A/V CONTROL FOR A COMPUTING DEVICE WITH HANDHELD AND EXTENDED COMPUTING UNITS

• US 20090197642A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), Markison, Timothy W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60

Abstract

An IC includes a microphone interface, a speaker interface, a baseband processing module, and RF section, a processing module, an on-chip to off-chip connector structure, and a digital audio switching module coupled to: provide the inbound voice signal from the processing module to the handheld speaker interface when the IC is in a remote mode; provide the outbound voice signal from the handheld microphone interface to the processing module when the IC is in the remote mode; provide the inbound voice signal from the processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in a docked mode; and provide the outbound voice signal from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the processing module when the IC is in the docked mode.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) for use in a handheld computing unit of a computing device that includes the handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit, wherein the IC comprises:

a handheld microphone interface;

a handheld speaker interface;

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data;

a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream;

a processing module coupled to convert an outbound voice signal into the outbound data and to convert the inbound data into an inbound voice signal;

an on-chip to off-chip connector structure that couples the IC to a connector structure, wherein the connector structure couples the handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit; and

a digital audio switching module coupled to;

provide the inbound voice signal from the processing module to the handheld speaker interface when the IC is in a remote mode, wherein the IC is in the remote mode when the handheld computing unit is not coupled to the extended computing unit;

provide the outbound voice signal from the handheld microphone interface to the processing module when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the inbound voice signal from the processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in a docked mode, wherein the IC is in the docked mode when the handheld computing unit is coupled to the extended computing unit;

provide the outbound voice signal from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the processing module when the IC is in the docked mode.

2. The IC of claim 1 further comprises:

the processing module generating output user data and input user data relating to processing a handheld user application;

a handheld display interface coupled to an off-chip handheld display;

a data input interface coupled to an off-chip data input device;

a data switch module coupled to;

provide the output user data from the processing module to the handheld display interface when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the output user data from the processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the docked mode;

provide the input user data from the handheld data input interface to the processing module when the IC is in the remote mode; and

provide the input user data from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the processing module when the IC is in the docked mode.

3. The IC of claim 1 further comprises:

a digital audio processing module coupled to convert an audio file into an outbound digital audio stream and store an inbound digital audio stream as another audio file, wherein the digital audio switching module is further coupled to;

provide the outbound digital audio stream from the digital audio processing module to the handheld speaker interface when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the inbound digital audio stream from the handheld microphone interface to the digital audio processing module when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the outbound digital audio stream from the digital audio processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the docked mode; and

provide the inbound digital audio stream from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the digital audio processing module when the IC is in the docked mode.

4. The IC of claim 1 further comprises:

a digital video processing module coupled to convert a video file into an outbound digital video stream and a corresponding outbound digital audio stream and to convert an inbound digital video stream and a corresponding inbound digital audio stream into another video file;

a handheld display interface coupled to an off-chip handheld display;

a handheld video capture interface coupled to an off-chip video capture device; and

a digital video switching module is coupled to;

provide the outbound digital video stream from the digital video processing module to the handheld display interface when the IC is in the remote mode; and

provide the inbound digital video stream from the handheld video capture interface to the digital video processing module when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the outbound digital video stream from the digital video processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the docked mode; and

provide the inbound digital video stream from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the digital video processing module when the IC is in the docked mode, wherein the digital audio switching module is further coupled to;

provide the corresponding outbound digital audio stream from the digital video processing module to the handheld speaker interface when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the corresponding inbound digital audio stream from the handheld video capture interface to the digital video processing module when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the corresponding outbound digital audio stream from the digital video processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the docked mode; and

provide the corresponding inbound digital audio stream from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the digital video processing module when the IC is in the docked mode.

5. The IC of claim 1 further comprises:

the handheld microphone interface including an amplifier circuit and an analog to digital converter; and

the handheld speaker interface including a volume adjust module and a digital to analog converter.

6. The IC of claim 1 further comprises:

the processing module coupled to convert an outbound non-voice signal into second outbound data and to convert second inbound data into an inbound non-voice signal;

the baseband processing module coupled to convert the second outbound data into a second outbound symbol stream and to convert a second inbound symbol stream into the second inbound data;

the RF section coupled to convert the second outbound symbol stream into a second outbound RF signal and to convert a second inbound RF signal into the second inbound symbol stream;

a handheld display interface coupled to an off-chip handheld display;

a data input interface coupled to an off-chip data input device;

a data switch module coupled to;

provide the outbound non-voice signal from the processing module to the handheld display interface when the IC is in the remote mode;

provide the outbound non-voice signal from the processing module to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the docked mode;

provide the inbound non-voice signal from the handheld data input interface to the processing module when the IC is in the remote mode; and

provide the inbound non-voice signal from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure to the processing module when the IC is in the docked mode.

7. An integrated circuit (IC) for use in a handheld computing unit of a computing device that includes the handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit, wherein the IC comprises:

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data;

a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream;

a processing module coupled to convert an outbound signal into the outbound data and to convert the inbound data into an inbound signal;

an on-chip to off-chip connector structure that couples the IC to a connector structure, wherein the connector structure couples the handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit;

a digital audio/video processing module coupled to;

convert a video file into a first formatted outbound digital video stream and a corresponding outbound stereo digital audio stream when the IC is in the remote mode or a first docked mode;

convert the video file into a second formatted outbound digital video stream and a corresponding outbound multi-channel digital audio stream when the IC is in a second docked mode;

convert an audio file into a stereo outbound digital audio stream when the IC is in the remote mode or the first docked mode; and

convert the audio file into a multi-channel outbound audio stream when the IC is in the second docked mode, wherein the IC is in the remote mode when the handheld computing unit is not coupled to the extended computing unit and the IC is in the first or second docked mode when the handheld computing unit is coupled to the extended computing unit;

a stereo digital to analog converter;

an audio multiplexing module coupled to output the stereo outbound digital audio stream or the corresponding outbound stereo digital audio stream to the stereo digital to analog converter when the IC is in the remote mode or to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the first docked mode;

a video encoding module coupled to encode the first formatted outbound digital video stream into a first video signal and to encode the second formatted outbound digital video stream into a second video signal;

a handheld display interface; and

a video multiplexing module coupled to;

output the first video signal to the handheld display interface when the IC is in the remote mode;

output the first video signal to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the first docked mode; and

output the second video signal to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the second docked mode.

8. The IC of claim 7 further comprises:

a television (TV) tuner coupled to generate a TV digital audio signal and a TV digital video signal, wherein the audio multiplexing module outputs the TV digital audio signal to the stereo digital to analog converter when the IC is in a TV remote mode or to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in a TV docked mode, and wherein the video multiplexing module outputs the TV digital video signal to the handheld graphics engine when the IC is in the TV remote mode and to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the TV docked mode.

9. The IC of claim 7, wherein the video encoding module comprises:

a graphics overlay module coupled to;

overlay graphics of the processing module with the first formatted outbound digital video to produce a first graphic overlaid digital video signal when the IC is in the remote mode;

overlay graphics received via the on-chip to off-chip connection structure with the first formatted outbound digital video to produce a second graphic overlaid digital video signal when the IC is in the first docked mode; and

overlay the graphics received via the on-chip to off-chip connection structure with the second formatted outbound digital video to produce a third graphic overlaid digital video signal when the IC is in the second docked mode; and

a video encoder coupled to encode the first, second, or third graphic overlaid digital video signal to produce the first or second video signal.

10. The IC of claim 7 further comprises:

the processing module converting the inbound data into an inbound digital voice signal, wherein the audio multiplexing module outputs the inbound digital voice signal to the stereo digital to analog converter when the IC is in the remote mode or to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in a first or second docked mode.

11. The IC of claim 7 further comprises:

the processing module converting the inbound data into an inbound digital non-voice signal, wherein the video multiplexing module outputs the inbound digital non-voice signal to the handheld graphics engine when the IC is in the remote mode and to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the first or second docked mode.

12. The IC of claim 7 further comprises:

a digital audio interface for providing the corresponding outbound multi-channel digital audio stream or the outbound multi-channel digital audio stream to the on-chip to off-chip connector structure.

13. The IC of claim 7, wherein the on-chip to off-chip connector structure comprises at least one of:

an on-chip portion an on-chip to off-chip RF connector;

one or more IC pins; and

an on-chip portion an on-chip to off-chip electromagnetic connector.

14. An integrated circuit (IC) for use in a handheld computing unit of a computing device that includes the handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit, wherein the IC comprises:

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data;

a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream;

a processing module coupled to convert an outbound signal into the outbound data and to convert the inbound data into an inbound signal;

an on-chip to off-chip connector structure that couples the IC to a connector structure, wherein the connector structure couples the handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit;

a digital audio/video processing module coupled to;

convert an inbound digital video stream and a corresponding inbound digital audio stream into a video file; and

convert an inbound digital audio stream into an audio file;

an analog to digital converter coupled to convert an inbound audio signal into a handheld inbound digital audio stream when the IC is in a remote mode, wherein the IC is in the remote mode when the handheld computing unit is not coupled to the extended computing unit;

an audio multiplexing module coupled to output the handheld inbound digital audio stream as the inbound digital audio stream to the digital audio/video processing module when the IC is in the remote mode and coupled to output an extended unit inbound signal audio stream received via the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in a docked mode, wherein the IC is in the docked mode when the handheld computing unit is coupled to the extended computing unit;

a handheld data input interface; and

a data input multiplexing module coupled to;

output a handheld input signal from the handheld data input interface when the IC is in the remote mode; and

output an extended unit input signal from the on-chip to off-chip connector structure when the IC is in the docked mode.

15. The IC of claim 14 further comprises:

a video/image capture module coupled to generate an analog video stream and a corresponding analog audio stream when the IC is in the remote mode; and

a video codec coupled to convert the analog video stream into the inbound digital video stream and to convert the corresponding analog audio stream into the corresponding inbound digital audio stream.

16. The IC of claim 15 further comprises:

a graphics overlay module coupled to overlay graphics with the inbound digital video stream prior to conversion into the video file by the digital audio/video processing module.

17. The IC of claim 14 further comprises:

the handheld input signal or the extended unit input signal is the outbound signal converted into the outbound data by the processing module, wherein the handheld input signal and the extended unit input signal are non-voice signals.

18. The IC of claim 14 further comprises:

the handheld input signal or the extended unit input signal is the outbound signal converted into the outbound data by the processing module, wherein the handheld input signal and the extended unit input signal are voice signals.