Patent ID: 8390369

Claim:
An electronic circuit, comprising: a module that comprises multiple flip-flops and a control signal providing circuit; a power management circuit arranged to provide to the module a supply voltage of a functional level when the module is in a functional mode, and to provide to the module a supply voltage of an idle level when the module is in an idle mode; wherein the control signal providing circuit is arranged to provide to the multiple flip-flops, when the module is in the functional mode, a control signal that facilitates a state change of each of the multiple flip-flops; wherein the control signal providing circuit is arranged to provide to the multiple flip-flops, when the module is in the idle mode, a control signal that prevents a state change of each of the multiple flip-flops; wherein each of the control signal providing circuit and a plurality of flip-flops of the multiple flip-flops comprises at least one hybrid circuit that comprises a low-threshold transistor that is coupled in parallel to at least one high-threshold transistor; wherein each hybrid circuit is arranged to maintain information or a control signal when provided with the supply voltage of the idle level; wherein high-threshold transistors of each hybrid circuit are arranged to maintain information or a control signal when provided with a supply voltage of a level that is higher than the idle level; wherein each flip-flop of the multiple flip-flops comprises a majority of the high-threshold transistors and a minority of the low-threshold transistors; and wherein each flip-flop of the multiple flip-flops comprises a pair of latches, wherein only one latch of the pair of latches comprises at least one low-threshold transistor.