KR20180036370A - An electronic device and method for maintaining stability of power - Google Patents

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for maintaining a stable state of power inputted to an SOC and a method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for operating an SOC for maintaining a stable state of power inputted to the SOC includes the operations of: measuring a value of a power state variable inputted to the SOC; determining a state of the power inputted to the SOC based on the measured value of the power state variable; and controlling a parameter related to the operation of the SOC based on the determined state of the power. Accordingly, the present invention can prevent a data loss due to the instability of a system.

Description

ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING STABILITY OF POWER [0002]

Various embodiments are directed to an electronic device and method for maintaining the stability of power in each of system-on-a-chip (SOC) included in an electronic device, and more particularly, Each of which monitors the state of the driving power source and controls related parameters requiring stability, thereby preventing the power source unstable state of the electronic device.

Today, electronic devices, advanced mobile devices, are becoming increasingly demanding, and the demand for increased performance and functionality is constantly increasing. As a result, sophisticated digital ICs such as microprocessors, which are critical for electronic devices, continue to demand low power consumption and high processing performance. Therefore, highly specialized and high performance power management systems have been used to properly control and monitor the power of these microprocessors. The PMIC (Power Management IC), which is a power management system, is often installed in electronic devices including a smart phone and performs a function of converting, managing, and distributing input power to stably supply power required by an electronic device It is widely known.

In case of the SOC used in the electronic device, a separate measurement system and display are implemented between the power source and the intellectual property (IP) to check the state of the power source. When a problem of the power source is identified, To the other path that does not matter. However, this approach requires complicated design of the power path, and a separate power measurement system is located outside the SOC. Such a configuration causes a difference between the measured voltage of each IP constituting the SOC and the actual driving voltage of each IP constituting the SOC. The reason for this is that the value of each IP voltage measured in the measurement system can not accurately display the actual voltage value and display it. Therefore, the electronic device judges that the voltage value of each IP exceeds the threshold value even if the value of the voltage of the IP is actually within the operation range, and controls the operation clock of IP and the like. Further, even if the value of the voltage of each IP actually exceeds the threshold value, it is judged that the value is within the operation range, and it may cause a malfunction at a timing that the user can not predict.

An electronic device according to an embodiment includes at least one system-on-chip, the system-on-chip comprising at least one intellectual property (IP) including a processor, the IP comprising: Wherein the processor comprises: a power state determiner for determining a state of a power source input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable; And a parameter control unit for controlling a parameter related to the operation of the IP based on the parameter.

A method for maintaining power stability of an electronic device comprising at least one system-on-chip according to various embodiments includes the steps of: determining a value of each input power state variable in at least one intellectual property (IP) Determining an operation state of the power source to be input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable, and determining an operation state of the IP signal based on the determined state of the power source, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI >

According to an embodiment, the state of the power source can be determined by the SOC itself by measuring the value of the power state variable input to each IP configuring the SOC internally through the power state detector disposed in the IP. In addition, the state of the power source can be maintained in a stable state by controlling the related parameters. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the development period of the SOC by blocking system unstable (e.g., kernel panic, lockup) that occurs unexpectedly in the design of the SOC in advance. Further, when using an electronic device (e.g., a portable terminal) having the built-in SOC, data loss due to system instability is prevented in advance, and information on power stability is monitored, thereby avoiding situations that may cause instability. There is an effect that can be done.

1 shows a network environment system according to various embodiments.
Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments.
3 shows a block diagram of a programming module according to various embodiments.
4 is a block diagram of an SOC with at least one IP embedded in accordance with various embodiments.
5 is a detailed block diagram of an SOC with at least one IP embedded in accordance with various embodiments.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure for a processor according to various embodiments to determine a current power state and to control related parameters based on the determined power state.
7 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence in which a processor according to various embodiments outputs a notification message according to a mode input of a user.
8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure for preventing malfunction in the related parameter control for maintaining the stability of the power state of the SOC according to various embodiments.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for a processor according to various embodiments to output information on a power state of an SOC.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for a processor according to various embodiments to output a notification message to a user according to environmental conditions.
11 is a diagram illustrating a notification message output by a processor according to various embodiments to a user according to an environmental condition.
FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an operational sequence for determining whether a processor in accordance with various embodiments, after controlling an associated parameter, will recover the associated parameter value.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present document will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the embodiments and terminologies used herein are not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described, but to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar components. The singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this document, the expressions "A or B" or "at least one of A and / or B" and the like may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. Expressions such as " first, "" second," " first, "or" second, " But is not limited to those components. When it is mentioned that some (e.g., first) component is "(functionally or communicatively) connected" or "connected" to another (second) component, May be connected directly to the component, or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component).

In this document, the term " configured to (or configured) to "as used herein is intended to encompass all types of hardware, software, Quot ;, "made to do "," made to do ", or "designed to" In some situations, the expression "a device configured to" may mean that the device can "do " with other devices or components. For example, a processor configured (or configured) to perform the phrases "A, B, and C" may be implemented by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device or a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) , And a general purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or an application processor) capable of performing the corresponding operations.

Electronic devices in accordance with various embodiments of the present document may be used in various applications such as, for example, smart phones, tablet PCs, mobile phones, videophones, electronic book readers, desktop PCs, laptop PCs, netbook computers, workstations, a portable multimedia player, an MP3 player, a medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. Wearable devices may be of the type of accessories (eg, watches, rings, bracelets, braces, necklaces, glasses, contact lenses or head-mounted-devices (HMD) (E.g., a skin pad or tattoo), or a bio-implantable circuit. In some embodiments, the electronic device may be, for example, a television, a digital video disk (Such as Samsung HomeSync ^TM , Apple TV ^TM , or Google TV ^TM ), which are used in home appliances such as home appliances, audio, refrigerators, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, washing machines, air cleaners, set top boxes, home automation control panels, , A game console (e.g., Xbox ^TM , PlayStation ^TM ), an electronic dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic photo frame.

In an alternative embodiment, the electronic device may be any of a variety of medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measurement devices such as a blood glucose meter, a heart rate meter, a blood pressure meter, or a body temperature meter), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) A navigation system, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), an event data recorder (EDR), a flight data recorder (FDR), an automobile infotainment device, a marine electronic equipment (For example, marine navigation systems, gyro compasses, etc.), avionics, security devices, head units for vehicles, industrial or domestic robots, drones, ATMs at financial institutions, of at least one of the following types of devices: a light bulb, a fire detector, a fire alarm, a thermostat, a streetlight, a toaster, a fitness device, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, . According to some embodiments, the electronic device may be a piece of furniture, a building / structure or part of an automobile, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, or various measuring devices (e.g., Gas, or radio wave measuring instruments, etc.). In various embodiments, the electronic device is flexible or may be a combination of two or more of the various devices described above. The electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices. In this document, the term user may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

Referring to Figure 1, in various embodiments, an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 is described. The electronic device 101 may include a bus 110, a processor 120, a memory 130, an input / output interface 150, a display 160, and a communication interface 170. In some embodiments, the electronic device 101 may omit at least one of the components or additionally include other components. The bus 110 may include circuitry to connect the components 110-170 to one another and to communicate communications (e.g., control messages or data) between the components. Processor 120 may include one or more of a central processing unit, an application processor, or a communications processor (CP). The processor 120 may perform computations or data processing related to, for example, control and / or communication of at least one other component of the electronic device 101.

Memory 130 may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory. Memory 130 may store instructions or data related to at least one other component of electronic device 101, for example. According to one embodiment, the memory 130 may store software and / or programs 140. The program 140 may include, for example, a kernel 141, a middleware 143, an application programming interface (API) 145, and / or an application program . At least some of the kernel 141, middleware 143, or API 145 may be referred to as an operating system. The kernel 141 may include system resources used to execute an operation or function implemented in other programs (e.g., middleware 143, API 145, or application program 147) (E.g., bus 110, processor 120, or memory 130). The kernel 141 also provides an interface to control or manage system resources by accessing individual components of the electronic device 101 in the middleware 143, API 145, or application program 147 .

The middleware 143 can perform an intermediary role such that the API 145 or the application program 147 can communicate with the kernel 141 to exchange data. In addition, the middleware 143 may process one or more task requests received from the application program 147 according to the priority order. For example, middleware 143 may use system resources (e.g., bus 110, processor 120, or memory 130, etc.) of electronic device 101 in at least one of application programs 147 Prioritize, and process the one or more task requests. The API 145 is an interface for the application 147 to control the functions provided by the kernel 141 or the middleware 143. The API 145 is an interface for controlling the functions provided by the application 141. For example, An interface or a function (e.g., a command). Output interface 150 may be configured to communicate commands or data entered from a user or other external device to another component (s) of the electronic device 101, or to another component (s) of the electronic device 101 ) To the user or other external device.

The display 160 may include a display such as, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display . Display 160 may display various content (e.g., text, images, video, icons, and / or symbols, etc.) to a user, for example. Display 160 may include a touch screen and may receive a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using, for example, an electronic pen or a portion of the user's body. The communication interface 170 establishes communication between the electronic device 101 and an external device (e.g., the first external electronic device 102, the second external electronic device 104, or the server 106) . For example, communication interface 170 may be connected to network 162 via wireless or wired communication to communicate with an external device (e.g., second external electronic device 104 or server 106).

The wireless communication may include, for example, LTE, LTE-A (LTE Advance), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), wireless broadband (WiBro) System for Mobile Communications), and the like. According to one embodiment, the wireless communication may be wireless communication, such as wireless fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth, Bluetooth low power (BLE), Zigbee, NFC, Magnetic Secure Transmission, Frequency (RF), or body area network (BAN). According to one example, wireless communication may include GNSS. GNSS may be, for example, Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass), Beidou Navigation Satellite System (Beidou) or Galileo, the European global satellite-based navigation system. Hereinafter, in this document, "GPS" can be used interchangeably with "GNSS ". The wired communication may include, for example, at least one of a universal serial bus (USB), a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a recommended standard 232 (RS-232), a power line communication or a plain old telephone service have. Network 162 may include at least one of a telecommunications network, e.g., a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN), the Internet, or a telephone network.

Each of the first and second external electronic devices 102, 104 may be the same or a different kind of device as the electronic device 101. According to various embodiments, all or a portion of the operations performed in the electronic device 101 may be performed in one or more other electronic devices (e.g., electronic devices 102, 104, or server 106). According to the present invention, when electronic device 101 is to perform a function or service automatically or on demand, electronic device 101 may perform at least some functions associated therewith instead of, or in addition to, (E.g., electronic device 102, 104, or server 106) may request the other device (e.g., electronic device 102, 104, or server 106) Perform additional functions, and forward the results to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may process the received results as is or additionally to provide the requested functionality or services. For example, Cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing techniques can be used.

2 is a block diagram of an electronic device 201 according to various embodiments. The electronic device 201 may include all or part of the electronic device 101 shown in Fig. 1, for example. The electronic device 201 may include one or more processors (e.g., AP) 210, a communications module 220, a subscriber identification module 224, a memory 230, a sensor module 240, an input device 250, An interface 270, an audio module 280, a camera module 291, a power management module 295, a battery 296, an indicator 297, and a motor 298. The processor 290, The processor 210 may be, for example, an operating system or an application program to control a plurality of hardware or software components coupled to the processor 210, and to perform various data processing and operations. ) May be implemented, for example, as a system on chip (SoC). According to one embodiment, the processor 210 may further include a graphics processing unit (GPU) and / or an image signal processor. The cellular module 210 may include at least some of the components shown in Figure 2 (e.g., the cellular module 221) The processor 210 other components: processing by loading the command or data received from at least one (e.g., non-volatile memory) in the volatile memory) and can store the result data into the nonvolatile memory.

May have the same or similar configuration as communication module 220 (e.g., communication interface 170). The communication module 220 may include, for example, a cellular module 221, a WiFi module 223, a Bluetooth module 225, a GNSS module 227, an NFC module 228 and an RF module 229 have. The cellular module 221 can provide voice calls, video calls, text services, or Internet services, for example, over a communication network. According to one embodiment, the cellular module 221 may utilize a subscriber identity module (e.g., a SIM card) 224 to perform the identification and authentication of the electronic device 201 within the communication network. According to one embodiment, the cellular module 221 may perform at least some of the functions that the processor 210 may provide. According to one embodiment, the cellular module 221 may comprise a communications processor (CP). At least some (e.g., two or more) of the cellular module 221, the WiFi module 223, the Bluetooth module 225, the GNSS module 227, or the NFC module 228, according to some embodiments, (IC) or an IC package. The RF module 229 can, for example, send and receive communication signals (e.g., RF signals). The RF module 229 may include, for example, a transceiver, a power amplifier module (PAM), a frequency filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or an antenna. According to another embodiment, at least one of the cellular module 221, the WiFi module 223, the Bluetooth module 225, the GNSS module 227, or the NFC module 228 transmits / receives an RF signal through a separate RF module . The subscriber identification module 224 may include, for example, a card or an embedded SIM containing a subscriber identity module, and may include unique identification information (e.g., ICCID) or subscriber information (e.g., IMSI (international mobile subscriber identity).

Memory 230 (e.g., memory 130) may include, for example, internal memory 232 or external memory 234. Volatile memory (e.g., a DRAM, an SRAM, or an SDRAM), a non-volatile memory (e.g., an OTPROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a mask ROM, a flash ROM , A flash memory, a hard drive, or a solid state drive (SSD). The external memory 234 may be a flash drive, for example, a compact flash (CF) ), Micro-SD, Mini-SD, extreme digital (xD), multi-media card (MMC), or memory stick, etc. External memory 234 may communicate with electronic device 201, Or may be physically connected.

The sensor module 240 may, for example, measure a physical quantity or sense the operating state of the electronic device 201 to convert the measured or sensed information into an electrical signal. The sensor module 240 includes a gesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, an air pressure sensor 240C, a magnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, A temperature sensor 240G, a UV sensor 240G, a color sensor 240H (e.g., an RGB (red, green, blue) sensor), a living body sensor 240I, And a sensor 240M. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module 240 may be configured to perform various functions such as, for example, an e-nose sensor, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electroencephalograph (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram An infrared (IR) sensor, an iris sensor, and / or a fingerprint sensor. The sensor module 240 may further include a control circuit for controlling at least one or more sensors belonging to the sensor module 240. In some embodiments, the electronic device 201 further includes a processor configured to control the sensor module 240, either as part of the processor 210 or separately, so that while the processor 210 is in a sleep state, The sensor module 240 can be controlled.

The input device 250 may include, for example, a touch panel 252, a (digital) pen sensor 254, a key 256, or an ultrasonic input device 258. As the touch panel 252, for example, at least one of an electrostatic type, a pressure sensitive type, an infrared type, and an ultrasonic type can be used. Further, the touch panel 252 may further include a control circuit. The touch panel 252 may further include a tactile layer to provide a tactile response to the user. (Digital) pen sensor 254 may be part of, for example, a touch panel or may include a separate recognition sheet. Key 256 may include, for example, a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. The ultrasonic input device 258 can sense the ultrasonic wave generated by the input tool through the microphone (e.g., the microphone 288) and confirm the data corresponding to the ultrasonic wave detected.

Display 260 (e.g., display 160) may include panel 262, hologram device 264, projector 266, and / or control circuitry for controlling them. The panel 262 may be embodied, for example, flexibly, transparently, or wearably. The panel 262 may comprise a touch panel 252 and one or more modules. The hologram device 264 can display a stereoscopic image in the air using interference of light. The projector 266 can display an image by projecting light onto a screen. The screen may be located, for example, inside or outside the electronic device 201. The interface 270 may include, for example, an HDMI 272, a USB 274, an optical interface 276, or a D-sub (D-subminiature) 278. The interface 270 may, for example, be included in the communication interface 170 shown in FIG. Additionally or alternatively, the interface 270 may include, for example, a mobile high-definition link (MHL) interface, an SD card / multi-media card (MMC) interface, or an infrared data association have.

The audio module 280 can, for example, convert sound and electrical signals in both directions. At least some of the components of the audio module 280 may be included, for example, in the input / output interface 145 shown in FIG. The audio module 280 may process sound information input or output through, for example, a speaker 282, a receiver 284, an earphone 286, a microphone 288, or the like. The camera module 291 is, for example, a device capable of capturing still images and moving images, and according to one embodiment, one or more image sensors (e.g., a front sensor or a rear sensor), a lens, an image signal processor (ISP) , Or flash (e.g., an LED or xenon lamp, etc.). The power management module 295 can, for example, manage the power of the electronic device 201. [ According to one embodiment, the power management module 295 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a charging IC, or a battery or fuel gauge. The PMIC may have a wired and / or wireless charging scheme. The wireless charging scheme may include, for example, a magnetic resonance scheme, a magnetic induction scheme, or an electromagnetic wave scheme, and may further include an additional circuit for wireless charging, for example, a coil loop, a resonant circuit, have. The battery gauge can measure, for example, the remaining amount of the battery 296, the voltage during charging, the current, or the temperature. The battery 296 may include, for example, a rechargeable battery and / or a solar cell.

The indicator 297 may indicate a particular state of the electronic device 201 or a portion thereof (e.g., processor 210), e.g., a boot state, a message state, or a state of charge. The motor 298 can convert the electrical signal to mechanical vibration, and can generate vibration, haptic effects, and the like. Electronic device 201 is, for example, DMB Mobile TV-enabled devices capable of handling media data in accordance with standards such as (digital multimedia broadcasting), DVB (digital video broadcasting), or MediaFLO (mediaFlo ^TM) (for example, : GPU). Each of the components described in this document may be composed of one or more components, and the name of the component may be changed according to the type of the electronic device. In various embodiments, an electronic device (e. G., Electronic device 201) may have some components omitted, further include additional components, or some of the components may be combined into one entity, The functions of the preceding components can be performed in the same manner.

3 is a block diagram of a program module according to various embodiments. According to one embodiment, program module 510 (e.g., program 140) includes an operating system that controls resources associated with an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101) and / E.g., an application program 147). The operating system may include, for example, Android ^TM , iOS ^TM , Windows ^TM , Symbian ^TM , Tizen ^TM , or Bada ^TM . 3, program module 510 includes a kernel 520 (e.g., kernel 141), middleware 330 (e.g., middleware 143), API 360 (e.g., API 145) ), And / or an application 370 (e.g., an application program 147). At least a portion of the program module 510 may be preloaded on an electronic device, 102 and 104, a server 106, and the like).

The kernel 520 may include, for example, a system resource manager 321 and / or a device driver 323. The system resource manager 321 can perform control, allocation, or recovery of system resources. According to one embodiment, the system resource manager 321 may include a process manager, a memory manager, or a file system manager. The device driver 323 may include, for example, a display driver, a camera driver, a Bluetooth driver, a shared memory driver, a USB driver, a keypad driver, a WiFi driver, an audio driver, or an inter-process communication . The middleware 330 may provide various functions through the API 360, for example, to provide functions that are commonly needed by the application 370 or allow the application 370 to use limited system resources within the electronic device. Application 370 as shown in FIG. According to one embodiment, the middleware 330 includes a runtime library 335, an application manager 341, a window manager 342, a multimedia manager 343, a resource manager 344, a power manager 345, a database manager And may include at least one of a package manager 346, a package manager 347, a connectivity manager 348, a notification manager 349, a location manager 550, a graphic manager 351, or a security manager 352.

The runtime library 335 may include, for example, a library module that the compiler uses to add new functionality via a programming language while the application 370 is executing. The runtime library 335 may perform input / output management, memory management, or arithmetic function processing. The application manager 341 can manage the life cycle of the application 370, for example. The window manager 342 can manage GUI resources used in the screen. The multimedia manager 343 can recognize the format required for reproducing the media files and can perform encoding or decoding of the media file using a codec according to the format. The resource manager 344 can manage the source code of the application 370 or the space of the memory. The power manager 345 may, for example, manage the capacity or power of the battery and provide the power information necessary for operation of the electronic device. According to one embodiment, the power manager 345 may interoperate with a basic input / output system (BIOS). The database manager 346 may create, retrieve, or modify the database to be used in the application 370, for example. The package manager 347 can manage installation or update of an application distributed in the form of a package file.

The connectivity manager 348 may, for example, manage the wireless connection. The notification manager 349 may provide the user with an event such as, for example, an arrival message, an appointment, a proximity notification, and the like. The location manager 550 can manage the location information of the electronic device, for example. The graphic manager 351 may, for example, manage the graphical effects to be presented to the user or a user interface associated therewith. Security manager 352 may provide, for example, system security or user authentication. According to one embodiment, the middleware 330 may include a telephony manager for managing the voice or video call function of the electronic device, or a middleware module capable of forming a combination of the functions of the above-described components . According to one embodiment, the middleware 330 may provide a module specialized for each type of operating system. Middleware 330 may dynamically delete some existing components or add new ones. The API 360 may be provided in a different configuration depending on the operating system, for example, as a set of API programming functions. For example, for Android or iOS, you can provide a single API set for each platform, and for Tizen, you can provide two or more API sets for each platform.

The application 370 may include a home 371, a dialer 372, an SMS / MMS 373, an instant message 374, a browser 375, a camera 376, an alarm 377, Contact 378, voice dial 379, email 380, calendar 381, media player 382, album 383, watch 384, healthcare (e.g., measuring exercise or blood glucose) , Or environmental information (e.g., air pressure, humidity, or temperature information) application. According to one embodiment, the application 370 may include an information exchange application capable of supporting the exchange of information between the electronic device and the external electronic device. The information exchange application may include, for example, a notification relay application for communicating specific information to an external electronic device, or a device management application for managing an external electronic device. For example, the notification delivery application can transmit notification information generated in another application of the electronic device to the external electronic device, or receive notification information from the external electronic device and provide the notification information to the user. The device management application may, for example, control the turn-on / turn-off or brightness (or resolution) of an external electronic device in communication with the electronic device (e.g., the external electronic device itself Control), or install, delete, or update an application running on an external electronic device. According to one embodiment, the application 370 may include an application (e.g., a healthcare application of a mobile medical device) designated according to the attributes of the external electronic device. According to one embodiment, the application 370 may include an application received from an external electronic device. At least some of the program modules 510 may be implemented (e.g., executed) in software, firmware, hardware (e.g., processor 210), or a combination of at least two of the same, Program, routine, instruction set or process.

As used herein, the term "module " includes units comprised of hardware, software, or firmware and may be used interchangeably with terms such as, for example, logic, logic blocks, components, or circuits. A "module" may be an integrally constructed component or a minimum unit or part thereof that performs one or more functions. "Module" may be implemented either mechanically or electronically, for example, by application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) And may include programmable logic devices. At least some of the devices (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or methods (e.g., operations) according to various embodiments may be stored in a computer readable storage medium (e.g., memory 130) . ≪ / RTI > When the instruction is executed by a processor (e.g., processor 120), the processor may perform a function corresponding to the instruction. The computer-readable recording medium may be a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a magnetic-optical medium such as a floppy disk, The instructions may include code that is generated by the compiler or code that may be executed by the interpreter. Modules or program modules according to various embodiments may include at least one or more of the components described above Operations that are performed by modules, program modules, or other components, in accordance with various embodiments, may be performed in a sequential, parallel, iterative, or heuristic manner, or at least in part Some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

4 is a block diagram of an SOC with at least one IP embedded in accordance with various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 4, the SOC 400 may include one or more intellectual property (IP) and a bus (BUS).

The IP may be a functional block implemented in the SOC and performing a specific function. For example, the IP may be a functional block that performs a specific function, such as processor 410, memory 420, network, or DSP. The one or more IPs may also include power state detectors 415, 425, and 435, respectively. Although not shown, the electronic device may include at least one SOC 400 and a power supply 450. According to one embodiment, the electronic device may be a portable terminal or a tablet PC.

The bus is a path for data transfer between the IPs of the SOC 400. For example, the processor 410 may be provided with power status information from the memory 420, or from one or more IPs that make up the peripheral module 430, via the bus. The processor 410 may also change the values of parameters applied to one or more IPs constituting the memory 420, or the peripheral module 430, via the bus.

The power supply unit 450 supplies power to each IP, and according to an embodiment, the power supply unit 450 may be a battery of the portable terminal. In addition, the power supply unit 450 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), and the power supply unit 450 may apply a predetermined voltage to each IP.

The power state detectors 415, 425, and 435 are disposed inside the respective IPs, and may be connected to the power source unit 450. The power state detection units 415, 425 and 435 are connected to one or more power state detection units 415, 425, and 435 for the power input to the IP, Variables can be measured. According to one embodiment, the power state variable may include a voltage, a current, a rate of change of a voltage, a rate of change of a current, a slew rate of a voltage, and the like.

According to one embodiment, the power state detection units 415, 425, and 435 may include information on one or more of power state variables, power state variables, measured IP, measurement time, To processor 410. < / RTI > According to another embodiment, the power state detectors 415, 425, and 435 may transmit power state information to the processor 410 when the measured power state variables correspond to preset reference conditions.

According to one embodiment, the power state variable measurement of the power state detection units 415, 425, and 435 may be periodically performed. The period may be set differently according to the characteristics of the IP. For example, the power state variable measurement of power state detector 415 for processor 410 that requires a higher voltage than other IPs may be set to be shorter than for other IPs.

According to one embodiment, when the power state detector 415, 425, 435 measures the state variable of the power source, the processor 410 may adjust the detection period according to the input of the user. For example, when the user performs a task requiring stability more than usual, the user can set the detection period of the power state detection units 415, 425, and 435 faster than usual. In addition, the processor 410 can adjust the detection period in accordance with the user's input, thereby achieving stability.

According to one embodiment, among the power state variables, the voltage may be a ripple voltage that oscillates at a constant period. According to another embodiment, the remaining power state variables other than the voltage may be a secondary variable derived from the measured value of the voltage.

The processor 410 receives the power status information from the power status detection units 415, 425, and 435, and determines the stable status of the power input to each IP based on the received power status information according to the measurement time have. The steady state of the power supply determined by the processor 410 may be represented by two states of stable or unstable and may be expressed specifically based on the value of the measured power state variable. For example, the state of the power source input to the IP may be expressed in a somewhat unstable state, a very unstable state, or the like, depending on the difference between the measured power state variable value and a preset threshold value. The threshold may include a lower threshold and a high threshold.

The processor 410 determines the state of the power supply based on all power state variables measured for all IPs that make up the SOC 400. For example, if the voltage is outside the operating range and the remaining power state variable is within the operating range, then the processor 410 may determine that the processor 410 is in the power state, It is possible to determine that the state of the power source inputted to the power source is an unstable state. If the state of the power source input to the camera module in the peripheral device module 430 is unstable and the power source input to the remaining module is in a stable state, It is possible to determine that the state of the power source inputted to the power source is an unstable state.

The processor 410 may determine a stable state of the power supplied to the processor 410, and then perform a specific operation according to the determined result. When the processor 410 determines that the power state inputted to each IP is stable, the processor 410 can continue the existing operation as it is. However, when the processor 410 determines that the power state inputted to at least one IP constituting the SOC 400 is unstable, it determines the target IP (or the target module) and the related parameters, and controls the determined related parameters The stability of the power supplied to the SOC 400 can be maintained.

The processor 410 may store power state information of each IPs received from the power state detecting units 415, 425, and 435 in a memory in a table format. The power state information stored in the memory 420 may include information on the power stability state of each of the IPs determined by the processor 410. [ The power state information can be stored as a function of time. The power state information may include information such as measurement time, power state variables, and target IP where power state variables are measured.

The memory 420 is connected to the power source unit 450 and the processor 410. The memory 420 may store data required to maintain power stability, which is input to each IP. The data required to maintain the stability of the electric power includes an IP related to the SOC 400 and a parameter related to the SOC 400, which are determined according to a reference condition and a power state variable set to inhibit the stability of the SOC 400, And information on the range may be included.

The peripheral device module 430 is connected to the power source unit 450 and the processor 410. Various modules (e.g., a camera module, an input module, etc.) constituting the peripheral device module 430 may be driven through the control of the processor 410 according to a user's input. Executing the physical hardware (e.g., camera, touch screen, etc.) of the electronic device corresponding to the module may be an example of the driving.

5 is a detailed block diagram of an SOC with at least one IP embedded in accordance with various embodiments.

5, the processor 510 is one of the IPs constituting the SOC 500 and includes a power state detector 590, a power state determiner 520, an interrupt processor 525, a parameter determiner 530, And a parameter control unit 540.

The power state detection unit 590, 593 and 596 can measure the power state variable in order to check the state of the power source supplied to the IP of the SOC 500 where the power state detection units 590, 593 and 596 are located . Also, the power state detection units 590, 593, and 596 can transmit the power state information to the power state determination unit 520. [

The power state determination unit 520 receives the power state information from the power state detection units 590, 593, and 596 and determines the stability of the power supplied to each IP based on the received power state information. The determination of the stability of the power supply can be made for each IP or SOC 500. For example, the power state determination unit 520 may determine that the state of the power source input to the camera module 580, which is an IP constituting the peripheral device module 560, is unstable, It may be determined that the input power source is in an unstable state.

The determination criterion by which the power state determiner 520 determines the stability of the power source may include whether the measured power state variable corresponds to a preset reference condition. The reference condition means a predetermined constant value range for judging whether or not the power state input to the IP (or SOC) constituting the SOC 500 is stable. For example, the predetermined reference condition may be such that the value of the measured power state variable (e.g., voltage) is within a certain range bounded by one or more thresholds (e.g., upper threshold or lower threshold) 3V or a voltage > 5V). According to one embodiment, when the measured voltage value for the communication module 575 becomes higher than a preset upper limit threshold or becomes lower than a predetermined lower limit threshold value, the power supply state determination unit 520 determines that the communication module 575 It can be determined that the measured power state variable corresponds to a preset reference condition. The power state determination unit 520 may determine that the power state input to the communication module 575 is currently unstable or that the power state input to the peripheral device module 560 is currently unstable. According to another embodiment, when the electronic device in which the SOC 500 is embedded is charged through an unauthorized or defective charger, the power state determination unit 520 determines the SOC 500 and the SOC 500 It can be determined that the overvoltage flows to the IP so that the state of the power source input to the SOC 500 at present is in an unstable state.

Since the required voltage required for the IP constituting the SOC 500 varies according to the characteristics of the IP, the reference condition may be changed according to the corresponding IP and the corresponding power state variable. For example, the reference condition for the voltage input to the processor 510 is less than 3V or greater than 5V, while the reference condition for the voltage input to the memory 550 is less than 2.8V, or 4.5V May be a larger range.

If the power state determining unit 520 determines that the state of the power source input to each IP configuring the SOC 500 is in a stable state, the power state determining unit 520 can continue the existing operation as it is. However, if the power state determination unit 520 determines that the current power state input to the SOC 500 is an unstable state, it may transmit a signal related to the current power state to the interrupt processing unit 525. That is, the power state determination unit 520 may detect that the value of at least one power state variable among the measured power state variables is a condition that hinders the stability of the power source, and may transmit a signal indicating that the value is detected. The signal may include a current power state, a grounded power state variable, and a measured value of the power state variable.

The interrupt processing unit 525 can receive a signal related to the current power state from the power state determining unit 520. [ The power supply state determination unit 520 transmits a signal to the interrupt processing unit 525 only when it determines that the power state currently input to at least one IP constituting the SOC 500 is unstable, An interrupt signal can be generated immediately when a signal is received. The interrupt signal may be a pulse signal. The interrupt signal may include an IP causing power source instability of the SOC 500, a power state variable based on the value, and a measured value of a power state variable, and the interrupt signal is transmitted to the parameter determination unit 530 .

The parameter determination unit 530 can determine an associated parameter to be controlled based on the interrupt signal received from the interrupt processing unit 525 and the data stored in the memory 550. [ That is, the parameter determining unit 530 determines an object IP causing the power unstable state of the SOC 500 from the interrupt signal received from the interrupt processing unit 525, and stores the object IP in question as the data stored in the memory 550 The related parameter to be controlled can be determined. For example, when the target IP causing the power unstable state of the SOC 500 is the display module 585, the parameter determination unit 530 determines a related parameter to be controlled as a clock to maintain power stability can do.

The related parameter may be at least one of an operation clock (Clock), a bandwidth, a delay, and a frequency for the IP causing the power unstable state of the SOC 500. The clock means an operation clock of the target IP, and the bandwidth means a communication bandwidth between the electronic device in which the SOC 500 is embedded and another electronic device. Delay means to temporarily suspend the operation that IP (or module) should perform for temporary avoidance of the situation, and delay value means the time interval of delay.

According to one embodiment, the relevant parameters may be determined based on a property of the power state variable, a measure of the power state variable, a power state variable based on the measured IP, a threshold corresponding to the power state variable. For example, although the same voltage is a power state variable, the associated parameter for the voltage input to the processor 510 may be the operating clock of the processor 510, and the associated parameter for the voltage input to the communication module 575 May be bandwidth.

In general, when a problematic IP is determined, related parameters to be controlled can be determined from data stored in the memory, but there may be cases where there are two or more related parameters for a specific IP. In this case, the parameter determination unit 530 may determine the priorities of the related parameters in advance, control the related parameters according to the determined priorities, and may determine the IPs causing the power unstable state, the measured values of the power state variables, Based on the threshold value, a parameter to be actually controlled among a plurality of related parameters may be determined. That is, the parameter determining unit 530 may determine the parameter to be controlled by a predetermined criterion, or it may be determined in a fluid manner in consideration of each situation. For example, if the voltage to the processor 510 exceeds the lower limit value and corresponds to the reference condition, if the difference between the measured voltage value and the lower limit value is larger than a predetermined value, the parameter determination unit 530 determines And determines a delay as a related parameter if the predetermined value is smaller than the predetermined value.

If there are two or more IPs in question, there may be more than one related parameter. At this time, the determination of the related parameters can be made independently of each of the IPs in question. For example, when it is determined that the processor 510 and the memory 550 are in an unstable state as a result of measuring the voltage of the processor 510 and the voltage of the memory 550, May be determined as two of the operating parameters of the processor 510 and the operating clock of the memory 550. [

The parameter control unit 540 can control the related parameter determined by the parameter determination unit 530. [ The method by which the parameter control unit 540 controls the related parameter may be a method of changing the value of the related parameter. For example, if the parameter determination unit 530 determines the related parameter as the operation clock of the memory 550, the parameter control unit 540 can change the value of the operation clock of the memory. The parameter control unit 540 can change the value of the related parameter to improve the unstable power state input to the SOC 500. [

The parameter control unit 540 can determine the direction to change the value of the related parameter. The direction of changing the value of the related parameter can be determined according to the measured value of the power state variable. For example, if the voltage of the processor 510 exceeds the lower limit value, the operating clock of the processor 510, which is an associated parameter, may be increased.

The method by which the parameter control unit 540 controls the value of the related parameter may be a method of changing the value of the related parameter by a predetermined ratio or difference. Here, the predetermined ratio or difference may be determined in advance or may be determined in accordance with IP, power state variable measurement values corresponding to a power source instability state, and corresponding threshold values. For example, if the problematic IP and power state variables are the voltage of the memory 550, the associated parameter is determined to be the operating clock of the memory 550, and the operating clock of the memory 550 may be increased or decreased by 10% The value of the relevant parameter can be controlled. Even if the related parameters are the same, the above ratio or difference may be different if the problematic IP is different. For example, if the related parameter is determined as the operation clock of the processor 510, the parameter control unit 540 may change the value of the related parameter by increasing or decreasing the operation clock of the processor 510 by 8%.

When the parameter control unit 540 controls the related parameter, the display module 585 may output the related message on the screen of the electronic device in which the SOC 500 is embedded. For example, the display module 585 may output a status message such as "the current power state is unstable and the state of the associated device is being grasped and adjusted ".

The parameter control unit 540 controls the related parameters determined by the parameter determination unit 530 and can repeatedly control the parameters based on the checked power state after the control of the related parameters. The object to be repeatedly controlled by the parameter control unit 540 may be limited to the IP which caused the unstable state of the power source before control of the related parameter. In addition, the parameter control unit 540 may not only control the IP which caused the unstable state of the power source, but may also check the power state of all the IPs constituting the SOC 500, and then control related parameters. Here, the process of checking the power state may be performed by the power state determiner 520, and it may be a process of checking whether the power state variable measured for all the IPs constituting the SOC 500 corresponds to a predetermined reference condition have.

If the same IP as before the control still corresponds to the reference condition at the time after the control of the related parameter, the parameter control unit 540 can further increase or decrease the value of the related parameter. However, if the IP causing the power unstable state changes, the related parameters may also be correspondingly changed.

The parameter control unit 540 can independently control a plurality of related parameters when there are a plurality of related parameters to be controlled. For example, when the related parameter to be controlled is the operation clock of the processor 510 and the operation clock of the memory 550, the parameter control unit 540 controls the operation clock of the processor 510 and the value of the operation clock of the memory 550 By a predetermined ratio or difference, respectively, so that the related parameters can be independently controlled.

That is, the processor 510 determines whether the value of at least one or more power state variables input to at least one or more IPs constituting the SOC 500 measured by the power state detectors 590, 593, and 596 corresponds to a preset reference condition It is determined whether the power state input to the SOC 500 is unstable. If the power state is unstable, the power state can be improved by controlling the related parameters.

The peripheral module 560 may include a display module 585, a camera module 580, a communication module 575, an audio module 570, an input module 565, Each of the constituent IPs can be supplied with respective power. Status information on each power source to be applied may be measured by the power status detector 593 and the measured power status information may be transmitted to the power status determiner 520 of the processor 510. [ The input module 565 may constitute one input / output module together with an output module (not shown).

The memory 550 may store a threshold value, an operation range, and a predetermined reference condition corresponding to power state variables (e.g., voltages) input to the respective IPs constituting the SOC 500. The memory 550 may also include a power state detector 596. The power state detection unit 596 measures the power state variable of the power source input to the memory 550 and transmits the power state information including the measured power state variable to the power state determination unit 520 of the processor 510 have. Therefore, the power state determination unit 520 can determine the stable state of the power input to the memory 550.

Power state variable Reference condition Processor Voltage Voltage <3V or voltage> 5V electric current Current <0.2mA or current> 0.4mA Drop slew rate Drop slew rate <0.8V / μs The rate of change of current (di / dt) di / dt < 2.5 mA / s ... ... Memory Voltage Voltage <2.8V or Voltage> 4.5V electric current Current <0.18mA or current> 0.34mA ... ...

Table 1 shows a portion of the database stored in the memory 550. Some of the reference conditions are shown in the database. The reference condition means a constant numerical range set for judging whether or not the power state inputted to each IP constituting the SOC 500 is stable.

As shown in Table 1, the reference condition can be determined according to the IP and power state variables. The power state determination unit 520 may determine whether at least one power state variable measured by the power state detection units 590, 593, and 596 corresponds to the reference condition. If all the state variables for the power input to all the IPs constituting the SOC 500 do not correspond to the reference condition, the power state determination unit 520 determines that the power state for the SOC 500 is stable can do. In addition, if at least one power state variable for at least one IP constituting the SOC 500 corresponds to a reference condition, the power state determination unit 520 determines that the power state input to the SOC 500 is in an unstable state It can be judged. For example, when the voltage input to the processor 510 is 2.8 V, the power supply state determination unit 520 can determine that the voltage of the processor 510 does not correspond to the reference condition. Therefore, the power state determination unit 520 may determine that the power state of the processor 510 is stable, and proceed with the existing operation on the processor.

Power state variable IP Operating range Related parameters V1 Processor 3 [V] < V1 < 5 [V] Clock, Delay, Frequency V2 Memory 2.8 [V] < V2 < 4.5 [V] Clock V3 Communication section 2.5 [V] < V3 < 4.5 [V] Bandwidth ... ... ... ... Drop slew rate1 Processor Drop slew rate 1 <0.8 [V / μs] Clock, Delay, Frequency Drop slew rate2 Memory Drop slew rate 2 <0.6 [V / μs] Clock ... ... ... ...

Table 2 shows a portion of the database stored in memory 550. Table 2 shows in tabular form the operation range corresponding to the IP and power state variables and the corresponding related parameter information. However, if the relationship between the power status variable and the related parameter is shown, it is irrelevant to the format.

In the first column of the table, voltage and drop slew rate are illustrated among various power state variables measured by the power state detectors 590, 593, and 596, and the second column shows the state of each power state variable . The third column shows the appropriate operating range for each of the power state variables. The fourth column shows the relationship between the power state variable and the associated power state variable, if the value of each power state variable is outside the operating range (or corresponds to a predetermined reference condition) Parameter. The use of the voltage and drop slew rate among the power state variables in the above table is illustrative, and thus does not limit the scope of the present invention.

Table 2 shows that when the state of the power input to the IP (or SOC) constituting the SOC 500 is determined to be unstable, control is performed in order to maintain the state of the power input to each IP (or SOC) It can serve as a reference database to determine the relevant parameters to do. For example, in Table 2, the operation range of the voltage V1 input to the processor 510 and related parameters (clock, bandwidth, delay, etc.) to be controlled when the voltage is determined to correspond to the reference condition are described . There may be more than one related parameter to control. When there are a plurality of related parameters to be controlled, one of the plurality of related parameters may be determined and the value of one determined related parameter may be changed or the values of the plurality of related parameters may be respectively changed. If there is more than one related parameter, the related parameter to be controlled can be determined differently depending on the measured value, even if it is the same power status variable of the same IP. For example, when the voltage V1 input to the processor 510 is lower than the lower limit value, the parameter to be controlled can be determined as the operation clock (Clock). However, if the voltage V1 is higher than the upper limit value, It can be determined as a delay.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention includes at least one system-on-chip, wherein the system-on-chip includes at least one IP, including a processor, wherein the IP includes a value of a power state variable Wherein the processor comprises: a power state determiner for determining a state of a power source input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable; and a controller for determining, based on the determined power state, And a parameter control unit for controlling parameters related to the operation of the IP.

According to various embodiments, the power state variable may be at least one of a voltage, a current, a rate of change of a voltage, a rate of change of a current, and a slew rate of a voltage.

According to various embodiments, the power state determining unit may determine that the power state is a stable state when the measured power state variable is a value within a predetermined operation range, If it is a value other than the set operation range, the power supply state can be determined as an unstable state.

According to various embodiments, the parameter may be at least one of the operating clock, bandwidth, and delay of the IP.

According to various embodiments, the power state determining unit may determine the state of the power source to be input to the IP after controlling the parameter, and the parameter controlling unit may control the parameter, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; IP &lt; / RTI &gt;

According to various embodiments, the parameter control unit controls the parameter so that if the determined power state is unstable, if the value of the parameter does not exceed the threshold, the power state is determined to be stable The above parameters can be repeatedly controlled.

According to various embodiments, the apparatus further includes an input / output module, wherein the input / output module receives a signal related to the adjustment of the drive mode of the system-on-chip, and the power state determination unit determines, based on the measured power state variable and the signal, It is possible to determine the state of power supply of IP.

According to various exemplary embodiments, the power status determination unit may determine the power status input to the IP based on the measured power status variable and the peripheral environment information received from the sensor unit .

According to various embodiments, the parameter is based on at least one of a property of the power state variable, a measured value of the power state variable, a power state variable of the measured IP, and a threshold value corresponding to the power state variable &Lt; / RTI &gt;

According to various embodiments, when the power state is determined to be unstable, the parameter control unit for controlling the parameter may be configured to control the characteristics of the power state variable, the measured value of the power state variable, and the threshold value The parameter can be controlled by changing the value of the parameter by a ratio or difference determined based on the parameter.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure for a processor according to various embodiments to determine a current power state and to control related parameters based on the determined power state.

At operation 610, the processor 510 may determine whether a reference condition is set. Here, the reference condition may mean a condition that hinders the stability of the power state input to the IP (or SOC) constituting the SOC 500. The criterion for determining whether the processor 510 has already set the reference condition may be whether or not the memory 550 stores data corresponding to the reference condition. If the processor 510 determines that the condition is not set, then at operation 620, a new reference condition may be set and stored in the memory 550. [ In addition, if the processor 510 determines that the condition is set, the processor 510 may perform an operation 630. Since the condition may be one or more conditions, the processor may add another condition even if the condition is set. The setting (or addition) of the condition can be made according to the input of the user. For example, when a user using the portable terminal device feels uncomfortable due to system instability, the user can input an instruction corresponding to a command to set the current situation to a new condition so that the same situation is not repeated.

The reference conditions for hindering the stability of the power state include, for example, a voltage maximum level, a voltage minimum level, a maximum change rate of the current, and a voltage drop slew rate At least one.

The processor 510 may then receive the current power state variables measured at the power state detectors 590, 593, and 596, at operation 630. The power state variable may be one or more and may be measured for one or more IPs comprising the SOC 500. The power state variable may include voltage, current, rate of change of voltage, rate of change of current, and the like.

Thereafter, the processor 510 may, at operation 640, determine whether the value of the measured power state variable corresponds to a predetermined reference condition. The processor 510 may determine that the power state input to the SOC 500 is unstable if at least one power state variable corresponds to a predetermined reference condition. In addition, if all of the power state variables do not correspond to the predetermined reference condition, it can be determined that the power state input to the SOC 500 is in a stable state.

The processor 510 may determine, at operation 550, the IP and related parameters that cause the instability state if the power state input to the SOC 500 determines that it is in an unstable state (i.e., corresponds to a reference condition). That is, at operation 650, the processor 510 may determine an IP causing an unstable power state and associated parameters to control to change the power state to a steady state. Specifically, the processor 510 may determine the IP and associated parameters corresponding to the power state variable by identifying a power state variable corresponding to the reference condition and retrieving the database stored in the memory 550. For example, if it is determined that the voltage V3 corresponds to a preset reference condition, the processor 510 retrieves the IP and associated parameters corresponding to V3 from the memory 550 so that IP is the display module 585, It can be determined that the parameter is a clock.

At operation 660, the processor 510 may control the determined parameters. The method of controlling the parameter may be a method of changing the value of the parameter. That is, the processor 510 may resolve the unstable state of the current power state by changing the value of the determined parameter. For a degree of changing the value of the parameter, the processor 510 may change the value of the relevant parameter based on a predetermined ratio, or difference. For example, when the voltage V4 corresponding to the power source of the communication module 575 corresponds to a reference condition and the power source state is determined to be unstable, the processor 510 determines the bandwidth as an associated parameter, and sets the existing bandwidth to a predetermined ratio (E.g., 80%). The ratio can also be changed by the user.

In addition, when the processor 510 controls the relevant parameters determined in operation 660, the associated information may be stored in the memory 550. [ For example, when the V1 voltage corresponds to a reference condition, and the processor 510 changes the value of the operating clock of the processor 510, the processor 510 sets the related parameter, the modification time, Values, change ratios, and the like in the memory 550.

When the processor 510 controls a related parameter determined in operation 660, if there are a plurality of related parameters, the processor may determine one of the plurality of related parameters through a predetermined algorithm. The values of the plurality of related parameters may also be changed, respectively.

In addition, when the processor 510 controls the parameters determined in operation 660, when there are a plurality of power state variables corresponding to the reference conditions, the values of the related parameters corresponding to the respective power state variables can be changed, respectively. That is, if there are a plurality of power state variables in question, the processor 510 may independently change the values of the respective parameters independently.

According to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, the processor 510 determines the power state input to the SOC 500, and when the power state is determined to be unstable, the power state can be improved by controlling the related parameter.

7 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence in which a processor according to various embodiments outputs a notification message according to a mode input of a user.

The processor 510 may then receive current power state variables via the power state detectors 590, 593, and 596, at operation 710.

At operation 720, the processor 510 may receive input to adjust the drive mode of the SOC 500 from the user via the input module 565. [ The input for adjusting the driving mode may be one of a low power mode and a high power mode. According to an embodiment of the present invention, even when a specific mode is not designated, when there are many programs to be simultaneously executed in the electronic device in which the SOC 500 is embedded, or when a plurality of commands are input at the same time, Can be a kind of input. For example, the input to the execution of the high-grade game on the portable terminal with the built-in SOC 500 may be a kind of high power mode.

The processor 510 may determine at operation 730 if it is possible to cause an unstable state of the power state when adjusting the drive mode according to the input, taking into account the measured power state variable. Whether the unstable state of the power state can be caused can be determined based on the database stored in the memory 550. That is, the processor 510 can determine the influence on the power state variable when adjusting the driving mode based on the database. For example, processor 510 may determine that when the high power mode is performed, the voltage of processor 510 decreases by 0.2V to 0.3V. The processor 510 may determine whether it may cause an unstable state of the power supply state in consideration of the measured power supply state variable and the influence on the power supply state variable at the time of the drive mode adjustment. Whether or not the unstable state occurs here can be determined by whether or not the power state variable corresponds to the reference condition. For example, when the measured voltage of the processor 510 is 3.1 V, the reference condition is voltage <3 V or 5 V, and the voltage of the processor 510 is reduced by 0.2 V to 0.3 V when the high power mode is performed , The processor 510 may determine that it may cause instability of the power state when performing the high power mode.

If the processor 510 determines at operation 730 that it can not cause instability of the power state, at operation 550, the drive mode may be adjusted according to the received input.

If the processor 510 determines at operation 730 that it may cause instability of the power state, at operation 740, the processor 510 may output a notification message to the user via the display module 585. [ For example, a processor might display a message that says, "If you proceed, you might get a system error, but you still want to proceed." The processor may then proceed to operation 750 to adjust the drive mode according to the received input. After the notification message is output, an interface for additional input of the user may be output, and the processor 510 may adjust the driving mode according to the received input regardless of the user's response.

Through the above-described procedure, the processor 510 determines the power state according to the user's input and reminds the user about the input of the power state that may cause instability, so that the user may unexpectedly experience a system error There is an effect of preventing the situation in advance.

8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure for preventing malfunction in the related parameter control for maintaining the stability of the power state of the SOC according to various embodiments.

The processor 510 may determine at operation 810 that the power state input to the SOC 500 is unstable. For example, the processor 510 can determine that the power state input to the processor 510 is unstable, in response to the voltage condition of the processor 510 corresponding to the reference condition.

Processor 510 may, at operation 820, control the associated parameters. The relevant parameters may be determined based on characteristics of the power state variables, measurements of the power state variables, and thresholds (or operating ranges) corresponding to the power state variables. The method of controlling the related parameter may also be a method of changing the value of the relevant parameter.

At operation 830, the processor 510 may determine whether the value of the controlled associated parameter is included in the predetermined range. The predetermined range of the relevant parameters can be determined according to the characteristics of the relevant parameters and the physical characteristics of the target IP. For example, if the target IP is the processor 510 and the associated parameter is the operating clock of the processor 510, then the predetermined range of related parameters may be the maximum operating clock that the processor 510 can support, ) &Lt; / RTI &gt;

The processor 510 determines at operation 830 that the value of the associated parameter is included in the predetermined range and at operation 840, after the associated parameter control, the power state variable measured again by the power state detector 590, 593, (Or a value other than the predetermined operation range) can be determined.

After the parameters are controlled by the parameter control unit 540, the power state detection units 590, 593, and 596 can again determine the state of the power input to the IP. The process of determining the state of the power source by the power state detection units 590, 593, and 596 may be performed after a predetermined time elapses after the parameters are controlled by the parameter control unit 540.

The processor 510 may determine that the power state is still unstable and perform operation 820 if it is determined at operation 840 that the value of the power state variable newly measured after the control corresponds to the reference condition. The processor 510 may determine the power state after the parameter control based on a predetermined time range or the power state variable measured at an arbitrary time after the parameter control. That is, the processor 510 may repeat operations 820 through 840 until the power state changes to a steady state. The processor 510 may determine that the power state has changed to a stable state and terminate the algorithm if it is determined that the value of the newly measured power state variable does not correspond to the reference condition after the control.

If the processor 510 determines at operation 830 that the value of the associated parameter is not included in the predetermined range, then at operation 850, at least one of the system components may determine that there is an error. That is, if there is an error in the control circuit of the related parameter and the measurement circuit of the power state variable, the power state can not be improved even if the related parameter is repeatedly controlled. Rather, the operation 850 is an operation for preventing the system malfunction due to repeatedly changed related parameters.

The processor 510 terminates the algorithm if at least one of the components that make up the system at operation 850 determines that there is an error. At this time, the processor 510 may output a notification message via the display module 585 that the system may include an error.

That is, the processor 510 may repeatedly change the associated parameters until the current unstable power state is restored to a stable power state, but when the value of the associated parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold (upper threshold or lower threshold) It is possible to prevent a secondary system error and malfunction.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for a processor according to various embodiments to output information on a power state of an SOC.

Processor 510 may receive the value of the power state variable measured by power state detector 590, 593, 596, at operation 910. [ Specifically, the power state detection units 590, 593, and 596 may measure the values of at least one power state variable input to at least one or more IPs constituting the SOC. In addition, the power state detectors 590, 593, and 596 may transmit information including the measured values to the processor 510, and the processor 510 may receive the information.

At operation 920, the processor 510 may store power state information, including the measured values, in a memory 550 in a database. The power status information may include the measured value of the power state variable, the target IP of the power state variable, the measurement time, and the surrounding environment information at the measurement time.

Processor 510 may receive an output command of information about power stability via input module 565 at operation 930. [ The output command may be an output command of information about the stability of the power source at a specific time (for example, the current time), or may be an output command of information about the stability of the power source in a constant time range (e.g., yesterday).

At operation 940, the processor 510 may output whether or not the power supply is stable based on the power state information stored in the database. The output data may include the steady state of the power supply and the measurement time.

The range of the output depends on the user's input. For example, in the case of an output command of information on the stability of the power source at a certain time (for example, the current time), data corresponding to the time (or the closest time) can be retrieved from the database and output. For another example, if the command is an output command of information on the stability of the power source for a certain time range (e.g., within one hour from the current time), data corresponding to the time range can be retrieved from the database and output. At this time, data corresponding to the time range may be output as a graph as a function of time.

Through the above-described procedure, the user can monitor information on the stability of the power supply in real time within a certain time range including the current or the present time.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for a processor according to various embodiments to output a notification message to a user according to environmental conditions.

The processor 510 may sense at operation 1010 that the current ambient condition is a condition that may affect the power state. The processor 510 may also receive sensing information from a sensor unit (not shown) that senses ambient environmental conditions. The ambient conditions may be, for example, at least one of the temperature, humidity, and air pressure of the electronic device in which the SOC 500 is embedded. The conditions under which the environmental conditions may affect the power state may be measured values of the environmental conditions or whether they last for a predetermined time. For example, if the temperature of the electronic device in which the SOC 500 is embedded exceeds 37 degrees or 36.5 degrees lasts for 15 minutes, the processor 510 determines that the current ambient conditions may affect the power state .

At operation 1020, the processor 510 may search the database for conditions that are the same as the current ambient conditions, and determine, from the retrieved data, the effect of the environmental condition at issue on the power state. Where the database may be power state information stored in memory 550. For example, if the current temperature is greater than 37 degrees Celsius, the processor 510 may retrieve data in the database above 37 degrees Celsius and determine the effect of temperatures above 37 degrees C on the power state in the retrieved data.

The processor 510 may determine at operation 1030 whether the ambient condition may cause instability of the power state input to the SOC 500 in consideration of the current power state. Here, the current power state may be determined as a stable state or an unstable state by comparing the value of the power state variable measured by the power state detection units 590, 593, and 596 with a reference condition. The processor 510 may determine whether it can cause system instability based on the impact of the problem environmental condition determined at operation 1020 on the power state.

That is, if it is determined that the current power state is already unstable, the processor 510 may determine that the power state may be unstable according to the surrounding conditions. Even if the current power state is determined to be stable, It can be judged that the power state may be unstable depending on the condition.

If the processor 510 determines that it may cause instability of the system at operation 1030, then at operation 1040, it may output an associated message. The relevant message may include the current power state, and the surrounding environmental conditions at issue. In addition, the processor 510 may control the associated parameters, at operation 1040. The relevant parameters may be determined according to the characteristics of the power state variables, the measured values, the threshold values and the target IP, which cause instability of the power state, and may additionally be determined according to the environmental conditions. The processor may also control the relevant parameters and then output the relevant message.

Through the above procedure, the user can grasp the information on the environmental conditions that may affect the power state in advance and avoid the situation of the system error that may be caused by the unstable power state.

11 is a diagram illustrating a notification message output by a processor according to various embodiments to a user according to an environmental condition.

8, the processor 510 may determine that the current ambient conditions may cause instability of the system and, if it can cause instability of the system, A notification message can be output.

For example, the processor 510 may output a notification message 1110 containing the current temperature on the screen of the electronic device in which the SOC 500 is embedded. The notification message 1110 may be a message such as "It is detected that the current temperature is 38 [deg.] C and a condition that may affect the power supply is going to be inspected? &Quot;, and a separate interface 1115) may be added to the screen.

When the user requests the inspection of the system through the separate interface 1115, the processor 510 may output a notification message 1120 indicating that the inspection is in progress through the display module 585. Also, it is possible to determine whether the value of at least one power state variable for at least one IP measured by the power state detection unit 590, 593, and 596 corresponds to a reference condition. The processor 510 may determine that the power state is unstable when the measured power state variable corresponds to a reference condition. When it is determined that the power source state is unstable, the processor 510 can predict information on the system error by referring to the database storing the power source state information so far. For example, the processor 510 may consider whether the current unstable state lasts for a certain period of time, and the influence of environmental conditions similar to the current state on the power state.

When the processor 510 determines that it is possible to cause a system error, it may output a message 1130 including related information. For example, the processor may output a message that recommends lowering the temperature or changing to a lower power mode in order to prevent a system error within 10 minutes when proceeding through the display module 585 have.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an operational sequence for determining whether a processor in accordance with various embodiments, after controlling an associated parameter, will recover the associated parameter value.

The processor 510 may determine at operation 1210 that the power state input to the SOC 500 is unstable. The criterion for determining that the power state input to the SOC 500 is an unstable state is that the value of the power state variable measured at at least one IP constituting the SOC corresponds to the reference condition (or, Value).

Processor 510 may, at operation 1220, control the associated parameters. The relevant parameters may be determined based on characteristics of the power state variables, measurements of the power state variables, and thresholds (or operating ranges) corresponding to the power state variables. The method of controlling the related parameter may also be a method of changing the value of the relevant parameter.

At operation 1230, the processor 510 may control the associated parameters and then determine whether the value of the newly measured power state variable corresponds to a reference condition. The processor 510 may determine whether the reference parameter corresponds to a reference condition after controlling the related parameter or may determine the parameter based on the value of the power state variable measured at any time after the parameter control . If the reference condition is met, the processor 510 may determine that the power state is unstable and may repeat operation 1220. [ That is, the processor 510 may repeat operation 1220, operation 1230, until the power state is determined to be stable.

If the processor 510 determines at operation 1230 that the value of the newly measured power state variable does not correspond to the reference condition, the processor 510 may determine that the power state is stable and perform operation 1240.

The processor 510 may determine at operation 1240 whether the number of occurrences of the unstable state of the target IP within a certain time range exceeds a predetermined value. The frequency of occurrence of the unstable state can be determined by searching the database stored in the memory 550. [ The processor 510 may recover the value of the associated parameter to the value prior to the control at operation 1050 if the number of occurrences of the unstable state of the target IP within a certain time range does not exceed a predetermined value. That is, after the processor 510 controls the operation clock of the processor 510 to 1.1 GHz from 1 GHz, the power state input to the SOC 500 changes from an unstable state to a stable state, The operation clock of the processor 510 can be restored to 1 GHz.

However, if the number of appearance of the unstable state of the target IP within a certain time range exceeds a predetermined value, the processor 510 may not restore the value of the related parameter to the value before the control. For example, if the operation clock of the processor 510 is restored to 1 GHz, but the unstable state is repeated and the number of occurrence of the unstable state exceeds the predetermined value, the operation clock of the processor 510 is controlled to 1.1 Ghz, And the algorithm is terminated.

An operating method for maintaining power stability of an electronic device including at least one system-on-chip according to various embodiments of the present invention includes: providing a value of each input power state variable to at least one IP included in the system- Determining a state of a power source to be input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable based on the measured power state variable; Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; a &lt; / RTI &gt;

According to various embodiments, the power state variable may be at least one of a voltage, a current, a rate of change of voltage, a rate of change of current, or a slew rate of voltage.

According to various embodiments, the operation of determining the state of the power source input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable may include: when the value of the measured power state variable is within a predetermined operation range, Determining the state of the power source as a stable state and determining that the power state of the power source is unstable when the measured power state variable has a value other than a predetermined operation range.

According to various embodiments, the parameter may be at least one of an operating clock, bandwidth, and delay for the IP.

According to various embodiments, an operation of controlling the parameters and then re-determining the state of the power input to the IP, and controlling the parameters related to the operation of the IP based on the re-determined state of the power source .

According to various embodiments, after controlling the parameter, if the determined power state is unstable, if the value of the parameter does not exceed the threshold value, the parameter is changed until the power state is determined to be stable And may further include an operation of repeatedly controlling.

According to various embodiments, the method may further include receiving a signal related to the adjustment of the drive mode of the system-on-chip, determining the power state of the IP based on the measured power state variable and the signal .

According to various embodiments, the act of determining the power state input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable may include receiving an ambient environment information, And determining the power state input to the IP based on the power state.

According to various embodiments, the parameter is determined based on at least one of a property of the power state variable, a measure of the power state variable, a power state variable of the measured IP, and a threshold corresponding to the power state variable .

According to various embodiments, when the power state is determined to be in an unstable state, the controlling of the parameter may include determining a state of the power state by comparing a characteristic of the power state variable, a measured value of the power state variable, And changing the value of the related parameter by a ratio or difference determined based on the difference.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is capable of various modifications within the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited by the illustrated embodiments, but should be determined by the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

400: SOC 450:
415: power supply state detection unit 420: memory
410: Processor 430: Peripheral module
520: power supply state determination unit 525:
530: Parameter determination unit 540:

Claims (20)

1. An electronic device comprising at least one System on Chip,
The system-on-chip includes at least one intellectual property (IP), including a processor,
In the IP,
And a power state detector for measuring a value of a power state variable input to the IP,
The processor comprising:
A power state determiner for determining a state of a power source input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable; And
And a parameter control unit for controlling parameters related to the operation of the IP based on the determined state of the power supply.
The method according to claim 1,
The power state variable includes:
Wherein the electronic device is at least one of a voltage, a current, a rate of change of voltage, a rate of change of current, or a slew rate of voltage.
The method according to claim 1,
The power-
If the value of the measured power state variable is a value within a predetermined operation range,
And determines the state of the power source as an unstable state when the measured power state variable has a value other than a predetermined operation range.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the parameter is at least one of an operation clock, a bandwidth, and a delay of the IP.
The method according to claim 1,
The power-
After the parameter is controlled, the state of the power source input to the IP is determined again,
Wherein the parameter control unit comprises:
And controls parameters related to the operation of the IP based on the re-determined state of the power source after controlling the parameters.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the parameter control unit comprises:
An electronic device that repeatedly controls the parameter until the power state is determined to be a stable state if the determined power state is unstable after the parameter is controlled and the value of the parameter does not exceed a threshold value, .
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an input / output module,
The input / output module receives a signal related to adjustment of a drive mode of the system-on-chip;
Wherein the power state determination unit determines the power state of the IP based on the measured power state variable and the signal.
The method of claim 1, wherein
Further comprising a sensor section,
The power-
And determines the power state input to the IP based on the measured power state variable and surrounding environment information received from the sensor unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the parameter is determined based on at least one of a characteristic of the power state variable, a measured value of the power state variable, the power state variable measured, and a threshold corresponding to the power state variable.
The method according to claim 1,
And the parameter control unit for controlling the parameter when the power state is determined to be unstable,
An electronic device controlling the associated parameter by changing a value of the related parameter by a ratio or difference determined based on a characteristic of the power state variable, a measured value of the power state variable, and a threshold value corresponding to the power state variable. .
A method for maintaining power stability of an electronic device including at least one System on Chip,
Measuring an input power state variable value input to at least one IP (Intellectual Property) included in the system-on-chip through a power state detector disposed in the IP;
Determining a state of a power source input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable; And
And controlling parameters related to the operation of the IP based on the determined power state.
12. The method of claim 11,
The power state variable includes:
The rate of change of the current, the rate of change of the current, or the slew rate of the voltage.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of determining the state of the power source input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable comprises:
If the value of the measured power state variable is a value within a predetermined operation range,
And determining the state of the power source to be unstable if the measured power state variable is a value other than a predetermined operating range.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the parameter is at least one of an operating clock, bandwidth, and delay of the IP.
12. The method of claim 11,
After the parameter is controlled, re-determining the state of the power input to the IP; And
And controlling a parameter associated with the operation of the IP based on the re-determined power state.
16. The method of claim 15,
If the determined power state is an unstable state after controlling the parameter, if the value of the parameter does not exceed the threshold value, repeatedly controlling the parameter until the power state is determined to be a stable state Further comprising:
12. The method of claim 11,
Receiving a signal related to adjustment of the drive mode of the system-on-chip; And
Further comprising determining a state of the power of the IP based on the measured power state variable and the signal.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the determining of the power state input to the IP based on the measured value of the power state variable comprises:
Receiving ambient environment information; And
And determining the power state input to the IP based on the measured power state variable and the surrounding environment information.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the parameter comprises:
Wherein the power state variable is determined based on at least one of a property of the power state variable, a measured value of the power state variable, the power state variable measured, the measured IP, and a threshold corresponding to the power state variable.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein when the power state is determined to be unstable,
And changing a value of the parameter by a ratio or difference determined based on a characteristic of the power state variable, a measured value of the power state variable, and a threshold value corresponding to the power state variable.

Images