IP Library Granted Patent US 10,429,917
Granted Patent B2
US 10,429,917 · App. 15/494,276 · Granted Oct 1, 2019

Calculating a throttle rate for battery current limiting

Inventors: Adolfo S. Montero (Pflugerville, TX); Merle J. Wood, III (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/324G06F1/26G06F1/3296
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,429,917
App. No.
15/494,276
Granted
Oct 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Operating parameters for an information handling system may be calculated based on known and desired power consumption to quickly limit the power consumption to a desired level. When the operating parameters are calculated the amount of time wasted transitioning from one power level to another power level may be reduced. A controller for the information handling system may determining that a current drawn from a power supply exceeds a threshold level for longer than a threshold duration, calculate a throttle rate for the processor based on the current drawn from the power supply and a target current level, and control the processor to operate based on the throttle rate to reduce the current drawn from the power supply to the target current level.

Claims (33)

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a controller, that a current drawn from a power supply exceeds a threshold level for longer than a threshold duration;

calculating, by the controller, a throttle rate for a system component based, at least in part on the current drawn from the power supply and a target current level; and

controlling, by the controller, the system component to operate based on the throttle rate to reduce the current drawn from the power supply to the target current level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of calculating the throttle rate comprises the step of calculating a ratio of the target current level to the current drawn from the power supply.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of controlling the processor comprises the step of adjusting a power limit of the system component based, at least in part, on the calculated throttle rate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system component being controlled is a processor, and wherein the step of controlling the processor comprises communicating the power limit to a processor over a Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI) bus.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the system component being controlled is a processor, and wherein the step of controlling the processor comprises adjusting an operating frequency of the processor based, at least in part, on the calculated throttle rate.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the system component being controlled is a processor, and wherein the step of controlling the processor comprises the step of adjusting a plurality of power limits of the processor based, at least in part, on the calculated throttle ratio.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of adjusting a plurality of power limits of the processors comprises adjusting a PL 1 , PL 2 , PL 3 , and PL 4 value.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of calculating a throttle rate for a system component comprises estimating a portion of the current drawn from the power supply consumed by the system component and calculating the throttle rate based on the estimated portion.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller configured to perform steps comprising:

determining that a current drawn from a power supply exceeds a threshold level for longer than a threshold duration;

calculating a throttle rate for a system component based, at least in part on the current drawn from the power supply and a target current level; and

controlling the system component to operate based on the throttle rate to reduce the current drawn from the power supply to the target current level.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the throttle rate by calculating a ratio of the target current level to the current drawn from the power supply.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to control the system component by adjusting a power limit of the processor based, at least in part, on the calculated throttle rate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to couple to a Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI) bus and configured to communicate the power limit over the Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI) bus.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the system component being controlled is a processor, and wherein the controller is configured to control the processor by adjusting an operating frequency of the processor based, at least in part, on the calculated throttle rate.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the system component being controlled is a processor, and wherein the controller is configured to control the processor by adjusting a plurality of power limits of the processor based, at least in part, on the calculated throttle ratio.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the processor by adjusting a PL 1 , PL 2 , PL 3 , and PL 4 value.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a throttle rate based, at least in part, on a portion of the current drawn from the power supply consumed by the system component.

17. An information handling system, comprising:

a current sense circuit configured to couple to a power supply and to measure a current drawn from the power supply;

a processor; and

a controller coupled to the current sense circuit and coupled to the processor, wherein the controller is configured to perform steps comprising:

determining, based on data received from the current sense circuit, that a current drawn from a power supply exceeds a threshold level for longer than a threshold duration;

calculating a throttle rate for the processor based, at least in part on the current drawn from the power supply and a target current level; and

controlling the processor to operate based on the throttle rate to reduce the current drawn from the power supply to the target current level.

18. The information handling system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the throttle rate by calculating a ratio of the target current level to the current drawn from the power supply.

19. The information handling system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to control the processor by adjusting a power limit of the processor based, at least in part, on the calculated throttle rate.

20. The information handling system of claim 19 , wherein the controller is coupled to the processor through a Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI) bus, and wherein the controller is configured to communicate the power limit over the Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI) bus.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (042769/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 059803/0802 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 042768 FRAME 0585 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; MOZY, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058297/0536 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY INTEREST (CREDIT) Recorded Jun 12, 2017
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; MOZY, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042768/0585 →
PATENT SECURITY INTEREST (NOTES) Recorded Jun 12, 2017
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; MOZY, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042769/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2017
From: MONTERO, ADOLFO; WOOD, MERLE
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 042119/0191 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180309321A1 · Oct 25, 2018