Communicator having reconfigurable resources

• US 5,999,990 A
• Filed: 05/18/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics C4 Systems Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Campini, Edoardo, Sharrit, Paul, Cornils, Curtis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US09/080,113
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 395/674, 395/677, 395/800.1, 395/591, 364/281.3, 364/281.6, 364/281.8, 364/228.6, 364/236.9, 705/8, 705/9, 710/8, 710/104, 710/15, 709/301, 709/105, 709/239.9, 707/205, 707/202
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00

Abstract

A communicator (10) includes a plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13) that can each be dynamically altered to perform any of a multitude of processing tasks. A controller (16) determines a plurality of processing tasks to be supported by the communicator (10) and configures the plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13) accordingly. A memory (18) stores a library of configuration files for use by the controller (16) in configuring the plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13). In one embodiment, the controller (16) continuously adapts the plurality of reconfigurable resource units (13) according to present system requirements.

Claims

1. A communicator for use in a communications system, comprising:

a plurality of reconfigurable resource units for use in processing communications signals, each of said reconfigurable resource units being able to perform any of a plurality of different processing tasks based on a present configuration, wherein each of said reconfigurable resource units includes an input for receiving configuration information;

a memory for storing a library of configuration files for use in configuring said plurality of reconfigurable resource units; and

a controller including means for determining processing tasks that need to be performed by said communicator and means for configuring said plurality of reconfigurable resource units in accordance with said processing tasks, wherein said controller is coupled to said memory for accessing said library of configuration files,

wherein said means for configuring includes;

a resource allocation unit for allocating resources in said plurality of reconfigurable resource units to each of said processing tasks;

means for retrieving a first configuration file from said memory; and

means for delivering said first configuration file to a first location in said plurality of reconfigurable resource units, wherein said first location is determined by said resource allocation unit.

2. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said resource allocation unit can allocate multiple reconfigurable resource units to perform a single task.

3. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said resource allocation unit can allocate a single reconfigurable resource unit to perform multiple tasks.

4. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said controller includes a file management unit for receiving configuration files from an exterior environment and for organizing configuration files in said memory.

5. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a configuration antenna, coupled to said controller, for receiving configuration information from an exterior environment.

6. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a channel monitor, coupled to said controller, for monitoring a spectral environment about said communicator, wherein said controller configures said plurality of reconfigurable resource units based on said spectral environment.

7. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a signal classifier, coupled to said controller, for determining a signal type of a communications signal received from a communications channel, wherein said controller configures said plurality of reconfigurable resource units based on said signal type.

8. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a signal bus coupled to at least two reconfigurable resource units for use in transferring communications signals to/from said at least two units.

9. The communicator, as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

at least one antenna for providing an interface with a wireless communications channel, said at least one antenna being coupled to said signal bus.

10. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said reconfigurable resource units in said plurality of reconfigurable resource units includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) having a plurality of processing cells and an interconnection means for use in interconnecting said cells, wherein said interconnection means is responsive to input information for interconnecting said cells in a predetermined manner.

11. The communicator, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said library of configuration files includes a plurality of FPGA configuration data files that can be selectively transferred to said FPGA.

12. The communicator, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said FPGA is an analog FPGA capable of processing analog input signals.

13. The communicator, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said FPGA is a digital FPGA capable of processing digital input signals.

14. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said reconfigurable resource units in said plurality of reconfigurable resource units includes a digital signal processor (DSP) having a random access memory (RAM) for storing software programs, said DSP being capable of executing software programs stored in said RAM, wherein said DSP includes means for receiving new software programs files from an exterior environment.

15. The communicator, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said library of configuration files includes a plurality of software program files that can be selectively downloaded to said DSP.

16. The communicator, as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

said plurality of software program files includes software objects, wherein said DSP includes linking means for linking software objects together.

17. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least two of said reconfigurable resource units in said plurality of reconfigurable resource units have identical architectures to one another.

18. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said controller includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a random access memory (RAM), said CPU being capable of executing programs stored in said RAM, wherein said RAM includes a program for configuring said plurality of reconfigurable resource units in accordance with said processing tasks.

19. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface, operatively located between said controller and an exterior environment, for use in communicating with a user of said communicator, wherein said user interface allows said user to deliver configuration information to said controller.

20. The communicator, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

said configuration information includes at least one of the following;

configuration commands instructing said controller to configure said plurality of reconfigurable resource units in a predetermined manner and configuration files for use by said controller in configuring said plurality of reconfigurable resource units.

21. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communicator is a handheld unit.

22. The communicator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said communicator is located in a communications base station.

23. A communicator for use in a communications system, comprising:

a receiver having at least one input for receiving a configuration file for use in configuring said receiver to properly process a signal, having a predetermined signal type, received from a communications channel;

a memory for storing a plurality of configuration files, wherein each of said configuration files corresponds to a particular signal type that said receiver is able to receive;

a determination unit for determining a first signal type to be processed by said receiver; and

a retrieval unit for retrieving a configuration file corresponding to said first signal type from said memory and for delivering said first configuration file to said at least one input of said receiver in response to said determination unit.

24. The communicator, as claimed in claim 23, wherein:

said determination unit includes a user interface for accepting a user specified signal type designation.

25. The communicator, as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

a signal classifier for determining a signal type of a first signal received from said communications channel, wherein said determination unit is responsive to said signal classifier.

26. The communicator, as claimed in claim 23, wherein:

said plurality of configuration files includes a plurality of software modules, wherein each of said software modules is for use, in conjunction with a central processing unit, in processing a signal having a specific signal type.

27. The communicator, as claimed in claim 23, wherein:

said plurality of configuration files includes a plurality of configuration data files for use in configuring a reconfigurable hardware unit.

28. The communicator, as claimed in claim 27, wherein:

said reconfigurable hardware unit includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

29. The communicator, as claimed in claim 23, wherein said communicator is a handheld unit.

30. A communicator for use in a communications system, comprising:

a transmitter having at least one input for receiving a configuration file for use in configuring said transmitter to generate a transmit signal having a predetermined signal type;

a memory for storing a plurality of configuration files corresponding to a plurality of different signal types;

a determination unit for determining a first signal type to be generated by said transmitter during a particular period of time; and

a retrieval unit for retrieving a configuration file corresponding to said first signal type from said memory and for delivering said configuration file to said at least one input of said transmitter.

31. The communicator, as claimed in claim 30, wherein:

said determination unit includes a user interface for accepting a user specified signal type designation.

32. The communicator, as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

a channel monitor for monitoring a spectral environment about said communicator, wherein said determination unit is responsive to said channel monitor.