Patent ID: 8279229

Claim:
A method, comprising: operating a graphics processor and a central processing unit in a first mode of operation during which the graphics processor and the central processing unit are both powered-up and access is provided to a plurality of central processing unit cores of the graphics processor, to both the graphics processor and the central processing unit by: determining that the central processing unit cores of the graphics processor are available, dynamically including each of the central processing unit cores of the graphics processor determined to be available in a virtual pool having at least one system central processing unit core external to the graphics processor, receiving first requests from the central processing unit to execute first code utilizing at least one of the central processing unit cores of the graphics processor included in the virtual pool, receiving second requests from the graphics processor to execute second code utilizing at least one of the central processing unit cores of the graphics processor, and arbitrating among the first requests and the second requests; operating the graphics processor and the central processing unit in a second mode of operation during which the graphics processor is powered-up and the central processing unit is powered-down, and only the graphics processor is provided access to the central processing unit cores of the graphics processor; wherein the plurality of central processing unit cores of the graphics processor are a same hardware architecture as the central processing unit.