US 2009/0245192 A1Published application

Reconfigurable Wireless Modem Sub-Circuits To Implement Multiple Air Interface Standards

AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated

InventorsArunava Chaudhuri, Iwen Yao, Jeremy H. Lin, Ali Rostampisheh, Raghu Challa, Hamanth Sampath, Min Wu, Joseph Zanotelli, Mrinal M. Nath

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Abstract

A flexible and reconfigurable digital system (for example, a wireless modem) includes a set of sub-circuits. Each sub-circuit includes a task manager and an amount of configurable hardware circuitry for performing a type of operation on a data stream. The task manager of a sub-circuit can configure and control the configurable hardware of the sub-circuit. A central processor configures and orchestrates operation of the sub-circuits by maintaining a set of task lists in a tightly coupled memory. Each task list includes task instructions for a corresponding sub-circuit. The task manager of a sub-circuit reads task instructions from its task list and controls its associated hardware circuitry as directed by the instructions. A timestamp task instruction and a push task instruction and the task list architecture allow modem sub-circuits to be easily reconfigured to operate in accordance with either a first air interface standard or a second air interface standard.

Claims35

Dependent claims

An integrated circuit comprising:

a memory that stores a first task list and a second task list;
a first buffer;
a second buffer;
a third buffer;
a bus coupled to the memory;
a first Wireless Communication System Modem Sub-Circuit (WCSMSC) adapted to read task instructions of the first task list out of the memory across the bus, wherein a first task instruction of the first task list includes a source address field and a destination address field, wherein the source address field contains a source address value that identifies where in the first buffer input data for a first operation to be performed by the first WCSMSC is stored, wherein the destination address field contains a destination address value that identifies where in the second buffer the first WCSMSC will write data results of the first operation, wherein a second task instruction of the first task list is a push task instruction that causes the first WCSMSC to write identified data into the memory;
a second WCSMSC adapted to read task instructions of the second task list out of the memory across the bus, wherein a first task instruction of the second task list configures the second WCSMSC to perform a second operation in a way specified by the first task instruction, wherein a second task instruction of the second task list includes a source address field and a destination address field, wherein the source address field contains a source address value that identifies where in the second buffer input data for a second operation to be performed by the second WCSMSC is stored, and wherein the destination address field contains a destination address value that identifies where in the third buffer the second WCSMSC will write data results of the second operation;
and
a processor adapted to maintain the first and second task lists, wherein the processor uses the data written into the memory as a result of the push task instruction to make a determination.

6 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a memory adapted to store a plurality of task instructions;
a processor that is coupled to the memory via a first bus such that the processor, the memory and the first bus form a tightly coupled memory system;
a second bus;
first means for reading task instructions from the memory via the second bus and for performing a first type of operation on a stream of data;
and
second means for reading task instructions from the memory via the second bus and for performing a second type of operation on the stream of data, wherein the stream of data passes through the first means and then through the second means, wherein the first and second means are parts of a receive channel of a wireless communication modem, wherein the receive channel is configurable in a first way such that the receive channel can receive communications in accordance with a first air interface standard, and wherein the receive channel is configurable in a second way such that the receive channel can receive communications in accordance with a second air interface standard.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.