Patent ID: 7652494
Filing Date: 2010-01-26
Classification: G01R,G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
1. An integrated circuit comprising: at least one measurement unit configured to generate an output indicative of a supply voltage at which the integrated circuit is operable for a given operating frequency; and a circuit coupled to receive the output from the measurement unit, wherein the circuit is configured to filter the output and to generate a voltage control output for an external voltage regulator responsive to the filtered output, and wherein the voltage control output indicates a requested supply voltage for the integrated circuit, and wherein the requested supply voltage differs from a current supply voltage to the integrated circuit if the filtered output indicates that the current supply voltage is to be changed for the given operating frequency, wherein the circuit filtering the output comprises the circuit sampling a plurality of samples of the output, and wherein the circuit is configured to request the requested voltage greater than the current supply voltage responsive to a number of the plurality of samples that indicate an increase of the current supply voltage being greater than a first threshold.