Partial Software Stack Enablement for Protocol Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transition between different communication protocols in electronic devices, such as cellular telephones, is time-consuming, leading to user frustration and impacting sales and customer retention.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device that partially disables and enables software stacks associated with different communication protocols, such as LTE and 1xRTT, to efficiently transition between them, reducing the time required for protocol changes to less than the channel dormancy time of the cellular network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the electronic device transitions between different communication protocols (e.g., LTE and 1xRTT) to communicate different types of messages, then the device can handle diverse communication needs, but the transition time increases causing user frustration and application interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The software stack is divided into separate modules for different communication protocols (LTE stack and 1xRTT stack). This segmentation allows the device to selectively disable/enable specific protocol stacks without affecting the entire communication system, thereby reducing transition time while maintaining protocol flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures multiple communication protocol stacks (LTE, 1xRTT, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) to be ready for immediate activation. When a message type requires a different protocol, the system can quickly switch by enabling the pre-configured stack rather than building it from scratch, significantly reducing transition time.
2Reliability
If the device disables and enables entire software stacks during protocol transitions, then the protocol switch is complete, but the transition process becomes time-consuming and disrupts upper-layer applications
Solution Approach 1:
The software stack is segmented into independent protocol modules (LTE stack, 1xRTT stack) that can be individually controlled. This allows selective disabling/enabling of only the necessary protocol stack without shutting down the entire communication system, maintaining application continuity during transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of disabling/enable the entire software stack, the system applies partial action by only disabling/enabling the specific protocol stack needed for the current communication task. This partial approach maintains other active stacks and ongoing applications, reducing transition impact on productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to reduce the time delay when transitioning between different communication protocols used to communicate information via a cellular-telephone network, an electronic device (such as a cellular telephone) may only partially disable a software stack associated with a current communication protocol. In particular, after receiving an indicator that there is a message to be communicated using a second communication protocol while the electronic device is currently configured to communicate using a first communication protocol, the electronic device may disable a portion of a software stack associated with the first communication protocol and may enable a software stack associated with the second communication protocol. Then, the electronic device communicates the message using the second communication protocol. Next, the electronic device: may disable the software stack associated with the second communication protocol and may enable the portion of the software stack associated with the first communication protocol.