A wireless network card and wireless communication method for a host

Abstract

The present application relates to a wireless network card and a wireless communication method for a host. The host includes at least two host systems, each of the at least two host systems having the same or different operating systems. The wireless network card includes a lower computer module, chip firmware, and at least two upper computer driver modules, and each upper computer driver module provides a driver program. The lower computer module provides loading / unloading of driver instances, management of configuration information, and synchronizes status information and network information to each host system; creates independent lower computer driver instances; processes the issued network access information by each lower computer driver instance, and transmits the processed network access information and the response information of the network access information between the lower computer driver instance and the chip firmware; the chip firmware causes the network access information to be sent to the wireless access point; and sends the response information of the network access information to the lower computer module. Enables multiple operating systems to perform network access processes through the wireless network card separately or simultaneously.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mobile electronic devices, and more particularly, to a wireless network card for a host and a wireless communication method. Background Art

[0002] In order to improve battery life, many mobile electronic devices such as smart phones and smart watches will design different operating systems according to different application scenarios. For example, when a user watches a movie or plays a game on a smart device, the standard Android / Linux system needs to be started to meet the requirements of functions and performance. While in the normal standby mode, only the RTOS system needs to be started to meet the functions of a small amount of information update, message notification, and waking up the standard system.

[0003] Currently, to solve the problem of multiple systems accessing the network simultaneously, a multi-network card solution or a virtual network card solution is often adopted. Among them, in the multi-network card solution, each operating system of the host is equipped with an independent network card to meet the network access requirements. However, such a solution has high hardware design complexity, power consumption, and cost. Another solution using a virtual network card is that a main operating system is responsible for loading the actual network card driver, and the remaining operating systems create virtual network card drivers. The virtual network card forwards network access data to the main operating system through the IPC (Inter-Process Communication) function of the operating system and the actual network card proxies the data sending and receiving. However, the virtual network card solution depends on the IPC ability and device virtualization ability of the operating system itself, and the main operating system needs to remain awake to meet the data forwarding requirements of other operating systems. Therefore, the system implementation, software and hardware costs, and overall power consumption are high. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application is provided to solve the above-mentioned defects in the prior art. A wireless network card for a host and a wireless communication method are needed. The wireless network card can enable at least two host systems of the host to share the same set of wireless network cards. Each host system can access the network independently or simultaneously via the wireless network card, and when one host system accesses the network, there is no need to wake up other host systems. Therefore, it has a lower multi-host system network access power consumption while having a lower hardware cost.

[0005] According to the first aspect of the present application, a wireless network card for a host is provided. The host includes at least two host systems, each of the at least two host systems having the same or different operating systems. The wireless network card includes a slave module, chip firmware, and at least two master driver modules. Among them, the at least two master driver modules correspond to each host system one by one. Each master driver module is configured to provide a driver program that matches the category of the host interface of the corresponding host system for the corresponding host system. The slave module is configured to create independent slave driver instances for each host interface and allocate an exclusive wireless link layer management interface for each slave driver instance. The slave module can also be configured to provide loading / unloading of driver instances, management of configuration information, and synchronization of status information and network information to each host system via the host interface of each host system. The slave module can also be configured to process network access information sent via the corresponding host interface by each slave driver instance and transmit the processed network access information and the response information of the network access information to and from the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface. The chip firmware is configured to create a corresponding wireless network interface for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point via the corresponding network interface; and send the response information of the network access information to the slave module via the corresponding wireless link layer management interface.

[0006] According to a second solution of the present application, a wireless communication method for a host is provided, which is applicable to a wireless network card. The host includes at least two host systems, and each of the at least two host systems has the same or different operating systems. The wireless network card includes a lower computer module, chip firmware, and at least two upper computer driver modules. Among them, the at least two upper computer driver modules correspond to each host system one by one. Each upper computer driver module can provide a driver program that matches the category of the host interface of the corresponding host system for the corresponding host system. The lower computer module can create independent lower computer driver instances for each host interface and allocate exclusive wireless link layer management interfaces for each lower computer driver instance. The lower computer module can also provide loading / unloading of driver instances, management of configuration information, and synchronization of status information and network information to each host system via the host interfaces of each host system. Each lower computer driver instance can also process the network access information sent down via the corresponding host interface and transmit the processed network access information and the response information of the network access information to the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface. The chip firmware can create corresponding wireless network interfaces for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point via the corresponding network interface; and the response information of the network access information is sent to the lower computer module via the corresponding wireless link layer management interface.

[0007] The wireless network card and wireless communication method for a host provided in each embodiment of the present application respectively provide independent upper computer driver modules for each host system of the host for program driving of each host system, so that the wireless network can be applicable to the same or different operating systems of each host system. The lower computer module in the wireless network card has host interfaces corresponding to each host system one by one, and each host interface corresponds to an independent lower computer driver instance. The lower computer driver instance enables the network access information of each host system to interact with the wireless access point via the chip firmware in the wireless network card through the exclusively used wireless link layer management interface. In this way, each host system can use the software and hardware on the same wireless network card to independently or simultaneously access the network without conflict. And because the upper computer module and the lower computer module can independently process the network access of each host system, when a single or some host systems access the network, other host systems do not need to be woken up if they are in the sleep state. Therefore, on the basis of lower hardware costs, the power consumption of multiple host systems accessing the network can be further reduced. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a wireless network card for a host according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the processing procedure of the slave computer module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0010] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless network card for a host according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0011] Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the function of the driver instance management sub-module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0012] Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless network card for a host according to still another embodiment of the present application is shown; and

[0013] Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the working process of a wireless communication method for a host according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Specific embodiments

[0014] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present application, the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific examples, but this is not a limitation to the present application.

[0015] The "first", "second" and similar terms used in the present application do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used for distinction. Words such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the elements before this word cover the elements listed after this word, and do not exclude the possibility of also covering other elements.

[0016] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless network card for a host according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The host may include, for example, a computer (including a laptop computer, a tablet computer pad, etc.), a smart phone or a smart watch and other mobile electronic devices. As Figure 1As shown, the host 100 may include at least two host systems. For example, it may include a first host system 110a, a second host system 110b, …, an nth host system 110n. Among them, for example, the first host system 110a has a first operating system 111a, the second host system 110b has a second operating system 111b, …, the nth host system 110n has an nth operating system 111n. Each of the above operating systems may be an Android operating system, a Linux operating system, an RTOS operating system, etc., and they may be the same or different from each other. For example, the first operating system 111a may be an IOS operating system, and the second host system 110b may be a Windows operating system, etc., which are not listed one by one here. Specifically, the host can set the usage modes of multiple host systems according to different requirements in terms of power consumption index requirements, programs to be run, performance differences in operation, etc. For example, the host 100 can use host systems with different operating systems in a switched manner to meet various requirements as described above, or multiple host systems can also be made to run simultaneously as needed to execute different programs and tasks in parallel, etc.

[0017] As Figure 1 As shown, the wireless network card 200 is communicatively connected to each host system through a corresponding host interface. The host interface includes a first host interface 210a communicatively connected to the first host system 110a, a second host interface 210b communicatively connected to the second host system 110b, …, an nth host interface 210n communicatively connected to the nth host system 110n. In some embodiments, the host interface can have different types. For example, it can be one of USB, SDIO, SPI, UART, PCIE, and the host interface types of each host system can be the same or different.

[0018] In some embodiments, the wireless network card 200 may include a slave module 230, chip firmware 250, and at least two host driver modules. Among them, the at least two host driver modules correspond to each host system one by one. The first host system 110a corresponds to the first host driver module 220a, the second host system 110b corresponds to the second host driver module 220b, …, the nth host system 110n corresponds to the nth host driver module 220n. Each host driver module is configured to provide a driver program that matches the category of the host interface of the corresponding host system. When a network access requirement is issued by a certain host system, the corresponding host driver module can provide a driver program that matches the type of its host interface, so that different host systems can drive the wireless network card to perform network access. In some embodiments, when a network access requirement is issued by a certain host system, only the corresponding host driver module in the wireless network card works, while the host driver modules corresponding to other host systems that have not issued network access requirements can remain in a resting state. Therefore, the wireless network card according to the embodiments of the present application can not only support independent or simultaneous network access of multiple host systems, but also maintain a relatively low overall power consumption.

[0019] Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing the processing procedure of the slave module according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] First, in step 2301, for example, when the host system has a network access requirement, the slave module can create independent slave driver instances for each host interface and allocate exclusive wireless link layer management interfaces for each slave driver instance. In combination with Figure 5, for example, the first host interface 210a corresponds to the first slave machine driver instance 232a and the first wireless link layer management interface 240a, the second host interface 210b corresponds to the second slave machine driver instance 232b and the second wireless link layer management interface 240b, and the nth host interface 210n corresponds to the nth slave machine driver instance 232n and the nth wireless link layer management interface 240n. In this way, each slave machine driver instance can send the network access information from each host system to the wireless link layer through the exclusive wireless link layer management interface via the corresponding host interface. In some embodiments, for example, according to the instruction of the host user, when a specific host system ends network access or shuts down the network access function, the corresponding slave machine driver instance can be deregistered from the slave machine module. When the host system needs to reconnect to the network, a new slave machine driver instance can be created. In this way, using independent driver instances to handle the network access requirements of the corresponding host systems, and each driver instance has an exclusive wireless link layer management interface, can make the network access requirements of each host system be responded to more timely and independently, has better flexibility compared with multi-host systems that access the network using virtual machines, does not need to wake up the entire host because one or some host systems access the network, so it has lower overall power consumption, and in the case where the host system (for example, for a long time) stops accessing the network, the slave machine driver instance can also be deregistered, so the power consumption and the complexity of software and hardware can be further reduced.

[0021] Next, in step 2302, the loading / unloading of driver instances, the management of configuration information can be provided for each host system via the host interfaces of each host system, and the status information and network information can be synchronized to each host system. Refer to Figure 1 , when each host system has a need to access the network, the slave machine module 230 can provide the loading of driver instances for each host system to complete the process of network access, and the driver instances can be unloaded when the need for network access is completed. The driver instances of each host system can be loaded and unloaded independently, so as to realize the need for each host system to access the network independently. In some embodiments, the management of configuration information is provided by the slave machine module 230, so that each host system can access the network according to its own configuration information respectively. In some embodiments, for the network access requirements of each host system, the slave machine module 230 can also synchronize the status information and network information to each host system. Among them, the status information can include hardware status, wireless channel status, etc., and the network information can include, for example, download process information, network notification messages, etc., so that each host system can update various information according to the above information, or perform adjustments such as system configuration and switching of network access.

[0022] Next, in step 2303, each slave device driver instance can process the network access information sent via the corresponding host interface, and transmit the processed network access information and the response information of the network access information to and from the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive radio link layer management interface. The slave device module creates a slave device driver instance for each host respectively, which is responsible for processing the network access information sent by the host interface of each host system, and then transmits it to the chip firmware via the exclusive radio link layer management interface. The response information of the network access information received by the chip firmware is transmitted to the slave device driver instance via the exclusive radio link layer management interface. In this way, the slave device module can complete the information processing process in the network access process of each host system respectively.

[0023] Reference Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the chip firmware 250 is configured to: create a corresponding wireless network interface for each radio link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point 300 via the corresponding network interface; and send the response information of the network access information to the slave device module 230 via the corresponding radio link layer management interface. The first radio link layer management interface 240a corresponds to the first wireless network interface 251a in the chip firmware 250, the second radio link layer management interface 240b corresponds to the second wireless network interface 251b in the chip firmware 250, and the nth radio link layer management interface 240n corresponds to the nth wireless network interface 251n in the chip firmware 250. After receiving the network access information transmitted by the radio link layer management interface, the chip firmware 250 sends it to the wireless access point 300 via the corresponding wireless network interface. The response information of the network access information returned by the wireless access point 300 is transmitted to the chip firmware 250 via the wireless network interface, and then the chip firmware 250 sends it to the slave device module 230 via the corresponding radio link layer management interface.

[0024] In some embodiments, there may be multiple wireless access points 300, and each wireless network interface can be connected to the same wireless access point 300 or different wireless access points 300.

[0025] Each of the above host systems is respectively communicatively connected to the same wireless network card through a corresponding host interface, and the host computer driver module provides a matching driver program according to different types of host interfaces. The processing process of the above lower computer module can realize the network access processing process independent of each host system at the host end. Therefore, the network access processes of each host system are independent of each other, meeting the needs of multiple host systems for simultaneous or non-simultaneous network access. For example, if there are three host systems at the host end, the three host systems or any two of them can conduct network access simultaneously, or the three host systems can conduct separate network access at different times. For example, the Linux operating system can be started under high running performance requirements, and the RTOS operating system can be selected to start in the standby mode. The RTOS operating system can access the network through the wireless network card to meet the timely update of network information in the standby mode. Therefore, one wireless network card can be used in cooperation with multiple host systems for network access, and the network access processes of each host system are not affected by each other, which can reduce the cost and power consumption at the host end. Since only the corresponding host interface, data link layer management interface, and chip firmware need to be set in the hardware part to realize the transmission of corresponding data, the hardware design complexity of the wireless network card can also be reduced. In addition, through the centralized processing of the network access requirements of each host system by the host computer module and the lower computer module, there is no need to set up a processing module for the network access requirements of each host system separately. Therefore, both the hardware and software designs at the wireless network card end can reduce costs and power consumption.

[0026] Figure 3A structural schematic diagram of a wireless network card for a host according to another embodiment of the present application is shown. The host 100 includes a first host system 110a, a second host system 110b, and an nth host system 110n. The first host system 110a includes a first operating system 111a, the second host system 110b includes a second operating system 111b, and the nth host system 110n includes an nth operating system 111n. The first host system 110a corresponds to a first host interface 210a of the wireless network card 200, a first upper computer driver module 220a, a first wireless link layer management interface 240a, and a first wireless network interface 251a of the chip firmware 250; the second host system 110b corresponds to a second host interface 210b of the wireless network card 200, a second upper computer driver module 220b, a second wireless link layer management interface 240b, and a second wireless network interface 251b of the chip firmware 250; the nth host system 110n corresponds to an nth host interface 210n of the wireless network card 200, an nth upper computer driver module 220n, an nth wireless link layer management interface 240n, and an nth wireless network interface 251n of the chip firmware 250. The wireless network card includes a lower computer module 230. The lower computer module 230 includes a driver instance management sub-module 231. The lower computer module 230 creates independent lower computer driver instances for each host interface. The first host system 110a corresponds to a first lower computer driver instance 232a, the second host system 110b corresponds to a second lower computer driver instance 232b, and the nth host system 110n corresponds to an nth lower computer driver instance 232n. When the host system issues a network access requirement, the lower computer module 230 creates independent lower computer driver instances for each host interface. After the network access requirement of the host system ends, the corresponding lower computer driver instance is deregistered from the lower computer module. Each wireless network interface in the chip firmware 250 is communicatively connected to a wireless access point 300.

[0027] Figure 3 A driver instance management sub-module is provided in the lower computer module of the wireless network card shown in the figure, which can facilitate the loading / unloading of the lower computer driver instances of each host system and the interaction of information with each host system. The functions of the driver instance management sub-module are specifically as Figure 4 shown.

[0028] Figure 4A functional schematic diagram of a drive instance management sub-module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The lower computer module is further configured with a management function 401 implemented by the drive instance management sub-module 400. The drive instance management sub-module provides loading / unloading of drive instances for each host system via the host interface of each host system. Through the management function 401, the loading and unloading processes of drive instances are provided during the network access processing. The management function 402 manages the network configuration information and sleep / wake request information of each host system. Through the management function 402, the network configuration information for network access requests of each host system is managed respectively so that each host system can connect to a wireless access point through the network configuration information; the information on requests for sleep / wake of each host system is also managed so that the relevant software part at the wireless network card end can make sleep / wake responses, enabling the wireless network card to perform network access according to the needs of each host system at any time. The management function 403 synchronizes common hardware status information to the upper computer drive module. Through the management function 403, the hardware status for network connection is fed back to the upper computer drive module, such as the status of the hardware and the status of the wireless channel, etc. The hardware status includes information such as the hardware initialization status, and the hardware can include the host interface, the wireless link management interface, etc., so that the upper computer drive module can perform normal driving. The management function 404 synchronizes the currently connected network information to each host system. Through the management function 404, the relevant information of the currently connected network is synchronized, such as the information on the current network transmission process, etc. Each host system at the host end makes a choice to connect to which network end or further processes the network connection hardware, etc. Through the separate management process of each system by a separate drive instance management sub-module, the requests for network access of each system can be satisfied. When some or all of the network access times in each system are the same or different, or some or all of the connected wireless access points in each system are the same or different, etc., it is convenient for each system to perform independent network access separately.

[0029] In some embodiments, the slave module is further configured to: monitor the sleep state / wake state of the operating system of each host system by the driver instance management sub-module. When the operating system of each host system enters the sleep state, the slave module enters the sleep mode; when the operating system of at least one of the host systems enters the wake state, the slave module enters the wake mode. When the operating system of one or some of the host systems enters the sleep state, network access is not performed, but the operating systems of one or some host systems that have not entered the sleep state can still perform network access. At this time, the slave module remains in the wake state to meet the network access requirements. Only when the operating systems of all host systems enter the sleep state, and at this time all operating systems do not need network access, can the slave module enter the sleep state. In this way, the slave module can be kept to respond and process the network access requirements of any host system in a timely manner and quickly.

[0030] Figure 5 FIG. shows a schematic structural diagram of a wireless network card for a host according to another embodiment of the present application. The host 100, the slave module 230, the chip firmware 250 are similar to the structural settings and connection situations in Figure 1 In addition, as Figure 5As shown, the slave computer module further includes a drive instance sub-module 232. The network access information includes at least commands and / or data. The slave computer module is further configured to: by the drive instance sub-module 232, create an independent slave computer drive instance for each host interface, and allocate a wireless link layer management interface for exclusive use to each slave computer drive instance. There is a first slave computer drive instance 232a corresponding to the first host interface 210a, a second slave computer drive instance 232b corresponding to the second host interface 210b,..., and an nth slave computer drive instance 232n corresponding to the nth host interface 210n. Moreover, through the allocation of the drive instance sub-module, the first slave computer drive instance 232a corresponds to the first wireless link layer management interface 240a, the second slave computer drive instance 232b corresponds to the second wireless link layer management interface 240b,..., and the nth slave computer drive instance 232n corresponds to the nth wireless link layer management interface 240n. Further, each slave computer drive instance can be pre-created by the drive instance management sub-module and then stored in the slave computer module. When the host system issues a network access requirement, it is loaded by the drive instance management sub-module according to the host interface type. After the network access requirement ends, it is unloaded by the drive instance management sub-module; or each slave computer drive instance can be created by the drive instance management sub-module when each host system issues a network access requirement, and then loaded and used by the drive instance management sub-module. After the network access requirement ends, it is unloaded by the drive instance management sub-module. Further, each drive instance pre-created by the slave computer module can be pre-matched and bound to each host system in advance, or the slave computer drive instance can also be allocated according to the matching situation and occupancy situation of the host interface type, etc. Each host system is allocated an exclusive slave computer drive instance for each network access. Through the pre-matching and binding method, during the network access process of the host system, different drive instances can be directly loaded according to different host systems in the host. By setting up a drive instance management sub-module in the slave computer module, it is convenient to create independent slave computer drive instances according to the host interfaces of each host system, facilitating the independent or simultaneous network access process of each host system.

[0031] In Figure 5On the basis of the lower machine module shown in , in some embodiments, the lower machine module is further configured as: the lower machine driving instance processes the commands and / or data issued via the corresponding host interface, and transmits the processed commands and / or data between the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface, as well as the response information of the commands and / or data. The requirements for network access of each host system are the same or different, and each lower machine driving instance independently performs the processing process of commands / or data, so that the commands / or data of each host system can be processed separately to avoid mutual influence of the processing process. When a lower machine driving instance is working, other lower machine driving instances can be in a working state or in a state of not being loaded, so the wireless network card of the present application can not only complete the independent network access requirements of multiple host systems, but also has lower power consumption.

[0032] In some embodiments, each wireless network interface is connected to the same or different wireless access point, and the chip firmware is further configured to: create a corresponding wireless network interface for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the same or different wireless access point via the corresponding network interface. In the case of more than one wireless access point, the wireless network interface can choose to connect to the same or different wireless access point for network access. In the case of only one wireless access point, each host system can connect to the wireless access point according to the same configuration information. In the case of multiple wireless access points, each host system can connect to different wireless access points according to different network configuration information. For example, there are two wireless access points, and the host has two host systems. The two host systems can choose to connect to different wireless access points respectively, or if the signal transmission status of one wireless access point is relatively good, then the two host systems can both connect to the wireless access point with better signal transmission status.

[0033] In some embodiments, each wireless network interface is connected to a wireless access point in a time-sharing or simultaneous manner, and the chip firmware is further configured to: create a corresponding wireless network interface for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point in a time-sharing or simultaneous manner via the corresponding network interface. When each wireless network interface communicates with different wireless access points respectively, each wireless network interface can communicate with different wireless access points at the same time; when each wireless network access point is connected to the same wireless access point respectively, each wireless network interface can transmit network information in a time-sharing manner, which can avoid conflicts in the transmission of multiple network information.

[0034] In some embodiments, the wireless network interface at least includes a WiFi STA network interface (WiFi Station network interface). The wireless network interface is provided on the wireless network card of mobile electronic devices such as smart phones and smart watches for the transmission of network information.

[0035] The lower computer module, chip firmware, and upper computer module in the wireless network card run through different processors respectively, or are integrated and run on the same processor to realize the operation of the wireless network card. For example, the upper computer module and the lower computer module can use various RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor IPs purchased from companies such as ARM as the processors of the SOC to execute corresponding functions, and can be implemented as an embedded system. Users can build ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) based on the purchased IPs or self-developed modules to implement various communication modules, so as to reduce power consumption and costs.

[0036] The following specifically describes the wireless communication method for a host according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Figure 6 The working process schematic diagram of the wireless communication method for a host according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. It is applicable to a wireless network card. The host includes at least two host systems, and each of the at least two host systems has the same or different operating systems. The wireless network card includes a lower computer module, chip firmware, and at least two upper computer driver modules, where the at least two upper computer driver modules correspond to each host system one by one. Step 601, each upper computer driver module provides a driver program matching the category of the host interface of the corresponding host system. Step 602, the lower computer module creates independent lower computer driver instances for each host interface and allocates exclusive wireless link layer management interfaces for each lower computer driver instance. Step 603, the lower computer module provides the loading / unloading of driver instances, management of configuration information, and synchronizes status information and network information to each host system via the host interfaces of each host system. Step 604, each lower computer driver instance processes the network access information sent down via the corresponding host interface, and transmits the processed network access information and the response information of the network access information to the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface. Step 605, the chip firmware creates corresponding wireless network interfaces for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point via the corresponding network interface. Step 606, the chip firmware sends the response information of the network access information to the lower computer module via the corresponding wireless link layer management interface.

[0038] A wireless network card can cooperate with multiple host systems for network access. The network access processes of each host system do not affect each other, which can reduce the cost and power consumption of the host side. For the hardware part, only the corresponding host interface, data link layer management interface, and chip firmware need to be set to achieve the transmission of corresponding data, which can also reduce the hardware design complexity of the wireless network card. Through the upper computer module and the lower computer module, the network access requirements of each host system are centrally processed, and there is no need to set up a network access requirement processing module for each host system separately. Therefore, both the hardware and software designs of the wireless network card side can reduce costs and power consumption.

[0039] In some embodiments, the lower computer module includes a driver instance management sub-module. The driver instance management sub-module: provides the loading / unloading of driver instances for each host system via the host interface of each host system; manages the network configuration information and sleep / wake request information of each host system; synchronizes the common hardware status information to the upper computer driver module; synchronizes the currently connected network information to each host system. When a host system starts a network access requirement, the driver instance management sub-module loads the driver instance. When the network access requirement ends, the driver instance management sub-module unloads the driver instance. Manages the network configuration information for network access requests of each host system separately, so that each host system can connect to a wireless access point through the network configuration information. Also manages the information for each host system to request sleep / wake, so that the relevant software part on the wireless network card side can make a sleep / wake response, so that the wireless network card can perform network access requirements at any time according to the needs of each host system. Feeds back the hardware status for network connection to the upper computer driver module, such as the status of the hardware and the wireless channel, etc. The hardware status includes information such as the hardware initialization status. The hardware can include a host interface, a wireless link management interface, etc., so that the upper computer driver module can perform normal driving. Synchronizes the relevant information of the currently connected network, such as information about the current network transmission process, etc. Each host system on the host side makes a choice to connect to which network end or further processes the hardware for network connection, etc. Through the separate management process of each system by a separate driver instance management sub-module, the network access requests of each system can be satisfied. When some or all of the network access times in each system are the same or different, or some or all of the connected wireless access points in each system are the same or different, etc., it is convenient for each system to perform independent network access separately.

[0040] In some embodiments, the sleep state / wake state of the operating systems of each host system is monitored by the drive instance management sub-module; when the operating system of each of the host systems enters the sleep state, the slave computer module enters the sleep mode; when the operating system of at least one of the host systems enters the wake state, the slave computer module enters the wake mode. When one or some of the operating systems enter the sleep state, network access is not performed, but one or some of the operating systems that have not entered the sleep state can still perform network access. At this time, the slave computer module remains in the wake state to meet the network access requirements. Only when all the operating systems enter the sleep state, and at this time all the operating systems do not need to perform network access, can the slave computer module enter the sleep state.

[0041] In some embodiments, the slave computer module further includes a drive instance sub-module, and the network access information at least includes commands and / or data; the drive instance sub-module creates an independent slave computer drive instance for each host interface, and assigns an exclusive wireless link layer management interface to each slave computer drive instance; the slave computer drive instance processes the commands and / or data sent via the corresponding host interface, and transmits the processed commands and / or data, as well as the response information of the commands and / or data, to and from the chip firmware via the assigned exclusive wireless link layer management interface. The network access requirements of each host system may be the same or different, and each slave computer drive instance independently processes the commands / or data, so that the commands / or data of each host system can be processed separately, avoiding mutual influence during the processing. When one slave computer drive instance is working, other slave computer drive instances can be in the working state or in the unloaded state. Therefore, the wireless network card of the present application can not only meet the independent network access requirements of multiple host systems, but also has relatively low power consumption.

[0042] In some embodiments, each wireless network interface is connected to the same or different wireless access points. The chip firmware creates corresponding wireless network interfaces for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the same or different wireless access points via the corresponding network interfaces. In the case where there is more than one wireless access point, the wireless network interface can choose to be connected to the same or different wireless access points for network access.

[0043] In some embodiments, each wireless network interface is connected to a wireless access point in a time-sharing or simultaneous manner, and the chip firmware creates a corresponding wireless network interface for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point in a time-sharing or simultaneous manner via the corresponding network interface. When each wireless network interface communicates with different wireless access points respectively, each wireless network interface can communicate with different wireless access points at the same time; when each wireless network access point is connected to the same wireless access point respectively, each wireless network interface can transmit network information in a time-sharing manner, which can avoid conflicts in the transmission of multiple network information.

[0044] In addition, although exemplary embodiments have been described herein, the scope includes any and all embodiments based on the present application with equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., various embodiments intersecting schemes), adaptations or changes. The elements in the claims will be interpreted broadly based on the language adopted in the claims, and are not limited to the examples described in this specification or during the implementation of the application, and the examples will be interpreted as non-exclusive. Therefore, this specification and examples are intended to be considered as examples only, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims and the full scope of their equivalents.

[0045] The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, the above examples (or one or more of them) can be used in combination with each other. For example, those of ordinary skill in the art can use other embodiments when reading the above description. In addition, in the above-mentioned specific embodiments, various features can be grouped together to simplify the application. This should not be interpreted as an intention that a disclosed feature that does not require protection is necessary for any claim. On the contrary, the subject matter of the present application may be less than all the features of a specific disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the specific embodiments as examples or embodiments, wherein each claim is independently used as a separate embodiment, and it is considered that these embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements. The scope of the present invention should be determined with reference to the full scope of the equivalent forms of the attached claims and these claims.

[0046] The above embodiments are only exemplary embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present invention within the essence and protection scope of the present application, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions shall also be deemed to fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wireless network card for a host, characterized in that, The host includes at least two host systems, each of the at least two host systems having the same or different operating systems. The wireless network card includes a lower computer module, chip firmware, and at least two upper computer driver modules. Among them, the at least two upper computer driver modules correspond to each host system one by one. Each upper computer driver module is configured to: provide a driver program that matches the category of the host interface of the corresponding host system for the corresponding host system. The lower computer module is configured to: Create independent lower computer driver instances for each host interface and allocate exclusive wireless link layer management interfaces for each lower computer driver instance. Via the host interfaces of each host system, provide loading / unloading of driver instances, management of configuration information, and synchronize status information and network information to each host system. Process the network access information sent down via the corresponding host interface by each lower computer driver instance, and transmit the processed network access information and the response information of the network access information between the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface. The chip firmware is configured to: Create corresponding wireless network interfaces for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point via the corresponding network interface; and Send the response information of the network access information to the lower computer module via the corresponding wireless link layer management interface.

2. The wireless network card according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower computer module includes a driver instance management sub-module, and the lower computer module is further configured by the driver instance management sub-module to: Via the host interfaces of each host system, provide loading / unloading of driver instances for each host system; manage the network configuration information and sleep / wake request information of each host system. Synchronize common hardware status information to the upper computer driver module; synchronize the currently connected network information to each host system.

3. The wireless network card according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lower computer module is further configured to: Monitor the sleep state / wake state of the operating systems of each host system by the driver instance management sub-module. When the operating system of each host system enters the sleep state, the lower computer module enters the sleep mode. When the operating system of at least one of each host system enters the wake state, the lower computer module enters the wake mode.

4. The wireless network card according to any one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that, The lower computer module further includes a driver instance sub-module. The network access information includes at least commands and / or data. The lower computer module is further configured to: By the driver instance sub-module, create independent lower computer driver instances for each host interface and allocate exclusive wireless link layer management interfaces for each lower computer driver instance. Process the commands and / or data sent down via the corresponding host interface by the lower computer driver instance, and transmit the processed commands and / or data and the response information of the commands and / or data between the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface.

5. The wireless network card according to any one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that, Each wireless network interface is connected to the same or different wireless access points. The chip firmware is further configured to: A corresponding wireless network interface is created for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the same or different wireless access points via the corresponding network interface.

6. The wireless network card according to any one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that, Each wireless network interface is connected to a wireless access point in a time-sharing or simultaneous manner, and the chip firmware is further configured as follows: A corresponding wireless network interface is created for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point via the corresponding network interface in a time-sharing or simultaneous manner.

7. The wireless network card according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the host interface includes at least one of USB, SDIO, SPI, UART, and PCIE.

8. The wireless network card according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the wireless network interface includes at least a WiFi STA network interface.

9. A wireless communication method for a host, applicable to a wireless network card, the host includes at least two host systems, each of the at least two host systems has the same or different operating systems, the wireless network card includes a lower computer module, chip firmware, and at least two upper computer driver modules, wherein, The at least two host computer drive modules correspond one to one with each host system, and are characterized in that: Each host computer driver module provides a driver program matching the type of the host interface of the host system for the corresponding host system; By the lower computer module: Create an independent lower-machine driver instance for each host interface, and allocate an exclusive wireless link layer management interface to each lower-machine driver instance; Provides driver instance loading / unloading and configuration information management for each host system through the host interface of each host system, and synchronizes status information and network information to each host system; Each lower machine driver instance processes the network access information sent via the corresponding host interface, and transmits the processed network access information and the response information of the network access information to the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface; the chip firmware: Creating a corresponding wireless network interface for each wireless link layer management interface so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point via the corresponding network interface; and The response information of the network access information is sent to the lower computer module via the corresponding wireless link layer management interface.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 9, wherein, The lower computer module includes a driver instance management submodule, which includes: Provides driver instance loading / unloading for each host system via the host interface of each host system; manages network configuration information and sleep / wake-up request information of each host system; Synchronize common hardware status information to the host computer driver module; synchronize currently connected network information to each host system.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 10, wherein, The driver instance management submodule monitors the sleep state / wake-up state of the operating system of each host system; When the operating system of each of the host systems enters a dormant state, the slave computer module switches to a dormant mode; When at least one operating system of each host system enters the awake state, the lower computer module switches to the awake mode.

12. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 9-11, wherein, The lower computer module also includes a driver instance submodule, and the network access information includes at least commands and / or data; The driver instance submodule creates an independent lower-machine driver instance for each host interface, and allocates a wireless link layer management interface for exclusive use to each lower-machine driver instance; The lower computer driver instance processes the commands and / or data sent via the corresponding host interface, and transmits the processed commands and / or data, as well as the response information of the commands and / or data, to the chip firmware via the allocated exclusive wireless link layer management interface.

13. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 9-11, wherein, Each wireless network interface is connected to the same or different wireless access points. The chip firmware creates corresponding wireless network interfaces for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the same or different wireless access points via the corresponding network interfaces.

14. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 9-11, wherein, Each wireless network interface is connected to the wireless access point either time-division or simultaneously. The chip firmware creates corresponding wireless network interfaces for each wireless link layer management interface, so that the processed network access information is sent to the wireless access point either time-division or simultaneously via the corresponding network interfaces.

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