# US 2008/0186083 A1 · Apparatus and Method for Controlling Voltage and Frequency Using Multiple Reference Circuits > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0186083 A1 - Document ID: US20080186083A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/719,015 - Filed: 2004-11-10 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2004-11-10 - Assignees: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. - Inventors: Anton Rozen; Michael Priel; Dan Kuzmin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080186083A1 ## CPC - G06F 1/324: by lowering clock frequency - G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode - G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A method and an apparatus for controlling voltage level and clock signal frequency supplied to a system. The method comprises: providing at least one reference circuit representative of a behavior of at least one estimated circuit, whereas the at least one estimated circuit includes transistors of multiple types; supplying at least one input signal to at least one reference circuits and monitoring a behavior of the at least one reference circuit one or more reference circuit; determining a characteristic of at least one output signal provided to the at least one estimated circuit; and providing at least one output signal to one or more estimated circuits The apparatus includes at least one reference circuit representative of a behavior of at least one estimated circuit, whereas the at least one estimated circuit includes transistors of multiple types; and monitoring circuitry adapted to monitor a behavior of at least one reference circuit and to determine a characteristic of at least one output signal provided to the at least one estimated circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling voltage level and clock signal frequency supplied to a system, the method comprising: providing at least one output signal to one or more estimated circuits; providing at least one reference circuit representative of a behavior of at least one estimated circuit, whereas the at least one estimated circuit comprises transistors of multiple types; wherein transistors of different types differ from each other by at least characteristic out of: threshold voltage or an amount of current driven by the transistor; supplying at least one input signal to at least one reference circuits and monitoring a behavior of the at least one reference circuit one or more reference circuit; and determining a characteristic of at least one output signal provided to the at least one estimated circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring comprises evaluating a delay of a transistor of a certain type. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining comprises evaluating an impedance of a transistor of a certain type. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the transistors of different types differ by their threshold voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the transistors of different types differ by an amount of current they drive. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 whereas the determining comprises applying a first policy for increasing the voltage level and clock signal frequency and applying a second policy for decreasing the voltage level and clock signal frequency. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 whereas the supplying is initialized in a predetermined manner. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring is executed by a hardware module. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the providing comprises configuring a supply source and a clock signal source. ### Claim 10 An apparatus for controlling voltage level and clock signal frequency supplied to a system, the apparatus comprises: a monitoring circuitry; at least one reference circuit representative of a behavior of at least one estimated circuit, whereas the at least one estimated circuit comprises transistors of multiple types; wherein transistors of different types differ from each other by at least characteristic out of: threshold voltage or an amount of current driven by the transistor; and whereas the monitoring circuitry is adapted to monitor a behavior of at least one reference circuit and to determine a characteristic of at least one output signal provided to the at least one estimated circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring circuitry is adapted to evaluate a delay of a transistor of a certain type. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the monitoring circuitry is adapted to evaluate an impedance of a transistor of a certain type. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the transistors of different types differ by their threshold voltage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the transistors of different types differ by an amount of current they drive. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10 whereas the monitoring circuitry is adapted to apply a first policy for increasing the voltage level and clock signal frequency and to apply a second policy for decreasing the voltage level and clock signal frequency. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10 whereas the monitoring circuitry is adapted to monitor at least one reference circuit in a predetermined manner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10 further adapted to control a supply source and a clock signal source.