Synchronous interface for multi-radio coexistence manager

• US 8,995,333 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gruber, Hans Georg, Wietfeldt, Richard Dominic, Chrisikos, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAGLO, EMMANUEL K
• Application Number:
  US12/749,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20110026432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 370/354, 370310-324, 370/419, 710/61, 710/305
• US Class Current: 370/327
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/417 with deterministic access, e.g. token passing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate a synchronous bus architecture for multi-radio coexistence associated with a wireless device. As described herein, a system of buses operating in a synchronous manner, combined with optional on-chip and/or other supplemental buses, can be utilized to couple respective radios and/or other related endpoints to a coexistence management platform, thereby facilitating management of coexistence between multiple radios in a unified and scalable manner. As further described herein, communication between a coexistence manager and its respective managed endpoints can be facilitated through the use of a single bus or multiple buses (e.g., external buses, on-chip and/or other internal buses, etc.) that can operate concurrently and/or in an otherwise cooperative manner to facilitate expedited conveyance of radio event notifications and their corresponding responses.

Claims

1. A method used in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

identifying respective managed endpoints associated with respective potentially conflicting radio technologies and a multi-radio coexistence platform associated with the respective managed endpoints; and

maintaining a bus system that communicatively connects the respective managed endpoints to the multi-radio coexistence platform, wherein the bus system comprises one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner coupled to at least one supplemental bus, the supplemental bus being reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode,

wherein each of the respective managed endpoints is coupled to the one or more buses operating in the synchronous manner and to at least one supplemental bus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective managed endpoints comprise at least one of a radio, an antenna, a power amplifier, a filter, a mixer, or a modem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises identifying an integrated circuit having implemented thereon one or more internal buses and at least one of the respective managed endpoints.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining comprises maintaining at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner that communicatively connects at least one managed endpoint to the multi-radio coexistence platform, collects notifications for the multi-radio coexistence platform from the at least one managed endpoint, and facilitates conveyance of coexistence commands from the multi-radio coexistence platform to the at least one managed endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining comprises reprogramming one or more buses that operating in a synchronous manner and that communicatively connect at least one managed endpoint to the multi-radio coexistence platform for operation according to a non-synchronous bus protocol for at least one decision unit in time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner comprise at least one bus implemented according to a SLIMbus architecture.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the identifying of the respective managed endpoints comprises identifying at least a first of the respective managed endpoints implemented on an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including one or more internal buses communicatively connected to the at least the first of the respective managed endpoints, and

wherein the maintaining of the bus system includes maintaining the one or more internal buses.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the maintaining comprises maintaining a bus system that communicatively connects the integrated circuit and the multi-radio coexistence platform such that respective managed endpoints implemented on the integrated circuit are coupled to the bus system via the one or more internal buses implemented on the integrated circuit.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner is configured to collect notifications for the multi-radio coexistence platform from the at least one managed endpoint at a first time interval, to await processing of the notifications by the multi-radio coexistence platform at a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval, and to facilitate conveyance of coexistence commands from the multi-radio coexistence platform to the at least one managed endpoint at a third time interval subsequent to the second time interval.

10. The method of claim 7,

wherein the maintaining of the bus system further includes maintaining one or more buses external to the integrated circuit, the multi-radio coexistence platform communicatively connecting to the one or more internal buses implemented on the integrated circuit via the one or more buses external to the integrated circuit.

11. The method of claim 10,

wherein the identifying of the respective managed endpoints further comprises identifying at least a second of the respective managed endpoints implemented external to the integrated circuit, the at least the second of the respective managed endpoints communicatively connecting to multi-radio coexistence platform via the one or more buses external to the integrated circuit.

12. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication system, comprising:

respective managed endpoints associated with a set of potentially conflicting radio technologies;

a coexistence manager (CxM) that facilitates coexistence between the respective managed endpoints; and

a bus system that communicatively connects the respective managed endpoints to the CxM, wherein the bus system comprises one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner coupled to at least one supplemental bus, the supplemental bus being reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode,

wherein each of the respective managed endpoints is coupled to the one or more buses operating in the synchronous manner and to the supplemental bus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the respective managed endpoints comprise at least one of a radio, an antenna, a power amplifier, a filter, a mixer, or a modem.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one integrated circuit having implemented thereon one or more internal buses and at least one of the respective managed endpoints, and wherein the bus system communicatively connects the at least one integrated circuit and the CxM such that respective managed endpoints implemented on the at least one integrated circuit are coupled to the bus system via the one or more internal buses implemented on the at least one integrated circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the bus system comprises at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner that communicatively connects at least one managed endpoint to the CxM, collects notifications for the CxM from the at least one managed endpoint, and facilitates conveyance of coexistence commands from the CxM to the at least one managed endpoint.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the bus system comprises one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner that are reprogrammable for operation according to a non-synchronous bus protocol for at least one decision unit in time.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner comprise at least one bus implemented according to a SLIMbus architecture.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an integrated circuit comprising at least a first of the respective managed endpoints and one or more internal buses communicatively connected to the at least the first of the respective managed endpoints,

wherein the bus system includes the one or more internal busses of the integrated circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coexistence manager (CxM) is coupled to the one or more buses operating in the synchronous manner and to the at least one supplemental bus.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner is configured to collect notifications for the CxM from the at least one managed endpoint at a first time interval, to await processing of the notifications by the CxM at a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval, and to facilitate conveyance of coexistence commands from the CxM to the at least one managed endpoint at a third time interval subsequent to the second time interval.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the bus system further includes one or more busses external to the integrated circuit, the CxM communicatively connected to the one or more internal busses of the integrated circuit via the one or more busses external to the integrated circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the respective managed endpoints further comprises at least a second of the respective managed endpoints that is external to the integrated circuit, the at least the second of the respective managed endpoints communicatively connected to the CxM via the one or more busses external to the integrated circuit.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying respective endpoints corresponding to a set of radio technologies and an application platform that manages coexistence between the set of radio technologies and their corresponding endpoints; and

means for maintaining a system of one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner that facilitate communication between the respective endpoints and the application platform, the one or more buses coupled to at least one supplemental bus, the supplemental bus being reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode,

wherein the respective endpoints identified by the means for identifying respective endpoints are coupled to the one or more buses operating in the synchronous manner and to the at least one supplemental bus.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the respective endpoints corresponding to the set of radio technologies comprise at least one of a radio, an antenna, a power amplifier, a filter, a mixer, or a modem.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for identifying comprises means for identifying an integrated circuit having implemented thereon one or more internal buses and at least one of the respective endpoints corresponding to the set of radio technologies.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for maintaining comprises means for maintaining at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner that communicatively connects at least one endpoint to the application platform, collects notifications for the application platform from the at least one endpoint, and facilitates conveyance of coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for maintaining comprises means for a system of one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner that communicatively connects the integrated circuit and the application platform such that respective endpoints implemented on the integrated circuit are coupled to the system of one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner via the one or more internal buses implemented on the integrated circuit.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for maintaining further comprises means for configuring the at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner to collect notifications for the application platform from the at least one endpoint at a first time interval, to await processing of the notifications by the application platform at a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval, and to facilitate conveyance of coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint at a third time interval subsequent to the second time interval.

29. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium, comprising;

code for causing a computer to identify respective endpoints corresponding to a set of radio technologies and an application platform that manages coexistence between the set of radio technologies and their corresponding endpoints; and

code for causing a computer to maintain a system of one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner that facilitate communication between the respective endpoints and the application platform, the one or more buses coupled to at least one supplemental bus, the supplemental bus being reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode,

wherein the respective endpoints are coupled to the one or more buses operating in the synchronous manner and to the at least one supplemental bus.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the respective endpoints corresponding to the set of radio technologies comprise at least one of a radio, an antenna, a power amplifier, a filter, a mixer, or a modem.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the code for causing a computer to identify comprises code for causing a computer to identify an integrated circuit having implemented thereon one or more internal buses and at least one of the respective endpoints corresponding to the set of radio technologies.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the code for causing a computer to maintain comprises code for causing a computer to maintain at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner that communicatively connects at least one endpoint to the application platform, collects notifications for the application platform from the at least one endpoint, and facilitates conveyance of coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the code for causing a computer to maintain comprises code for causing a computer to maintain a system of one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner that communicatively connects the integrated circuit and the application platform such that respective endpoints implemented on the integrated circuit are coupled to the system of one or more buses operating in a synchronous manner via the one or more internal buses implemented on the integrated circuit.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the code for causing a computer to maintain further comprises code for causing a computer to configure the at least one bus operating in a synchronous manner to collect notifications for the application platform from the at least one endpoint at a first time interval, to await processing of the notifications by the application platform at a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval, and to facilitate conveyance of coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint at a third time interval subsequent to the second time interval.