Broadcom Corporation

John Lin

Sherman E Lee

Vivian Chou

Charles T Aragones

Paris Chen

A wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiving integrated circuit includes a WLAN interface, an input buffer, an input buffer controller, and a processor. The WLAN transceiving integrated circuit may also include an output buffer, an output buffer controller, a transcoder, and/or an audio Coder-Decoder (CODEC). The WLAN transceiving integrated circuit is installed in a WLAN device that services voice communications. The input buffer receives packetized audio data from the WLAN interface. When the input buffer satisfies a buffer vacancy threshold, the processor and the input buffer controller cooperatively operate to fill at least a portion of the input buffer with packetized audio data. The processor copies packetized audio data from the input buffer and fills the input buffer with the copied packetized audio data to maintain an audio pattern in the input buffer. The input buffer controller fills the input buffer when the processor is available and after copying/filling is no longer effective. The processor operates to maintain the audio pattern when additional packetized audio data is received by the WLAN interface. These operations are also performed for the output buffer, which receives packetized audio data from the transcoder and writes the packetized audio data to the WLAN interface.

Packetized audio data operations in a wireless local area network device

A baseband controller includes a microsequencer with special hardware resources circuitry and a configuration that supports real-time micronetwork functionality for an upper limit of slave devices. The microsequencer includes a correlator that may also be used as an accumulator, wherein the topology provides that the correlator can communicate with an arithmetic logic unit that correspondingly enables the correlator to act as an accumulator. The microsequencer also includes a plurality of clocks and timers for facilitating micronetwork timing functionality, and at registers for temporarily storing computational data, where each of the storage registers have different sizes for accommodating different-sized packets of computational data.

Baseband controller in a micronetwork

A microprocessor system architecture is disclosed which allows for the selective execution of programmed ROM microcode or, alternatively, RAM microcode if there has been a correction or update made to the ROM microcode originally programmed into the system. Patched or updated RAM microcode is utilized or executed only to the extent of changes to the ROM microcode, otherwise the ROM microcode is executed in its normal fashion. When a patch is received, it is loaded into system RAM along with instructions or other appropriate signals to direct the execution of the patched or updated microcode from RAM instead of the existing ROM microcode. Various methods are presented for selecting the execution of the appropriate microcode depending upon whether there have been changes made to it.

Wireless data communications using FIFO for synchronization memory

A baseband controller system creates and maintains a schedule of synchronized events and reviews the schedule as a part of determining whether to initiate a transmission of a non-synchronous event (one that is not time sensitive, for example, e-mail). One aspect of the present invention is to create a system and method that avoids a possibility of collision between synchronized and non-synchronized communication events. A synchronized event is a scheduled transmission of time sensitive data such as what is often known as continuous bit rate data. Examples include video and voice wherein a collision (inability to transmit the continuous bit rate data) may result in degradation of signal quality at the receiving end. The inventive system and method evaluate the schedule of synchronized events in relation to the present time and determine whether a non-synchronized event may be transmitted without the likelihood of a collision. Making the determination that such a transmission may occur includes evaluating future time periods to see if a synchronized event is scheduled during a time period in which the non-synchronized event would continue to be transmitted for those non-synchronized events that span two or more defined time periods in length.

Scalable synchronous packet transmit scheduler

A microprocessor memory architecture including a read-only memory (ROM) with programmed microcode and a random access memory (RAM) capable of storing microcode and one or more data bits used for the selection of corresponding ROM or RAM microcode for execution. A multiplexer receives input signals from both the ROM microcode and RAM microcode, and a control signal which is one or more RAM data bits is used to select from the RAM or ROM microcode inputs for further execution by the microprocessor.

Dynamic field patchable microarchitecture

A baseband controller includes a microsequencer with special hardware resources circuitry and a configuration that supports real-time Bluetooth functionality for an upper limit of Bluetooth slave devices. The microsequencer includes a 72-bit correlator that may also be used as an accumulator, wherein the topology provides that the correlator can communicate with a 72-bit arithmetic logic unit that correspondingly enables the correlator to act as an accumulator. The microsequencer also includes a plurality of clocks and timers for facilitating Bluetooth timing functionality, and at least four registers for temporarily storing computational data, where each of the storage registers have different sizes for accommodating different-sized packets of computational data.

Baseband controller in a wireless local area network

A wireless (radio) receiver receives RF signals carrying data synchronized with a first clock. The wireless receiver demodulates the RF signals to extract the data signals and the first clock signals. The wireless receiver uses the first clock signals as write signals to write the data signals in a first-in first-out memory device (FIFO). The data signals stored in the FIFO may be read out with read signals synchronized to a second clock. In one example, a host associated with the wireless receiver reads out data signals stored in the FIFO with read signals synchronized to the system clock of the host receiver. In another example, the wireless receiver includes a data processing circuit (e.g., including forward error correction, de-whitening, and cyclical redundancy check circuits) that reads out data signals stored in the FIFO with read signals synchronized to the system clock of the wireless receiver. A microprocessor system architecture is disclosed which allows for the selective execution of programmed ROM microcode or, alternatively, RAM microcode if there has been a correction or update made to the ROM microcode originally programmed into the system. Patched or updated RAM microcode is utilized or executed only to the extent of changes to the ROM microcode, otherwise the ROM microcode is executed in its normal fashion. When a patch is received, it is loaded into system RAM along with instructions or other appropriate signals to direct the execution of the patched or updated microcode from RAM instead of the existing ROM microcode. Various methods are presented for selecting the execution of the appropriate microcode depending upon whether there have been changes made to it.

A baseband controller system creates and maintains a schedule of synchronized events and reviews the schedule as a part of determining whether to initiate a transmission of a non-synchronous event. One aspect is to avoid a possibility of collision between synchronized and non-synchronized communication events. The schedule of synchronized events are evaluated in relation to the present time and determine whether a non-synchronized event may be transmitted without the likelihood of a collision. The transmission determination includes evaluating future time periods to see if a synchronized event is scheduled during a time period in which the non-synchronized event would continue to be transmitted for those non-synchronized events that span two or more defined time periods in length.

A baseband controller includes a microsequencer that is formed to include special hardware resources and a configuration that facilitates using the micro-sequencer as a real-time baseband controller. The microsequencer includes a 72-bit correlator that way also be used as an accumulator. The correlator is able to communicate with a 72-bit arithmetic logic unit, enabling the correlator to act as an accumulator, as well as a plurality of clocks and timers that facilitate the timing functionality to satisfy Bluetooth specifications. More specifically, the microsequencer includes at least four clocks and eight times. The four clocks include an externally driven Bluetooth clock, an externally driven real-time clock, a native Bluetooth clock and a native real-time clock. The microsequencer further includes at least four registers for temporarily storing computational data. The storage registers have different sizes for storing different sized packets of computational data.

Growing community of inventors

Downey, CA, United States of America

John Lin