Patent ID: 8219834

Claim:
A method, in a data processing system, for predictively power gating a set of units within the data processing system, the method comprising: monitoring, by a second-level power gating controller in the data processing system, a set of events for each unit in a set of units within the data processing system; identifying, by the second-level power gating controller, idle sequences of a predetermined number of cycles within the events from each unit where the unit is idle; determining, by the second-level power gating controller, preceding sequences of a predetermined length that precede the idle sequences; determining, by the second-level power gating controller, an accuracy of the preceding sequences; and responsive to the accuracy being above a threshold, sending, by the second-level power gating controller, a permit command to a first-level power gating mechanism associated with the unit, wherein the permit command allows the first-level power gating mechanism to power gate the unit.