Communication Hardware Virtualization via Context Memory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems are inefficient in concurrently processing data from multiple channels and standards using shared hardware, leading to data loss and increased costs due to the need for multiple chips and hardware instances.
Innovation Solution
A communication system that utilizes input buffers and context memory to buffer and process incoming data streams from multiple channels and standards, allowing for concurrent processing without data loss, by saving and restoring the internal status of the receiver only during specific phases, thereby reducing the number of parameters to be saved and restored.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple chips are used to support multiple channels concurrently, then concurrent processing capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver is divided into multiple independent receiver instances (first receiver, second receiver, third receiver) that can process different channels concurrently. Each receiver instance operates independently with its own frame detection and demodulation units, enabling parallel processing while sharing common hardware resources like the processor and memory.
Solution Approach 2:
A single radio-hardware instance is designed to perform multiple functions by supporting multiple channels and standards simultaneously. The shared processor and memory resources are dynamically allocated to different receiver instances based on operational requirements, allowing one hardware unit to replace what would traditionally require multiple dedicated chips.
2Device complexity
If multiple virtualized access points share the same Wi-Fi channel, then hardware resource utilization is improved, but data rate performance deteriorates due to shared physical AP's native data rate
Solution Approach 1:
The single Wi-Fi channel is segmented into multiple virtual channels by creating multiple receiver instances that can simultaneously process different channels. This allows multiple virtualized access points to operate on the same physical channel without interfering with each other's data rates, as each receiver instance independently processes its designated channel.
3Device complexity
If band-interleaving or TDM schemes are used to support multiple channels, then hardware resource sharing is improved, but processing throughput is reduced since only one channel is active at a time
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically allocates receiver instances to different channels based on real-time operational requirements. Multiple receiver instances can be activated simultaneously for different channels, and the system can dynamically switch between channels and receiver instances to optimize throughput while maintaining hardware resource sharing.
4Reliability
If context saving and restoring is performed for every parameter at every switching moment, then data processing continuity is improved, but processing time increases due to frequent context operations
Solution Approach 1:
Only the essential context parameters are extracted and saved during switching between channels and receiver instances. Non-essential parameters are maintained in registers or local memory without requiring saving, reducing the overhead of context operations while maintaining processing continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
Context parameters are pre-organized in a structured format that enables rapid saving and restoring. The system prepares context data in advance during idle periods or during frame detection phases, so that when switching occurs, the context can be restored quickly without interrupting data processing.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communication system (100) comprising: input buffers (120) adapted for buffering incoming data streams of samples from one or more channels (110); a receiver (130) adapted for sequentially processing data from the input buffers (120); a processing rate of the receiver (130) is higher than or equal to an incoming data rate of the incoming data; context memory (140) adapted for saving an internal status of the receiver after processing the data corresponding with an input buffer before switching to a next input buffer and for restoring the internal status, wherein the receiver (130) is adapted for processing the incoming data in a frame detection phase, and in a frame demodulation phase in which frames and/or subframes are demodulated into bits and wherein the internal status of the receiver related to an input buffer is only saved and restored in the frame detection phase or before and after demodulating subframes.