Multiple processor communication circuit cards and communication devices that employ such cards
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A circuit card, comprising:
- a substrate;
an interface disposed on the substrate having a plurality of input/output (I/O) terminals;
a first processor disposed on the substrate and adapted to implement communication functions in accordance with a communication standard;
a second processor disposed on the substrate and adapted to implement additional functions beyond said communication functions specified by the communication standard; and
a switch disposed on the substrate and coupled to the interface, the first processor, and the second processor, and configured to selectively route a group of signals between the I/O terminals and the first and second processors, the group of signals comprising a plurality of signals received through a selected combination of the I/O terminals, wherein said switch is further configured to recognize a signal pattern depicted by said selected combination of the I/O terminals through which the group of signals was received, the combination being undefined by the communication standard, and to determine said routing of the group of signals to either the first processor or the second processor based at least in part on said signal pattern.
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Abstract
Multiprocessor circuit cards and communication devices that employ such cards are described herein. In some instances, the multiprocessor circuit cards may be subscriber identity module (SIM) cards and the communication devices may be wireless mobile telephones that are compliant with a communication standard such as ISO/IEC, 3GPP, GSM consortium or other standards.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A circuit card, comprising:
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a substrate; an interface disposed on the substrate having a plurality of input/output (I/O) terminals; a first processor disposed on the substrate and adapted to implement communication functions in accordance with a communication standard; a second processor disposed on the substrate and adapted to implement additional functions beyond said communication functions specified by the communication standard; and a switch disposed on the substrate and coupled to the interface, the first processor, and the second processor, and configured to selectively route a group of signals between the I/O terminals and the first and second processors, the group of signals comprising a plurality of signals received through a selected combination of the I/O terminals, wherein said switch is further configured to recognize a signal pattern depicted by said selected combination of the I/O terminals through which the group of signals was received, the combination being undefined by the communication standard, and to determine said routing of the group of signals to either the first processor or the second processor based at least in part on said signal pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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receiving a group of signals through selected ones of a plurality of input/output (I/O) terminals of a circuit card; determining, by a switch coupled to the circuit card and to the plurality of I/O terminals, whether to route the group of signals to a first processor of the circuit card adapted to implement communication functions in accordance with a communication standard or to a second processor of the circuit card adapted to implement additional functions beyond said communication functions specified by the communication standard, said determining based at least in part on whether the group of signals is received through a selected combination of the I/O terminals, the selected combination depicting a signal pattern of the group of signals and the selected combination being undefined by the communication standard, wherein the switch is further adapted to recognize the signal pattern depicted by the combination; and selectively routing the group of signals by the switch to either the first or the second processor based at least in part on the signal pattern depicted by the selected combination. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A communication device, comprising:
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a slot adapted to receive a circuit card, the slot including a plurality of contacts; and circuitry coupled to the plurality of contacts and adapted to direct or receive a group of signals, or to both direct and receive a group of signals, to and from selected ones of the plurality of contacts, said group of signals comprising a plurality of signals; wherein the plurality of contacts adapted to correspondingly couple with a plurality of input/output (I/O) terminals of the received circuit card; wherein the circuitry selectively communicates with a first processor of the received circuit card adapted to implement communication functions in accordance with a communication standard, and selectively communicates with a second processor of the received circuit card adapted to implement additional functions beyond the communication functions specified by the communication standard, by directing or receiving the group of signals through the contacts corresponding to a selected combination of I/O terminals, the selected combination being undefined by the communication standard, wherein the circuitry is configured to recognize a signal pattern depicted by said selected combination, and wherein the circuitry is configured to selectively communicate with either the first processor or the second processor based at least in part on said signal pattern. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method, comprising:
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receiving a circuit card in a slot of a communication device, the slot including a plurality of contacts; and directing or receiving signals, or both, to and from selected ones of the plurality of contacts, by a circuitry coupled to the plurality of contacts; wherein the plurality of contacts is adapted to correspondingly couple with a plurality of input/output (I/O) terminals of the received circuit card; wherein the directing or receiving includes selectively communicating with a first processor of the received circuit card adapted to implement communication functions in accordance with a communication standard, and with a second processor of the received circuit card adapted to implement additional functions beyond the communication functions specified by the communication standard, by directing or receiving signals through the contacts corresponding to a selected combination of the I/O terminals receiving the signals, said I/O terminals receiving the signals being a subset of the I/O terminals of the circuit card, based on signal patterns depicted by said selected combination, the I/O terminals being dedicated terminals used by the communication standard and selected combination being undefined by the communication standard, and wherein the selectively communicating with the second processor is based at least in part on said signal patterns. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification