Patent ID: 8320373

Claim:
An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a plurality of processing modules operative to send packets to one another via a common packet interface and to perform at least one function that involves transforming input data into output data, wherein at least some of the plurality of processing modules perform different functions, and wherein the plurality of processing modules comprise a modem processing module and an encoding/decoding processing module; and at least one transport module coupled to the plurality of processing modules and operative to forward the packets sent by the plurality of processing modules; wherein each processing module comprises a network interface operative to receive and send packets for the processing module, a receive data buffer operative to store the input data from packets received by the network interface, a transmit data buffer operative to store the output data for packets to be sent by the network interface, and at least one processing unit operative to process the input data and provide the output data; wherein each processing module further comprises a packet parser operative to receive the packets from the network interface, to provide the input data from the received packets to the receive data buffer, and to provide input control information from the received packets directly to the at least one processing unit, wherein the input control information is not stored in the receive data buffer; and wherein each processing module further comprises a packet builder operative to receive the output data from the transmit data buffer, to receive output control information directly from the at least one processing unit, and to build packets with the output data and in accordance with the output control information, wherein the output control information is not stored in the transmit data buffer.