Patents by Inventor Patrick Y. Law

Patrick Y. Law has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11709540
    Abstract: Processor-based systems employing local dynamic power management based on controlling performance and operating power consumption, and related methods. The processor-based system is configured to locally manage its power consumption by dynamically adjusting operating frequency and/or operating voltage of power supplied to the processor-based system. The processor-based system includes a power control circuit that is aware of the overall power budget for the processor-based system. The control processor in the processor-based system can dynamically increase the voltage level of the power supplied to the processor-based system and/or the operating frequency if the consumed power is lower than the power budget. The power control circuit can also dynamically decrease the operating frequency and/or the voltage level of the power supplied to the processor-based system if the consumed power is higher than the power budget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Smitha L. Rapaka, Patrick Y. Law, Teague C. Mapes
  • Patent number: 11513585
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes power management control that controls a duty cycle of a processor to manage power. The duty cycle may be the amount of time that the processor is powered on as a percentage of the total time. By frequently powering up and powering down the processor during a period of time, the power consumption of the processor may be controlled while providing the perception that the processor is continuously available. For example, the processor may be a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the period of time over which the duty cycle is managed may be a frame to be displayed on the display screen viewed by a user of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Robert A. Drebin, Keith Cox, James S. Ismail
  • Publication number: 20220261064
    Abstract: Processor-based systems employing local dynamic power management based on controlling performance and operating power consumption, and related methods. The processor-based system is configured to locally manage its power consumption by dynamically adjusting operating frequency and/or operating voltage of power supplied to the processor-based system. The processor-based system includes a power control circuit that is aware of the overall power budget for the processor-based system. The control processor in the processor-based system can dynamically increase the voltage level of the power supplied to the processor-based system and/or the operating frequency if the consumed power is lower than the power budget. The power control circuit can also dynamically decrease the operating frequency and/or the voltage level of the power supplied to the processor-based system if the consumed power is higher than the power budget.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Smitha L. RAPAKA, Patrick Y. LAW, Teague C. MAPES
  • Patent number: 11327552
    Abstract: Processor-based systems employing local dynamic power management based on controlling performance and operating power consumption, and related methods. The processor-based system is configured to locally manage its power consumption by dynamically adjusting operating frequency and/or operating voltage of power supplied to the processor-based system. The processor-based system includes a power control circuit that is aware of the overall power budget for the processor-based system. The control processor in the processor-based system can dynamically increase the voltage level of the power supplied to the processor-based system and/or the operating frequency if the consumed power is lower than the power budget. The power control circuit can also dynamically decrease the operating frequency and/or the voltage level of the power supplied to the processor-based system if the consumed power is higher than the power budget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Licensing Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Smitha L. Rapaka, Patrick Y. Law, Teague C. Mapes
  • Patent number: 11061793
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may estimate the power being consumed by an OLED display screen of an electronic device, may provide further information about that power usage, may modify or change functions performed by the electronic device based on that power usage, and may inform an application's developer about the amount of power being used by the electronic device while the electronic device is running the application. One example may estimate the power being used by an OLED display screen of an electronic device by determining the content of images being displayed during a duration. The estimated power may then be presented to a user. The estimated power may be used in decisions to modify or change parameters of the screen or other device components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhinav Pathak, Conor J. O'Reilly, Shashi K. Dua, Udaykumar R. Raval, Christopher W. Chaney, Amit K. Vyas, Albert S. Liu, Roberto Alvarez, Rohit Mundra, Vladislav Sahnovich, Patrick Y. Law, Paul M. Thompson, Paolo Sacchetto, Chaohao Wang, Arthur L. Spence, Jean-Pierre Simon Guillou, Mohammad Ali Jangda, Christopher Edward Glazowski, Yifan Zhang, Prajakta S. Karandikar, Han Ming Ong
  • Patent number: 11009938
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes power management control that controls a duty cycle of a processor to manage power. The duty cycle may be the amount of time that the processor is powered on as a percentage of the total time. By frequently powering up and powering down the processor during a period of time, the power consumption of the processor may be controlled while providing the perception that the processor is continuously available. For example, the processor may be a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the period of time over which the duty cycle is managed may be a frame to be displayed on the display screen viewed by a user of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Robert A. Drebin, Keith Cox, James S. Ismail
  • Patent number: 10559251
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may estimate the power being consumed by an OLED display screen of an electronic device, may provide further information about that power usage, may modify or change functions performed by the electronic device based on that power usage, and may inform an application's developer about the amount of power being used by the electronic device while the electronic device is running the application. One example may estimate the power being used by an OLED display screen of an electronic device by determining the content of images being displayed during a duration. The estimated power may then be presented to a user. The estimated power may be used in decisions to modify or change parameters of the screen or other device components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhinav Pathak, Conor J. O'Reilly, Shashi K. Dua, Udaykumar R. Raval, Christopher W. Chaney, Amit K. Vyas, Albert S. Liu, Roberto Alvarez, Rohit Mundra, Vladislav Sahnovich, Patrick Y. Law, Paul M. Thompson, Paolo Sacchetto, Chaohao Wang, Arthur L. Spence, Jean-Pierre Simon Guillou, Mohammad Ali Jangda, Christopher Edward Glazowski, Yifan Zhang
  • Publication number: 20180349244
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may estimate the power being consumed by an OLED display screen of an electronic device, may provide further information about that power usage, may modify or change functions performed by the electronic device based on that power usage, and may inform an application's developer about the amount of power being used by the electronic device while the electronic device is running the application. One example may estimate the power being used by an OLED display screen of an electronic device by determining the content of images being displayed during a duration. The estimated power may then be presented to a user. The estimated power may be used in decisions to modify or change parameters of the screen or other device components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhinav Pathak, Conor J. O'Reilly, Shashi K. Dua, Udaykumar R. Raval, Christopher W. Chaney, Amit K. Vyas, Albert S. Liu, Roberto Alvarez, Rohit Mundra, Vladislav Sahnovich, Patrick Y. Law, Paul M. Thompson, Paolo Sacchetto, Chaohao Wang, Arthur L. Spence, Jean-Pierre Simon Guillou, Mohammad Ali Jangda, Christopher Edward Glazowski, Yifan Zhang, Prajakta S. Karandikar, Han Ming Ong
  • Publication number: 20180350297
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may estimate the power being consumed by an OLED display screen of an electronic device, may provide further information about that power usage, may modify or change functions performed by the electronic device based on that power usage, and may inform an application's developer about the amount of power being used by the electronic device while the electronic device is running the application. One example may estimate the power being used by an OLED display screen of an electronic device by determining the content of images being displayed during a duration. The estimated power may then be presented to a user. The estimated power may be used in decisions to modify or change parameters of the screen or other device components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhinav Pathak, Conor J. O'Reilly, Shashi K. Dua, Udaykumar R. Raval, Christopher W. Chaney, Amit K. Vyas, Albert S. Liu, Roberto Alvarez, Rohit Mundra, Vladislav Sahnovich, Patrick Y. Law, Paul M. Thompson, Paolo Sacchetto, Chaohao Wang, Arthur L. Spence, Jean-Pierre Simon Guillou, Mohammad Ali Jangda, Christopher Edward Glazowski, Yifan Zhang
  • Patent number: 10114446
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes power management control that controls a duty cycle of a processor to manage power. The duty cycle may be the amount of time that the processor is powered on as a percentage of the total time. By frequently powering up and powering down the processor during a period of time, the power consumption of the processor may be controlled while providing the perception that the processor is continuously available. For example, the processor may be a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the period of time over which the duty cycle is managed may be a frame to be displayed on the display screen viewed by a user of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Robert A. Drebin, Keith Cox, James S. Ismail
  • Patent number: 10009852
    Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Keith Cox, John M. Ananny, Stephen D. Sterz, Derek J. DiCarlo, Gaurav Kapoor, Jason L. Pang, Alex J. Crumlin
  • Patent number: 9952655
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system controls a duty cycle of a processor (e.g. a graphics processing unit (GPU)) to manage power. The GPU may include a snoop indicator that may control whether or not the GPU captures and/or responds to communications from another processor (e.g. a central processing unit (CPU) that executes a driver associate with the GPU). A snooze indicator may control whether or not the GPU is automatically repowered at the start of the next frame, or is repowered only if the communication indicating additional work has been received. In an embodiment, the GPU mode controls discussed above may permit the GPU firmware executed with the GPU itself to control duty cycle power down, independent of the driver executing on the CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason P. Jane, Richard W. Schreyer, Michael J. E. Swift, Gokhan Avkarogullari, Luc R. Semeria, Patrick Y. Law
  • Publication number: 20170156111
    Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Patrick Y. LAW, Keith COX, John M. ANANNY, Stephen D. STERZ, Derek J. DICARLO, Gaurav KAPOOR, Jason L. PANG, Alex J. CRUMLIN
  • Patent number: 9652560
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to handling page faults created by a processor unit. In some embodiments, such techniques may be used within the context of graphics processor units (GPUs) to reduce the chances that a page fault will result in a GPU-pipeline stall. In one embodiment, a processor includes a graphics processor pipeline and a memory management unit. The graphics processor pipeline includes a plurality of pipeline stages. The memory management unit is configured to determine that a first data request from a first of the plurality of pipeline stages causes a page fault, and to service requests from one or more others of the plurality of pipeline stages while the page fault is being serviced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James Wang, Robert A. Drebin, Patrick Y. Law
  • Patent number: 9585100
    Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Keith Cox, John M. Ananny, Stephen D. Sterz, Derek J. DiCarlo, Gaurav Kapoor, Jason L. Pang, Alex J. Crumlin
  • Patent number: 9494994
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes power management control that controls a duty cycle of a processor to manage power. The duty cycle may be the amount of time that the processor is powered on as a percentage of the total time. By frequently powering up and powering down the processor during a period of time, the power consumption of the processor may be controlled while providing the perception that the processor is continuously available. For example, the processor may be a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the period of time over which the duty cycle is managed may be a frame to be displayed on the display screen viewed by a user of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Robert A. Drebin, Keith Cox, James S. Ismail
  • Patent number: 9390461
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system controls a duty cycle of a processor (e.g. a graphics processing unit (GPU)) to manage power. The GPU may include a snoop indicator that may control whether or not the GPU captures and/or responds to communications from another processor (e.g. a central processing unit (CPU) that executes a driver associate with the GPU). A snooze indicator may control whether or not the GPU is automatically repowered at the start of the next frame, or is repowered only if the communication indicating additional work has been received. In an embodiment, the GPU mode controls discussed above may permit the GPU firmware executed with the GPU itself to control duty cycle power down, independent of the driver executing on the CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason P. Jane, Richard W. Schreyer, Michael J. E. Swift, Gokhan Avkarogullari, Luc R. Semeria, Patrick Y. Law
  • Publication number: 20160066266
    Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Keith Cox, John M. Ananny, Stephen D. Sterz, Derek J. DiCarlo, Gaurav Kapoor, Jason L. Pang, Alex J. Crumlin
  • Patent number: 9250665
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a power management controller that controls a duty cycle of a processor to manage power. By frequently powering up and powering down the processor during a period of time, the power consumption of the processor may be controlled while providing the perception that the processor is continuously available. Additionally, in some cases, it may be a better power/performance tradeoff to run the processor at a higher power/performance state if the processor is executing for a significant portion of the execution interval (e.g. the frame time for a GPU). Executing at a higher power/performance state may permit a realization of a greater number of frames per second for a given workload, in an embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gokhan Avkarogullari, Patrick Y. Law, Michael J. Wyrzykowski
  • Patent number: 8924752
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes power management control that controls a duty cycle of a processor to manage power. The duty cycle may be the amount of time that the processor is powered on as a percentage of the total time. By frequently powering up and powering down the processor during a period of time, the power consumption of the processor may be controlled while providing the perception that the processor is continuously available. For example, the processor may be a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the period of time over which the duty cycle is managed may be a frame to be displayed on the display screen viewed by a user of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Y. Law, Robert A. Drebin, Keith Cox, James S. Ismail