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US 8,044,709 B2Granted
Semiconductor integrated circuit device
AssigneeRenesas Electronics Corporation
InventorsToshio Sasaki, Kazuki Fukuoka, Ryo Mori, Yoshihiko Yasu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed to perform fine low-voltage control without largely increasing the circuit layout area in a low-power consumption structure. In the case of shifting a region to a low-speed mode, a system controller outputs a request signal and an enable signal to a power switch controller and a low-power drive circuit, respectively, to turn off a power switch and to perform a control so that the voltage level of a virtual reference potential becomes about 0.2 V to about 0.3V. The region operates on voltages between a power supply voltage and a virtual reference potential, so that it is controlled in the low-speed mode.
Claims24
A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:
- a first power wire to receive a power supply voltage;
- a second power wire to receive a reference voltage;
- a third power wire to receive a reference potential;
- a power region coupled between the first and second power wires and controllable to operate in different low-power consumption modes, including a low-speed mode and a standby mode;
- a reference voltage regulator to supply the reference voltage to the second power wire;
- a power switch control unit coupled between the second and third power wires and operative to make the second and third power wires conductive or non-conductive based on a connection control signal;
- and
- a power consumption control unit to determine an operation state of the power region and to control the reference voltage regulator and the power switch control unit,
- wherein, in the low-speed mode, the power consumption control unit controls the reference voltage regulator to supply the reference voltage to the second power wire and controls the power switch control unit to make the third power wire non-conductive so as to make the power region operating in the low-speed mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference voltage,
- wherein, in the standby mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, and controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires non-conductive to interrupt supply of the reference voltage and the reference potential to the power region operating in the standby mode, and
- wherein, in a normal operation mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires conductive, and makes the power region operating in the normal operation mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference potential.
8 more elements
A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:
- a first power wire to receive a power supply voltage;
- a second power wire to receive a reference voltage;
- a third power wire to receive a reference potential;
- a power region coupled between the first and second power wires and controllable to operate in different low-power consumption modes, including a low-speed mode and a standby mode;
- a reference voltage regulator to supply the reference voltage to the second power wire;
- a power switch control unit coupled between the second and third power wires and operative to make the second and third power wires conductive or non-conductive or to set the reference voltage based on a connection control signal;
- and
- a power consumption control unit to determine an operation state of the power region and to control the reference voltage regulator and the power switch control unit,
- wherein, in the low-speed mode, the power consumption control unit controls the reference voltage regulator to control a gate of a power switch to supply the reference voltage to the second power wire, controls the power switch control unit to make the third power wire non-conductive, and to make the power region operating in the low-speed mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference voltage,
- wherein, in the standby mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires non-conductive, and interrupts supply of the reference voltage and the reference potential to the power region operating in the standby mode, and
- wherein, in a normal operation mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires conductive, and makes the power region operating in the normal operation mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference potential.
8 more elements
A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:
- a first power wire to receive a power supply voltage;
- a second power wire to receive a reference voltage;
- a third power wire to receive a reference potential;
- a power region coupled between the first and second power wires and controllable to operate in different low-power-consumption modes, including a low-speed mode and a standby mode;
- a power switch control unit coupled between the second and third power wires and operative to make the second and third power wires conductive or non-conductive based on a connection control signal;
- and
- a power consumption control unit to determine an operation state of the power region and to control the power switch control unit and an externally coupled reference voltage regulator to supply the reference voltage to the second power wire,
- wherein, in the low-speed mode, the power consumption control unit controls the reference voltage regulator to supply the reference voltage to the second power wire, controls the power switch control unit to make the third power wire non-conductive, and makes the power region operating in the low-speed mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference voltage,
- wherein, in the standby mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires non-conductive, interrupts supply of the reference voltage and the reference potential to the power region operating in the standby mode, and
- wherein, in a normal operation mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires conductive, and makes the power region operating in the normal operation mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference potential.
7 more elements
A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:
- a first power wire to receive a power supply voltage;
- a second power wire to receive a reference voltage;
- a third power wire to receive a reference potential;
- a power region coupled between the first and second power wires and controllable in different low-power consumption modes, including a low-speed mode and a standby mode;
- a power switch control unit coupled between the second and third power wires and operative to make the second and third power wires conductive or non-conductive based on a connection control signal;
- and
- a power consumption control unit to determine an operation state of cacti of the power region and to control the power switch control unit and an externally coupled reference voltage regulator to supply the reference voltage to the second power wire,
- wherein, in the low-speed mode, the power consumption control unit controls the reference voltage regulator to control a gate of a power switch, controls the reference voltage supplied to the second power wire, controls the power switch control unit to make the third power wire non-conductive, and makes the power region operating in the low-speed mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference voltage,
- wherein, in the standby mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires non-conductive, and interrupts supply of the reference voltage and the reference potential to the power region operating in the standby mode, and
- wherein, in a normal operation mode, the power consumption control unit stops operation of the reference voltage regulator, controls the power switch control unit to make the second and third power wires conductive, and makes the power region operating in the normal operation mode operate between the power supply voltage and the reference potential.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.