Configurable circuits, IC's, and systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
- a) a set of logic circuits, each logic circuit in the set for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing a particular set of functions on the input data sets, wherein each configuration data set specifies a particular function that a logic circuit has to perform on an input data set;
b) for each particular logic circuit in the set, a particular connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the particular logic circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two configuration data sets that configure at least a particular logic circuit are different and configure the particular logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data; and
c) a set of interconnect circuits for communicatively coupling the logic circuits;
wherein each interconnect circuit in at least a sub-set of the interconnect-circuit set has an input terminal set, an output terminal set, and a plurality of connection schemes for communicatively coupling the interconnect circuit'"'"'s input terminal and output terminal sets;
each particular interconnect circuit in the sub-set for receiving different configuration data sets and, based on at least two different configuration data sets, selecting at least two different connection schemes that connect the particular interconnect circuit'"'"'s input terminal and output terminal sets differently.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes a logic circuit for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing several functions on the input data sets. Each configuration data set specifies a particular function that the logic circuit has to perform on the input data set. The IC also includes a connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the logic circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period. At least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data.
169 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
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a) a set of logic circuits, each logic circuit in the set for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing a particular set of functions on the input data sets, wherein each configuration data set specifies a particular function that a logic circuit has to perform on an input data set; b) for each particular logic circuit in the set, a particular connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the particular logic circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two configuration data sets that configure at least a particular logic circuit are different and configure the particular logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data; and c) a set of interconnect circuits for communicatively coupling the logic circuits; wherein each interconnect circuit in at least a sub-set of the interconnect-circuit set has an input terminal set, an output terminal set, and a plurality of connection schemes for communicatively coupling the interconnect circuit'"'"'s input terminal and output terminal sets; each particular interconnect circuit in the sub-set for receiving different configuration data sets and, based on at least two different configuration data sets, selecting at least two different connection schemes that connect the particular interconnect circuit'"'"'s input terminal and output terminal sets differently. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
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a) multiple wiring layers; b) a logic circuit for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing a plurality of functions on the input data sets, wherein each configuration data set specifies a particular function that the logic circuit has to perform on the input data set; c) a connection circuit for supplying individual configuration data sets to the logic circuit at a particular periodic rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data, wherein the connection circuit has a first set of input terminals; d) a second set of input terminals for carrying data, wherein a plurality of the second set of input terminals overlap a plurality of the first set of input terminals; and e) a set of vias, wherein each via connects a first-set input terminal to a second-set input terminal on a different wiring layer than the first-set input terminal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A configurable logic circuit for an integrated circuit (IC), the configurable logic circuit comprising:
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a first logic circuit for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and for performing a set of at least two functions; a second circuit communicatively coupled to the first logic circuit, the second circuit for supplying configuration data sets to the first logic circuit at a particular periodic rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the first logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data, wherein the second circuit is an interconnect circuit that has a set of control inputs for receiving control signals for directing the interconnect circuit (i) to select different configuration data sub-sets from the storage, and (ii) to provide the selected configuration data sub-sets to the first logic circuit; and a storage for storing a set of configuration data, wherein the second circuit communicatively couples to the storage to receive the configuration data; wherein the interconnect circuit has data inputs communicatively coupled to the storage, and data outputs communicatively coupled to the first logic circuit, wherein different control signals direct the interconnect circuit to communicatively connect different data inputs of the interconnect circuit to different data outputs of the interconnect circuit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A configurable logic circuit for an integrated circuit (IC) comprising multiple wiring layers, the configurable logic circuit comprising:
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a) a first logic circuit for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and for performing a set of at least two functions; and b) a second circuit communicatively coupled to the first logic circuit, the second circuit for supplying configuration data sets to the first logic circuit at a particular periodic rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the first logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data, wherein the second circuit has a first set of input terminals; wherein the IC further comprises a second set of input terminals for carrying data, wherein a plurality of the second set of input terminals overlap a plurality of the first set of input terminals; and wherein the IC further comprises a set of vias, wherein each via connects a first-set input terminal to a second-set input terminal on a different wiring layer than the first-set input terminal. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A system comprising:
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a) a memory for storing data; and b) a configurable integrated circuit (IC) communicatively coupled to the memory to receive and process the data, the configurable IC comprising; 1) a set of logic circuits, each logic circuit in the set for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing a particular set of functions on the input data sets, wherein each configuration data set specifies a particular function that a logic circuit has to perform on an input data set; 2) for each particular logic circuit in the set, a particular connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the particular logic circuit at a particular periodic rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two configuration data sets that configure at least a particular logic circuit are different and configure the particular logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data; and 3) a set of interconnect circuits for communicatively coupling the logic circuits; wherein each interconnect circuit in at least a sub-set of the interconnect-circuit set has an input terminal set, an output terminal set, and a plurality of connection schemes for communicatively coupling the interconnect circuit'"'"'s input terminal and output terminal sets; each particular interconnect circuit in the sub-set for receiving different configuration data sets and, based on at least two different configuration data sets, selecting at least two different connection schemes that connect the particular interconnect circuit'"'"'s input terminal and output terminal sets differently. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system comprising:
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a) a memory for storing data; and b) a configurable integrated circuit (IC) communicatively coupled to the memory to receive and process the data, the configurable IC comprising; 1) multiple wiring layers; 2) a set of logic circuits, each logic circuit in the set for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing a particular set of functions on the input data sets, wherein each configuration data set specifies a particular function that a logic circuit has to perform on an input data set; and 3) for each particular logic circuit in the set, a particular connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the particular logic circuit at a particular periodic rate for at least a particular time period, wherein at least two configuration data sets that configure at least a particular logic circuit are different and configure the particular logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data wherein each connection circuit has a first set of input terminals; 4) for each particular connection circuit in a sub-set of connection circuits; i) a second set of input terminals for carrying data, wherein a plurality of the second set of input terminals overlap a plurality of the first set of input terminals; and ii) a set of vias, wherein each via connects a first-set input terminal to a second-set input terminal on a different wiring layer than the first-set input terminal. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification