration; and

monitoring the plurality of temperature sensors for a reset period, wherein:

if, during the reset period, the particular temperature signal indicates that the temperature threshold has been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is increased relative to the duration of the first penalty period; and

if, during the reset period, the particular temperature signal indicates that the temperature threshold has not been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is reset to a default duration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the temperature sensitive components is selected from a group comprised of a junction component, a package on package (“PoP”) memory component and an outer shell component.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

defining a plurality of temperature thresholds associated with the one or more temperature sensitive components in the PCD.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality temperature thresholds is associated with a package on package (“PoP”) memory component.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature thresholds is associated with an outer shell component.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature thresholds is associated with a junction component.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to increasing the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level at the conclusion of the first penalty period, holding the performance level of the one or more processing components at the next highest performance level during the first penalty period after the at least one temperature threshold violation has cleared.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the sampling of temperature signals from one or more of the plurality of temperature sensors to a second sample rate, wherein the second sample rate comprises time intervals that are shorter in duration than the time intervals of the original sampling.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

sampling at the second sample rate, the particular temperature signal that indicated that the temperature threshold was violated;

determining from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold remains violated; and

further reducing, by a single level, the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level within the defined discrete number of performance levels.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

sampling at the second sample rate, the particular temperature signal that indicated that the temperature threshold was violated;

determining from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold violation has cleared; and

increasing the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level.

11. A computer system for adaptive thermal management in a portable computing device (“PCD”), the system comprising:

a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (“DVFS”) module, configured to:

define a discrete number of performance levels for one or more processing components in the PCD, wherein each of the performance levels is associated with a voltage and clock frequency supplied to the one or more processing components; and

adjust the performance level of one or more of the processing components within the defined discrete number of performance levels; and

an adaptive thermal management (“ATM”) module, configured to:

monitor a plurality of temperature sensors in the PCD, wherein each temperature sensor is associated with one or more of the temperature sensitive components;

receive an interrupt signal from one of the plurality of temperature sensors;

sample temperature signals from one or more of the plurality of temperature sensors; and

determine that a particular temperature signal indicates that a temperature threshold associated with one of the temperature sensitive components has been violated;

instruct the DVFS module to reduce the performance level of one or more of the processing components from a maximum performance level to a next highest performance level within the defined discrete number of performance levels responsive to the indication that the temperature threshold has been violated;

continue to sample the particular temperature signal after the performance level of one or more of the processing components has been reduced from a maximum performance level to a next highest performance level;

determine from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold violation has cleared;

instruct the DVFS module to increase the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level at the conclusion of a first penalty period having a predetermined duration; and

monitor the plurality of temperature sensors for a reset period, wherein:

if, during the reset period, the particular signal indicates that the temperature threshold has been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is increased relative to the duration of the first penalty period; and

if, during the reset period, the particular temperature signal indicates that the temperature threshold has not been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is reset to a default duration.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein each of the temperature sensitive components is selected from a group comprised of a junction component, a package on package (“PoP”) memory component and an outer shell component.

13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the DVFS module is further configured to:

define a plurality of thresholds associated with the one or more temperature sensitive components in the PCD.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature thresholds is associated with a package on package (“PoP”) memory component.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality if temperature thresholds is associated with an outer shell component.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality if temperature thresholds is associated with a junction component.

17. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the DVFS module is further configured to:

prior to increasing the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level at the conclusion of the first penalty period, holding the performance level of the one or more processing components at the next highest performance level during the first penalty period after the at least one temperature threshold violation has cleared.

18. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the ATM module is further configured to:

modify the sampling of temperature signals from one or more of the plurality of temperature sensors to a second sample rate, wherein the second sample rate comprises time intervals that are shorter in duration than the time intervals of the original sampling.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein:

the ATM module is further configured to:

sample at the second sample rate, the particular temperature signal that indicated that the temperature threshold was violated;

determining from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold remains violated; and

the DVFS module is further configured to:

further reduce, by a single level, the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level within the defined discrete number of performance levels.

20. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein:

the ATM module is further configured to:

sample at the second sample rate, the particular temperature signal that indicated that the temperature threshold was violated;

determine from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold violation has cleared; and

the DVFS module is further configured to:

increase the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level.

21. A computer system for adaptive thermal management in a portable computing device, the system comprising:

means for defining a discrete number of performance levels for one or more processing components in the PCD, wherein each of the performance levels is associated with a voltage and clock frequency supplied to the one or more processing components;

means for monitoring a plurality of temperature sensors in the PCD, wherein each temperature sensor is associated with one or more of temperature sensitive components;

means for receiving an interrupt signal from one of the plurality of temperature sensors;

means for sampling temperature signals from one or more of the plurality of temperature sensors;

means for determining that a particular temperature signal indicates that a temperature threshold associated with one of the temperature sensitive components has been violated;

means for reducing the performance level of one or more of the processing components from a maximum performance level to a next highest performance level within the defined discrete number of performance levels responsive to the indication that the temperature threshold has been violated;

means for continuing to sample the particular temperature signal;

means for determining from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold violation has cleared;

means for increasing the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level at the conclusion of a first penalty period having a predetermined duration; and

means for monitoring the plurality of temperature sensors for a reset period, wherein:

if, during the reset period, the particular temperature signal indicates that the temperature threshold has been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is increased relative to the duration of the first penalty period; and

if, during the reset period, the particular temperature signal indicates that the temperature threshold has not been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is reset to a default duration.

22. The computer system of claim 21 , wherein each of the temperature sensitive components is selected from a group comprised of a junction component, a package on package (“PoP”) memory component and an outer shell component.

23. The computer system of claim 21 , further comprising:

means for defining a plurality of temperature thresholds associated with the one or more temperature sensitive components in the PCD.

24. The computer system of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the plurality temperature thresholds is associated with a package on package (“PoP”) memory component.

25. The computer system of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature thresholds is associated with an outer shell component.

26. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for adaptive thermal management in a portable computing device, said method comprising:

defining a discrete number of performance levels for one or more processing components in the PCD, wherein each of the performance levels is associated with a voltage and clock frequency supplied to the one or more processing components;

monitoring a plurality of temperature sensors in the PCD, wherein each temperature sensor is associated with one or more of temperature sensitive components;

receiving an interrupt signal from one of the plurality of temperature sensors;

sampling temperature signals from one or more of the plurality of temperature sensors;

determining that a particular temperature signal indicates that a temperature threshold associated with one of the temperature sensitive components has been violated;

reducing the performance level of one or more of the processing components from a maximum performance level to a next highest performance level within the defined discrete number of performance levels responsive to the indication that the temperature threshold has been violated;

continuing to sample the particular temperature signal;

determining from the particular temperature signal that the temperature threshold violation has cleared;

increasing the performance level of the one or more processing components from the next highest performance level to the maximum performance level at the conclusion of a first penalty period having a predetermined duration; and

monitoring the plurality of temperature sensors for a reset period, wherein:

if, during the reset period, the particular temperature signal indicates that the temperature threshold has been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is increased relative to the duration of the first penalty period;

and if, during the reset period, the particular temperature signal indicates that the temperature threshold has not been re-violated, the duration of a subsequent penalty period is reset to a default duration.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein each of the temperature sensitive components is selected from a group comprised of a junction component, a package on package (“PoP”) memory component and an outer shell component.

28. The computer program product of claim 26 , further comprising:

defining a plurality of temperature thresholds associated with the one or more temperature sensitive components in the PCD.

29. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein at least one of the plurality temperature thresholds is associated with a package on package (“PoP”) memory component.

30. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature thresholds is associated with an outer shell component.