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Wireless radio modem with minimal interdevice RF interference

  • US 5,727,020 A
  • Filed: 11/13/1996
  • Issued: 03/10/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A circuit for minimizing power consumption in a radio modem that includes a digital signal processor and a microprocessor for providing overall control of the radio modem, wherein the microprocessor includes a nonmaskable interrupt signal input and at least one standard interrupt signal input and wherein power consumption is minimized by placing the microprocessor in an fully inactive mode when it is not needed to process a data transmission from a host system associated with the radio modem or to process an external signal received by the radio modem, the circuit comprising:

  • (a) deactivating means for placing the microprocessor in the fully inactive mode;

    (b) a serial communications controller, connected to the microprocessor, for detecting communications from a host system associated with the radio modem and for generating a first activating interrupt signal if the communications are received while the microprocessor is in the fully inactive mode and for generating a first nonactivating interrupt signal if the microprocessor is in an active mode;

    (c) timing means associated with the serial communications controller for producing an output pulse to the microprocessor after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from a point in time that the means for deactivating placed the microprocessor in the fully inactive state, wherein the output pulse is transmitted as a second activating signal if the microprocessor is fully inactive and as a second nonactivating signal if the microprocessor is active; and

    (d) means for masking from the nonmaskable interrupt input to the microprocessor a received one of the first nonactivating interrupt signal or the second nonactivating interrupt signal.

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