Palmone, Incorporated

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Palm, Incorporated

Palmsource Inc.

Katherine Elliott

Gary Garrabrant

John Michael Brown

Edward Vertatschtisch

Craig Stuart Skinner

Mark Allen Bartel

Ken Johnson

A property of a wireless signal over time is monitored while a processor is maintained in a first power state that utilizes less power than a second power state. While the processor remains in the first power state, a measure of the property is compared to a first threshold and to a second threshold. The processor can be transitioned from the first power state to the second power state if the measure crosses the first threshold and the second threshold, and otherwise the processor is maintained in the first power state.

Managing power consumption in a wireless device

A method and system of periodically measuring the signal strength fluctuations in a wireless connection between a portable computer system and a wireless network. The portable computer system has a main processor and a DSP (digital signal processor). The DSP receives instructions from the main processor for controlling the periodic measuring, and subsequent thereto is placed in low power mode. The main processor is placed into a low power mode after sending the instructions. The DSP periodically awakens to measure the signal strength fluctuations while the main processor remains in a low power mode. When the signal strength fluctuation is unacceptable, this triggers the DSP to awaken the main processor. When the signal strength fluctuation is acceptable, the DSP returns to a low power state until the next periodic measuring.

Digital signal processor update of single channel strength signal

A method is described for decoding a signal in a noise environment using maximum likelihood soft decision decoding for input streams containing known data. ISI problems are ameliorated, and decoding is implemented by palmtop computers and devices of limited computational capability. Decoded signals make use of the (12, 8) Hamming Code for a MOBITEX application. A table with predetermined ISI values is downloaded from a host processor to an on-board DSP at runtime. Known information in the frame header is utilized to help determine unknown data. Decoding proceeds in one embodiment by finding codewords that minimize a sum corresponding to data values extracted from header information. Other tables generated for use contain soft decision information and FEC words. Minimizing data translation by using known data and other embodiments advantageously minimize computational resources required to decode data by maximum likelihood soft decision decoding.

Maximum likelihood decoding for input streams containing known data

A method and system for encoding and decoding a sequence of K binary digits using reduced-size lookup tables. The sequence of K binary digits is separated into multiple segments (e.g., a first segment and a second segment). The first segment is used as an index into a first lookup table that contains an encoded version of all combinations of binary digits possible in the first segment. In a similar manner, the second segment is used as an index into a second lookup table that contains an encoded version of all combinations of binary digits possible in the second segment. Using the first lookup table, an encoded sequence is obtained for the first segment, and an encoded sequence is obtained for the second segment using the second lookup table. An encoded sequence for the entire sequence of K binary digits is obtained by combining the encoded sequences for the first and second segments. Two lookup tables are thus used to encode the sequence of K binary digits instead of a single lookup table having 2 entries. The sizes of the two lookup tables are such that, if combined, they would contain fewer than 2 entries, thereby saving memory space in devices with limited memory capacity.

Reduced table size forward error correcting encoder

A method for automatically updating firmware of a hand-held device. To initiate the automatic update, a reset of the hand-held device is detected. Once a reset is detected, an update application is executed, wherein the update application performs the required updating steps. The update application determines whether a flag has been set in a nonvolatile memory area of the hand-held device. The flag is used to indicate a previous execution of the update application. If the flag is set, the update application terminates, otherwise, the update application performs an identification test by determining whether a device ID of the device matches a device ID stored in a table of the update application. If the device ID does not match, the update application terminates and the flag is set. If the device ID matches, the update application updates the firmware of the hand-held device, sets the flag, and terminates. In so doing, the firmware of the hand-held device to be updated without requiring user intervention or interaction. A parameter can be checked against a predetermined value or range in the same manner as the device ID, in implementing the identification test. The update application can be distributed to the hand-held device from a supply server via the Internet. Alternatively, the update application can be distributed to the hand-held device wirelessly from another hand-held device, or as an undocumented part of a separate upgrade. The execution of the update application can be hidden, such that the update application executes transparently to user.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Katherine Elliott