Arbitration of resources at a wireless device among contending applications

• US 20070099640A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Turner, Simon, Khushu, Sanjeev, Babbar, Uppinder, Nookala, Sriram
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/502
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

Multiple applications sharing common resources are arbitrated such that failures resulting from unavailable resources can be avoided. Whenever an application (e.g., a data application) desires to perform an operation (e.g., PPP resynchronization) that requires the use of a shared resource (e.g., an RF receiver), a determination is made as to whether that resource is available. The operation may be delayed while the resource is unavailable. The application may be assigned the resource if it is available or becomes available and may then start the operation. The resource is locked while the operation is pending to avoid assignment to another application. The resource arbitration allows applications to complete their operations without encountering failures due to other applications taking over the resources.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a resource shared by multiple applications and usable by only one application at a time; and

a controller configured to receive a request by an application to perform an operation requiring use of the resource, to determine whether the resource is available and, if the resource is unavailable, to delay the operation until the resource becomes available.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to assign the resource, if available, to the application for the operation and to lock the resource from being assigned to another application while the operation is pending.

3. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to unlock the resource upon completion of the operation.

4. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to notify another application waiting for the resource when the resource becomes available.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to assign the resource to applications requesting the resource based on an order in which the resource is requested.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine priorities of applications requesting for the resource and to assign the resource to the requesting applications based on the priorities of the applications.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a table of at least one resource shared by a plurality of applications, wherein the table indicates whether each of the at least one resource is currently assigned to any application.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a table of a plurality of applications sharing at least one resource, wherein the table indicates one or more shared resources required by each of the plurality of applications.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the resource is a radio frequency (RF) receiver.

10. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the resource is a digital signal processor (DSP).

11. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the multiple applications comprise a Global Positioning System (GPS) application, and wherein the operation is for a GPS session.

12. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the multiple applications comprise a data application.

13. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the operation is for handoff of a data session from a first wireless network to a second wireless network.

14. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the operation is for termination of a data session.

15. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the operation is for resynchronization of a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session.

16. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the operation is for termination of a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session.

17. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the operation is for resynchronization of a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session for hand-up from a CDMA2000 1X network to a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network.

18. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the operation is for resynchronization of a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session for hand-down from a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network to a CDMA2000 1X network.

19. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the operation is for mobile IP re-registration, mobile IP de-registration, or TCP session cleanup.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a request by an application to perform an operation requiring use of a resource that is shared by multiple applications and usable by only one application at a time;

determining whether the resource is available; and

delaying the operation, if the resource is unavailable, until the resource becomes available.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

assigning the resource, if available, to the application for the operation; and

locking the resource from being assigned to another application while the operation is pending.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

unlocking the resource upon completion of the operation.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

performing resynchronization of a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session for the operation.

24. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request by an application to perform an operation requiring use of a resource that is shared by multiple applications and usable by only one application at a time;

means for determining whether the resource is available; and

means for delaying the operation, if the resource is unavailable, until the resource becomes available.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for assigning the resource, if available, to the application for the operation; and

means for locking the resource from being assigned to another application while the operation is pending.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for unlocking the resource upon completion of the operation.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for performing resynchronization of a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session for the operation.

28. A processor readable media for storing instructions operable in a wireless device to:

receive a request by an application to perform an operation requiring use of a resource that is shared by multiple applications and usable by only one application at a time;

determine whether the resource is available; and

delay the operation, if the resource is unavailable, until the resource becomes available.

29. The processor readable media of claim 28, and further for storing instructions operable to:

assign the resource, if available, to the application for the operation; and

lock the resource from being assigned to another application while the operation is pending.

30. The processor readable media of claim 29, and further for storing instructions operable to:

unlock the resource upon completion of the operation.

31. The processor readable media of claim 29, and further for storing instructions operable to:

perform resynchronization of a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session for the operation.