Patent ID: 8041925

Claim:
A reconfigurable integrated circuit, comprising: a plurality of function blocks each comprising at least one operation unit or memory unit; and a plurality of programmable switches being configured to switchably connect between function blocks included in the plurality of function blocks, wherein the plurality of function blocks each includes at least one switchable data input port connected to at least an associated one of the plurality of programmable switches and at least one switchable data output port connected to the associated one of the plurality of programmable switches, each of the at least one switchable data input port providing switchable input data into an operation unit or memory unit of the function block, wherein at least two of the function blocks included in the plurality of function blocks are further directly connected to each other such that data output from a direct output port included in a one of the at least two function blocks can thereby be input with no switch intervening to a direct input port included in an other of the at least two function blocks, and wherein the programmable switch connected to the one of the at least two function blocks can thereby be used for selectively switching input data to the one of the at least two function blocks to then be output, via the direct output port included in the one of the at least two function blocks, to the direct input port included in the other of the at least two function blocks.