Patent ID: 6671815
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: G06F,G11C,Y02D

Abstract:
A method for controlling power consumption in a semiconductor circuit device having a plurality of functional circuit blocks, wherein said plurality of functional circuit blocks each can be activated and/or deactivated, and wherein an instruction is executed by at least one functional circuit block of said plurality of functional circuit blocks, said method comprising:detecting whether an at least one selected functional circuit block is not required to execute an instruction by a result of decoding said instruction; controlling said plurality of functional circuit blocks to deactivate said at least one selected functional circuit block from a normal operation mode to a low power operation mode and at the same time to activate at least one other functional circuit block of said plurality of functional circuit blocks when said at least one selected functional circuit block is not required to execute said instruction based on a result of said decoding and said detecting; and activating said at least one selected functional circuit block from a low power operation mode to a normal operation mode when said at least one selected functional circuit block is required to execute said instruction based on a result of decoding and detecting.