Multiple-processor wireless mobile communication device

• US 20070066275A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Simmons, Sean, Pattenden, Christopher, Nagy, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,582,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless mobile communication device includes a first processor configured to execute a software application and a second processor configured to manage wireless communication over a wireless network. The processors are located in the same communication device and configured for one of the processors to send data to the other processor under a protocol. In accordance with this protocol, if the sending processor does not receive a receipt acknowledgement for the sent data from the other processor before the end of a resend time period measured from when the data was sent, then the sending processor resends the data to the other processor after the end of the resend time period. However, the sending processor does receive the acknowledgement before the end of the resend time period, then the sending processor does not resend the data to the other processor.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a first processor configured to execute a software application; and

a second processor configured to manage wireless communication over a wireless network;

the processors being located in the same communication device and configured for one of the processors to send data to the other processor under a protocol in which;

if the sending processor does not receive a receipt acknowledgement for the sent data from the other processor before the end of a resend time period measured from when the data was sent, then the sending processor resends the data to the other processor after the end of the resend time period; and

if the sending processor does receive the acknowledgement before the end of the resend time period, then the sending processor does not resend the data to the other processor.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the protocol further includes:

if, after resending the data, the sending process still does not receive a receipt acknowledgement from the other processor before the end of a second resend time period measured from when the data was resent, then the sending processor resends the data again to the other processor.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the processors are configured to use the protocol both when the first processor sends to the second processor data to be transmitted over network and when the second processor sends to the first processor data received from the network.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a two-way communication device having voice and data communication capabilities.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the software application manages non-network communication functions of the mobile device.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the first processor is a different type of processor than the second processor.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first processor controls operation of the second processor.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein a separate control line is used for each control function of the first processor over the second processor.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the sending of the data is through serial communication.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the sending of the data is through lines dedicated to communication between the first and second processors.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the sending of the data is through a bus into which commands and responses can be placed for communication to either processor.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a shared memory system into which a command can be stored by either one of the processors and from which the command can be read by the other processor.

13. A wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a first processor configured to execute a mobile device software application; and

a second processor configured to manage wireless communication over a wireless network;

the processors being located in the same communication device and configured for one of the processors to send data to the other processor under a protocol in which;

the sending processor sends, to the other processor, a data packet that includes a packet sequence number; and

the other processor, after receiving the data packet, sends to the sending processor an acknowledgement packet that includes the packet sequence number of the data packet.

14. The device of claim 13 the sending of the data and acknowledgement packets is over a serial link between the first and second processors.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the packet sequence number is reinitialized to a value of zero when a configuration control packet is sent from one of the processors to the other processor.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a first data packet from a sending processor;

determining whether a second data packet will be sent to the sending processor within a predetermined time period after the first data packet has been received;

if a second data packet will be sent to the sending processor within the predetermined time period, then sending, to the first processor, the second data packet with an acknowledgement of the first data packet within the second data packet; and

if a second data packet will not be sent to the sending processor within the predetermined time period, then sending an acknowledgement packet comprising an acknowledgement of the first data packet to the first processor after the second predetermined time period ends.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the receiving, determining and sending steps are performed by a receiving processor that is part of the same mobile communication device as the sending processor.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the first data packet includes a sequence number, and the acknowledgement is accompanied by the sequence number