METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECONFIGURING A REMOTE DEVICE

• US 20080051075A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: McClaughry, Michael J., Einloth, Brian W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface

Abstract

A system (100) for reconfiguring a remote device (102) (e.g., a client device) that includes at least one processor (200) and reconfigurable logic (202) that is operatively coupled to the processor (200), employs for example, a network element that serves as a remote profile server (104) for the remote device (102). The remote device (102) includes an application profiler (206) that produces application runtime profile statistic information (120) during runtime of an application running on at least one processor (200) of the device. The remote profile server (104) includes a profile analyzer (130) that analyzes the received application runtime profile statistic information (120) to determine suitable reconfigurable logic configuration information (122) and corresponding application patch information (124) for the remote device (102). The remote profile server (104) then sends the reconfiguration logic configuration information (122) and corresponding application patch information (124) back to the remote device (102). The remote device (102) then utilizes the information to reconfigure its onboard reconfigurable logic (202) and to also utilizes the corresponding application patch (124). Corresponding methods are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reconfiguring a remote device that includes a processor and reconfigurable logic operatively coupled to the processor, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface operative to receive application runtime profile statistic information associated with the remote device that was obtained during runtime of an application running on the processor of the remote device;

profile analyzer operative to analyze the received application runtime profile statistic information to determine suitable reconfigurable logic configuration information and corresponding application patch information for the remote device; and

the communication interface operative to send the reconfiguration logic configuration information and the corresponding application patch information for the remote device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reconfigurable logic configuration information comprises data representing a field programmable gate array configuration file and wherein the corresponding application patch information comprises data representing executable code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication interface is operatively coupled to a wireless network and wherein the profile analyzer is comprised of a processor that executes instructions.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a device comprising;

a processor;

reconfigurable logic operatively coupled to the processor;

memory, operatively coupled to the processor, containing executable instructions that serve as an application;

an application profiler operative to produce at least application runtime profile statistic information during runtime of the application running on the processor; and

a communication interface operatively coupled to the application profiler and operative to transmit the application runtime profile statistic information for a remote profile server and to receive reconfigurable logic configuration information and corresponding application patch information sent by the remote profile server.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the reconfigurable logic configuration information and corresponding application patch information improves remote device performance by at least either causing reduced power consumption of the remote device or improving processing speed of a processor in the remote device when the remote device is reconfigured using the reconfigurable logic configuration information and corresponding application patch.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the processor executes instructions to serve as the application profiler.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a reconfiguration manager operatively coupled to the communication interface and to the reconfigurable logic and operative to at least reconfigure the reconfigurable logic based on the received reconfigurable logic configuration information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the reconfiguration manager is operative to facilitate loading of the corresponding application patch information to update the application based on the sent profile statistic information.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 comprising a profile server that comprises:

a communication interface operative to receive application runtime profile statistic information associated with the remote device that was obtained during runtime of an application running on the processor of the remote device;

profile analyzer operative to analyze the received application runtime profile statistic information to determine suitable reconfigurable logic configuration information and corresponding application patch information for the remote device; and

the communication interface operative to send the reconfiguration logic configuration information and the corresponding application patch information for the remote device.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the device comprises a cell phone.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processor executes instructions and serves as the application profiler.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the communication interface is operatively coupled to a wireless network.

13. A method for reconfiguring a device comprising:

obtaining application runtime profile statistic information during runtime of an application running on a processor;

sending the application runtime profile statistic information to a remote profile analyzer; and

configuring reconfigurable logic in response to received reconfigurable logic configuration information and employing an application patch by the processor, in response to a received application patch, provided by the remote profile analyzer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the method comprises:

receiving reconfigurable logic configuration information for the reconfigurable logic from the remote profile analyzer that is based on the sent application runtime profile statistic information; and

receiving an application patch for the processor from the remote profile analyzer that is based on the sent application runtime profile statistic information.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein configuring the reconfigurable logic in response to received reconfigurable logic configuration information and employing an application patch by the processor, in response to a received application patch, provided by the remote profile analyzer causes the processor to at least one of:

enhance speed of processing of the processor and reduce power consumption of the processor.

16. The method of claim 13 comprising:

receiving application runtime profile statistic information associated with the remote device that was obtained during runtime of an application running on the processor;

analyzing received application runtime profile statistic information to determine suitable reconfigurable logic configuration information and corresponding application patch information for the remote device; and

sending the reconfiguration logic configuration information and the corresponding application patch information to the remote device.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein sending the reconfiguration logic configuration information and the corresponding application patch information to the remote device comprises sending the reconfiguration logic configuration information and the corresponding application patch information via a wireless network.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the reconfiguration logic configuration information comprises configuration information for a field programmable gate array.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein sending the application runtime profile statistic information to the remote profile analyzer comprises wirelessly sending the application runtime profile statistic information to the remote profile analyzer.

20. The method of claim 13 comprising executing instructions to serve as an application profiler.