Patent ID: 11960338
Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  Y | IPC G

Claim 21:
22. A method of smoothening activity in an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
in each of a plurality of circuit blocks (tiles) that each comprise an execution circuit, generating a first indication of desired activity of the tile, comprising a single-bit signal indicating a request for one of inactivity and activity in the execution circuit;
receiving a first indication of actual activity for the tile, comprising a multi-bit signal representing an allowed level of activity;
controlling task execution activity in the execution circuit of the tile according to the allowed level of activity indicated by the received first indication of actual activity for the tile; and
in a plurality of smoothening circuits, each corresponding to a cluster of the plurality of tiles, each of the plurality of smoothening circuits:
receiving the first indications of desired activity from each of the plurality of tiles;
generating a second indication of desired activity for the cluster, comprising a multi-bit signal indicating a requested level of activity in the cluster based on the first indications of desired activity in the plurality of tiles;
receiving a second indication of actual activity for the cluster as a multi-bit signal representing an allowed level of activity for the cluster; and
generating the first indications of actual activity for each of the plurality of tiles based on the first indications of desired activity in the plurality of tiles, the second indication of actual activity in the cluster, and a first limit of a rate of change of current in each of the plurality of tiles of the IC; and

in a top-level smoothening circuit coupled to the plurality of smoothening circuits, the top-level smoothening circuit:
receiving the second indications of desired activity from the plurality of clusters;
generating a third indication of desired activity for the IC based on the second indications of desired activity of the clusters, the third indication of desired activity comprising a multi-bit signal;
receiving a third indication of actual activity for the IC comprising a multi-bit signal indicating a level of activity in the IC; and
generating the second indications of actual activity for the plurality of clusters based on the second indications of desired activity, the third indication of actual activity in the IC, and a second limit of a rate of change of current into the IC.