Cellular modem processing
View Patent ↗A cellular mobile station including a modem processor and memory. The memory includes instructions for the modem processor to perform layer 1 processor operations, layer 2 processor operations, and layer 3 processor operations. The modem processor executes the instructions to perform processor operations for the cellular mobile station to communication data as per a cellular communications protocol. In one example, the mobile station includes different levels of memory to provide different deterministic access times.
1. An integrated circuit for a cellular mobile station, the cellular mobile station communicating as per a cellular communication protocol, the integrated circuit comprising:
a cellular modem processor, the cellular modem processor to execute instructions to perform layer 1 processor operations of the cellular communication protocol, instructions to perform a layer 2 processor operation of the cellular communication protocol, and instructions to perform a layer 3 processor operation of the cellular communication protocol when the integrated circuit is operational; and
wherein the layer 1 processor operations include a modulation processor operation, a demodulation processor operation, an interleaving processor operation, a deinterleaving processor operation, a channel encoding processor operation, a channel decoding processor operation, a channel equalization processor operation, a synchronization processor operation, an automatic gain control processor operation, and an automatic frequency control processor operation;
wherein the layer 3 processor operation includes one of the group consisting of: a call control (CC) management processor operation, a mobility management (MM) processor operation, a subnet convergence protocol (SNDCP) processor operation, and a radio resource (RR) management processor operation;
a second processor;
at least one memory.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the layer 2 processor operation is one of a medium access control processor operation and a logical link control processor operation.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the second processor executes application instructions and does not perform modem processor operations.
4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the cellular modem processor to performs all layer 1 processor operations and all layer 2 processor operations performed by the integrated circuit.
5. A method of performing processor operations comprising:
performing a plurality of layer 1 processor operations in accordance with a cellular communication protocol by a cellular modem processor, wherein the performing the layer 1 operations includes:
performing a modulation processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a demodulation processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing an interleaving processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a deinterleaving processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a channel encoding processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a channel decoding processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a layer 2 processor operation in accordance with the cellular communication protocol by the cellular modem processor; and
performing a layer 3 processor operation in accordance with the cellular communication protocol by the cellular modem processor, wherein the performing the layer 3 operations includes performing an operation of the group consisting of:
performing a call control (CC) management processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a mobility management (MM) processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a radio resource (RR) management processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing processor operations by a second processor located on the same integrated circuit as the cellular modem processor.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the layer 2 processor operation is one of a medium access control processor operation and a logical link control processor operation.
7. The method of claim 5 the performing the plurality of layer 3 processor operation performing a subnet convergence protocol (SNDCP) processor operation by the cellular modem processor.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the demodulation operation includes an operation to recover the encoded channel data from a carrier which has been used to transmit the signal over a transmission medium.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein the interleaving operation includes an operation utilized to scramble the order of data symbols to be transmitted over a channel in such a way that, when descrambled, any burst of channel errors will be spread out in time and thus appear as random errors to the decoder.
10. The method of claim 5 wherein the deinterleaving operations include operations utilized to unscramble symbols that were scrambled by a interleaving operation.
11. The method of claim 5 wherein the channel encoding operation includes an operation for adding redundant data into a transmitted bit stream before transmission, in order to protect the bit stream from errors.
12. The method of claim 5 wherein the channel decoding operation includes an operation for inverting a channel encoding process and for attempting to identify and correct transmission errors.
13. The method of claim 5 further comprises:
performing a channel equalization processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing a synchronization processor operation by the cellular modem processor;
performing an automatic gain control processor operation by the cellular modem processor; and
performing an automatic frequency control processor operation by the cellular modem processor.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the equalization operation includes an operation used to extract the desired signal from unwanted reflections.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the synchronization operation includes an operation used to bring two signals or the wideband components of two signals into time alignment.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the automatic gain control operation includes an operation used to automatically adjust the gain in a specified manner as a function of a specified parameter.
17. The method of claim 5 wherein the Call Control management operation includes an operation to manage call routing, call establishment, call maintenance, or a call release function.
18. The method of claim 5 wherein the Mobility Management operation includes an operation to support the mobility of user terminals.
19. The method of claim 5 wherein the Radio Resource management operation includes an operation to establish, maintain, or a release radio resource connections that allows a point-to-point dialogue between the network and a mobile station.
20. A method of performing processor operations comprising:
performing a plurality of layer 1 processor operations in accordance with a cellular communication protocol by a cellular modem processor;
performing a layer 2 processor operation in accordance with the cellular communication protocol by the cellular modem processor; and
performing a plurality of layer 3 processor operations in accordance with the cellular communication protocol by the cellular modem processor;
performing processor operations by a second processor located on the same integrated circuit as the cellular modem processor.