Integrated multimedia system

• US 7,961,756 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PICO Mobile Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PicoMobile Networks, Inc. (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Shetye, Ranjeet, Lambert, Paul Aerick, Chang, Lu
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho; Huy C
• Application Number:
  US11/775,347
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 370/318, 370/469, 710 58- 59
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communications processor includes a first upper layer module to execute one or more upper layer protocols and a data link layer module to execute a data link layer protocol. A host processor includes a second upper layer module to execute the one or more upper layer protocols. A switching module causes the communications processor to operate in a first state or a second state. The communications processor executes only the data link layer protocol and none of the one or more upper layer protocols when the communications processor operates in the first state, and executes the data link layer protocol and the one or more upper layer protocols when the communications processor operates in the second state. The power saving module prevents the host processor from executing the one or more upper layer protocols executed by the communications processor when the communications processor operates in the second state.

Claims

1. A system of communicating a data set between a battery powered, wireless mobile device and a remote device, the system incorporating a wireless communications link between the wireless mobile device and a wireless communications network, the wireless mobile device comprising:

a wireless communication module;

an input/output unit effectively connected to the wireless communication module;

a microprocessor effectively connected to the input/output unit,

wherein the microprocessor includes

memory,

a real time clock,

a communications processor including (i) a first upper layer module configured to execute one or more upper layer protocols and (ii) a data link layer configured to execute a data link layer protocol, and

a host processor operable by a control program, the host processor configured to (i) process a first data set to packetize the first data set for transmission to the remote device, or ii) process packets of a second data set received from the remote device to produce the second data set,

wherein the communications processor is configured to

execute only the data link layer protocol and none of the one or more upper layer protocols when the communications processor operates in a first state, and

execute the data link layer protocol and the one or more upper layer protocols when the communications processor operates in a second state, and

wherein the host processor includes a second upper layer module configured to execute the one or more upper layer protocols;

a switching module configured to cause the communications processor to operate in the first state or the second state; and

a power saving module configured to prevent the host processor from executing the one or more upper layer protocols executed by the communications processor when the communications processor operates in the second state.

2. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more upper layer protocols include one or more protocols for (i) an application layer, (ii) a transport layer, and (iii) a network layer.

3. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the switching module is configured to reduce power consumed by the mobile device by causing of the host processor to operate at a low power level when the one or more upper layer protocols are executed by the communication processor.

4. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communications processor comprises an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN media access processor or an IEEE 802.16 wireless LAN media access processor.

5. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more upper layer protocols executed by the communications processor when operating in the second state include an Internet Protocol (IP), a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), an RTP Control Protocol (RTCP), an Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) protocol, and an IP Security ESP (IPsec-ESP) protocol.

6. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein when a rate of transmission or reception of packets by the mobile device is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the switching module is configured to:

stop execution of the one or more upper layer protocols by the communications processor, and

cause the host processor to execute the one or more upper layer protocols.

7. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein when an available processing capacity of the communications processor is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the switching module is configured to:

stop execution of the one or more upper layer protocols by the communications processor, and

cause the host processor to execute the one or more upper layer protocols.

8. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein when an available battery power of the mobile device is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the switching module is configured to:

stop execution of the one or more upper layer protocols by the host processor, and

cause the communications processor to execute the one or more upper layer protocols.

9. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communications processor provides cryptographic acceleration for the one or more upper layer protocols.

10. A mobile device comprising:

a communications processor including

a first upper layer module configured to execute one or more upper layer protocols, and

a data link layer module configured to execute a data link layer protocol;

a host processor including

a second upper layer module configured to execute the one or more upper layer protocols;

a switching module configured to cause the communications processor to operate in a first state or a second state,

wherein the communications processor is configured to

execute only the data link layer protocol and none of the one or more upper layer protocols when the communications processor operates in the first state, and

execute the data link layer protocol and the one or more upper layer protocols when the communications processor operates in the second state; and

a power saving module configured to prevent the host processor from executing the one or more upper layer protocols executed by the communications processor when the communications processor operates in the second state.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the switching module is configured to reduce power consumed by the mobile device by causing the host processor to operate at a low power level when the one or more upper layer protocols are executed by the communication processor.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein when a rate of transmission or reception of packets by the mobile device is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the switching module is configured to:

stop execution of the one or more upper layer protocols by the communications processor, and

cause the host processor to execute the one or more upper layer protocols.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein when an available processing capacity of the communications processor is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the switching module is configured to:

stop execution of the one or more upper layer protocols by the communications processor, and

cause the host processor to execute the one or more upper layer protocols.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein when an available battery power of the mobile device is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the switching module is configured to:

stop execution of the one or more upper layer protocols by the host processor, and

cause the communications processor to execute the one or more upper layer protocols.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the communications processor provides cryptographic acceleration for the one or more upper layer protocols.