DYNAMIC LEAKAGE CONTROL USING SELECTIVE BACK-BIASING
First Claim
1. A method of controlling leakage current in a circuit, comprising:
- responsive to a change in a device from a first state to a second state, reducing an operating frequency provided by a system clock to the circuit from a first frequency to a second frequency; and
eitherproviding a back bias voltage to the circuit to effectively reduce a threshold voltage of the circuit along a voltage range between a first threshold voltage value to a second voltage value in response to the change in the device;
orreducing a supply voltage to the circuit to effectively reduce a leakage current flowing through the circuit, along a range from a first supply voltage value to a second supply voltage value in response to the change in the circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of a dynamic leakage control circuit for use with graphics processor circuitry are described. The dynamic leakage control circuit selectively enables back biasing of the transistors comprising the graphics processor circuits during particular modes of operation. The back biasing levels are controlled by two separate power rails. A first power rail is coupled to an existing power supply and the second power rail is coupled to a separate adjustable voltage regulator. A separate voltage regulator may also be provided for the first power rail. A hardware-based state machine or software process is programmed to detect the occurrence of one or more modes of operation and adjust the voltage regulators for the first and second power rails to either enable or disable the back biasing state of the circuit, or alter the threshold voltage of the circuit within a specified voltage range.
4 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of controlling leakage current in a circuit, comprising:
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responsive to a change in a device from a first state to a second state, reducing an operating frequency provided by a system clock to the circuit from a first frequency to a second frequency; and
eitherproviding a back bias voltage to the circuit to effectively reduce a threshold voltage of the circuit along a voltage range between a first threshold voltage value to a second voltage value in response to the change in the device;
orreducing a supply voltage to the circuit to effectively reduce a leakage current flowing through the circuit, along a range from a first supply voltage value to a second supply voltage value in response to the change in the circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A circuit comprising:
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a condition detector, detecting a change of state of the circuit from a first state to a second state; a state machine coupled to the condition generator, generating a control signal in response to the change of state; a voltage regulator coupled to the state machine, reducing an operating frequency from a first frequency to a second frequency; and a bias generator coupled to the voltage regulator, providing a back bias voltage to the circuit to effectively reduce a threshold voltage of the circuit along a voltage range between a first threshold voltage value to a second voltage value in response to the control signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification