Patent ID: 7844805

Claim:
A processor for a portable electronic device, the processor comprising: a RISC (reduced instruction set computing) core; a CISC (complex instruction set computing) core; a video accelerator circuit coupled to both the RISC core and the CISC core; and an audio accelerator circuit coupled to both the RISC core and the CISC core; a WLAN (wireless local area network) selection circuit, wherein when operating in one of a first plurality of modes, the WLAN selection circuit is configured to enable the RISC core to be coupled to a WLAN modem, and wherein, during operation in one of a second plurality of modes, the WLAN selection circuit is configured to enable the CISC core to be coupled to the WLAN modem exclusive of the RISC core; wherein the RISC core, the CISC core, the video accelerator circuit, and the audio accelerator circuit are incorporated into a single integrated circuit; wherein, in the first plurality of operational modes, the RISC core is active and the CISC core is inactive; and wherein, in the second plurality of operational modes, the CISC core and the RISC core are both active.