US 7051306

US Patent 7051306, titled "Managing power on integrated circuits using power islands," was issued to Mosaid Technologies Inc. (originally Mosaid Technologies Corp). The patent lists inventors Barry Alan HOBERMAN, Daniel L. Hillman, and Jon Shiell. It was filed on May 7, 2004, and issued on May 23, 2006.

Abstract:
The patent describes systems and methods for managing power on integrated circuits (ICs) by dividing them into "power islands." Within each power island, power consumption is independently controlled. A power manager determines a target power level for a specific power island, then identifies and performs actions to adjust that island's power consumption to the target level.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method for managing power on an integrated circuit. It involves:

  • Identifying a desired (target) power level for a specific "power island" on the chip, considering the overall needs and operation of the integrated circuit. Each power island has its power consumption controlled separately.
  • Deciding on at least one action to take to change the power consumption of that power island to the target level.
  • Carrying out that action to adjust the power consumption, with one example of such an action being selecting a new operating frequency for the power island.

• Claim 16 (System): This claim describes a system for managing power on an integrated circuit. It includes:

  • Power control circuitry designed to manage the power for one of the power islands.
  • A power manager component that is configured to:
    • Determine a target power level for a specific power island based on the integrated circuit's operational needs.
    • Figure out at least one action to change the power consumption of that power island to the target level.
    • Execute that action to adjust the power consumption, with selecting a frequency for the power island being one possible action.

• Claim 37 (Software Product): This claim covers a software product for managing power on an integrated circuit. It comprises:

  • Power management software that, when run by a processor, instructs the processor to:
    • Determine a target power level for a specific power island, taking into account the integrated circuit's operational needs (where each power island has independently controlled power).
    • Decide on at least one action to change the power consumption of that power island to the target level.
    • Perform that action to adjust the power consumption, with one action being selecting a frequency for the power island.
  • A software storage medium used to store this power management software.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search for "US7051306 CAFC litigation 2026" did not yield any specific dockets for the Federal Circuit in 2026. The Google Patents legal status section notes several District Court cases and PTAB cases associated with the patent family, but no explicit CAFC dockets for 2026 are highlighted.
The patent's legal status is listed as "Expired - Lifetime" with an anticipated expiration date of 2024-05-07. This makes new litigation unlikely in 2026, though existing appeals could still be active. Without direct search access to CAFC dockets, definitive confirmation of no 2026 activity cannot be stated with 100% certainty, but no results indicating such activity were found through general search.