Unified input/output controller for integrated wireless devices
US9483429B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 2008 |
| Grant date | Nov 1, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D10/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A novel and useful apparatus for and method of a unified IO controller well suited for use in integrated wireless devices incorporating multiple functions. The unified IO controller is operative to provide a single host interface PHY/MAC that is shared among all functions on the controller. The invention provides an IO protocol handler comprising common and unified logic that provides IO access to any function on the device. The common and unified IO PHY interface logic is shared between multiple functions within the same device (e.g., WLAN, GPS, Bluetooth, etc.). This implementation provides optimized hardware partitioning in which common SDIO logic serves multiple functions thereby eliminating the need to provide a protocol handler for each function, reducing pin count, power consumption and die size, since the SDIO protocol handling is implemented in a shared module.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.