Firewall/isolation cells for ultra low power products
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsRabiul Islam, Michael C. Phillips
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an integrated circuit (IC) may have several functional blocks adapted to be inactivated independently from each other. At least one firewall cell may be embedded independently of other firewall cells in the vicinity of one functional block. The firewall cell may be electrically isolated from the functional block and may be powered by a constantly supplied voltage source in the IC. Firewall cells may be embedded in free locations on the IC in the functional block domain according to a design that may be free of constraints such as firewall cells array of firewall cells mini-island.
Claims15
An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
- at least two functional blocks, said at least two functional blocks being provided respectively with supply voltages which are switchable ON or OFF at times independent from each other;
- wherein:
- at least a first of said at least two functional blocks comprises at least one firewall cell embedded in said first functional block, said at least one firewall cell being electrically isolated from said first functional block and powered by a voltage supply that is available as long as said IC is powered;
- and
- said at least one firewall cell being adapted to switch ON or OFF a signal outputted by said first functional block to a second of said at least two functional blocks.
A system comprising:
- at least one IC, said at least one IC comprising:
- at least two functional blocks, said at least two functional blocks being provided respectively with supply voltages which are switchable and at least some of the operation times of said IC being independent of each other;
- wherein:
- at least a first of said at least two functional blocks including at least one firewall cell embedded in said first functional block, said at least one firewall cell being electrically isolated from said first functional block and powered by a voltage supply that is available as long as said IC is powered;
- and
- said at least one firewall cell is to switch ON or OFF a signal outputted by said first functional block towards a second of said at least two functional blocks.
A method comprising:
- switching a supply voltage to a first functional block embodied on an integrated circuit (IC) independently from the switching of a supply voltage to a second functional block embodied the integrated circuit;
- and
- controlling a connection of an output from said first functional block to an input of said second functional block by a firewall cell;
- wherein said at least one firewall cell is embodied in and electrically isolated from said first functional block and is powered by a voltage supply that is available as long as said integrated circuit is powered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.