Wireless multiprocessor system-on-chip with unified memory and fault inhibitor

• US 20050148358A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Jian, Yu, Nicholas K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724094 Interfacing with a device worn on the user's body to provide access to telephonic functionalities, e.g. accepting a call, reading or composing a message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Wireless mobile communication device includes unified memory portion; processing units coupled with, and communicating through, unified memory; fault inhibitor coupled with unified memory inhibiting operational fault from nocent informon. Memory, fault inhibitor, and processing units fabricated on monolithic integrated circuit as system-on-chip disposed in wireless mobile personal host. Multiprocessor module includes fault inhibitor and applications and communications processing units and buses, coupled with unified memory. Integrated functional constituent can include coprocessor, accelerator, operational control unit, interprocessor controller, memory controller, bus management unit, bridge, arbiters, and transceiver. Method inhibits operational fault from nocent informon, setting device in operational or fallback state.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communication device, configured for exchanging a message with a remote host, comprising:

a memory having a unified memory portion;

a plurality of processing units coupled with the unified memory portion, wherein a first processing unit of the plurality of processing units communicates the message through the unified memory portion to a second processing unit of the plurality of processing units; and

a fault inhibitor coupled with the unified memory portion and configured to inhibit an operational fault state corresponding to a nocent informon;

wherein the unified memory, the fault inhibitor, and the plurality of processing units are fabricated on a monolithic integrated circuit chip; and

wherein the wireless mobile communication device is disposed in a wireless mobile personal host.

2. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

an operational control unit coupled with the unified memory, the plurality of processing units, and the fault inhibitor, the operational control unit configured to coordinate communication between the first processing unit and the second processing unit through the unified memory portion.

3. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the operational control unit is configured to manage memory resources selected as the unified memory portion.

4. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 3, wherein the operational control unit further comprises a memory manager coupled with the memory and the fault inhibitor, wherein the memory manager is configured to cooperate with the fault inhibitor such that the operational fault corresponding to the nocent informon is inhibited.

5. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4, wherein the first processing unit is adapted to perform applications operations and the second processing unit is adapted to perform communications operations.

6. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 5, further comprising:

a functional constituent coupled with and configured to augment one of applications operations of the first processing unit and communications operations of the second processing unit.

7. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein the functional constituent is one of an interprocessor communications manager, a graphics accelerator, and a digital signal processor.

8. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 6, further comprising:

an application bus coupled with the first processing unit and adapted to facilitate applications operations;

a communications bus coupled with the second processing unit and adapted to facilitate communications operations; and

a bus master unit coupled between the application bus and the communications bus, the bus master unit communicating one of control signals and messages between the applications bus and the communications bus.

9. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 8, further comprising:

a transceiver coupled with the communication bus and using a wireless communication technique to exchange the message with the remote host.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

a direct interface coupled with one of the applications bus and the communications bus, the direct interface coupling the wireless mobile communication device with an information signal source.

11. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

an user interface integrated therewith such that the wireless mobile communication device and user interface form a handheld communication device.

12. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

an user interface separable from the wireless mobile communication device, the user interface being linked to the wireless mobile communication device using one of a wired link and a wireless link, and at least one of the wireless mobile communication device and the user interface being wearable on a user.

13. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein the direct interface couples the wireless mobile communication device with the information signal source using a wireless link.

14. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein the direct interface couples the wireless mobile communication device with the information signal source using a wired link.

15. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory device connectable to the wireless mobile communication device, and being coupled with the memory having a unified memory portion when the memory device is connected with the wireless mobile communication device.

16. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 5, further comprising:

an operational control unit coupled with each of the applications processing unit and the communications processing unit, the operational control unit providing at least one of a process control signal and a memory control signal to coordinate exchange of the message between the applications processing unit and the communications processing unit.

17. A wireless mobile communication multiprocessor module adapted to exchange a message using wireless communication, comprising:

an application bus;

an applications processing unit coupled with the application bus;

a communication bus;

a communications processing unit coupled with the communication bus;

memory coupled with the application bus and the communication bus, wherein a portion of memory is unified memory, and wherein the applications processing unit and communications processing unit exchange the message using the unified memory;

a fault inhibitor coupled between the unified memory and one of the communication bus and the application bus; and

an operational control unit coupled with the applications processing bus, the communications processing bus, the memory, and the fault inhibitor, wherein the operational control unit controls at least one of;

coordinating communication between the application bus and the communications bus;

managing unified memory for at least one of the applications processing unit and the communications processing unit; and

cooperating with the fault inhibitor provide a selected response to the presence of a nocent informon;

wherein the applications processing unit, the application bus, the communications processing unit, the communication bus, the fault inhibitor, and the operational control unit are fabricated together as a monolithic integrated circuit.

18. The wireless mobile communication multiprocessor module of claim 17, further comprising a functional constituent responsive to the operational control unit and operably coupled with one of the application bus and the communication bus, the functional constituent facilitating one of the applications processing unit applications operations and the communications processing unit communications operations.

19. The wireless mobile communication multiprocessor module of claim 18, wherein the operational control unit comprises a memory manager cooperating with the fault inhibitor to provide the selected response to the presence of a nocent informon;

and wherein the selected response is one of inhibiting an operational fault corresponding to the nocent informon;

operating the wireless mobile communication multiprocessor module in a predetermined operational state; and

operating the wireless mobile communication multiprocessor module in a predetermined fallback state.

20. The wireless mobile communication multiprocessor module of claim 18, wherein the operational control unit further comprises a bridge coupled between the application bus and the communication bus, and configured to selectively transmit a signal from one of the application bus and the communication bus to the other.

21. A wireless mobile communication system in which a local host exchanges a message with a remote host using wireless communication, the communication system comprising:

a. an applications bus coupled with the local host;

b. an applications processing unit coupled with the applications bus and executing applications operations;

c. a transceiver exchanging a message with the remote host using a wireless communication mode;

d. a communications bus coupled with the transceiver;

e. a communications processing unit coupled with the communications bus and executing communications operations;

f. memory coupled with the applications bus and the communications bus, wherein the applications processing unit and communications processing unit exchange the message using a portion of the memory, the portion being unified memory;

g. a memory controller coupled with the memory, the fault inhibitor, and the applications and communications processing units, the memory controller controlling a memory location in the memory;

h. a fault inhibitor coupled between the unified memory and one of the communications bus and the applications bus, the fault inhibitor inhibiting an operational fault state corresponding to a nocent informon; and

i. an interprocessor controller coupled between the applications bus and the communications bus, the controller transferring a control signal between the applications processing unit and the communications processing unit, the control signal facilitating the message exchange in unified memory;

wherein the applications processing unit and the communications processing unit, the applications bus and the communications bus, the interprocessor controller, the memory, the memory controller, and the fault inhibitor are fabricated together as a monolithic integrated circuit.

22. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 21, wherein the interprocessor controller further comprises:

a. a bus management unit coupled between the applications bus and the communications bus, and coordinating communications therebetween; and

b. a bridge coupled with the bus management unit, the applications bus, and the communications bus, the bridge configured to selectively transmit a signal from one of the applications and communications buses to the other, as a sender and a receiver, responsive to the bus management unit.

24. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 21, wherein the transceiver comprises a functional constituent fabricated on the monolithic integrated circuit.

25. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 24, wherein the wireless communication mode is selectable and the transceiver further comprises a plurality of reconfigurable functional constituents controllable by the local host wherein the wireless communications mode is selectable thereby.

23. The wireless mobile communication system of claim 23, further comprising:

a. an applications bus arbiter coupled with the applications bus and the bus management unit, wherein the applications bus arbiter coordinates with the bus management unit a selective transmission of an applications bus signal between the sender and the receiver; and

b. a communications bus arbiter coupled with the communications bus and the bus management unit, wherein the communications bus arbiter coordinates with the bus management unit a selective transmission of a communications bus signal between the sender and the receiver.

26. In a wireless mobile communication device configured to exchange a message as a local host with a remote host, the device including at least two processing units operating in association with informons and a memory coupled with the at least two processing units and through which the at least two processing units communicate a message, a method for communicating the message, comprising:

identifying an informon to be examined;

determining whether the informon is a legitimate informon or a nocent informon; and

if the informon is the nocent informon then at least one of

inhibiting storage of the nocent informon;

inhibiting access to the nocent informon; and

inhibiting execution of the nocent informon.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

if the informon is the nocent informon, then providing a perceptible indication of the presence of the nocent informon.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

if the informon is the nocent informon, then inhibiting an operational fault corresponding to the nocent informon.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

if the informon is the nocent informon, then setting the wireless mobile communication device in a predetermined operational state.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

if the informon is the nocent informon, then setting the wireless mobile communication device in a predetermined fallback state.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

if the informon is the nocent informon, then inhibiting an operational fault corresponding to the nocent informon.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

if the informon is the nocent informon, then providing a perceptible indication of nocent informon presence.