Patent ID: 7467318

Claim:
In a system comprising a host processor and a graphics co-processor, a method for generating a clock signal for the graphics co-processor, the clock signal having an operating frequency set to a nominal operating frequency corresponding to a maximum rated junction temperature, the method comprising: detecting, by a thermal sensor coupled to the graphics co-processor, a junction temperature corresponding to at least a portion of a circuit on a die constituting at least a portion of the graphics co-processor, thereby providing a temperature signal; providing, by a thermal sensor control circuit coupled to the thermal sensor, an interrupt control signal and temperature data in response to the temperature signal; and causing, by the host processor coupled to the thermal sensor control circuit and in response to the interrupt control signal and the temperature data, an increase in the operating frequency of the clock signal above the nominal operating frequency, when the detected junction temperature is below the maximum rated junction temperature, wherein causing an increase in the operating frequency of the clock signal above the nominal operating frequency includes accessing memory comprising data representing junction temperatures over a temperature operating range with corresponding clock signal frequencies, wherein the data representing junction temperatures over a temperature operating range with corresponding clock signal frequencies are organized as at least one lookup table.