Event list specification based radio interface control

• US 20060116163A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Golightly, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/00 Interfaces specially adapted for wireless communication networks

Abstract

A radio communications technique is provided where the operation of a radio interface is controlled based on an event list. The event list specifies a sequence of events which each specify a control task to be performed when controlling operation of the radio interface. The event list may be configured based on event list specification data received.

Claims

1. A radio communications device comprising:

a processing unit adapted to perform voice and/or data processing; and

a radio unit connected to said processing unit to provide received voice and/or data signals to said processing unit,

wherein said processing unit comprises a radio interface unit adapted to interface to said radio unit, and a control unit adapted to control operation of said radio interface unit,

wherein said control unit is adapted to control operation of said radio interface unit based on an event list specifying a sequence of events each specifying a control task to be performed when controlling operation of said radio interface unit, and

wherein said control unit is adapted to configure said event list based on event list specification data.

2. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said control unit is adapted to further control operation of said radio interface unit based on an action list specifying a sequence of actions each having associated an individual one of a plurality of event lists.

3. The radio communications device of claim 2, wherein said action list comprises one or more of the following actions:

an action to turn on said radio unit, an action to turn off said radio unit, and an action to capture samples for a monitor slot.

4. The radio communications device of claim 2, wherein said control unit is adapted to run one or more software implemented functions to configure each event list based on said event list specification data.

5. The radio communications device of claim 4, wherein said control unit is adapted to run individual software implemented functions for individual actions.

6. The radio communications device of claim 4, wherein each of said one or more software implemented functions is adapted to set up an array of pointers to an action data structure.

7. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said control unit is further adapted to control the timing with which the control tasks are to be performed.

8. The radio communications device of claim 7, wherein said event list comprises delay fields to allow said control unit to control the timing of the control tasks.

9. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said control unit is capable of changing the order of events in said event list based on said event list specification data received through said radio unit.

10. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said control unit is capable of changing the timing of events in said event list based on said event list specification data received through said radio unit.

11. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said control unit is adapted to run one or more software implemented functions to configure said event list based on said event list specification data.

12. The radio communications device of claim 11, wherein said control unit is adapted to run said one or more software implemented functions each time at least one control task of said event list is to be performed.

13. The radio communications device of claim 11, wherein said control unit is adapted to run said one or more software implemented functions at the time of initialization.

14. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said control unit is adapted to download said event list specification data at a first time instance, and configure said event list based on the downloaded event list specification data at a second time instance immediately following said first time instance.

15. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said control unit is adapted to download said event list specification data at a first time instance, and configure said event list based on the downloaded event list specification data at one or more second time instances when access to said event list is needed.

16. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said operation of said radio interface unit controlled by said control unit based on said event list is a baseband data operation.

17. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said operation of said radio interface unit controlled by said control unit based on said event list is a synthesizer interface operation.

18. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said event list comprises at least one control task to switch a control signal in said control unit.

19. The radio communications device of claim 18, wherein said at least one control task comprises switching a control signal to turn on an oscillator.

20. The radio communications device of claim 18, wherein said at least one control task comprises switching a control signal to enable IQ sample data to be transferred from said radio unit to said processing unit.

21. The radio communications device of claim 18, wherein said at least one control task comprises switching a control signal to change a state of one or more of a plurality of general purpose output terminals.

22. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said event list comprises at least one control task to start an analysis routine.

23. The radio communications device of claim 22, wherein said analysis routine is a data analysis routine to determine the received signal strength and set an input amplifier gain in said processing unit.

24. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said event list comprises at least one control task to issue a trigger signal to a physical layer platform of said processing unit.

25. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said event list specification data is an array of data fields comprising a field specifying a number of events, and a plurality of event specification fields each comprising data specifying an individual event.

26. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said event list specification data is an array of data fields comprising event specification fields each comprising a sub field specifying an event type of an individual event.

27. The radio communications device of claim 26, wherein said event type is one of the following:

a hardware signal controlled by said control unit, and a software routine capable of being run on a physical layer platform of said processing unit.

28. The radio communications device of claim 27, wherein, if said event type is a hardware signal controlled by said control unit, the respective event specification fields comprise one or more further sub fields specifying a signal identity and/or an indication whether to set or to clear said hardware signal.

29. The radio communications device of claim 27, wherein, if said event type is a software routine capable of being run on a physical layer platform of said processing unit, the respective event specification fields comprise one or more further sub fields specifying said software routine and/or a priority level at which said software routine is to be run and/or a data identifier indexing to a pointer array.

30. The radio communications device of claim 1, wherein said event list specification data is an array of data fields comprising event specification fields each comprising a sub field specifying a positive or negative time distance for an individual event to occur after a preceding event.

31. The radio communications device of claim 1, further comprising a RAM (Random Access Memory) unit configured to store received event list specification data.

32. A radio communications method comprising:

receiving voice and/or data signals; and

performing voice and/or data processing,

wherein said processing comprises controlling operation of a radio interface,

wherein operation of said radio interface is controlled based on an event list specifying a sequence of events each specifying a control task to be performed when controlling operation of said radio interface, and

wherein said event list is configurable based on event list specification data.

33. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein operation of said radio interface is controlled based on an action list specifying a sequence of actions each having associated an individual one of a plurality of event lists.

34. The radio communications method of claim 33, wherein said action list comprises one or more of the following actions:

an action to turn on a radio circuit, an action to turn off a radio circuit, and an action to capture samples for a monitor slot.

35. The radio communications method of claim 33, further comprising:

running one or more software implemented functions to configure each event list based on said event list specification data.

36. The radio communications method of claim 35, further comprising:

running individual software implemented functions for individual actions.

37. The radio communications method of claim 35, wherein each of said one or more software implemented functions is adapted to set up an array of pointers to an action data structure.

38. The radio communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

controlling the timing with which the control tasks are to be performed.

39. The radio communications method of claim 38, wherein said event list comprises delay fields to control the timing of the control tasks.

40. The radio communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

changing the order of events in said event list based on said received event list specification data.

41. The radio communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

changing the timing of events in said event list based on said received event list specification data.

42. The radio communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

running one or more software implemented functions to configure said event list based on said event list specification data.

43. The radio communications method of claim 42, further comprising:

running said one or more software implemented functions each time at least one control task of said event list is to be performed.

44. The radio communications method of claim 42, further comprising:

running said one or more software implemented functions at the time of initialization.

45. The radio communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

downloading said event list specification data from a remote data store at a first time instance; and

configuring said event list based on the downloaded event list specification data at a second time instance immediately following said first time instance.

46. The radio communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

downloading said event list specification data from a remote data store at a first time instance; and

configuring said event list based on the downloaded event list specification data at one or more second time instances when access to said event list is needed.

47. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said operation of said radio interface controlled based on said event list is a baseband data operation.

48. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said operation of said radio interface controlled based on said event list is a synthesizer interface operation.

49. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said event list comprises at least one control task to switch a control signal.

50. The radio communications method of claim 49, wherein said at least one control task comprises switching a control signal to turn on an oscillator.

51. The radio communications method of claim 49, wherein said at least one control task comprises switching a control signal to enable IQ sample data to be received.

52. The radio communications method of claim 49, wherein said at least one control task comprises switching a control signal to change a state of one or more of a plurality of general purpose output terminals.

53. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said event list comprises at least one control task to start an analysis routine.

54. The radio communications method of claim 53, wherein said analysis routine is a data analysis routine to determine the received signal strength and set an input amplifier gain.

55. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said event list comprises at least one control task to issue a trigger signal to a physical layer platform.

56. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said event list specification data is an array of data fields comprising a field specifying a number of events, and a plurality of event specification fields each comprising data specifying an individual event.

57. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said event list specification data is an array of data fields comprising event specification fields each comprising a sub field specifying an event type of an individual event.

58. The radio communications method of claim 57, wherein said event type is one of the following:

a hardware signal to be controlled, and a software routine capable of being run on a physical layer platform.

59. The radio communications method of claim 58, wherein, if said event type is a hardware signal to be controlled, the respective event specification fields comprise one or more further sub fields specifying a signal identity and/or an indication whether to set or to clear said hardware signal.

60. The radio communications method of claim 58, wherein, if said event type is a software routine capable of being run on a physical layer platform of said processing unit, the respective event specification fields comprise one or more further sub fields specifying said software routine and/or a priority level at which said software routine is to be run and/or a data identifier indexing to a pointer array.

61. The radio communications method of claim 32, wherein said event list specification data is an array of data fields comprising event specification fields each comprising a sub field specifying a positive or negative time distance for an individual event to occur after a preceding event.

62. The radio communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing received event list specification data in a RAM (Random Access Memory) unit.

63. A radio communications method comprising:

receiving event list specification data from a remote data store;

analyzing the received event list specification data;

generating an event list from the analyzed event list specification data, said event list specifying a sequence of events each specifying a control task to be performed when controlling operation of a radio interface;

storing the generated event list; and

controlling operation of said radio interface by executing events in the stored event list.

64. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a processor of a computer, cause said processor to generate an event list specification data structure arranged for being transmitted to a radio communications device that is capable of generating an event list therefrom and controlling operation of a radio interface by executing events in the generated event list, said event list specifying a sequence of events each specifying a control task to be performed when controlling operation of said radio interface.

65. A computer-readable storage medium storing an event list specification data structure allowing a radio communications device to generate an event list therefrom and control operation of a radio interface by executing events in the generated event list, said event list specifying a sequence of events each specifying a control task to be performed when controlling operation of said radio interface.

66. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a processor of a radio communications device, cause said processor to obtain an event list specification data structure and generate an event list therefrom for controlling operation of a radio interface by executing events in the generated event list, said event list specifying a sequence of events each specifying a control task to be performed when controlling operation of said radio interface.