Distributed multiradio controller

• US 7,693,486 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kiukkonen, Niko, Kasslin, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost; Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehra; Inder P
• Application Number:
  US11/431,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/338, 370/334, 370/343, 370/236, 370/328, 370/332, 370/350, 455/41.2, 455/450, 455/452, 455/1, 455/454, 455/507, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system for managing the simultaneous operation of a plurality of radio modems in a single wireless communication device (WCD). The multiradio control may be integrated into a WCD as a subsystem responsible for scheduling wireless communications by temporarily enabling or disabling a plurality of radio modems. The multiradio control system may include a plurality of distributed control components, some or all of which are coupled to a dedicated radio interface. The radio interface is dedicated to quickly conveying delay sensitive information to and from the distributed control components. This information may be requested by any or all of the distributed control components, or provided by any or all of the radio modems if a change occurs during operation.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a master control system configured to control the general operation of a device;

a plurality of radio modems; and

a multiradio control system configured to concurrently manage the plurality of radio modems, the multiradio control system including;

distributed control components, incorporated within at least the master control system and the plurality of radio modems, configured to control operation of the plurality of radio modems based on delay tolerant information including radio modem configuration information that does not change during a virtual radio modem connection and delay sensitive information including at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem; and

multiradio control system interface modules, coupled to at least some of the distributed control components, configured to relay the delay sensitive information between the distributed control components through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the multiradio control system interface modules are coupled to the distributed control components incorporated within the plurality of radio modems.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the distributed control components incorporated within the plurality of radio modems include at least a radio activity controller and a synchronizer.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one each of the radio activity controller, the synchronizer and the multiradio control system interface module are integrated within each of the plurality of radio modems.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the distributed control component incorporated within the master control system includes at least a priority controller.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein any or all of the distributed control components determine whether received information is delay sensitive or delay tolerant information.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the distributed control components, alone or in combination, use the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the distributed control components request synchronization data from any or all of the plurality of radio modems through the multiradio control system interface modules.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein commands are issued by one or more of the distributed control components, the commands being enable or disable instructions for temporarily changing the behavior of any or all of the plurality of radio modems.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein all of the distributed control components are coupled to multiradio control system interface modules.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant or a palmtop computer.

12. A method, comprising:

controlling the general operation of a device with a master control system;

concurrently managing a plurality of radio modems with a multiradio control system, the multiradio control system including;

distributed control components, incorporated within at least the master control system and the plurality of radio modems, configured to control operation of the plurality of radio modems based on delay tolerant information including radio modem configuration information that does not change during a virtual radio modem connection and delay sensitive information including at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem; and

multiradio control system interface modules, coupled to at least some of the distributed control components, configured to relay the delay sensitive information between the distributed control components through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein any or all of the distributed control components determines whether received information is delay sensitive or delay tolerant information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein one or more of the distributed control components, alone or in combination, use the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein one or more of the distributed control components request synchronization data from any or all of the plurality of radio modems through the multiradio control system interface modules.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein commands are issued by one or more of the distributed control components, the commands being enable or disable instructions for temporarily changing the behavior of any or all of the plurality of radio modems.

17. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code configured to control the general operation of a device with a master control system;

code configured to concurrently manage a plurality of radio modems with a multiradio control system, the multiradio control system including;

distributed control components, incorporated within at least the master control system and the plurality of radio modems, configured to control operation of the plurality of radio modems based on delay tolerant information including radio modem configuration information that does not change during a virtual radio modem connection and delay sensitive information including at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem; and

multiradio control system interface modules, coupled to at least some of the distributed control components, configured to relay the delay sensitive information between the distributed control components through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein any or all of the distributed control components determine whether received information is delay sensitive or delay tolerant information.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein one or more of the distributed control components, alone or in combination, use the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein one or more of the distributed control components request synchronization data from any or all of the plurality of radio modems through the multiradio control system interface modules.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein commands are issued by one or more of the distributed control components, the commands being enable or disable instructions for temporarily changing the behavior of any or all of the plurality of radio modems.

22. A system, comprising:

a device;

a master control system contained within the device for controlling general operation;

a plurality of radio modems contained within the device; and

a multiradio control system contained within the device for concurrently managing the plurality of radio modems, the multiradio control system including;

distributed control components, incorporated within at least the master control system and the plurality of radio modems, configured to control operation of the plurality of radio modems based on delay tolerant information including radio modem configuration information that does not change during a virtual radio modem connection and delay sensitive information including at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem; and

multiradio control system interface modules, coupled to at least some of the distributed control components, configured to relay the delay sensitive information between the distributed control components through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the multiradio control system interface modules are coupled to the distributed control components incorporated within the plurality of radio modems.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein all of the distributed control components are coupled to multiradio control system interface modules.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein one or more of the distributed control components, alone or in combination, use the delay sensitive information and the delay tolerant information to schedule any or all of the plurality of radio modems in order to avoid communication conflicts between actively communicating radio modems.

26. A chipset, comprising:

a plurality of distributed control components coupled to a communication interface;

the communication interface being composed of a plurality of interface modules, coupled to at least some of the plurality of the distributed control components, wherein the interface modules relay delay sensitive information including at least information related to radio modem clock synchronization and radio modem activity control containing at least one or more allowed/disallowed communication periods for a radio modem between the distributed control components through a direct physical interface dedicated for providing fast connection for communicating delay sensitive information.

27. The chipset of claim 26, wherein the communication interface isolates the delay sensitive information from other information communicated by the plurality of distributed control components through a master control system of the terminal device.

28. The chipset of claim 26, wherein the interface is based on an I²C bus structure.

29. The chipset of claim 26, wherein the interface is based on a SLIMbus bus structure.