Patent ID: 7760011

Claim:
An integrated circuit comprising: a hard macro unit configured to provide a function, the hard macro unit comprising a power domain; and a top level power domain unit configured to provide fine grained functionality, the top level power domain unit comprising, an automatic power gating power domain, the automatic power gating power domain containing circuit cells to provide a single function or a number of functions, a switch having a first terminal coupled to a first power rail and a second terminal coupled to the automatic power gating power domain, the switch to control a current path through the automatic power gating power domain, and a logic unit having an output coupled to a control terminal of the switch and a first input coupled to a common switch control signal line and a second input to a distributed control signal line unique to the logic unit, the logic unit to logically combine the control signals at its first input and second input into a control signal for the switch, wherein the automatic power gating power domain comprises an asynchronous power switch control unit coupled to the switch, the asynchronous power switch control unit configured to generate the distributed switch control signal based on a control signal in the integrated circuit.