Patent ID: 8683418

Claim:
A method of operating an integrated circuit (IC) having a fixed layout of one or more blocks having one or more current sources therein, the current sources coupled to fixed electrical connectors for power delivery, said connectors delivering electrical current drawn by said current sources via a fixed layout of one or more grid networks, said method comprising: dividing said fixed layout of the integrated circuit into a number of regions; dynamically estimating, using in-situ monitoring, power consumption of blocks at one or more regions within the IC; converting the power consumption estimate into-current flow amounts in said one or more electrical connectors; determining a condition of a current flow amount-value at one or more said electrical connectors attaining or exceeding a current delivery threshold limit; and reducing an amount of current drawn from said current sources at said blocks responsive to said condition without altering the fixed layout of blocks having one or more current sources, the fixed layout of grid networks, or said fixed electrical connectors, wherein said reducing an amount of current drawn at said blocks comprises: reducing issue rate of instructions to said blocks based on the condition of a current flow amount value at one or more said electrical connectors attaining or exceeding a current delivery threshold limit, and, wherein a programmed processor unit is configured to perform said dynamically estimating, said converting, said determining, and said reducing.