Method for performing system power budgeting within an electronic device, and associated apparatus

Abstract

A method for performing system power budgeting within an electronic device and an associated apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of: utilizing a power consumption index generator positioned in a specific subsystem to generate a power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, where the electronic device includes a plurality of subsystems, and the specific subsystem is one of the plurality of subsystems; and performing configuration adjustment on at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing system power budgeting within an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:
 utilizing a power consumption index generator positioned in a specific subsystem to generate a power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, wherein the electronic device comprises a plurality of subsystems, and the specific subsystem is one of the plurality of subsystems; and   performing configuration adjustment on at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem represents a power consumption value of the specific subsystem; and the step of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem further comprises:
 performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption value of the specific subsystem.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem is proportional to power consumed by the specific subsystem; and the step of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem further comprises:
 determining a power consumption value of the specific subsystem according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem; and   performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption value of the specific subsystem.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem indicates a specific status of the specific subsystem, and the specific status is a predefined status within a plurality of predefined statuses of the specific subsystem; and the step of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem further comprises:
 determining a power consumption value of the specific subsystem according to the specific status indicated by the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem; and   performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption value of the specific subsystem.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 utilizing another power consumption index generator positioned in another subsystem to generate another power consumption index corresponding to the other subsystem, wherein the other subsystem is another of the plurality of subsystems;   wherein the step of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem further comprises:   performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem and according to the other power consumption index corresponding to the other subsystem.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem further comprises:
 performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, to enhance performance of the electronic device without exceeding a power budget of the electronic device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the power budget represents a predetermined total power consumption value of the electronic device; and the method further comprises:
 determining a remaining power consumption value within the power budget by subtracting at least a power consumption value of the specific subsystem from the power budget, wherein the power consumption value of the specific subsystem is associated to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem; and   monitoring whether one of a plurality of predicted power consumption values of the at least one portion of the electronic device is greater than the remaining power consumption value, wherein the plurality of predicted power consumption values is associated to a plurality of predetermined configurations of the electronic device, respectively;   wherein the configuration adjustment is performed by selecting one of the plurality of predetermined configurations of the electronic device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating predicted time information of an application running on the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, wherein the predicted time information of the application indicates remaining time that the application runs on the electronic device without encountering shutdown of the electronic device; and   outputting a notification regarding the application running on the electronic device, wherein the notification comprises the predicted time information of the application.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating power consumption information of an application running on the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, wherein the power consumption information of the application indicates power consumed by running the application; and   outputting a notification regarding the application running on the electronic device, wherein the notification comprises the power consumption information of the application.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem further comprises:
 performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, to perform proactive thermal control by controlling power consumption of the electronic device.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for performing system power budgeting within an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a plurality of subsystems, the apparatus comprising:
 a power consumption index generator positioned in a specific subsystem of the plurality of subsystems, capable of generating a power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem; and   a processing circuit, coupled to the power consumption index generator, capable of performing configuration adjustment on at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem represents a power consumption value of the specific subsystem; and the processing circuit is capable of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption value of the specific subsystem. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem is proportional to power consumed by the specific subsystem; the processing circuit is capable of determining a power consumption value of the specific subsystem according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem; and the processing circuit is capable of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption value of the specific subsystem. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem indicates a specific status of the specific subsystem, and the specific status is a predefined status within a plurality of predefined statuses of the specific subsystem; the processing circuit is capable of determining a power consumption value of the specific subsystem according to the specific status indicated by the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem; and the processing circuit is capable of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption value of the specific subsystem. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit is capable of utilizing another power consumption index generator positioned in another subsystem to generate another power consumption index corresponding to the other subsystem; and the processing circuit is capable of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem and according to the other power consumption index corresponding to the other subsystem. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit is capable of performing the configuration adjustment on the at least one portion of the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, to enhance performance of the electronic device without exceeding a power budget of the electronic device. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the power budget represents a predetermined total power consumption value of the electronic device; the processing circuit is capable of determining a remaining power consumption value within the power budget by subtracting at least a power consumption value of the specific subsystem from the power budget, wherein the power consumption value of the specific subsystem is associated to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem; the processing circuit is capable of monitoring whether one of a plurality of predicted power consumption values of the at least one portion of the electronic device is greater than the remaining power consumption value, wherein the plurality of predicted power consumption values is associated to a plurality of predetermined configurations of the electronic device, respectively; and the configuration adjustment is performed by selecting one of the plurality of predetermined configurations of the electronic device. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein with aid of the processing circuit, the electronic device generates predicted time information of an application running on the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, wherein the predicted time information indicates remaining time that the application runs on the electronic device without encountering shutdown of the electronic device; and the electronic device outputs a notification regarding the application running on the electronic device, wherein the notification comprises the predicted time information of the application. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein with aid of the processing circuit, the electronic device generates power consumption information of an application running on the electronic device according to the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem, wherein the power consumption information of the application indicates power consumed by running the application; and the electronic device outputs a notification regarding the application running on the electronic device, wherein the notification comprises the power consumption information of the application. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for performing system power budgeting within an electronic device, the apparatus comprising:
 a processing circuit, coupled to a plurality of subsystems positioned within the electronic device, capable of performing configuration adjustment on at least one portion of the electronic device according to a power consumption index corresponding to a specific subsystem of the plurality of subsystems;   wherein the specific subsystem comprises:   a power consumption index generator, capable of generating the power consumption index corresponding to the specific subsystem.