Packet exchange arbitration for coexisting radios
AssigneeMarvell International Ltd.
InventorsTodd Steven Wheeler, Gladys Yuen Yan Wong, Robert Mack, Ken Kinwah Ho
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present specification describes techniques for packet exchange arbitration. In some embodiments, a request is maintained to an arbiter at least until a packet exchange has been communicated and/or at least until a time-sensitive packet is communicated. In some other embodiments, a grant of a request is delayed at least until the communication of an isochronous packet.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- determining that a time-sensitive packet of a first radio module is scheduled for communication during a time slot, the time slot being an upcoming time slot in a series of time slots for time-sensitive communications of the first radio module;
- initiating, to an arbiter and before a start of the time slot, a request for access to an antenna, the arbiter configured to arbitrate, based on priority levels, access to the antenna between the first radio module a second radio module, a priority level of the time-sensitive communications of the first radio module being higher than a priority level of communications of the second radio module;
- and
- maintaining the request to the arbiter at least until the start of the time slot effective to prevent the second radio module from initiating, before the start of the time slot, communications other than communication of the time-sensitive packet that would be disrupted by communication of the time-sensitive packet during the time slot.
A communication device comprising:
- a first radio module;
- a second radio module;
- an arbiter configured to arbitrate access to an antenna between the first radio module and the second radio module;
- and
- a packet exchange manager, the packet exchange manager configured to:
- determine that a time-sensitive packet of the first radio module is scheduled for communication during a time slot, the time slot being an upcoming time slot in a series of time slots for time-sensitive communications;
- initiate, to the arbiter and before a start of the time slot, a request for access to the antenna;
- and
- maintain the request to the arbiter at least until the start of the time slot effective to prevent the second radio module from initiating, before the start of the time slot, communications other than communication of the time-sensitive packet that would be disrupted by communication of the time-sensitive packet during the time slot.
The communication device of 12, wherein a priority level associated with the time-sensitive packet is higher than another priority level associated with communications of the second radio module.
One or more computer-readable storage devices comprising processor-executable instructions that, responsive to execution by a processor, implement a packet exchange manager to:
- determine that a time-sensitive packet of a first radio module is scheduled for communication during a time slot, the time slot being an upcoming time slot in a series of time slots for time-sensitive communications;
- initiate, to an arbiter and before a start of the time slot, a request for access to an antenna, the arbiter configured to arbitrate access to the antenna between the first radio module a second radio module;
- receive, from the arbiter, a grant of the request effective to enable the first radio module to communicate the time-sensitive packet via the antenna;
- and
- maintain the request to the arbiter at least until the start of the time slot effective to prevent the second radio module from initiating, before the start of the time slot, communications other than communication of the time-sensitive packet that would be disrupted by communication of the time-sensitive packet during the time slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.