Inter-chip data communications with power-state transition management

• US 8,989,071 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sanghi, Karan, Juang, Ben-Heng, Sivasithambaresan, Arjuna
• Primary Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US13/755,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/389, 370392-393, 370428-429, 370/474, 370/476
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method includes inter-chip data communications between a power-managed integrated circuit (IC) and a peer IC. The peer IC generates a data frame and prepends a discardable preamble of a predefined size to a payload of the data frame. The predefined size is a size not less than a size of data discarded by the power-managed IC upon the power-managed IC receiving a data frame while in a low-power state. The peer IC transmits the data frame to the power-managed IC. The power-managed IC, while in a low-power state, may receive the data frame from the peer IC and in response to receiving the data frame, begin exiting the low-power state. The power-managed IC, while exiting the low-power state, may discard a portion of the data frame such as for example, some or all of the discardable preamble, without discarding payload.

Claims

1. A method of inter-chip data communications between a power-managed integrated circuit (IC) and a peer IC, the method comprising:

generating, by the peer IC, a data frame, including prepending a discardable preamble of a predefined size to a payload of the data frame, the predefined size comprising a size not less than a size of data discarded by the power-managed IC upon the power-managed IC receiving a data frame while in a low-power state; and

transmitting, by the peer IC to the power-managed IC, the data frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the peer IC from the power-managed IC, a maximum expected time for the power-managed IC to exit the low-power state, wherein generating the data frame further comprises calculating the predefined size of the discardable preamble in dependence upon the maximum expected time for the power-managed IC to exit the low-power state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the peer IC from the power-managed IC, a minimum expected time between the power-managed IC exiting and re-entering the low-power state, wherein:

generating the data frame further comprises determining whether the power-managed IC is currently in a low-power state in dependence upon a time of the power-managed IC'"'"'s most recent exit from the low-power state and the minimum expected time between the power-managed IC exiting and re-entering the low-power state and prepending the discardable preamble only after determining that the power-managed IC is currently in the low-power state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the data frame further comprises generating a set of data frames to be transmitted to the power-managed IC and appending a transmission complete notification to a payload of a last data frame of the set of data frames to be transmitted to the power-managed IC; and

transmitting the data frame further comprises transmitting the set of data frames to the power-managed IC beginning with a first data frame that includes a discardable preamble appended to the first data frame'"'"'s payload and ending with the last data frame that includes the transmission complete notification appended to the last data frame'"'"'s payload.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein prepending the discardable preamble further comprises inserting in the preamble a predefined value.

6. A method of inter-chip data communications between a power-managed integrated circuit (‘

IC’

) and a peer IC, the method comprising;

receiving, by the power-managed IC while in a low-power state, a data frame from the peer IC, the data frame comprising a payload and a discardable preamble prepended to the payload, the discardable preamble comprising a predefined size;

beginning to exit, by the power-managed IC, the low-power state responsive to receiving the data frame; and

discarding, by the power-managed IC while exiting the low-power state, a portion of the data frame without discarding payload, the discarded portion of the data frame comprising a size not greater than the predefined size of the discardable preamble.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the data frame from the peer IC further comprises receiving the data frame serially beginning with the discardable preamble followed by the payload.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the data frame from the peer IC further comprises receiving a set of data frames from the peer IC, where a last data frame of the set comprises a transmission complete notification appended to a payload of the last data frame;

and the method further comprises re-entering the low-power state responsive to receiving the transmission complete notification.

9. A peer integrated circuit (IC) configured for inter-chip data communications with a power-managed IC, the peer IC comprising circuitry configured to:

generate a data frame, wherein to generate the data frame, the circuitry is further configured to prepend to a payload of the data frame a discardable preamble of a size, wherein the size is not less than a size of data discarded by the power-managed IC upon the power-managed IC receiving a data frame while in a low-power state; and

the data frame to the power-managed IC.

10. The peer IC of claim 9, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the size of a discardable preamble in dependence upon a maximum expected time for the power-managed IC to exit a low-power state.

11. The peer IC of claim 9, wherein the circuitry further comprises a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART).

12. The peer IC of claim 9, wherein the peer IC further comprises a computer processor.

13. A system comprising:

a peer integrated circuit (IC) and a power-managed IC, the peer IC operatively coupled to

the power-managed IC for inter-chip data communications, the peer IC configured to;

generate a data frame including prepending a discardable preamble of a predefined size to a payload of the data frame, the predefined size comprising a size not less than a size of data discarded by the power-managed IC upon the power-managed IC receiving a data frame while in a low-power state; and

transmit the data frame to the power-managed IC;

the power-managed IC configured to;

receive, while in a low-power state, the data frame from the peer IC;

begin to exit the low-power state responsive to receiving the data frame; and

discard a portion of the data frame without discarding payload, the discarded portion of the data frame comprising a size not greater than the predefined size of the discardable preamble.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the power-managed IC is further configured to inform the peer IC of a maximum expected time for the power-managed IC to exit the low-power state and the peer IC is configured to calculate the predefined size of the discardable preamble in dependence upon the maximum expected time for the power-managed IC to exit the low-power state.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the power-managed IC is further configured to inform the peer IC of a minimum expected time duration between the power-managed IC exiting and re-entering the low-power state; and

the peer IC, in generating the data frame, is further configured to;

determine whether the power-managed IC is currently in a low-power state in dependence upon a time of the power-managed IC'"'"'s most recent exit from the low-power state and the minimum expected time duration between the power-managed IC exiting and re-entering the low-power state; and

prepend the discardable preamble to the payload of the data frame only after determining that the power-managed IC is currently in the low-power state.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a wireless mobile device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the peer IC operatively coupled to the power-managed IC for inter-chip data communications via a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) in the peer IC and a UART in the power-managed IC.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the peer IC further comprises a computer processor and the power-managed IC further comprises a computer processor.

19. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a peer processor and a power-managed processor, the peer processor operatively coupled to the power-managed processor for serial inter-processor data communications, the peer processor configured to;

prepend a discardable preamble of a predefined size to a payload of a first data frame of a set of data frames to be transmitted to the power-managed processor, the predefined size comprising a size not less than a size of data discarded by the power-managed processor upon the power-managed processor receiving a data frame while in a low-power state;

append a transmission complete notifications to a payload of a last data frame of the set of data frames to be transmitted to the power-managed processor; and

transmit the set of data frames to the power-managed processor beginning with the first data frame and ending with the last data frame; and

the power-managed processor is configured to;

receive, while in a low-power state, the first data frame from the peer processor;

begin exiting the low-power state responsive to receiving the first data frame;

discard a portion of the first data frame without discarding the payload while exiting the low-power state, the discarded portion of the data frame comprising a size not greater than the predefined size of the discardable preamble; and

re-enter the low-power state responsive to receiving the transmission complete notification of the last data frame.

20. The wireless mobile device of claim 19, further comprising logic configured to receive, from the power-managed processor, a maximum expected time for the power-managed processor to exit the low-power state and calculate the predefined size of the discardable preamble in dependence upon the maximum expected time for the power-managed processor to exit the low-power state.