Configurable Circuits, IC's and Systems

• US 20090160481A9
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Brad Hutchings, Herman Schmit, Michael Butts, Steve Teig
• Inventors: Teig, Steven, Butts, Michael, Hutchings, Brad, Schmit, Herman
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 326/38
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1737 using multiplexers H03K19/1738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17752 for hot reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17756 for partial configuration or partial reconfiguration

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The configurable IC includes first and second interconnect circuits. The first interconnect circuit has a set of input terminals, a set of output terminals, and several connection schemes for communicatively coupling the input terminal set to the output terminal set. During the operation of the IC, the second connection circuit supplies sets of configuration data to the first interconnect circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period. At least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the first interconnect circuit to use two different connection schemes that differently couple the input and output terminal sets.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

(a) a first interconnect circuit having a set of input terminals, a set of output terminals, and a plurality of connection schemes for communicatively coupling the input terminal set to the output terminal set; and

(b) a second connection circuit for supplying sets of configuration data to the first interconnect circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the first interconnect circuit to use two different connection schemes that differently couple the input and output terminal sets.

2-33. -33. (canceled)