SYSTEM PARTITIONING FOR MULTI-MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20090274202A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Hanke, Andre, Adler, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/220
• 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 communication device partition for multiple device data standards to be received on one baseband integrated circuit is described. At least two interfaces are partitioned according to the data rate speed of various types of data standards and coupled to a multimode SDR modem. A digital baseband processor is coupled to the multimode SDR modem and receives the various types of application data compliant with various data standards.

Claims

1. A wireless device for communicating a digital baseband signal, comprising

a digital baseband processor coupled to a modem;

a plurality of digital interfaces partitioned to receive one of a plurality of signals respectively associated with one of a plurality of data standards comprising;

a first interface circuit configured to provide at least one application data that is compliant with one of a first set of data standards, and coupled to the modem via a first common digital interface;

a second interface circuit configured to provide at least one application data compliant with one of a second set of data standards coupled to the modem via a second common digital interface;

wherein the second set of data standards or the first set of data standards comprises a plurality of different data standards; and

wherein the first interface circuit or the second interface circuit having the plurality of different data standards plurality comprises a frame buffer configured to selectively receive at least one application data of the first set of data standards or the second set of data standards, respectively, depending on a control signal, and to transmit the at least one application data selectively received to the digital baseband processor via the first common digital interface or the second common digital interface, respectively, via the modem.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a third interface circuit configured to provide at least one application data compliant with one of a third set of data standards to the frame buffer coupled to the modem via a third common interface.

3. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the third set of data standards comprises data standards that have a lower data rate than both the first set of data standards and the second set of data standards.

4. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the third interface circuit comprises a power management unit device having a frame buffer, and wherein the frame buffer comprises at least one FIFO associated with the at least one application data compliant with one of the third set of data standards and is configured to manage the at least one FIFO to send packets of data over the third common interface to the modem.

5. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the third set of data standards comprises Bluetooth and FM radio standards, and the third common interface is an audio interface.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein at least one frame buffer comprises at least one FIFO associated with the at least one application data compliant with one of the first set of data standards or one of the second set of data standards, respectively, and is configured to manage the at least one FIFO to send packets of data over the first common digital interface or second common digital interface, respectively, to the modem.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the second common digital interface is a DigRF3G interface configured to provide at least one application data compliant with a second set of data standards that have a lesser data rate speed than the first set of data standards.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the second interface circuit comprises a cellular engine with a diversity receiver circuit and is configured to analyze signals from several independent fading paths, and to communicate GPS data.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first set of data standards comprises data standards that have a higher data rate than the second set of data standards.

10. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first set of data standards comprises WLAN, WiMaxx, LTE, DVB and/or a GPS data standards.

11. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first interface circuit is configured for a high speed connectivity engine, and wherein the first common digital interface comprises a DigRF3.9G interface or any other real digital high speed interface capable of receiving the at least one application data compliant with one of the first set of data standards, and wherein the first set of data standards comprises data standards that have a higher data rate than the second set of data standards.

12. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the modem is a multi-mode software-defined radio (SDR) modem.

13. A communication device, comprising:

a first data rate device coupled to a first digital interface comprising receive pins and transmit pins, configured to receive an application data that is compliant with a first set of data standards and to selectively provide the application data that is compliant with a first data standard of the first set of data standards to the receive pins, and at a different time selectively provide the application data that is compliant with a second data standard of the first set of data standards to the receive pins;

a second data rate device coupled to a second digital interface comprising receive pins and transmit pins, configured to receive an application data that is compliant with a second set of data standards and to selectively provide the application data that is compliant with a first data standard of the second set of data standards to the receive pins, and at another given time selectively provide the application data that is compliant with a second data standard of the second set of data standards to the receive pins; and

a third data rate device coupled to a third digital interface and configured to receive an application data that is compliant with a third set of data standards and at a given time selectively provide the application data that is compliant with a first data standard of the third set of data standards to the receive pins, and at another given time selectively provide the application data that is compliant with a second data standard of the third set of data standards to the receive pins;

an SDR modem coupled to a digital baseband processor, to the first digital interface, to the second digital interface, and to the third digital interface;

wherein the digital baseband processor comprises transmit data pins for transmitting application data and receive pins for receiving application data via the SDR modem; and

wherein the second set of data standards or the first set of data standards comprises a plurality of different data standards.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the first set of data standards comprises global positioning system data, WLAN, WiMaxx, LTE, and DVB data standards, and the second set of data standards comprises cellular data and diversity data standards from a diversity receiver, and the third set of data standards comprises Bluetooth data and FM radio data.

15. The communication device of claim 13, comprising:

a frame buffer configured to selectively receive the first set of data standards or the second set of data standards based on a control signal, and to transmit data selectively received data to the digital baseband processor via the receive pins.

16. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the first digital interface receives signals from data standards that are faster than data standards of the second digital interface, and the second digital interface receives signals of data standards that are faster than the third digital interface.

17. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the first digital interface is a DigRF3.9G interface or any other real digital high speed interface and the second digital interface is a DigRF3G interface.

18. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the first data rate device receives data of a data standard that is a faster data rate than the second data rate device and the second data rate device receives data that is a data standard of a faster rate than the third data rate device.

19. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the first set of data standards comprises WiMaxx, LTE and DVB data standards, the second set of data standards comprises cellular data, and the third set of data standards comprise data standards that have a lower speed rate than the first set of data standards and than the second set of data standards and is configured as a power management unit device.

20. A method for communicating with a digital baseband processor over a plurality of digital interfaces, comprising:

receiving application data that is compliant with one of a first set of data standards on a digital baseband processor coupled to an SDR modem by a first common digital interface comprising receive pins and transmit pins;

selecting a first application data that is compliant with a data standard of the first set of data standards and transmitting at a first time the first application data that is compliant with the first set of data standards to the digital baseband processor over receive pins and transmit pins of the first common digital interface;

selecting a second application data that is compliant with a second data standard of the first set of data standards and transmitting at a second time the second application data to the digital baseband processor over the receive pins of the first common digital interface;

receiving application data that is compliant with one of a second set of data standards on the digital baseband processor coupled to the SDR modem via a second common digital interface;

selecting a first application data that is compliant with a first data standard of the second set of data standards and presenting the first application data that is compliant with the second set of data standards to the digital baseband processor over receive pins of the second common digital interface; and

selecting a second application data that is compliant with a second data standard of the second set of data standards and presenting the second application data to the digital baseband processor over the receive pins of the second common digital interface;

wherein each data standard of the first set of data standards comprises a faster data rate than the second set of data standards and the first common digital interface is compliant with data standards that are faster than that of the second common digital interface.