OPTIMIZED PACKET PROCESSING ARCHITECTURE FOR BATTERY POWERED MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20090059899A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Bendelac, Gil
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A transceiver includes a peripheral device, a first processor configured to control an operation of the peripheral device, at least one second processor configured to transport data between the transceiver and at least one wireless network, and a third processor connected between the first processor and the at least one second processor. The third processor is configured to control the at least one second processor for executing a network operation independently of the first processor.

Claims

1. A transceiver, comprising:

a peripheral device;

a first processor configured to control an operation of the peripheral device;

at least one second processor configured to transport data between the transceiver and at least one wireless network; and

a third processor connected between the first processor and the at least one second processor, the third processor being configured to control the at least one second processor for executing a network operation independently of the first processor.

2. The transceiver of claim 1, comprising a plurality of the peripheral devices, wherein the first processor is configured to control the plurality of peripheral devices.

3. The transceiver of claim 1, the peripheral device being selectable from a group comprising at least one of a keypad, a microphone, a speaker, a display, a camera, a removable data storage and a USB port.

4. The transceiver of claim 1, the at least one wireless network comprising at least one of a cellular network, a wireless LAN network, a WiMax network, a Bluetooth network and a GPS network.

5. The transceiver of claim 1, wherein at least one second processor comprises a plurality of the modems, each modem configured to transport data between the transceiver and a different wireless network.

6. The transceiver of claim 1, further comprising a fourth processor in communication with the first and third processors, the fourth processor being configured to execute a multimedia data processing operation.

7. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being configured to control at least one second processor to maintain a network connection between the transceiver and the at least one wireless network.

8. The transceiver of claim 7, wherein the third processor maintains the network connection without awakening the first processor from a sleep mode.

9. The transceiver of claim 7, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to periodically send a message to the at least one wireless network to maintain the network connection therebetween.

10. The transceiver of claim 9, wherein the message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol data packet.

11. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to encrypt or decrypt the data packet.

12. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to execute an authentication operation between the transceiver and the at least one wireless network.

13. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to perform a roaming function to detect a new wireless network available for communication with the transceiver.

14. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to perform a registering operation of the transceiver to a new wireless network available for communication with the transceiver.

15. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to perform a hand-off operation from a network of a first network type to another network of a second network type.

16. The transceiver of claim 15, wherein the first network type is one of a cellular network, a wireless LAN network, a WiMax network, a Bluetooth network and a GPS network, and the second network type is another network type thereof.

17. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to perform a hand-over operation from one network to another network.

18. The transceiver of claim 1, the third processor being further configured to control at least one second processor to perform an RF coexistence maintenance operation.

19. A method for maintaining a network connection between a transceiver and a wireless network, comprising:

establishing a network connection between a transceiver and a wireless network;

allowing an application processor, which controls operations of at least one peripheral device, to enter a low power mode when the transceiver is in an idle state; and

maintaining the network connection using a network processor to control a communication processor for sending periodic messages to the wireless network without awakening the application processor from the low power mode.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein maintaining the network connection comprises periodically sending keep alive messages from the network processor to the wireless network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the keep alive messages comprises a Session Initiation Protocol data packet.

22. A method for operating a transceiver configured to connect to a plurality of wireless networks of different network types, comprising:

establishing a network connection between a transceiver and a first wireless network of a first network type using a first communication processor controlled by a network processor;

detecting a second wireless network of a second network type using a second communication processor controlled by the network processor, the network processor coupled to the first communication processor, the second communication processor and an application processor provided in the transceiver; and

performing a handover operation from the first wireless network to the second wireless network using the network processor to control the first communication processor and the second communication processor for the handover operation.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first network type is one of a cellular network, a wireless LAN network, a WiMax network, a Bluetooth network and a GPS network, and the second network type is another network type.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising establishing a network connection between the transceiver and the second wireless network.