US Patent 9401184 Memory system and method for power management

A memory system and method for power management are disclosed. In one embodiment, a variable credit value that indicates an amount of power currently available for memory operations in the memory system, wherein for each update cycle of the variable credit value, the variable credit value is reduced by a computed consumed energy value for that update cycle; receives a request to perform a memory operation; determines if the variable credit value is greater than a minimum value required to perform the memory operation; and grants the request to perform the memory operation only if it is determined that the variable credit value is greater than the minimum value. Other embodiments are disclosed.