IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,213,401
Granted Patent B2
US 9,213,401 · App. 13/533,088 · Granted Dec 15, 2015

Zero power hibernation mode with instant on

Inventor: Premanand Sakarda (Acton, MA)
Assignee: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
G06F1/3287G06F1/3203G06F9/4418Y02B60/1282Y02B60/186
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,213,401
App. No.
13/533,088
Filed
Jun 26, 2012
Granted
Dec 15, 2015
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2115
USPC
713/320
Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a processor configured with a zero power hibernation/sleep mode during which the processor consumes no power are described. According to one embodiment, a processor includes a power management logic. The power management logic is configured to receive a control signal requesting the processor to transition into a power saving mode that reduces power to the processor while retaining a current state of the processor. The power management logic is configured to store, in response to the control signal, a current state of components of the processor in a non-volatile memory. The power management logic is configured to adjust power to the processor to a zero power mode to place the processor into the power saving mode, wherein during the zero power mode the processor is receiving no power.

Claims (48)

1. A processor, comprising:

power management logic configured to:

receive a control signal requesting the processor to transition into a power saving mode that reduces power to the processor while retaining a current state of the processor;

store, in response to the control signal, a current state of components of the processor in a non-volatile memory;

adjust power to the processor to a zero power mode to place the processor into the power saving mode, wherein during the

zero power mode the processor is receiving no power, wherein the power management logic is configured to control a

volatile memory to initiate a self-refresh mode prior to adjusting the power in order to maintain data stored in the volatile

memory while the processor is in the power saving mode; and restore the processor to an on mode if in the power saving mode by adjusting the stored current state of the components in the non-volatile memory to, generate an updated state which is different from the stored current state, and updating one or more resisters in the processor with the updated state.

2. The processor of claim 1 , wherein the power management logic is configured to store a current state for each of a real-time clock (RTC) and an operating system timer (OST) of the processor by capturing values from registers in the processor and storing the values in the non-volatile memory.

3. The processor of claim 1 , wherein the power management logic is configured to control the volatile memory to initiate the self-refresh mode by changing a state of the volatile memory to periodically refresh data in the volatile memory while powering off a controller of the volatile memory.

4. The processor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is powered by a core voltage, wherein the power management logic is configured to adjust the power of the processor by reducing the core voltage of the processor during the zero power mode to zero volts, wherein the processor consumes zero power in the zero power mode, wherein the power management logic is configured to transition the processor into an on mode from the zero power mode in less than ten milliseconds, and wherein the power management logic is configured to transition the processor into the zero power mode from the on mode in less than ten milliseconds.

5. The processor of claim 1 , wherein the power management logic is further configured to:

receive a wakeup signal to change a power mode of the processor to an on mode; and

determine, in response to the wakeup signal, whether the processor is in the power saving mode or an off mode by checking a current operating state of the volatile memory to determine whether the volatile memory is in the self-refresh mode.

6. The processor of claim 5 , wherein the power management logic is configured to restore the processor to the on mode by re-establishing power to the processor, and

wherein adjusting the stored current state includes using a value of a real-time clock of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) to update the stored current state to the updated state.

7. The processor of claim 5 , wherein the power management logic is configured to control, in response to the wakeup signal, a volatile memory to transition from a self-refresh mode to an operating mode and to restore operating system information to the processor using a pointer to a location in the volatile memory.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a processor, a control signal requesting the processor to transition into a power saving mode that reduces power to the processor while retaining a current state of the processor;

storing, in response to the control signal, a current state of components of the processor in a non-volatile memory;

controlling a volatile memory associated with the processor to initiate a self-refresh mode to maintain data stored in the volatile memory while the processor is in the power saving mode;

adjusting power to the processor to a zero power mode to place the processor into the power saving mode, wherein during the zero power mode the processor is receiving no power, and

restoring the processor to an on mode if in the power saving mode by adjusting the stored current state of the components in the non-volatile memory to, generate an updated state which is different from the stored current state, and updating one or more resisters in the processor with the updated state.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein storing the current state of the components includes storing a current state for each of: a real-time clock (RTC) and an operating system timer (OST) of the processor.

10. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein controlling the volatile memory associated with the processor to initiate the self-refresh mode includes changing a state of the volatile memory to periodically refresh data in the volatile memory while powering off a controller of the volatile memory.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the processor is powered by a core voltage, and wherein adjusting the power of the processor includes reducing the core voltage of the processor during the zero power mode to zero volts.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving a wakeup signal to change a mode of the processor to an on mode;

determining, in response to the wakeup signal, whether the processor is in the power saving mode or an off mode by checking a current operating state of the volatile memory to determine whether the volatile memory is in the self-refresh mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein restoring the processor to the on mode includes re-establishing power to the processor, and wherein adjusting the stored current state of the components includes using a value of a real-time clock of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) to update the stored current state to the updated state.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

controlling, in response to the wakeup signal, a volatile memory to transition from a self-refresh mode to an operating mode and to restore operating system information to the processor using a pointer to a location in the volatile memory.

15. An integrated circuit comprising:

power management logic configured to control a processor to transition into a power saving mode that reduces power to the processor while retaining a current state of the processor by: saving the current state of the processor to a non-volatile memory;

and

reducing power to the processor to place the processor into the power saving mode, wherein during the power saving mode the processor is consuming no power,

wherein the power management logic is configured to control a volatile memory to initiate a self-refresh mode prior to reducing the power in order to maintain data stored in the volatile memory while the processor is in the power saving mode;

wherein the power management logic is configured to restore the processor to an on mode if in the power saving mode by adjusting the saved current state of the components in the non-volatile memory to generate an updated state which is different from the saved current state, and updating one or more registers in the processor with the updated state.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15 , wherein the power management logic is configured to save a current state for each of a real-time clock (RTC) and an operating system timer (OST) of the processor by capturing values from registers in the processor and storing the values in the non-volatile memory.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 15 , wherein the power management logic is configured to control the volatile memory to initiate the self-refresh mode by changing a state of the volatile memory to periodically refresh data in the volatile memory while powering off a controller of the volatile memory.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 15 , wherein the processor is powered by a core voltage, and wherein the power management logic is configured to reduce the power of the processor by reducing the core voltage of the processor to zero volts.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 15 , wherein the power management logic is further configured to:

receive a wakeup signal to change a power mode of the processor to an on mode;

determine, in response to the wakeup signal, whether the processor is in the power saving mode or an off mode by checking a current operating state of the volatile memory to determine whether the volatile memory is in the self-refresh mode.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 19 , wherein the power management logic is configured to restore the processor to the on mode by re-establishing power to the processor,

wherein adjusting the stored current state includes using a value of a real-time clock of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) to update the saved current state to the updated state, and

wherein the power management logic is configured to control, in response to the wakeup signal, a volatile memory to transition from a self-refresh mode to an operating mode and to restore operating system information to the processor using a pointer to a location in the volatile memory.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2020
From: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
To: MARVELL ASIA PTE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 053475/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2020
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
To: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 052918/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2020
From: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 051778/0537 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2012
From: SAKARDA, PREMANAND
To: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 028478/0225 →
LICENSE Recorded Jul 2, 2012
From: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 028478/0359 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2012
From: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 028478/0267 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2012
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
To: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
Reel/Frame 028478/0309 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61511844 · Jul 26, 2011
Related Publication 20130031388A1 · Jan 31, 2013