Multiradio control interface

• US 20070263709A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kiukkonen, Niko, Kasslin, Mika, Virtanen, Martti
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• 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 system for managing the simultaneous operation of a plurality of radio modems in a single wireless communication device (WCD). The multiradio control may be integrated into the WCD as a subsystem responsible for scheduling wireless communications by temporarily enabling or disabling the plurality of radio modems within the device. The multiradio control system may comprise a multiradio controller (MRC) and a plurality dedicated radio interfaces. The radio interfaces are dedicated to quickly conveying delay sensitive information to and from the radio modems. This information may be requested by the MRC, or provided by one or more of the plurality of radio modems, if a change occurs during operation.

Claims

1. A terminal device enabled to avoid communication conflicts between a plurality of active radio modems integrated within the terminal device, comprising:

a master control system for controlling the general operation of the terminal device;

a plurality of radio modems; and

a multiradio control system for concurrently managing the plurality of radio modems, the multiradio control system including;

a multiradio controller, coupled to at least the master control system, for receiving delay tolerant information from the master control system and controlling operation of the plurality of radio modems;

a plurality of radio modem interface modules, coupled to each of the plurality of radio modems and the multiradio controller, wherein the modem interface modules relay delay sensitive information from the plurality of radio modems for delivery to the multiradio controller through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information, and relay commands received through the direct physical interface from the multiradio controller to the radio modems.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant or a palmtop computer.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the multiradio controller, the radio modem interface modules and the radio modems are all separate integrated circuits.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein each radio modem is integrated with a radio modem interface module.

5. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the delay tolerant information includes radio modem configuration information that does not change during a radio modem connection;

and

the delay sensitive information includes at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control messages containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem.

6. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the multiradio controller determines whether received information is delay sensitive or delay tolerant information.

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the multiradio controller correlates the delay sensitive information to a time of original creation.

8. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein the time of original creation is correlated by appending a count value of one or more timers that record the execution time of various delay sensitive message transmission phases to the end of a delay sensitive message packet.

9. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the multiradio controller uses the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

10. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the multiradio controller requests synchronization data from any or all of the plurality of radio modems through the radio modem interface modules.

11. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the commands from the multiradio controller are based on the delay tolerant information and delay sensitive information.

12. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the commands are enable or disable instructions for temporarily changing the behavior of any or all of the plurality of radio modems.

13. A method for avoiding communication conflicts between a plurality of active radio modems integrated within the terminal device, comprising:

controlling the general operation of the terminal device with a master control system;

concurrently managing a plurality of radio modems with a multiradio control system, the multiradio control system including;

a multiradio controller, coupled to at least the master control system, for receiving delay tolerant information from the master control system and controlling operation of the plurality of radio modems;

a plurality of radio modem interface modules, coupled to each of the plurality of radio modems and the multiradio controller, wherein the modem interface modules relay delay sensitive information from the plurality of radio modems for delivery to the multiradio controller through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information, and relay commands received through the direct physical interface from the multiradio controller to the radio modems.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the delay tolerant information includes radio modem configuration information that does not change during a radio modem connection;

and

the delay sensitive information includes at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control messages containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the multiradio controller determines whether received information is delay sensitive or delay tolerant information.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the multiradio controller correlates the delay sensitive information to a time of original creation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the time of original creation is correlated by appending a count value of one or more timers that record the execution time of various delay sensitive message transmission phases to the end of a delay sensitive message packet.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the multiradio controller uses the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the multiradio controller requests synchronization data from any or all of the plurality of radio modems through the radio modem interface modules.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the commands from the multiradio controller are based on the delay tolerant information and delay sensitive information.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the commands are enable or disable instructions for temporarily changing the behavior of any or all of the plurality of radio modems.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium for avoiding communication conflicts between a plurality of active radio modems integrated within the terminal device, comprising:

a computer readable program code for controlling the general operation of the terminal device with a master control system;

a computer readable program code for concurrently managing a plurality of radio modems with a multiradio control system, the multiradio control system including;

a multiradio controller, coupled to at least the master control system, for receiving delay tolerant information from the master control system and controlling operation of the plurality of radio modems;

a plurality of radio modem interface modules, coupled to each of the plurality of radio modems and the multiradio controller, wherein the modem interface modules relay delay sensitive information from the plurality of radio modems for delivery to the multiradio controller through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information, and relay commands received through the direct physical interface from the multiradio controller to the radio modems.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the delay tolerant information includes radio modem configuration information that does not change during a radio modem connection;

and

the delay sensitive information includes at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control messages containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the multiradio controller determines whether received information is delay sensitive or delay tolerant information.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the multiradio controller correlates the delay sensitive information to a time of original creation.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the time of original creation is correlated by appending a count value of one or more timers that record the execution time of various delay sensitive message transmission phases to the end of a delay sensitive message packet.

27. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the multiradio controller uses the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

28. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the multiradio controller requests synchronization data from any or all of the plurality of radio modems through the radio modem interface modules.

29. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the commands from the multiradio controller are based on the delay tolerant information and delay sensitive information.

30. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the commands are enable or disable instructions for temporarily changing the behavior of any or all of the plurality of radio modems.

31. A system for avoiding communication conflicts between a plurality of active radio modems integrated within the terminal device, comprising:

a terminal device;

a master control system contained within the terminal device for controlling the general operation;

a plurality of radio modems contained within the terminal device; and

a multiradio control system contained within the terminal device for concurrently managing the plurality of radio modems, the multiradio control system including;

a multiradio controller, coupled to at least the master control system, for receiving delay tolerant information from the master control system and controlling operation of the plurality of radio modems;

a plurality of radio modem interface modules, coupled to each of the plurality of radio modems and the multiradio controller, wherein the modem interface modules relay delay sensitive information from the plurality of radio modems for delivery to the multiradio controller through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information, and relay commands received through the direct physical interface from the multiradio controller to the radio modems.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the multiradio controller correlates the delay sensitive information to a time of original creation.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the time of original creation is correlated by appending a count value of one or more timers that record the execution time of various delay sensitive message transmission phases to the end of a delay sensitive message packet.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the multiradio controller uses the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

35. A chipset for conveying delay sensitive information between components of a terminal device, comprising:

a plurality of component devices coupled to a common communication interface including at least one component device which is a controller; and

the communication interface being composed of a plurality of interface modules, coupled to each of the plurality of component devices and the controller, wherein the interface modules relay delay sensitive information from the component devices for delivery to the controller through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information, and relay commands received through the direct physical interface from the controller to the component devices.

36. The chipset of claim 35, wherein the communication interface isolates the delay sensitive information from other information communicated by the plurality of components and the controller through a master control system of the terminal device.

37. The chipset of claim 35, wherein the interface is based on an I²C bus structure.

38. The chipset of claim 35, wherein the interface is based on a SLIbus bus structure.

39. A method for correlating delay-sensitive information to the time of original creation, in a sending device comprising:

creating a message packet in a sending device;

initiating a clock signal in a sending device;

counting, in the sending device, a number of clock pulses from the clock signal until an interface coupling the sending device to a receiving device becomes available;

appending, when the interface becomes available, the number of clock pulses counted to the message packet in the sending device;

broadcasting, from the sending device, the clock signal;

sending, from the sending device, the message packet to the receiving device using the interface;

counting a number of clock pulses until the message packet is completely received in the receiving device;

appending the number of clock pulses counted to the message packet received in the receiving device;

counting a number of clock pulses until a processor in the receiving device is available to process the message packet;

appending the number of clock pulses counted to the message packet received in the receiving device;

processing the message packet in the receiving device.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the message packet contains delay sensitive operational information about the sending device.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the sending device and receiving device are included in the same wireless communication device.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the sending device and the receiving device are at least one of a radio modem and a controller.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the receiving device uses the number of clock pulses appended to the message packet to determine a time when the message packet was originally created in the sending device.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the receiving device uses information contained in the message packet in order to formulate a response to the sending device.