Multi-mode method and apparatus for performing digital modulation and demodulation

• US 20040071104A1
• Filed: 07/02/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: CommASIC, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Tien Q., Myers, Theodore J., Boesel, Robert W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/320
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7117 Selection, re-selection, allocation or re-allocation of paths to fingers, e.g. timing offset control of allocated fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/712 Weighting of fingers for combining, e.g. amplitude control or phase rotation using an inner loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70701 featuring pilot assisted reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70707 Efficiency-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/7071 with dynamic control of receiver resources

Abstract

A method of multi-mode communications includes receiving signals from multiple sources at a plurality of sample buffers, referencing the plurality of sample buffers for a first source at one time and referencing the plurality of sample buffers for a second source at another time, and communicating data from the referenced plurality of sample buffers to a processing unit. The processing unit concurrently receives inputs from buffers in the plurality of sample buffers and outputs to other buffers in the plurality of sample buffers.

Claims

1. A method of multi-mode communications, the method comprising:

receiving signals from multiple sources at a plurality of sample buffers;

referencing the plurality of sample buffers for a first source at one time and referencing the plurality of sample buffers for a second source at another time; and

communicating data from the referenced plurality of sample buffers to a processing unit, wherein the processing unit concurrently receives inputs from buffers in the plurality of sample buffers and outputs to other buffers in the plurality of sample buffers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein samples from the first source are demodulated and samples from the second source are not demodulated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein samples from the first source are demodulated and samples from the second source are partially processed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple sources comprise communication sources operating using different communication protocols.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the different communication protocols comprise any one of CDMA technologies, OFDM technologies, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple sources comprise multiple communication receivers.

7. A method of multi-mode digital communications, the method comprising:

asynchronously processing received communication samples at a processing unit, wherein the communication samples processed by the processing unit correspond to more than one communication protocol specification; and

controlling the processing unit by programmed instructions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating the programmed instructions based on processing factors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processing factors comprise any one of processing results, user preferences, and system information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the programmed instructions comprise instructions to implement a new communication protocol specification.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising selectively directing the communication samples from separate buffers to one processing unit of a plurality of processing units.

12. A system for multi-mode communications, the system comprising:

means for receiving signals from multiple sources at a plurality of sample buffers;

means for referencing the plurality of sample buffers for a first source at one time and referencing the plurality of sample buffers for a second source at another time; and

means for communicating data from the referenced plurality of sample buffers to a processing unit, wherein the processing unit concurrently receives inputs from buffers in the plurality of sample buffers and outputs to other buffers in the plurality of sample buffers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein samples from the first source are demodulated and samples from the second source are not demodulated.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein samples from the first source are demodulated and samples from the second source are partially processed.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the multiple sources comprise communication sources operating using different communication protocols.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the different communication protocols comprise any one of CDMA, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for selectively directing data from separate buffers to one processing unit of a plurality of processing units.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for selectively directing data from separate buffers to one processing unit of a plurality of processing units, wherein the one processing unit is configured to perform vector processing operations.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for accumulating results of successive outputs.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the vector processing operations comprise a single instruction that drives calculation of a vector.