Asynchronous interface for multi-radio coexistence manager

• US 9,135,197 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wietfeldt, Richard Dominic, Gruber, Hans Georg, Chrisikos, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/749,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20110026458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 455/500, 455/62
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/3814 Wireless link with a computer system port
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate an asynchronous bus architecture for multi-radio coexistence associated with a wireless device. As described herein, a system of buses operating in an asynchronous 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 that can be switched and/or otherwise operate in a concurrent 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 within a single multi-radio device associated with respective potentially conflicting radio technologies and a multi-radio coexistence platform associated with the respective managed endpoints, wherein the single multi-radio wireless device includes the respective managed endpoints and the multi-radio coexistence platform; and

maintaining a unified hardwired bus system that communicatively connects the respective managed endpoints to the multi-radio coexistence platform, wherein the unified hardwired bus system comprises one or more hardwired asynchronous buses on the multi-radio wireless device and wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses operate according to an asynchronous protocol, wherein;

the unified hardwired bus system comprises at least one hardwired bus located on an integrated circuit comprising circuitry for a first plurality of managed endpoints and at least one supplemental bus reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least one of a synchronous mode associated with a synchronous protocol or an asynchronous mode associated with the asynchronous protocol, and

the at least one supplemental bus is connected to the at least one hardwired bus located on the integrated circuit and to a second plurality of managed endpoints within the single multi-radio device and located external to the integrated circuit.

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 maintaining comprises:

collecting notifications for the multi-radio coexistence platform from at least one of the respective managed endpoints via a first one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one managed endpoint to the multi-radio coexistence platform; and

conveying coexistence commands from the multi-radio coexistence platform to the at least one managed endpoint via a second one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one managed endpoint to the multi-radio coexistence platform.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the maintaining further comprises:

joining the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus such that the multi-radio coexistence platform is coupled to the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus and the at least one managed endpoint is coupled to a common bus that implements functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus; and

switching the common bus between the functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus in response to a desired mode of communication between the at least one managed endpoint and the multi-radio coexistence platform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining comprises

collecting notifications for the multi-radio coexistence platform from at least one of the respective managed endpoints via at least one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one managed endpoint to the multi-radio coexistence platform;

and

conveying coexistence commands from the multi-radio coexistence platform to the at least one managed endpoint via the at least one asynchronous bus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining comprises reprogramming the one or more asynchronous buses to operate according to a non-asynchronous bus protocol for at least one decision unit in time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more asynchronous buses comprise at least one bus implemented according to a SLIMbus architecture.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses provide a shared multi-drop interface to communicatively connect the respective managed endpoints and the multi-radio coexistence platform via one or more of wires or software that emulates hardware.

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

respective managed endpoints on a single multi-radio wireless device, wherein the respective managed endpoints are associated with potentially conflicting radio technologies;

a coexistence manager (CxM) on the multi-radio wireless device, wherein the CxM facilitates coexistence between the respective managed endpoints; and

a unified bus hardwired system that communicatively connects the respective managed endpoints to the CxM, wherein the unified bus hardwired system comprises one or more hardwired asynchronous buses on the multi-radio wireless device and wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses operate according to an asynchronous protocol, wherein;

the unified hardwired bus system comprises at least one hardwired bus located on an integrated circuit comprising circuitry for a first plurality of managed endpoints and at least one supplemental bus reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least one of a synchronous mode associated with a synchronous protocol or an asynchronous mode associated with the asynchronous protocol, and

the at least one supplemental bus is connected to the at least one hardwired bus located on the integrated circuit and to a second plurality of managed endpoints within the single multi-radio device and located external to the integrated circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the respective managed endpoints comprise at least one of a radio, an antenna, a power amplifier, a filter, a mixer, or a modem.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more asynchronous buses comprise:

at least a first asynchronous bus that communicatively connects at least one of the respective managed endpoints to the CxM and collects notifications for the CxM from the at least one managed endpoint; and

at least a second asynchronous bus that communicatively connects the at least one managed endpoint to the CxM and conveys coexistence commands from the CxM to the at least one managed endpoint.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the first asynchronous bus and the second synchronous bus are joined such that the CxM is coupled to the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus and the at least one managed endpoint is coupled to a common bus that implements functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus; and

the apparatus further comprises a bus selector that switches the common bus between the functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus in response to a desired mode of communication between the at least one managed endpoint and the CxM.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more asynchronous buses comprise at least one asynchronous bus that collects notifications for the CxM from at least one of the respective managed endpoints and conveys coexistence commands from the CxM to the at least one managed endpoint.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more asynchronous buses comprise at least one bus implemented according to a SLIMbus architecture.

28. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a reprogramming module that reprograms the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses to operate according to a non-asynchronous bus protocol for at least one decision unit in time.

29. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses comprise at least one bus implemented according to a SLIMbus architecture.

30. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses provide a shared multi-drop interface to communicatively connect the respective managed endpoints and the CxM via one or more of wires or software that emulates hardware.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying respective endpoints within a single multi-radio device associated with respective radio technologies and an application platform that manages coexistence between the respective radio technologies and their associated endpoints, wherein the single multi-radio wireless device includes the respective endpoints and the application platform; and

means for maintaining a unified hardwired bus system comprising one or more hardwired asynchronous buses on the multi-radio wireless device wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses operate according to an asynchronous protocol and communicatively connect the respective managed endpoints to the application platform, wherein;

the unified hardwired bus system comprises at least one hardwired bus located on an integrated circuit comprising circuitry for a first plurality of managed endpoints and at least one supplemental bus reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least one of a synchronous mode associated with a synchronous protocol or an asynchronous mode associated with the asynchronous protocol, and

the at least one supplemental bus is connected to the at least one hardwired bus located on the integrated circuit and to a second plurality of managed endpoints within the single multi-radio device and located external to the integrated circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the respective endpoints comprise at least one of a radio, an antenna, a power amplifier, a filter, a mixer, or a modem.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for maintaining comprises:

means for collecting notifications for the application platform from at least one of the respective endpoints via a first one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one endpoint to the application platform; and

means for conveying coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint via a second one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one endpoint to the application platform.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for maintaining further comprises:

means for joining the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus such that the application platform is coupled to the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus and the at least one endpoint is coupled to a common bus that implements functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus; and

means for switching the common bus between the functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus in response to a desired mode of communication between the at least one endpoint and the application platform.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for maintaining comprises:

means for collecting notifications for the application platform from at least one of the respective endpoints via at least one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one endpoint to the application platform; and

means for conveying coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint via the at least one asynchronous bus.

31. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for maintaining comprises means for reprogramming the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses to operate according to a non-asynchronous bus protocol for at least one decision unit in time.

32. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses comprise at least one bus implemented according to a SLIMbus architecture.

33. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses provide a shared multi-drop interface to communicatively connect the respective endpoints and the application platform via one or more of wires or software that emulates hardware.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing a computer to identify respective endpoints within a single multi-radio device associated with respective radio technologies and an application platform that manages coexistence between the respective radio technologies and their associated endpoints, wherein the single multi-radio wireless device includes the respective endpoints and the application platform; and

code for causing the computer to maintain a unified hardwired bus system comprising one or more hardwired asynchronous buses on the multi-radio wireless device wherein the one or more hardwired asynchronous buses operate according to an asynchronous protocol and communicatively connect the respective managed endpoints to the application platform, wherein;

the unified hardwired bus system comprises at least one hardwired bus located on an integrated circuit comprising circuitry for a first plurality of managed endpoints and at least one supplemental bus reprogrammable for operation according to a plurality of operating modes, the plurality of operating modes comprising at least one of a synchronous mode associated with a synchronous protocol or an asynchronous mode associated with the asynchronous protocol, and

the at least one supplemental bus is connected to the at least one hardwired bus located on the integrated circuit and to a second plurality of managed endpoints within the single multi-radio device and located external to the integrated circuit.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the respective endpoints comprise at least one of a radio, an antenna, a power amplifier, a filter, a mixer, or a modem.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the code for causing the computer to maintain comprises:

code for causing the computer to collect notifications for the application platform from at least one of the respective endpoints via a first one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one endpoint to the application platform; and

code for causing the computer to convey coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint via a second one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one endpoint to the application platform.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the code for causing the computer to maintain comprises:

code for causing the computer to join the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus such that the application platform is coupled to the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus and the at least one endpoint is coupled to a common bus that implements functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus; and

code for causing the computer to switch the common bus between the functionality of the first asynchronous bus and the second asynchronous bus in response to a desired mode of communication between the at least one endpoint and the application platform.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the code for causing the computer to maintain comprises:

code for causing the computer to collect notifications for the application platform from at least one of the respective endpoints via at least one of the asynchronous buses that communicatively connects the at least one endpoint to the application platform; and

code for causing the computer to convey coexistence commands from the application platform to the at least one endpoint via the at least one asynchronous bus.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the code for causing the computer to maintain comprises code for causing the computer to reprogram the one or more asynchronous buses to operate according to a non-asynchronous bus protocol for at least one decision unit in time.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the one or more asynchronous buses comprise at least one bus implemented according to a SLIMbus architecture.

26. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the one or more buses provide a shared multi-drop interface to communicatively connect the respective endpoints and the application platform via one or more of wires or software that emulates hardware.