VOLTAGE OPTIMIZATION CIRCUIT AND MANAGING VOLTAGE MARGINS OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT
First Claim
1. A voltage margin controller located in a voltage domain and comprising:
- monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in said voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels; and
a voltage margin adjuster coupled to said monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of said voltage domain based upon an operating number of said circuit function indicators.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A voltage margin controller, an IC included the same and a method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain of an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the voltage margin controller includes: (1) monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in the voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels and (2) a voltage margin adjuster coupled to the monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of the voltage domain based upon an operating number of the circuit function indicators.
15 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A voltage margin controller located in a voltage domain and comprising:
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monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether circuitry in said voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels; and a voltage margin adjuster coupled to said monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of said voltage domain based upon an operating number of said circuit function indicators. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of controlling voltage margin for a voltage domain, comprising:
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employing multiple monitoring branches to determine whether circuitry in said voltage domain could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels; developing a voltage margin adjustment for a voltage regulator of said voltage domain based upon an operating number of said circuit function indicators; and providing said voltage margin adjustment for use in configuring said voltage regulator. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An integrated circuit having a voltage domain and comprising:
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circuitry configured to perform a function ; and a voltage margin controller configured to increase an efficiency of said integrated circuit by reducing a voltage margin of an operating voltage for said circuitry, said voltage margin controller including; monitoring branches including circuit function indicators configured to indicate whether said circuitry could operate at corresponding candidate reduced voltage levels; and a voltage margin adjuster coupled to said monitoring branches and configured to develop a voltage margin adjustment for said operating voltage based upon an operating number of said circuit function indicators. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification