Processing system with millimeter wave host interface and method for use therewith

• US 7,908,420 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Primary Examiner(s): Knoll; Clifford H
• Application Number:
  US11/888,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 710/306, 710/316, 370342-345, 370347-349, 375/219, 375/222
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A processing system includes a plurality of first circuit modules and a wired data bus, connected to the plurality of first circuit modules. A plurality of second circuit modules are coupled to an RF data bus via a millimeter wave communication path. A millimeter wave modem receives first data from at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules via the wired data bus, and transmits the first data over the RF data bus to at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules.

Claims

1. A processing system comprising:

a device that includes;

a plurality of first circuit modules;

a wired data bus, connected to the plurality of first circuit modules;

an RF data bus that operates over a millimeter wave communication path in a millimeter wave frequency band for intra-device communication;

a plurality of second circuit modules coupled to the RF data bus to engage in the intra-device communication via the millimeter wave communication path;

a millimeter wave modem coupled to receive first data from at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules via the wired data bus, and to transmit the first data over the RF data bus to at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules.

2. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the millimeter wave modem includes:

a first protocol conversion module coupled to convert the first data to a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the RF data bus; and

a millimeter wave transceiver coupled to transmit the first data over the millimeter wave communication path.

3. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the millimeter wave modem is further coupled to receive second data from at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules via the RF data bus, and to send the second data over the wired data bus to at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules.

4. The processing system of claim 3 wherein the millimeter wave transceiver is coupled to receive the second data over the millimeter wave communication path, and wherein the millimeter wave modem includes:

a second protocol conversion module coupled to convert the second data from a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the wired data bus.

5. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the RF data bus includes a RF data bus controller having:

an interface for communicating RF data bus access requests and allocations; and

a controller module coupled to;

receive an access request to the RF data bus via the interface;

determine RF data bus resource availability; and

when sufficient RF data bus resources are available to fulfill the access request, allocate, via the interface, at least one RF data bus resource in response to the access request.

6. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the millimeter wave communication path includes a wave guide.

7. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the millimeter wave communication path includes a free space communication path.

8. A processing system comprising:

a plurality of first circuit modules including a processing module and a memory module;

a wired data bus, connected to the plurality of first circuit modules;

an RF data bus that operates over a millimeter wave communication path in a millimeter wave frequency band;

an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of second circuit modules coupled to the RF data bus via the millimeter wave communication path, wherein at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules communicates data with at least one other of the plurality of second circuit modules via the RF data bus;

a millimeter wave modem coupled to receive first data from at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules via the wired data bus, and to transmit the first data over the RF data bus to at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules.

9. The processing system of claim 8 wherein the millimeter wave modem includes:

a first protocol conversion module coupled to convert the first data to a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the RF data bus; and

a millimeter wave transceiver coupled to transmit the first data over the millimeter wave communication path.

10. The processing system of claim 9 wherein the millimeter wave modem is further coupled to receive second data from at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules via the RF data bus, and to send the second data over the wired data bus to at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules.

11. The processing system of claim 10 wherein the millimeter wave transceiver is coupled to receive the second data over the millimeter wave communication path, and wherein the millimeter wave modem includes:

a second protocol conversion module coupled to convert the second data from a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the wired data bus.

12. The processing system of claim 8 wherein the RF data bus includes a RF data bus controller having:

an interface for communicating RF data bus access requests and allocations; and

a controller module coupled to;

receive an access request to the RF data bus via the interface;

determine RF data bus resource availability; and

when sufficient RF data bus resources are available to fulfill the access request, allocate, via the interface, at least one RF data bus resource in response to the access request.

13. The processing system of claim 8 wherein the millimeter wave communication path includes a wave guide.

14. The processing system of claim 8 wherein the millimeter wave communication path includes a free space communication path.

15. A processing system comprising:

a plurality of first circuit modules;

a wired data bus, connected to the plurality of first circuit modules;

an RF data bus that operates over a millimeter wave communication path in a millimeter wave frequency band;

a plurality of second circuit modules, including a processor and a memory, coupled to the RF data bus via the millimeter wave communication path, wherein each of the plurality of second circuit modules includes an integrated antenna structure, and wherein at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules communicates data with at least one other of the plurality of second circuit modules via the RF data bus;

a millimeter wave modem coupled to receive first data from at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules via the wired data bus, and to transmit the first data over the RF data bus to at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules.

16. The processing system of claim 15 wherein the millimeter wave modem includes:

a first protocol conversion module coupled to convert the first data to a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the RF data bus; and

a millimeter wave transceiver coupled to transmit the first data over the millimeter wave communication path.

17. The processing system of claim 16 wherein the millimeter wave modem is further coupled to receive second data from at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules via the RF data bus, and to send the second data over the wired data bus to at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules.

18. The processing system of claim 17 wherein the millimeter wave transceiver is coupled to receive the second data over the millimeter wave communication path, and wherein the millimeter wave modem includes:

a second protocol conversion module coupled to convert the second data from a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the wired data bus.

19. The processing system of claim 15 wherein the RF data bus includes a RF data bus controller having:

an interface for communicating RF data bus access requests and allocations; and

a processing module coupled to;

receive an access request to the RF data bus via the interface;

determine RF data bus resource availability; and

when sufficient RF data bus resources are available to fulfill the access request, allocate, via the interface, at least one RF data bus resource in response to the access request.

20. The processing system of claim 15 wherein the millimeter wave communication path includes a wave guide.

21. The processing system of claim 15 wherein the millimeter wave communication path includes a free space communication path.

22. A method comprising:

coupling a plurality of first circuit modules via a wired data bus;

coupling a plurality of second circuit modules to engage in intra-device communication via an RF data bus that operates over a millimeter wave communication path in a millimeter wave frequency band;

receiving first data from at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules via the wired data bus; and

transmitting the first data over the RF data bus to at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

converting the first data to a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the RF data bus.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving second data from at least one of the plurality of second circuit modules via the RF data bus; and

sending the second data over the wired data bus to at least one of the plurality of first circuit modules.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

converting the second data from a millimeter wave protocol for transmission over the wired data bus.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving an access request to access the RF data bus;

determining RF data bus resource availability; and

when sufficient RF data bus resources are available to fulfill the access request, allocating at least one RF data bus resource in response to the access request.