Performance driven multi-valued variable supply voltage scheme for low power design of VLSI circuits and systems
US6225858A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 28, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F30/327
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of reducing power consumption of an electric circuit having a primary supply voltage and first and second circuit blocks is discussed. The method includes determining for the first circuit block an operation time for a first critical path of the first circuit block and determining for the second circuit block an operation time of a second critical path of the second circuit block. From those operation times, the method determines that the operation time of the first critical path is faster than the operation time of the second critical path. The method then creates a first supply voltage for the first circuit block that is less than the primary supply voltage in response to determining that the operation time of the first critical path is faster than the operation time of the second critical path.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.