Communication device and method having a common platform

A communication device, comprising:

• a signal modulator/demodulator (modem) having a digital signal processor for effecting radio communications;
• a shared memory connected to the modem;
• and
• an application processor (AP) having a central processing unit, a first bus master controller connected to a plurality of external peripherals via a first common bus and a second bus master controller connected to the shared memory via a second common bus,
• wherein the first bus master controller is configured for controlling via the first common bus the plurality of external peripherals,
• wherein the second bus master controller is configured for controlling via the second common bus the shared memory connected to the modem,
• wherein the first bus master controller controls the plurality of external peripherals operatively connected to the first common bus by issuing a packet commonly receivable by the plurality of external peripherals over the first common bus, and
• wherein the packet includes a module device select signal for selecting one of the plurality of external peripherals, and
• wherein the first bus master controller comprises:
• a packet generator for receiving control signals and an address, and packetizing the control signals and the address in a command packet;
• a data pack unit for packing data into a data packet;
• and
• a multiplexer for receiving the command packet from the packet generator and the data packet from the data pack unit and outputting one of the command packet or the data packet to the common bus;
• a protocol converter and protocol signal controller for receiving second control signals from the central processing unit through the bus interface and managing control signal flow according to a present protocol;
• an address translator for receiving a second address from the central processing unit through the bus interface and translating the second address into the address depending on an application module to be accessed;
• and
• a receive buffer for receiving the data from the central processing unit through the bus interface.

An application processor (AP), for use in a communication device, comprising:

• a central processing unit for processing data received from a plurality of external peripherals and from a shared memory;
• and
• a bus master controller for controlling via a common bus the plurality of external peripherals and the shared memory;
• and
• wherein the shared memory is connected to a signal modulator/demodulator (modem),
• wherein the bus master controller controls the plurality of peripherals and the shared memory by issuing a packet commonly receivable by the plurality of external peripherals and the shared memory over the common bus, and
• wherein the packet includes a module device select signal used for selecting one of the plurality of external peripherals and the shared memory
• wherein the bus master controller comprises:
• a bus interface for data, address, and control signal communication with the central processing unit;
• a protocol converter and protocol signal controller for receiving control signals from the central processing unit through the bus interface and managing control signal flow according to a present protocol;
• an address translator for receiving the address from the central processing unit through the bus interface and translating the address depending on an application module to be accessed;
• a packet generator for receiving control signals from the protocol converter and protocol signal controller and a translated address from the address translator and packetizing the control signals and the translated address in a command packet;
• a receive buffer for receiving data from the central processing unit through the bus interface;
• a data pack unit for arranging the received data according to a specified width of a common data structure;
• and
• a multiplexer for receiving the command packet from the packet generator and the data packet from the data pack unit and outputting one of the command packet or the data packet to the common bus.

An application processor (AP) for use in a communication device comprising:

• a central processing unit for processing data received from a plurality of external peripherals over a first common bus and from a shared memory over a second common bus;
• and
• a first bus master controller for controlling via the first common bus the plurality of external peripherals;
• and
• a second bus master controller for interfacing via the second common bus with the shared memory that is connected to a signal modulator/demodulator (modem),
• wherein the first bus master controller controls the plurality of external peripherals by issuing a packet commonly receivable by the plurality of external peripherals over the first common bus, and
• wherein the packet includes a module device select signal for selecting one of the plurality of external peripherals, and
• wherein the first bus master controller comprises:
• a bus interface for data, address, and control signal communication with the central processing unit;
• a protocol converter and protocol signal controller for receiving control signals from the central processing unit through the bus interface and managing control signal flow according to a present protocol;
• an address translator for receiving the address from the central processing unit through the bus interface and translating the address depending on an application module to be accessed;
• a packet generator for receiving control signals from the protocol converter and protocol signal controller and a translated address from the address translator and packetizing the control signals and the translated address in a command packet;
• a receive buffer for receiving data from the central processing unit through the bus interface;
• a data pack unit for arranging the received data according to a specified width of a common data structure;
• and
• a multiplexer for receiving the command packet from the packet generator and the data packet from the data pack unit and outputting one of the command packet or the data packet to the common bus.

A method of controlling a communication device having a signal modulator/demodulator (modem) for effecting radio communications, an application processor (AP) having a central processing unit, a bus master controller and a shared memory, the method comprising:

• controlling via a common bus a plurality of external peripherals using the bus master controller;
• and
• interfacing with the modem via the shared memory and the common bus using the bus master controller,
• wherein the step of controlling the plurality of external peripherals includes:
• receiving control signals from the central processing unit and managing control signal flow according to a present protocol, by using a protocol converter and protocol signal controller;
• receiving an address from the central processing unit and translating the address depending on the external peripheral to be accessed, by using an address translator;
• receiving control signals from the protocol converter and protocol signal controller and a translated address from the address translator and packetizing the control signals and the translated address in a command packet, by using a packet generator;
• receiving data from the central processing unit by using a receive buffer;
• arranging the received data according to a specified width of a common data structure, by using a data pack unit;
• and
• receiving the command packet from the packet generator and the data packet from the data pack unit and outputting one of the command packet or the data packet to the common bus, by using a multiplexer.