Semiconductor Device Dynamic Reconfiguration for Failure Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices cannot execute desired processing without skipping low-priority tasks when a failure is detected in composite circuit elements, as they exclude low-priority processing to maintain functionality.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a state transition management unit that configures processing circuits using functional logic circuit groups to continue processing, even when failures occur, by selecting appropriate configuration information and reconfiguring intermediate processing circuits to achieve desired outcomes without skipping low-priority tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If low-priority processing is excluded when a failure is detected, then high-priority processing can be executed using functional composite circuit elements, but desired processing cannot be executed completely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments processing into high-priority and low-priority tasks, and segments composite circuit elements into functional and non-functional groups. This segmentation allows the system to selectively execute high-priority processing using functional elements while excluding non-functional ones, thereby maintaining reliability for critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the system by dynamically adjusting which composite circuit elements are activated based on their functional status. When failures are detected, the system modifies the configuration to exclude non-functional elements from high-priority processing paths while potentially utilizing them for low-priority tasks, thus adapting the system's processing capabilities to current hardware conditions.
2Productivity
If all composite circuit elements are used for processing, then processing efficiency is high, but system reliability decreases when failures occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic configuration of composite circuit elements based on real-time functional status. The system can transition between different operational modes: using all elements when healthy, selectively excluding failed elements from high-priority paths, or reconfiguring data paths to bypass non-functional elements. This dynamic adaptation maintains both efficiency and reliability under varying conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the configuration control unit) that mediates between the processing requirements and the actual functional status of composite circuit elements. This intermediary dynamically determines which elements should be activated and how data should be routed, ensuring that processing efficiency is maximized while reliability is maintained by excluding failed elements from critical paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device and method includes a configuration information storage memory that stores a plurality of configuration information items, a state transition management unit that selects any one of the plurality of configuration information items, and a data path unit that dynamically reconfigures a circuit according to the configuration information item selected by the state transition management unit. When a detection of a failure or no failure is made in any one of a plurality of logic circuit groups provided in the data path unit, the state transition management unit selects the configuration information item depending on a result of the detection.