Patent ID: 7568059
Filing Date: 2009-07-28
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A chip arrangement for use in processing communication signals with a battery-operated communication device having limited power available for the chip arrangement, the communication signals being processed in accordance with any one of a plurality of selected communication protocols, each protocol being defined by a different set of algorithms necessary for the implementation of that communication protocol, the chip arrangement comprising: all of the algorithms necessary to implement all of the selected communication protocols, at least some of the algorithms being partitioned into subsets, at least some of the subsets each define a domain of similar algorithms used by more than one of the communication protocols, wherein the domains associated with each communication protocol are arranged so that they can be implemented in a manner so as to define a set of megafunctions for each of the communication protocols, the megafunctions comprising a plurality of reusable, reconfigurable, functional blocks configured so as to implement the physical layer of the corresponding selected communication protocol; a plurality of switches configured to respond to select control signals as a function of a selected communication protocol so as to interconnect the necessary blocks of the megafunctions for processing the communication signals as a function of the selected communication protocol; buses interconnecting the megafunctions; an interconnect network, and memory for storing a set of signals for configuring the appropriate megafunctions and the interconnect network between the appropriate megafunctions so as to set the algorithms and any parameters associated with the selected communication protocol; and an analyzer configured so as to determine the communication protocol of the signal processed by the chip architecture, and apply the necessary control signals so as to automatically configure the switches and interconnect the necessary megafunctions for processing the communication signals according to the determined protocol, wherein the protocol for processing of the communication signals is determined by a hand-off protocol between communication standards; wherein appropriate ones of the control signals are generated in response to a determination of the communication protocol of the processed signals so that the chip arrangement is configured in a predetermined fixed arrangement of megafunctions such that the communication signals can be processed in accordance with the correct communication protocol without further reconfiguration of the chip arrangement so as to conserve power consumption while processing the communication signals in accordance with the correct communication protocol with the limited available power; wherein at least some of the megafunctions are parameterized, the parameters of at least some of the parameterized megafunctions are adapted to be dynamically changed as a function of the selected communication protocol in response to a determination of the communication protocol of the processed signals; and wherein the size of at least one of the buses is adapted to be configured upon determination of the communication protocol of the processed signals.