APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD CAPABLE OF INTEGRATING A CELLULAR PHONE STACK IN AN EXTENDED FIRMWARE INTERFACE (EFI) LAYER

• US 20100081485A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: DESHPANDE, Nikhil M., DESHMUKH, Jeetendra G., VELHAL, Ravindra V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,670,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless device capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer, wherein the cellular phone stack within the EFI layer may include TDMA or CDMA0-based technology. An embodiment of the present invention may further provide at least one agent running under an OS/EFI continuously monitoring said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power and wherein anytime events occur where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than threshold, the wireless device may switch itself to the low power secure EFI mode where it may continue to use basic cell phone services and applications seamlessly.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless device capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in a firmware layer; and

at least one agent running under an OS/EFI monitoring said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power, wherein anytime an event occurs where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value, said wireless device switches itself to a low power secure EFI mode where the wireless device can continue to use basic cell phone services and applications.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cellular phone stack within said firmware layer is a cellular phone stack within an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer and capable includes TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein based upon the context or activity or both, said mobile device may enter into a low power EFI mode where said mobile device can extend its power thereby enabling continued use for making critical calls and utilizing basic services, regardless of the presence and functionality of said OS.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power management portion of said wireless device capable of coordinating the transfer/switching of said cell phone stack from said OS-mode to said low power EFI-mode.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

7. A method of power management in a wireless device, comprising:

integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer;

integrating at least one agent running under an OS/EFI to monitor said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power; and

switching said wireless device to a low power secure EFI mode anytime an event occurs where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising adapting said wireless device to include within said cellular phone stack within said EFI layer, TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising entering, based upon the context or activity or both of said wireless device, into a low power EFI mode wherein said mobile device can extend its power thereby enabling continued use for making critical calls and utilizing basic services, regardless of the presence and functionality of said OS.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising coordinating the transfer/switching of said cell phone stack from said OS-mode to said low power EFI-mode by a power management portion of said wireless device.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13. An article, comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing platform results in;

integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer, said instructions enabled to control the integration of at least one agent running under an OS/EFI to monitor said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power, said instructions further enabled to control the switching of said wireless device to a low power secure EFI mode anytime an event occurs where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value, thereby enabling the wireless device to continue to use a cell phone service.

14. The article of claim 13, further comprising adapting said wireless device to include within said cellular phone stack within said EFI layer, TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

17. The article of claim 13, further comprising controlling the entering, based upon the context or activity or both of said wireless device, into a low power EFI mode where said mobile device can extend its power thereby enabling continued use for making critical calls and utilizing basic services, regardless of the presence and functionality of said OS.

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless communication infrastructure enabling the communication between a plurality of wireless devices, wherein at least one of said wireless devices is capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer; and

at least one agent running under an OS/EFI monitoring said at least one wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power and wherein anytime an event occurs where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value, said wireless device switches to the low power secure EFI where the wireless device can continue to use a cell phone service.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said communication infrastructure is TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

20. (canceled)