Patent ID: 7533249
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An integrated circuit capable of changing an internal configuration thereof, comprising: a reconfiguration arithmetic block (i) including a plurality of reconfigurable arithmetic cells and a plurality of cell storage units each of which corresponds to a different one of the arithmetic cells and stores therein a piece of original configuration information indicating all or part of a configuration of the corresponding arithmetic cell, (ii) outputting an output set including therein pieces of original configuration information stored in the cell storage units, (iii) receiving an input set including therein one or some of the pieces of original configuration information included in the output set and one or more pieces of alternative configuration information, each of which is to replace a corresponding one of remaining pieces of original configuration information included in the output set and indicates all or part of a new configuration of a corresponding arithmetic cell whose configuration needs to be changed, and (iv) reconfiguring the arithmetic cells according to the one or some of the pieces of original configuration information and the one or more pieces of alternative configuration information included in the received input set; a storage unit storing therein the one or more pieces of alternative configuration information; and a control unit operable to (i) control the reconfiguration arithmetic block to obtain the output set therefrom, (ii) for each arithmetic cell whose configuration needs not to be changed, select a corresponding piece of original configuration information from the output set, and for each arithmetic cell whose configuration needs to be changed, select a corresponding piece of alternative configuration information stored in the storage unit in place of the corresponding piece of original configuration information in the output set, and (iii) output, to the reconfiguration arithmetic block, the input set in which the one or some of the pieces of original configuration information are the selected pieces of original configuration information and the one or more pieces of alternative configuration information are the selected pieces of alternative configuration information.