Multi-processor platform for wireless communication terminal having a partitioned protocol stack

• US 9,282,589 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayem, Frederic, Borromeo, Leo, Lotter, Michiel
• Primary Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US13/845,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20130316759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/411, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/500, 370/241, 370/331, 370/503, 370/350, 370/304, 370/324, 370/705, 370/394, 370/474, 370/493, 370/352, 370/399, 370/496, 370/354, 370/473, 370/366, 709/102, 709/248, 709/202
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3818 Arrangements for facilitating insertion or removal of identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2618 using hybrid code-time division multiple access [CDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0685 Clock or time synchronisation in a node; Intranode synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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

A multi-mode wireless communication device and multi-mode communication method are disclosed. The multi-mode device includes a first baseband co-processor configured to execute low-level stack operations of a first wireless communications protocol employed within a first wireless communications network. The device also includes a host baseband processor configured to execute a set of protocol stack operations of a second wireless communications protocol employed within a first wireless communications network and higher-level stack operations of the first wireless communications protocol. A data communication channel capable of carrying data received by the multi-mode wireless communication device from the first wireless communications network or sent by the multi-mode wireless communication device through the first wireless communications network is provided between at least the host baseband processor and the first baseband co-processor.

Claims

1. A multi-mode wireless communication device providing subscriber access to a unified authentication platform and supporting a first radio bearer of a first wireless communication protocol employed within a first wireless communication network and a second radio bearer of a second wireless communication protocol employed within a second wireless communication network, the multi-mode wireless communication device comprising:

a co-processor configured to execute a first portion of first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol, the first portion of the first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol including a physical stratum of the first wireless communication protocol; and

a processor configured to execute second stack operations of the second wireless communication protocol and a second portion of the first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol,

wherein the second portion of the first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol includes a protocol stratum of the first wireless communication protocol and a communication stratum common to the first wireless communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol, and

wherein the second stack operations of the second wireless communication protocol includes a physical stratum and a protocol stratum of the second wireless communication protocol and the communication stratum.

2. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication stratum comprises:

a Session Management Function configured to;

establish a browser session over the first radio bearer;

store browser data in a buffer; and

switch from the first radio bearer to the second radio bearer,

wherein the browser session remains connected despite a switch of bearers.

3. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication protocol comprises:

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), and wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises;

Global System for Mobile communication (GSM).

4. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the processor comprises:

an Application-Specific integrated Circuit (ASIC), the ASIC comprising;

a layer two processor configured to execute WCDMA Non-Access Stratum (NAS) authentication functions of the communication stratum.

5. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the co-processor comprises:

a counter, and

wherein the processor is further configured to achieve a frame synchronization by reading a counter value from the counter.

6. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication protocol comprises:

a cellular protocol, and

wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

7. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the WLAN protocol comprises:

a version of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.11 specification.

8. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the WLAN protocol comprises:

a version of a Bluetooth specification.

9. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to concurrently execute two or more applications of an application stratum.

10. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication stratum is configured to:

establish a first authentication communication session while the first radio bearer is transporting packets; and

invoke, subsequent to the first radio bearer transporting the packets, the second radio bearer to transport subsequent packets,

wherein the invocation of the second radio bearer does not interrupt the first authenticated communication session.

11. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a data communication channel between the processor and the co-processor capable of carrying data received by the multi-mode wireless communication device from the first wireless communication network or sent by the multi-mode wireless communication device through the first wireless communication network.

12. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication stratum comprises:

an authentication operation, the authentication operation including generating a secure key to encrypt data in connection with the unified authentication platform.

13. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein the authentication operation includes generating the secure key to encrypt the data using user data received from an application program.

14. A method performed in a multi-mode wireless communication device providing subscriber access to a unified authentication platform and supporting a first radio bearer of a first wireless communication protocol and a second radio bearer of a second wireless communication protocol, the method comprising:

executing a first portion of first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol within a co-processor, the first portion of the first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol including a physical stratum of the first wireless communication protocol; and

executing, in a processor, second stack operations of the second wireless communication protocol and a second portion of the first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol,

wherein the second portion of the first stack operations of the first wireless communication protocol includes a protocol stratum of the first wireless communication protocol and a communication stratum common to the first wireless communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol, and

wherein the second stack operations of the second wireless communication protocol includes a physical stratum and a protocol stratum of the second wireless communication protocol and the communication stratum.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication stratum comprises:

establishing a browser session over the first radio bearer;

storing browser data in a buffer;

switching from the first radio bearer to the second radio bearer while the browser session remains connected.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first wireless communication protocol comprises:

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), and wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises;

Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), and the method further comprises;

achieving a frame synchronization by reading a counter value from a counter located in the co-processor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first wireless communication protocol comprises:

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), and wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises;

Global System for Mobile communication (GSM).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor comprises:

an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), the ASIC comprising;

a layer two processor, and the method further comprises;

executing WCDMA Non-Access Stratum (NAS) authentication functions of the communication stratum by the layer two processor.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first wireless communication protocol comprises:

a cellular protocol, and wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the WLAN protocol comprises:

a version of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 specification.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication stratum comprises:

an authentication operation, the authentication operation including generating a secure key to encrypt data in connection with the unified authentication platform.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the authentication operation comprises:

generating the secure key to encrypt the data in connection with the unified authentication platform using user data received from an application program.