Embedded computing device

• US 10,417,045 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suunto Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amer Sports Digital Services Oy (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lindman, Erik, Uusitalo, Jyrki, Eriksson, Timo, Lehto, Tomi, Aurto, Tero
• Primary Examiner(s): Bansal, Gurtej
• Application Number:
  US15/131,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0284 Multiple user address space allocation, e.g. using different base addresses interprocessor communication G06F15/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/656 Address space sharing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

An apparatus and a method is provided that comprises at least one first processing unit configured to run at least one first computer program application capable of receiving and processing signals received from at least one interface or device connected to said first processing unit, at least one second processing unit configured to run at least a second computer program application capable of further processing at least some information processed in said first processing unit. According to the invention the first and second processing unit are interfaced with a shared information space, whereby a first application running in the first processing unit is configured to enable said first processing unit to write data to said information space, and a second application running in the second processing unit is configured to receive a notification about said data being written to said shared information space, and to enable said second processing unit to retrieve from said information space said data written by said first processing unit for further processing.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one first processor core configured to run at least one first computer program application capable of receiving and processing signals received from at least one interface or device connected to said first processor core;

at least one second processor core configured to run at least a second computer program application capable of further processing at least some information processed in said first processor core;

said first and second processor cores being interfaced with a shared information space, said shared information space consisting of an external memory space configured to serve as a logical memory unit with at least one address space mapped to both the first and the second processing unit,

whereby a first application running in the first processor core is configured to enable said first processor core to write data retrieved from said processed signals to said information space, and

a second application running in the second processor core is configured to receive a notification about said data being written to said shared information space, wherein

said apparatus comprises at least one random access memory unit interfaced with the first and the second processing unit and which is configured to receive address data written by said first processing unit that is pointing to an address in said information space, and whereby said second processing unit is configured to read the written address in said at least one random access memory and to fetch data from said shared information space at said written address for further processing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processor core is electrically interfaced with at least one of:

a user interface, an a wireless communications port, satellite positioning circuitry, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a pressure sensor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processor core is electrically interfaced with at least one of:

a display, an external memory unit, a sensor, a cellular communication circuitry, a non-cellular wireless communication circuitry and a wired communications port.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shared information space consists of at least one random access memory unit interfaced with each processor core, wherein the memory units are configured to communicate between each other by a data interchange protocol.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shared information space consists of at least one random access memory unit interfaced with at least the first and the second processor core, wherein the memory unit is configured to serve as a logical memory unit with at least one address space mapped to both the first and the second processor core.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first application running in the first processor core is further configured to write a control signal to said information space and to notify a second application running in the second processor core of said control signal, whereby said second application is configured to fetch the control signal from said information space and cause the second processor core to enter a hibernation state.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cores of the first processor core and the second processor core are comprised in the same integrated circuit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processor core is a microcontroller and the second processor core is a microprocessor, the microcontroller being external to the microprocessor and the microprocessor being external to the microcontroller.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second processing unit reside in separate housings or devices.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first application running on said first processor core is adapted to write a current value of a parameter, such as time, to an address in said information space, and a second application running on said second processor core is adapted to retrieve the parameter value from said information space.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a first application running on said first processor core overwrites in a constant and frequent fashion the previous value of a parameter with a current value in said information space.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second application running on said second processor core is adapted to put a request for the value of a parameter to be written in said information space, whereby a first application running on said first processor core is adapted to write the parameter value to an address in said information space, and whereby said second application is adapted to fetch the parameter value from said address.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a first application running on said first processor core writes a value of a parameter valid for a period of time to an address in said information space, to be accessible for any application running in the apparatus and capable of reading said address.

14. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a first processor core, signals from at least one interface or device connected to said first processor core;

processing said received signals in a first computer program application running on said first processor core;

enabling said first computer program application to write data retrieved from said processed signals to a shared information space, the shared information space consisting of an external memory space interfaced with said first and second processing unit, and being configured to serve as a logical memory unit with at least one address space being interfaced with said first and second processing unit,

enabling said first computer program application to write said address to at least one random access memory unit being interfaced with said first and second processing unit,

reading in a second computer program application running in said second processing unit the address from said at least one random access memory,

enabling said second computer program application to read said data stored in said shared information space at said address; and

further processing said data in said second processor core.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first processor core is interfaced with at least one of:

a user interface, an external memory unit, a wireless communications port, a wired communications port, satellite positioning circuitry, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a pressure sensor.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second processor core is electrically interfaced with at least one of:

a display, an external memory unit, a cellular communication circuitry, non-cellular wireless communication circuitry and a second wired communications port.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the shared information space consists of at least one random access memory unit interfaced with each processor core, and wherein the memory units are configured to communicate between each other by a data interchange protocol.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the shared information space consists of at least one random access memory unit interfaced with at least the first and the second processor cores, and wherein the memory unit is configured to serve as a logical memory unit with at least one address space mapped to both the first and the second processor cores.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of a second application running on said second processor core being adapted to request for the value of a parameter to be written in said information space, whereby a first application running on said first processor core is adapted to write the parameter value to said address, and whereby said second application is adapted to fetch said parameter value from said address.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of a first application running on said first processor core being adapted to write a value of a parameter valid for a period of time to an address in said information space, to be accessible for any application running in the apparatus capable of reading said address.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein a first application running in the first processor core is further configured to:

writing a control signal to said information space, and

notifying a second application running in the second processor core of said control signal, and wherein

said second application running in the second processor core is configured to fetch the control signal from said information space and cause the second processor core to enter a hibernation state.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the shared information space consists of an external memory unit interfaced with at least the first and the second processor cores, and wherein said external memory unit is configured to serve as a logical memory unit with at least one address space mapped to both the first and the second processor cores.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein at least one random access memory unit being interfaced with at least the first and the second processor cores,

receiving in said random access memory address data written by said first processor core that is pointing to an address in said external memory space,

receiving in said external memory space data written by said first processor core at said address,

reading with said second processor core the written address in said random access memory,

fetching by said second processor core data from said shared information space at said address.

24. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of a first application running on said first processor core being adapted to write the current value of a parameter, such as time, to an address in said information space, and a second application running on said second processor core being adapted to retrieve the parameter value from said information space.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first application running on said first processor core is adapted to overwrite in a constant and frequent fashion the previous value of a parameter with a current value in said information space.

26. An apparatus comprising:

in a first processing unit comprising a first processor core,

means for receiving and processing signals received from at least one interface or device connected to said first processing unit;

means for enabling the first processor core to write data to a shared information space, said shared information space consisting of an external memory space configured to serve as a logical memory unit with at least one address space mapped to both the first processing unit and a second processing unit,

means for notifying said second processing unit that data has been written to said shared information space,

in said second processing unit comprising a second processor core,

means to enable said second processor core to read from said shared information space data written by said first processor core;

means to enable further processing of at least some information read from said shared information space being processed in said first processor core, and

means for further processing of said read data in said second processor core to in order to display, communicate over a communication link, or to cause the second processing unit to enter a hibernation state.

27. A computer program product being stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, said computer program being configured to cause a method to be performed when run, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a first processor core, signals from at least one interface or device connected to said first processor core;

processing said received signals in a first computer program application running on said first processor core;

enabling said first computer program application to write data retrieved from said processed signals to a shared information space, said shared information space consisting of an external memory space configured to serve as a logical memory unit with at least one address space mapped to both the first and the second processing unit,

receiving in a second computer program application running in a second processor core a notification of said data written to said shared information space,

enabling said second computer program application to read said data stored in said shared information space; and

further processing said data in said second processor core.