1. A processor comprising:
one or more cores including a first core to operate at an operating voltage between a minimum operating voltage and a maximum operating voltage; and
a power control unit including first logic to enable coupling of ancillary logic to the first core responsive to the operating voltage being less than or equal to a threshold voltage (Vthresh), and to disable the coupling of the ancillary logic to the first core responsive to the operating voltage being greater than Vthresh.
2. The processor of claim 1, wherein Vthresh is approximately equal to the minimum operating voltage.
3. The processor of claim 1, wherein the ancillary logic comprises an auxiliary memory.
4. The processor of claim 3, wherein the first logic comprises at least one tri-state buffer switch.
5. The processor of claim 4, wherein the processor further comprises a first memory coupled to the first core, wherein the at least one tri-state buffer switch is operable to couple the auxiliary memory to the first core by coupling the auxiliary memory to the first memory.
6. The processor of claim 5, wherein the at least one tri-state buffer switch is operative to reversibly couple a first bit line of the first memory to a first bit line of the auxiliary memory.
7. The processor of claim 4, wherein the at least one tri-state buffer switch is operative to reversibly enable access by the first core to a word line of the auxiliary memory.
8. The processor of claim 1, wherein the power control unit further comprises second logic to determine the operating voltage and a frequency f at which to operate the first core based at least in part on a thermal budget associated with the first core.
9. The processor of claim 1, wherein the ancillary logic comprises decision logic to gate power to a portion of the first core.
10. The processor of claim 9, wherein the decision logic is to determine whether to power down the portion of the first core during execution of a particular operation based on whether the portion of the first core is to be used during execution of the particular operation.
11. A system comprising:
a processor comprising:
at least one core including a first core to operate at an operating voltage between a minimum operating voltage and a maximum operating voltage; and
switching logic to engage ancillary logic responsive to the operating voltage having a value less than or equal to a threshold voltage (Vthresh); and
a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) coupled to the processor.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein Vthresh is approximately equal to the minimum operating voltage.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the ancillary logic comprises an auxiliary memory and wherein the auxiliary memory is engaged by coupling the first core to the auxiliary memory.
14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a first memory coupled to the processor, wherein the switching logic is to reversibly couple the first core to the auxiliary memory by coupling the auxiliary memory to the first memory.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the switching logic is to engage the ancillary logic responsive to the operating voltage being approximately equal to the minimum operating voltage, wherein upon engagement the ancillary logic is to gate power to a portion of the core during execution of an operation based on the operation being executed.
16. The system of claim 11, wherein the switching logic comprises at least one tri-state buffer switch.
17. A machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
determine whether a core is operating at an operating voltage that is less than or equal to Vthresh, wherein Vthresh is a threshold voltage;
responsive to the operating voltage being less than or equal to Vthresh, couple ancillary logic to the core; and
responsive to the operating voltage being greater than Vthresh, uncouple the ancillary logic from the core.
18. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein Vthresh is approximately equal to a minimum operating voltage of the core.
19. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the ancillary logic comprises an auxiliary memory.
20. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein upon coupling the ancillary logic is to gate power to a portion of the core based on an operation being executed by the core.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-11. (canceled)
12. A sensor device for monitoring an acceleration of an object during a transportation, comprising:
an acceleration sensor that is permanently connected to the object; and
an RFID transceiver device connected to the acceleration sensor that non-contact couples electrical energy into the acceleration sensor and emits a radio signal based on a physical state of the acceleration sensor.
13. The sensor device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the acceleration sensor comprises:
a movable mass that deflects from a rest position as a function of the acceleration, a support frame that holds the movable mass, and an electrical conductor linked to the RFID transceiver device that is irreversibly interrupted if the deflection of the mobile mass exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
14. The sensor device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the movable mass is mechanically held over the electrical conductor and fractures the electrical conductor if the deflection of the movable mass exceeds the predetermined threshold value.
15. The sensor device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the support frame comprises a sensor wall that is permanently connected to the electrical conductor and the movable mass is pressed against the sensor wall as a function of the acceleration to interrupt the electrical conductor if the pressure on the sensor wall exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
16. The sensor device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sensor wall comprises a glass disk or a flexible membrane.
17. The sensor device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the movable mass comprises a narrow edge for pressing against the sensor wall.
18. The sensor device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the movable mass is movable in a plurality of directions and the support frame comprises a plurality of sensor walls arranged in the directions.
19. The sensor device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the movable mass is locked in a transport locking device before the acceleration sensor is activated.
20. The sensor device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of electrical conductors are each connected in series with one of a plurality of bias resistors to one of a plurality of direction detectors respectively.
21. The sensor device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the bias resistors comprise different values and the direction detectors are switched in parallel for recording directions of the acceleration.
22. A method for monitoring an acceleration of an object during a transportation, comprising:
permanently connecting an acceleration sensor to the object;
connecting an RFID transceiver device to the acceleration sensor;
non-contact coupling electrical energy into the acceleration sensor by the RFID transceiver device; and
emitting a radio signal based on a physical state of the acceleration sensor by the RFID transceiver device.
23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the acceleration sensor comprises:
a movable mass that deflects from a rest position as a function of the acceleration,
a support frame that holds the movable mass, and
an electrical conductor linked to the RFID transceiver device that is irreversibly interrupted if the deflection of the mobile mass exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the movable mass is mechanically held over the electrical conductor and fractures the electrical conductor if the deflection of the movable mass exceeds the predetermined threshold value.
25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the support frame comprises a sensor wall that is permanently connected to the electrical conductor and the movable mass is pressed against the sensor wall as a function of the acceleration to interrupt the electrical conductor if the pressure on the sensor wall exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the sensor wall comprises a glass disk or a flexible membrane.
27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the movable mass comprises a narrow edge for pressing against the sensor wall.
28. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the movable mass is movable in a plurality of directions and the support frame comprises a plurality of sensor walls arranged in the directions.
29. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the movable mass is locked in a transport locking device before the acceleration sensor is activated
30. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein a plurality of electrical conductors are each connected in series with one of a plurality of bias resistors to one of a plurality of direction detectors respectively.
31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the bias resistors comprise different values and the direction detectors are switched in parallel for recording directions of the acceleration.