Agere Systems Inc.

Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Wilhelmus J M Diepstraten

Hendrik Van Bokhorst

Michael Andrew Fischer

Wesley D Hardell

Hans Van Driest

Hendrik Moelard

Johannes P N Haagh

Leo Monteban

Rienk Mud

Loeke Brederveld

Albertus M G Claessen

Jan Hoogendoorn

Onno Letanche

A context controller for managing multitasking in a processor and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the context controller includes: (1) an event recorder that records occurrences of predetermined events and (2) an event acknowledger, associated with the event recorder, that acknowledges ones of the events based on an identity of a currently-active context.

Context controller having context-specific event selection mechanism and processor employing the same

The present invention provides a system and method, operable in a multi-context processor, for allowing a current context to change an event sensitivity of a future context. In one embodiment, the system includes a context control register, accessible to the current context, for receiving event mask data defining the event sensitivity of the future context. The system further includes a context controller, associated with the context control register and invokable from within the current context, that causes the event mask data to be employed in defining a content of an event mask register of the future context.

System and method for allowing a current context to change an event sensitivity of a future context

In one embodiment, a method of transmitting data from a transmitter in a wireless local area network (WLAN), where the transmitter has a timer and a modem. The transmitter periodically transmits a transmission signal that includes a timestamp field that includes a timestamp for synchronizing a receiver timer in a receiver of the WLAN. The timestamp, which represents a value within the count sequence of the transmitter timer, accounts for delays in the modem.

Wireless local area network apparatus

A wireless data communication system is operable in a power saving mode wherein stations are synchronized to be in an awake state to receive synchronizing messages (TIM, PSYNC) and traffic indicator information and are changed to a doze state if they are not to receive data messages. In one embodiment all stations () communicate via a base station access point (), which broadcasts synchronizing messages (TIM) at regular intervals identifying stations () that are to receive data messages. In another embodiment all stations () communicate directly with one another, one station assumes the role of a master station and broadcasts synchronizing messages (PSYNC), and stations () desiring to transmit data messages transmit traffic indicator messages (PTIM) to the appropriate destination stations (), in a synchronized awake period just before the next synchronizing message (PSYNC) is expected to arrive.

Wireless data communication system having power saving function

A wireless local area network apparatus includes a transmitter and a receiver in which operation of the receiver is accurately synchronized with periodic signals from the transmitter. The periodic signals contain timing data indicating the state of a timer in the transmitter at the time the signal containing that data was transmitted and this timing data is retrieved from the signal when received by the receiver and loaded in a timer for controlling operation of the receiver.

A context controller for managing multitasking in a processor and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the context controller includes: (1) a time slice instruction counter that counts a number of instructions executed with respect to a given background task and (2) a background task controller that cyclicly executes a context corresponding to another background task when the number of instructions executed equals a dynamically-programmable time slice value.

Context controller having instruction-based time slice task switching capability and processor employing the same

A wireless local area network system includes a plurality of base stations connected in a wired local area network. A mobile wireless station can roam through communication cells defined by the base stations. The base stations transmit beacon messages at regular intervals. The mobile station determines the communications quality of the beacon message for the cell in which the mobile station is currently located and if this quality becomes unacceptable, switches to a search mode wherein beacon messages from any base station are received and their communications quality is determined. The mobile station switches to communicate with a base station providing a beacon message with an acceptable communications quality.

Handover method for mobile wireless station

A context controller for managing multitasking in a processor and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the context controller includes: (1) foreground and background task controllers that allocate processor resources to active contexts corresponding to foreground and background tasks, respectively, and (2) mode switching circuitry, coupled to the foreground and background task controllers, that places the processor in an idle state and a power saving mode when all of the contexts are inactive.

Foreground and background context controller setting processor to power saving mode when all contexts are inactive

A context controller for managing multitasking in a processor and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the context controller includes: (1) memory that contains contexts corresponding to background tasks to be executed in the processor, the contexts having status indicators associated therewith and (2) a background task controller that reads the status indicators associated with the contexts and cyclicly activates the contexts based on the status indicators.

Context controller having status-based background functional task resource allocation capability and processor employing the same

A context controller for managing multitasking in a processor and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the context controller includes: (1) an event recorder that records occurrences of events and (2) an encoder, associated with the event recorder, that, in response to a software instruction, priority encodes bits corresponding to at least some of the events to generate therefrom an event-dependent vector to allow the processor to branch as a function thereof. Vectoring is per-instance of the vector decode software instruction, not per-event or per-context.

System for multitasking management employing context controller having event vector selection by priority encoding of contex events

A wireless data communication system is operable in a power saving mode wherein stations are synchronized to be in an awake state to receive synchronizing messages (TIM, PSYNC) and traffic indicator information and are changed to a doze state if they are not to receive data messages. In one embodiment all stations (,) communicate via a base station access point (,), which broadcasts synchronizing messages (TIM) at regular intervals identifying stations (,) that are to receive data messages. In another embodiment all stations (,) communicate directly with one another, one station assumes the role of a master station and broadcasts synchronizing messages (PSYNC), and stations (,) desiring to transmit data messages transmit traffic indicator messages (PTIM) to the appropriate destination stations (,), in a synchronized awake period just before the next synchronizing message (PSYNC) is expected to arrive.

Growing community of inventors

Haghorst, Netherlands

Wilhelmus J M Diepstraten