IP Library Granted Patent US 6,911,846
Granted Patent B1
US 6,911,846 · App. 09/019,278 · Granted Jun 28, 2005

Method and apparatus for a 1 of N signal

Assignee: Intrinsity, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,911,846
App. No.
09/019,278
Granted
Jun 28, 2005
Kind
B1
Abstract

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for an integrated circuit (IC) that uses 1 of N signals to reduce the circuit's wire to wire effective capacitance. The present invention comprises a logic tree circuit coupled to a first 1 of N input signal, a second 1 of N input signal, and a 1 of N output signal where the 1 of N signals' reduce the signal's wire to wire effective capacitance. Other embodiments of the present invention include the use of a 1 of 2 signal, a 1 of 3 signal, a 1 of 4 signal, and a 1 of 8 signal where one and one of the wires of the signal is active.

Claims (24)

1. A 1 of N signal used to convey multiple values of information between N-NARY logic circuits in an integrated circuit, comprising:

a bundle of N wires routed together between different N-NARY logic circuits in the integrated circuit wherein at most one wire of said bundle of N wires is active during an evaluation cycle and where N is greater than 2; and

a 1 of N encoding that encodes said bundle of N wires to indicate multiple values of information conveyed by said bundle of N wires wherein at most one wire of said bundle of N wires is true during said evaluation cycle.

2. The 1 of N signal of claim 1 wherein said bundle of N wires comprises a number of wires from the following group: a bundle of 3 wires, a bundle of 4 wires, or a bundle of 8 wires.

3. The 1 of N signal of claim 1 wherein said 1 of N encoding comprises a not valid value wherein zero wires of said bundle of N wires is active.

4. The 1 of N signal of claim 1 wherein said 1 of N encoding on said bundle of N wires cooperatively operate to reduce the power consumption in the integrated circuit according to the number of wires in said bundle of N wires evaluating per bit of encoded information.

5. A system that uses a 1 of N signal to convey multiple values of information between N-NARY logic circuits in an integrated circuit, comprising:

a bundle of N wires routed together between different N-NARY logic circuits in the integrated circuit wherein at most one wire of said bundle of N wires is active during an evaluation cycle and where N is greater than 2; and

a 1 of N encoding that encodes said bundle of N wires to indicate multiple values of information conveyed by said bundle of N wires wherein at most one wire of said bundle of N wires is true during said evaluation cycle.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said bundle of N wires comprises a number of wires from the following group: a bundle of 3 wires, a bundle of 4 wires, or a bundle of 8 wires.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said 1 of N encoding comprises a not valid value wherein zero wires of said bundle of N wires is active.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said 1 of N encoding on said bundle of N wires cooperatively operate to reduce the power consumption in the integrated circuit according to the number of wires in said bundle of N wires evaluating per bit of encoded information.

9. A method that uses a 1 of N signal to convey multiple values of information between N-NARY logic circuits in an integrated circuit, comprising:

encoding multiple values of information with a 1 of N encoding where N is greater than 2; and

conveying said 1 of N encoded information through a bundle of N wires routed together between different N-NARY logic circuits in the integrated circuit wherein at most one wire of said bundle of N wires is active and true during an evaluation cycle.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said bundle of N wires comprises a number of wires from the following group: a bundle of 3 wires, a bundle of 4 wires, or a bundle of 8 wires.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said 1 of N encoding comprises a not valid value wherein zero wires of said bundle of N wires is active.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said 1 of N encoding on said bundle of N wires cooperatively operate to reduce the power consumption in the integrated circuit according to the number of wires in said bundle of N wires evaluating per bit of encoded information.

13. A method that provides an integrated circuit with a 1 of N signal to convey multiple values of information between N-NARY logic circuits, comprising:

providing a bundle of N wires routed together between different N-NARY logic circuits in the integrated circuit wherein at most one wire of said bundle of N wires is active during an evaluation cycle and where N is greater than 2; and

providing a 1 of N encoding that encodes said bundle of N wires to indicate multiple values of information conveyed by said bundle of N wires wherein at most one wire of said bundle of N wires is true during said evaluation cycle.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said bundle of N wires comprises a number of wires from the following group: a bundle of 3 wires, a bundle of 4 wires, or a bundle of 8 wires.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said 1 of N encoding comprises a not valid value wherein zero wires of said bundle of N wires is active.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said 1 of N encoding on said bundle of N wires cooperatively operate to reduce the power consumption in the integrated circuit according to the number of wires in said bundle of N wires evaluating per bit of encoded information.

Assignments (8)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2010
From: INTRINSITY, INC.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 024380/0329 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2008
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: INTRINSITY, INC
Reel/Frame 020525/0485 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2007
From: INTRINSITY INC.
To: PATENT SKY LLC
Reel/Frame 020234/0365 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2007
From: ADAMS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT III, L.P.
To: INTRINSITY, INC.
Reel/Frame 020206/0340 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 17, 2007
From: INTRINSITY, INC.
To: ADAMS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT III, L.P.
Reel/Frame 019161/0661 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 12, 2007
From: INTRINSITY, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 018923/0404 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 26, 2000
From: EVSX, INC.
To: INTRINSITY, INC.
Reel/Frame 010841/0734 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 1998
From: BLOMGREN, JAMES S.; POTTER, TERENCE M.; HORNE, STEPHEN C.; SENINGEN, MICHAEL R.; PETRO, ANTHONY M.
To: EVSX, INC.
Reel/Frame 009001/0769 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 6006925000 · Dec 11, 1997