Patent ID: 8650413
Filing Date: 2014-02-11
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for estimating power consumption in a microprocessor, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, from an authorized user, a set of activities for a unit; storing a value for each activity of a portion of the set of activities in an assigned counter of a plurality counters to form a set of stored values, wherein the value comprises a count multiplied by a weight factor specific to the activity; grouping, by a power proxy unit in the microprocessor, the portion of the set of activities into subsets based on a frequency of occurrence of each activity of the portion of the set of activities and power consumption for each activity of the portion of the set of activities; summing the stored values corresponding to each activity in each said subset to reach a total value for each said subset; multiplying the total value of each said subset by a factor corresponding to the subset to form a scaled value for each said subset; adding a programmable sign to each said scaled value for each said subset, wherein either a plus sign or a minus sign is added to each said scaled value for each subset, and wherein the plus sign is added to a first scaled value of a first subset and the minus sign is added to a second scaled value of a second subset, and wherein the programmable sign is used to reduce overestimation of power when ones of the set of activities are double counted; and receiving, at a power manager, a power usage value comprising a summation of the scaled value of each said subset, wherein the power usage value is an estimation of the power consumption of the portion of the set of activities.