Shared Radio Component Arbitration for Multi-SIM Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern communication terminals with multiple SIMs face challenges in efficiently arbitrating shared radio and baseband resources due to conflicts and high complexity, especially when multiple protocol stacks and hardware instances need to operate independently and unsynchronized.
Innovation Solution
A metric-based approach is introduced where decision metrics are evolved independently in each protocol stack and compared at the layer where conflicts occur, allowing for efficient arbitration of shared resources like transceivers and RF frontends without requiring extensive communication between layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple protocol stacks and hardware instances operate independently and unsynchronized to support multiple SIMs, then the terminal can connect to different communication networks simultaneously, but conflicts arise in shared radio components and arbitration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a shared radio component interface that acts as an intermediary between multiple protocol stacks and the physical radio hardware. This interface layer manages resource allocation and arbitration, allowing independent protocol stacks to communicate with shared hardware without direct conflicts. The intermediary abstracts the complexity of resource sharing from individual protocol stacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal radio component interface that can serve multiple SIMs and protocol stacks simultaneously. This multi-functional interface handles different communication protocols and requirements through a unified architecture, reducing the need for separate dedicated hardware instances for each SIM while maintaining independent operation capabilities.
2Productivity
If multiple protocol stacks share radio components, then hardware resources are utilized efficiently, but performance losses occur due to resource conflicts and arbitration delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous operation of radio communication by implementing arbitration mechanisms that minimize interruptions. When one protocol stack uses the shared radio component, the system quickly arbitrates and switches to another stack when the resource becomes available, maintaining continuous useful action and reducing idle time that would cause performance losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where protocol stacks report their resource requirements and usage status to the arbitration interface. This feedback allows the system to make informed arbitration decisions, prioritize time-critical operations, and optimize resource allocation to minimize performance losses while maintaining high utilization efficiency.
3Productivity
If extensive communication between layers is implemented for resource arbitration, then resource allocation decisions can be optimized, but system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the arbitration process into distinct layers and functions. The radio component interface handles physical resource management, while protocol stacks manage their own resource requests and priorities. This segmentation allows each layer to operate independently with well-defined interfaces, reducing the need for extensive inter-layer communication while maintaining optimization capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables protocol stacks to self-manage their resource requirements by independently determining their own priority levels and resource needs. Each stack serves itself by generating resource requests and receiving allocations from the shared interface without requiring extensive communication or coordination with other stacks, reducing processing overhead while maintaining optimized allocation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communication terminal is described comprising a two SIMs, first components assigned to the first SIM and second components assigned to the second SIM and a shared component. A priority determiner determines, for each first component a priority of a function to be carried by the component using the shared component and determines an accumulated priority for the first SIM and determines for each second component a priority of a function to be carried by the component using the shared component and determines an accumulated priority for the second SIM and further comprises a controller configured to give access to the shared radio communication component based on the accumulated priorities.