Methods and apparatuses for dynamic power control

1. A data processing system, comprising:

one or more first components capable of being dynamically throttled to a plurality of different performance level settings;

one or more second components coupled to the one or more first components; and

one or more power usage sensors coupled to the one or more first components and the one or more second components, the one or more power usage sensors to determine information on power usage during a first time period of operation of the data processing system;

wherein the data processing system comprises a computing element to determine an estimated power usage by the one or more second components in a second time period, which is subsequent to the first time period; to compute a power usage indicator based on the information on the power usage during the first time period and the estimated power usage; and to determine one of the performance level settings of the one or more first components of the data processing system for the second time period based on the power usage indicator, wherein the one of the performance settings is determined to limit the power usage indicator of the data processing system under a threshold in the second time period, wherein the threshold is associated with the information on the power usage during the first time period.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first components, the one or more second components, and the one or more power usage sensors are within a housing for the data processing system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the data processing system is portable.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing element comprises one of:

a microcontroller; and

a Central Processing Unit (CPU) microprocessor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first components comprises a microprocessor having a plurality of performance level settings at a plurality of core voltages and a plurality of core frequencies.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the microprocessor comprises one of:

a Central Processing Unit (CPU) microprocessor; and

a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) microprocessor.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power usage indicator represents a function of power usage over a period of time including the first time period and the second time period.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one of the performance level settings is determined from the threshold, the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components, and the information on the power usage during the first time period.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more first components comprise a plurality of first components with independent adjustable performance level settings; and a performance level setting of each of the plurality of first components is determined using the information on the power usage during the first time period, the threshold and the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components.

10. A machine readable medium storing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method to manage power usage in the data processing system having one or more first components and one or more second components, the method comprising:

determining information on power usage during a first time period of operation of the data processing system;

determining an estimated power usage by the one or more second components in a second time period, which is subsequent to the first time period;

computing a power usage indicator based on the information on the power usage during the first time period and the estimated power usage; and

determining a performance level setting of the one or more first components of the data processing system for the second time period based on the power usage indicator, wherein the performance level setting is determined to limit the power usage indicator of the data processing system under a threshold in the second time period, wherein the threshold is associated with the information on the power usage during the first time period.

11. The medium of claim 10 , wherein the power usage indicator is a function of a history of power usage in the data processing system.

12. The medium of claim 11 , wherein the data processing system comprises one or more first components to be throttled in performance levels and one or more second components not to be throttled in performance levels; and

wherein the performance level setting in the second time period is determined from the threshold, the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components, and the information on the power usage during the first time period.

13. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the one or more first components comprise a plurality of first components; and a performance level setting of each of the plurality of first components is determined using the information on the power usage during the first time period, the threshold and the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components.

14. The medium of claim 12 , wherein said determining the performance level setting comprises:

determining an allowable power budget in the second time period for the one or more first components of the data processing system based on the threshold, the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components, and the information on the power usage during the first time period.

15. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the information on the power usage during the first time period comprises:

first information on power usage used by the one or more first components during the first time period; and

second information on power usage used by the one or more second components during the first time period.

16. The medium of claim 11 , wherein the power usage indicator represents a function of power usage over a period of time including the first time period and the second time period.

17. The medium of claim 16 , wherein said determining the information on the power usage during the first time period comprises:

determining information indicating actual power usage at a plurality of time instances in the first time period.

18. A method to manage power usage in a data processing system having one or more first components and one or more second components, the method comprising:

determining information on power usage during a first time period of operation of the data processing system;

determining an estimated power usage by the one or more second components in a second time period, which is subsequent to the first time period;

computing a power usage indicator based on the information on the power usage during the first time period and the estimated power usage; and

determining a performance level setting of the one or more first components of the data processing system for a second time period based on the power usage indicator, which is subsequent to the first time period, wherein the performance level setting is determined to limit the power usage indicator of the data processing system under a threshold in the second time period, wherein the threshold is associated with the information on the power usage during the first time period.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the power usage indicator represents a function of power usage over a period of time including the first time period and the second time period.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first components to be throttled in performance levels and the one or more second components not to be throttled in performance levels:

wherein the performance level setting in the second time period is determined from the threshold, the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components, and the information on the power usage during the first time period.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the one or more first components comprise a plurality of first components; and a performance level setting of each of the plurality of first components is determined using the information on the power usage during the first time period, the threshold and the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein said determining the performance level setting comprises:

determining an allowable power budget in the second time period for the one or more first components of the data processing system based on the threshold, the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components, and the information on the power usage during the first time period.

23. A data processing system, comprising:

one or more first components;

one or more second components coupled to the first components;

means for determining information on power usage during a first time period of operation of the data processing system;

means for determining an estimated power usage by the one or more second components in a second time period, which is subsequent to the first time period;

means for computing a power usage indicator based on the information on the power usage during the first time period and the estimated power usage;

and

means for determining a performance level setting of the one or more first components of the data processing system for the second time period based on the power usage indicator, wherein the performance level setting is determined to limit the power usage indicator of the data processing system under a threshold in the second time period, wherein the threshold is associated with the information on the power usage during the first time period.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the power usage indicator represents a function of power usage over a period of time including the first time period and the second time period.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the one or more first components to be throttled in performance levels and the one or more second components not to be throttled in performance levels; and

wherein the performance level setting in the second time period is determined from the threshold, the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components, and

the information on the power usage during the first time period.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the one or more first components comprise a plurality of first components; and a performance level setting of each of the plurality of first components is determined using the information on the power usage during the first time period, the threshold and the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein said means for determining the performance level setting comprises:

means for determining an allowable power budget in the second time period for the one or more first components of the data processing system based on the threshold,

the estimated power usage used by the one or more second components, and

the information on the power usage during the first time period.