Patent ID: 7424595

Claim:
A system for managing a configuration of a variable function information processing circuit, whose circuit configuration is variable according to circuit configuration information defining the circuit configuration and whose circuit configuration is capable of executing the same processing which is executed by software in a processor, comprising: a storage part storing configuration management information having the circuit configuration information, input/output control information defining control of an input/output signal in a circuit configuration according to the circuit configuration information, and first configuration identifying information identifying the circuit configuration information; an interface part connecting the system to said processor; an information reading part reading the configuration management information stored in said storage part and corresponding to an instruction group described in a computer language and executable by said processor; a determining part determining whether the processing will be processed in the variable function information processing circuit or by software in the connected processor based on whether the variable function information processing circuit or the software will provide a better processing time for the instruction group; a processing executing part altering the circuit configuration of the variable function information processing circuit according to the configuration management information read by said information reading part when the determining part determines that the variable function information processing circuit will provide a better processing time, and executing processing of the instruction group in the variable function information processing circuit.