Apparatus, system and method capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer

• US 8,670,757 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Velhal, Ravindra V., Deshmukh, Jeetendra G., Deshpande, Nikhil M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J
• Application Number:
  US12/567,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 455/226.1, 455/414.1, 455/67.11, 455/343.1, 455/404.1, 455/574, 455/422.1, 455/423, 455/425
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless device capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in an extended firmware interface (EFI) layer, wherein the cellular phone stack within the EFI layer may include TDMA or CDMA0-based technology. An embodiment of the present invention may further provide at least one agent running under an OS/EFI continuously monitoring said wireless device status, OS availability and remaining power and wherein anytime events occur where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, corrupted or when the remaining power is less than threshold, the wireless device may switch itself to the low power secure EFI mode where it may continue to use basic cell phone services and applications seamlessly.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless device capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in a firmware layer; and

at least one agent configured to run under an operating system/extended firmware interface (OS/EFI) and monitor a status of said wireless device, OS availability and remaining power, wherein responsive to an event where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value, said wireless device switches from a mode associated with an OS cellular phone stack to a low power secure mode associated with the firmware cellular phone stack where the wireless device can continue to use basic cell phone services and applications.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cellular phone stack within said firmware layer is a cellular phone stack within an EFI layer and includes TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said wireless device is configured to enter into a low power EFI mode where said wireless device can extend its power thereby enabling continued use for making critical calls and utilizing basic services, regardless of the presence and functionality of said OS.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power management portion of said wireless device capable of coordinating said switching from the mode associated with OS cellular phone stack to the low power secure mode associated with the firmware cellular phone stack.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wireless device switches responsive to an event where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, and when the remaining power is less than the threshold value.

6. A method of power management in a wireless device, comprising:

integrating a cellular phone stack of the wireless device in a firmware layer of the wireless device;

integrating at least one agent running under an OS/EFI, wherein the at least one agent is configured to monitor a status of said wireless device, OS availability and remaining power; and

switching said wireless device from a mode associated with an OS cellular phone stack to a low power secure mode associated with the firmware cellular phone stack responsive to an event where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said integrating the cellular phone stack includes integrating the cellular phone stack in an EFI laver, the method further comprising adapting said wireless device to include within said cellular phone stack within said EFI layer, TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising entering the wireless device into a low power EFI mode wherein said wireless device can extend its power thereby enabling continued use for making critical calls and utilizing basic services, regardless of the presence and functionality of said OS.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising coordinating said switching from the mode associated with OS cellular phone stack to the low power secure mode associated with the firmware cellular phone stack by a power management portion of said wireless device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said switching comprises switching said wireless device responsive to an event occurs where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, and when the remaining power is less than the threshold value.

11. An article, comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing platform results in;

integrating a cellular phone stack of a wireless device in a firmware layer of the wireless device;

integrating at least one agent running under an OS/EFI, wherein the at least one agent is configured to monitor a status of said wireless device, OS availability and remaining power;

switching said wireless device from a mode associated with an OS cellular phone stack to a low power secure mode associated with the firmware cellular phone stack responsive to an event where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein said integrating the cellular phone stack includes integrating the cellular phone stack in an EFI laver, and wherein the instructions when executed further result in adapting said wireless device to include within said cellular phone stack within said EFI layer, TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein the instructions when executed further result in entering the wireless device into a low power EFI mode wherein said wireless device can extend its power thereby enabling continued use for making critical calls and utilizing basic services, regardless of the presence and functionality of said OS.

14. The article of claim 11, wherein for the switching of said wireless device, said instructions when executed further result in switching from the mode associated with the OS cellular phone stack to the low power secure mode associated with the firmware cellular phone stack responsive an event where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, and when the remaining power is less than a threshold value.

15. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless communication infrastructure enabling the communication between a plurality of wireless devices, wherein at least one of said wireless devices is capable of integrating a cellular phone stack in a firmware layer; and

at least one agent configured to run under an operating system/extended firmware interface (OS/EFI) and monitor a status of said wireless device, OS availability and remaining power, wherein responsive to an event where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, or when the remaining power is less than a threshold value, said wireless device switches from a mode associated with an OS cellular phone stack to a low power secure mode associated with the firmware cellular phone stack where the wireless device can continue to use basic cell phone services and applications.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said communication infrastructure is configured to operate in TDMA or CDMA-based technology.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said wireless device switches responsive to an event where said OS is unavailable, missing, infected, or corrupted, and when the remaining power is less than the threshold value.