Patent · US Expired

Microprocessor power control system

US5951689A · kind A · utility

33Cited by
10References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 31, 1996
Grant dateSep 14, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 31, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/3869
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A power control system for a microprocessor, having multiple parallel operated execution units, functions to disable some of the execution units to conserve power and/or reduce heat. The execution units are disabled by preventing the application of clock pulses to these execution units. This operation is effected by a power control unit which enables and disables gates coupled between a source of clock signals and the execution units.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.