Middleware Specification for Low-Power Distributed Processing Devices

The DataSoft Small-form factor Power management Middleware (DSPM) solution provides a new portable cross-cutting way that existing solutions can be unified in a single power context. This is characterized by a middleware abstraction layer where software components can either actively themselves manage energy use or be managed by a higher order power management service. In this way, components and clusters of components can be power managed using a policy and profile based approach in which the overall power management function is a collaborative effort by multiple software and hardware component elements working together to enforce a policy. DSPM identifies power conservation states (via a state machine) and a way to specify and enforce a series of power loci or threads of execution across the device hardware and software via a context that aims to minimize cycle count. This is done via a set of interfaces that define a Power Management Service whose objective is to direct all power managers in the lower software and hardware layers to work collectively. DSPM enforces a distributed power management strategy via a strategy based on user profile, context and specifiable policy together. DSPM model will enable SDR designers to stipulate constant minimal power execution strategy across disparate processors and software stacks.