Marvell International Limited

Marvell Asia Pte., Ltd.

Zheng Cao

Frank Huang

Robert Lee, Jr

Xiaohua Luo

James Jan

Xinyu Zang

Tao Song

James Kang-Wuu Jan

Benson Chau

Yuanhua Deng

A wireless data transceiver includes a media access controller (MAC) that receives an inbound packet from an air interface and to buffer that packet for transport to a host, and receives an outbound packet and transfers that packet to the air interface. A host interface receives the inbound packet from the MAC and transfers the inbound packet to the host, and receives the outbound packet from the host for transfer to the MAC. Transport controller circuitry (TCC), including processing circuitry configured to execute instructions, manages the transceiver. Hardware data transport circuitry (HDTC) for transporting packets in either direction between the MAC and the host interface includes a buffer memory having a plurality of slots. The TCC or HDTC issues a start or stop signal to the host interface causing the HDTC and the host interface to begin or end transfer of data between the buffer memory and the host interface.

Data transfer interface with reduced signaling

Aspects of the disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for data communication. In some embodiments, an apparatus for data communication between a host and a plurality of station devices includes an interface circuit, a medium access controller (MAC) circuit, a control circuit, and a streaming circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive a data packet from the host, and the data packet includes a bitmap addressing the data packet to one of the plurality of station devices. The medium access controller (MAC) circuit is configured to detect a sleep status of the one of the plurality of station devices. The control circuit is configured to adjust a bit mask based on the sleep status of the one of the plurality of station devices, so that the bit mask indicates the sleep status the one of the plurality of station devices. The streaming circuit is coupled between the interface circuit and the MAC circuit. The streaming circuit is configured to receive the data packet addressed to station devices, determine the sleep status of the one of the plurality of station devices based on the bit mask and the bitmap in the data packet, and transmit the data packet to the MAC circuit when the sleep status of the one of the plurality of station devices is in a wake state, otherwise, transmit the data packet to the control circuit when the sleep status of the one of the plurality of station devices is in a sleep state.

Rapid sync up mechanism for traffic control between two systems

A wireless data transceiver includes a media access controller (MAC) configured to receive an inbound data packet from an air interface and to buffer the inbound packet for transport to a host, and to receive an outbound data packet from elsewhere in the transceiver and to transfer the outbound packet to the air interface. The transceiver further includes a host interface configured to receive the inbound packet transported from the MAC and to transfer the inbound packet to the host, and to receive the outbound packet from the host for transfer to the MAC. The transceiver also includes transport controller circuitry configured to execute instructions to generate and transfer management packets. In addition, the wireless data transceiver includes hardware data transport circuitry for transporting the inbound packet from the MAC to the host interface, and for transporting the outbound packet from the host interface to the MAC, without executing instructions.

Hardware data transport in wireless data transceiver

A host includes an operating system segmented into a user space and a kernel space with a driver. The user space stores a firmware file and the kernel space includes memory. The driver is stored in the kernel space and performs download cycles to download the firmware file to the memory. The device driver, during a first download cycle, transfers a first block of data to the memory. During each download cycle performed subsequent to the first download cycle, the driver is configured to: identify first and second segments of the memory, where data including the first block of data was stored in the first segment during a previous download cycle; copy the data including the first block of data from the first segment to the second segment; and transfer a block of data of the firmware file, not previously stored in the memory, to the second segment.

Firmware downloading through process file system

A host system includes an operating system having a user space and a kernel space with a memory. A device driver performs download cycles to download a firmware file from the user space to the memory. The download cycles are performed based on blocks of data remaining in the user space and not downloaded from the user space. The device driver: transfers a first block of data to a first segment of the memory; transfers a second block of data from the user space to a second segment of the memory; copies the first block into the second segment; and appends the first block to the second block to form a combined block. The first block is transferred from the user space to the first segment during a first download cycle. The first block is transferred from a second segment to the first segment during a second download cycle.

Method and apparatus for transferring firmware between an operating system and a device in a host

A method and system for transferring a firmware file between a host system and a device driver, wherein the host system includes an operating system segmented into a user space and a kernel space is disclosed. Aspects of the exemplary embodiment include using a first type of process file system command in the user space to initiate a transfer of the firmware file between the host system and the device driver, wherein the firmware file exists in the user space and the device driver exists in the kernel space; and using a second type of process file system command in the user space to transfer the firmware file between the user space and the device driver in kernel space.

Growing community of inventors

Union City, CA, United States of America

Zheng Cao