Low power dual processor architecture for multi mode devices

• US 8,351,985 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Krishnan, Ranganathan, Ludwin, Albert S., Gardner, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sobutka, Philip
• Application Number:
  US13/354,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20120115456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0287 changing the clock frequency of a controller in the equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile computing device with multiple modes, for example, wireless communication and personal computing, has an application processor and a communication processor. In the computing mode, the application processor is the master processor. In the communication mode, the application processor is deenergized to conserve battery power, with the communication processor functioning as the master processor by accessing the device'"'"'s peripheral bus using the memory interface of the communication processor.

Claims

1. A multi mode mobile device configured to switch between a communication mode and a computing mode, the multi mode mobile device comprising:

a communication processor configured to facilitate wireless voice and data communication when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode;

an application processor configured to execute at least one computing application when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode; and

a configuration module configured to switch the multi mode mobile device from the computing mode to the communication mode in response to user input of at least part of a telephone number.

2. The multi mode mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application processor functions as a master processor and the communication processor functions as a peripheral processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode.

3. The multi mode mobile device of claim 2, wherein the application processor is deenergized when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode to enable the communication processor to function as the master processor.

4. The multi mode mobile device of claim 2, wherein the application processor is associated with a processor local bus (PLB), the multi mode mobile device further comprising a PLB bridge processor configured to enable the communication processor to function as the master processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode and to enable the communication processor to function as a peripheral processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode.

5. The multi mode mobile device of claim 4, wherein the communication processor is operative to control one or more peripheral devices coupled to the PLB when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode.

6. The multi mode mobile device of claim 4, wherein the PLB bridge processor is a dedicated portion of the communication processor.

7. The multi mode mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application processor is an application processor core of a main processor.

8. A multi mode mobile device configured to switch between a communication mode and a computing mode, the multi mode mobile device comprising:

application processing means for executing at least one computing application when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode;

communication processing means for facilitating wireless voice and data communication when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode; and

means for switching the multi mode mobile device from the computing mode to the communication mode in response to user input of at least part of telephone number.

9. The multi mode mobile device of claim 8, wherein the application processing means functions as a master processor and the communication processing means functions as a peripheral processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode.

10. The multi mode mobile device of claim 9, wherein the application processing means is deenergized when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode to enable the communication processing means to function as the master processor.

11. The multi mode mobile device of claim 10, wherein the application processing means is associated with a processor local bus (PLB), the multi mode mobile device further comprising a PLB bridge processing means thr enabling the communication processing means to function as the master processor and the communication processing means to function as a peripheral processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode.

12. The multi mode mobile device of claim 11, wherein the communication processing means is operative to control one or more peripheral devices coupled to the PLB when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode.

13. The multi mode mobile device of claim 11, wherein the PLB bridge processing means is a dedicated portion of the communication processing means.

14. A method for operating a multi mode mobile device in a computing mode and a communication mode, the method comprising:

executing at least one computing application by an application processor in the computing mode;

switching the multi mode mobile device from the computing mode to the communication mode in response to user input including at least a part of a telephone number; and

facilitating wireless voice and data communication using a communication processor in the communication mode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the application processor functions as a master processor and the communication processor functions as a peripheral processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the application processor is deenergized when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode to enable the communication processor to function as the master processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the application processor is associated with a processor local bus (PLB), the method further comprising using a PLB bridge processor to enable the communication processor to function as the master processor and the communication processor to function as a peripheral processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the computing mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the PLB bridge processor is a dedicated portion of the communication processor.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the application processor is an application processor core of a main processor.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling one or more peripheral devices coupled to the PLB at the communication processor when the multi mode mobile device is in the communication mode.