IP Library Granted Patent US 7,778,662
Granted Patent B2
US 7,778,662 · App. 10/933,056 · Granted Aug 17, 2010

Distribution of tasks as a function of the operating mode in mobile communication terminals having two or more microprocessors

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,778,662
App. No.
10/933,056
Granted
Aug 17, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

The processing of tasks in a mobile communication terminal that contains two or more microprocessors is disclosed. The processing rate of tasks is increased by redistribution of the tasks between the microprocessors as a function of the operating mode. Particularly in situations in which no conversation and/or no other type of payload signal transmission is taking place, tasks may be redistributed from the application processor to the modem processor and/or to the DSP, so that applications such as compression and/or decompression of video data can be processed more quickly.

Claims (35)

1. A method for processing tasks in a mobile communication terminal having two or more processors, comprising:

initially allocating the tasks to specific processors in a defined manner;

altering the allocation of some, but not all, of the tasks to a different processor instead of the initially allocated processor as a function of one or more operating modes of the mobile communication terminal, and

performing the tasks allocated to the different processor in parallel to the tasks remaining allocated to the initially allocated processor;

wherein the two or more processors in the mobile communication terminal comprise an application processor and a modem processor, and wherein distributing the tasks comprises redistributing one or more of the tasks from the application processor to the modem processor for a predetermined operating mode;

wherein the operating mode in which the one or more tasks is redistributed from the application processor to the modem processor comprises a mode when no payload signals are being transmitted by the modem processor.

2. A method for processing tasks in a mobile communication terminal having two or more processors, comprising:

initially allocating the tasks to specific processors in a defined manner;

altering the allocation of some, but not all, of the tasks to a different processor instead of the initially allocated processor as a function of one or more operating modes of the mobile communication terminal, and

performing the tasks allocated to the different processor in parallel to the tasks remaining allocated to the initially allocated processor;

wherein the two or more processors in the mobile communication terminal comprise an application processor and a digital signal processor, and wherein distributing the tasks comprises predetermined redistributing the one or more tasks from the application processor to the DSP for a operating mode;

wherein the operating mode in which the one or more tasks is redistributed from the application processor to the digital signal processor comprises a mode when no payload signals are being transmitted in the mobile communication terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more redistributed tasks comprises a processing of image data or video data.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the processing of the image data or video data comprises compressing or decompressing or both the image data or the video data.

5. A method for processing tasks in a mobile communication terminal having two or more microprocessors, comprising:

establishing an initial allocation of tasks among the two or more microprocessors;

determining a mode of operation of the mobile communication terminal, wherein determining the mode of operation comprises determining whether the mode is a paging mode, and wherein determining the mode of operation further comprises ascertaining whether a video encoding task is being performed if the paging mode is the mode of operation; and

selectively altering an allocation of some, but not all, of the tasks among the two or more microprocessors based on the determined mode of operation, wherein altering the allocation of the tasks comprises:

sending a first set of macro blocks of video data to a first processor;

sending a second set of macro blocks of video data to a second processor; and

performing a movement prediction task on the first set of video data in the first processor and a movement prediction task on the second set of video data in the second processor in a concurrent fashion.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first processor comprises an application processor, and the second processor comprises one of a modem controller and a digital signal processor.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising maintaining the initial allocation of tasks among the two or more processors if the mode of operation is not one of one or more predetermined operating modes.

8. A method for processing tasks in a mobile communication terminal having two or more processors, comprising:

initially allocating the tasks to specific processors in a defined manner;

altering the allocation of the tasks to a different processor instead of the initially allocated processor as a function of one or more operating modes of the mobile communication terminal;

performing the tasks allocated to the different processor in parallel to the tasks remaining allocated to the initially allocated processor;

wherein the two or more processors in the mobile communication terminal comprise an application processor and a modem processor,

wherein distributing the tasks comprises redistributing one or more of the tasks from the application processor to the modem processor for a predetermined operating mode; and

wherein the operating mode in which the one or more tasks is redistributed from the application processor to the modem processor comprises a mode when no payload signals are being transmitted by the modem processor.

9. A method for processing tasks in a mobile communication terminal having two or more processors, comprising:

initially allocating the tasks to the two or more processors in a defined manner; and

altering the allocation of some, but not all, of the tasks to a different processor instead of the initially allocated processor as a function of one or more operating modes of the mobile communication terminal; and

performing the tasks allocated to the different processor in parallel to the tasks remaining allocated to the initially allocated processor;

wherein the one or more operating modes from which the allocation of some of the tasks is altered comprises a mode when no payload signals are being transmitted by the different processor.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2022
From: INTEL DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061356/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2012
From: INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY GMBH
To: INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 027556/0709 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2012
From: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
To: INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 027548/0623 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2004
From: BILGIC, ATTILA; LE, THUYEN; ROHFLEISCH, BERNHARD
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
Reel/Frame 016074/0566 →