POWER MANAGERS FOR AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A software product for building an integrated circuit including a plurality of power islands, the software product comprising:
- computer readable instructions stored on an at least one storage medium, the computer readable instructions configured for selecting blocks of predetermined circuits to form;
power control circuitry configured to control power for one of the power islands, anda power manager configured to determine a target power level for the one of the power islands based on needs and operation of the integrated circuit, and determine at least one of actions including selecting a frequency for one of the power islands, selecting a voltage for one of the power islands, and selecting a transistor threshold voltage for one of the power islands, the at least one of the actions to change a power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level, and the power manager configured to perform the at least one of the actions to change the power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level.
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Abstract
A system for an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of power islands includes a first power manager and a second power manager. The first power manager manages a first power consumption for the integrated circuit based on needs and operation of the integrated circuit. The second power manager communicates with the first power manager and manages a second power consumption for one of the power islands.
240 Citations
74 Claims
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1. A software product for building an integrated circuit including a plurality of power islands, the software product comprising:
computer readable instructions stored on an at least one storage medium, the computer readable instructions configured for selecting blocks of predetermined circuits to form; power control circuitry configured to control power for one of the power islands, and a power manager configured to determine a target power level for the one of the power islands based on needs and operation of the integrated circuit, and determine at least one of actions including selecting a frequency for one of the power islands, selecting a voltage for one of the power islands, and selecting a transistor threshold voltage for one of the power islands, the at least one of the actions to change a power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level, and the power manager configured to perform the at least one of the actions to change the power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 27, 28, 29)
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16. A software product for building an integrated circuit including a plurality of power islands, the software product comprising:
computer readable instructions stored on an at least one storage medium, the computer readable instructions configured for writing a register transfer level description (RTL), the RTL representing; power control circuitry configured to control power for one of the power islands, and a power manager configured to determine a target power level for the one of the power islands based on needs and operation of the integrated circuit, and determine at least one of actions including selecting a frequency for one of the power islands, selecting a voltage for one of the power islands, and selecting a transistor threshold voltage for one of the power islands, the at least one of the actions to change a power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level, and the power manager configured to perform the at least one of the actions to change the power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 30)
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31. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a plurality of power islands having associated power consumptions, each of the power consumptions being independently controlled, and a power consumption in an at least one of the power islands being controlled by;
a) selecting a threshold voltage of variable threshold transistors, and b) selecting at least one of the following;
i) a frequency of operation, and ii) a supply voltage; anda power manager which controls the power consumptions. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a plurality of power islands having associated power consumptions, each of the power consumptions being independently controlled, and a power consumption in an at least one of the power islands being controlled by selecting a supply voltage, and by selecting a frequency of operation, including an option of stopping a clock; and a power manager which controls the power consumptions. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a plurality of power islands having associated power consumptions, at least one of the power consumptions being independently controlled by way of a sleep signal connected to an at least one standard cell; and a power manager which controls at least one or more of the power consumptions. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A computer-implemented method for building an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of power islands, the method comprising:
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selecting first blocks of first predetermined circuits to form power control circuitry, the power control circuitry configured to control power for one of the power islands; and selecting an at least one second block of an at least one second predetermined circuit to form a power manager configured to determine a target power level for the one of the power islands based on needs and operation of the integrated circuit, and determine at least one of actions including selecting a frequency for one of the power islands, selecting a voltage for one of the power islands, and selecting a transistor threshold voltage for one of the power islands, the at least one of the actions to change a power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level, and the power manager configured to perform the at least one of the actions to change the power consumption level of the one of the power islands to the target power level. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method carried out within an integrated circuit having a plurality of power islands having associated power consumptions, the method comprising:
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employing a power manager to control the power consumptions, each of the power consumptions being independently controlled; and controlling a power consumption of an at least one of the power islands by;
a) selecting a threshold voltage of variable threshold transistors, and b) selecting at least one of the following;
i) a frequency of operation, and ii) a supply voltage. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method carried out within an integrated circuit having a plurality of power islands having associated power consumptions, the method comprising:
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employing a power manager to control the power consumptions, each of the power consumptions being independently controlled; and controlling a power consumption of an at least one of the power islands by selecting a supply voltage and selecting a frequency of operation, including an option of stopping a clock. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. A method carried out within an integrated circuit having a plurality of power islands having associated power consumptions, the method comprising:
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employing a power manager to control the power consumptions, each of the power consumptions being independently controlled; and controlling a power consumption of an at least one of the power islands by way of a sleep signal connected to an at least one standard cell of the at least one of the power islands. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74)
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Specification