SoC Inter-Core Communication via MAC and Isolated Address Spaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing inter-core communication methods in multi-core processors face challenges in ensuring security, stability, and flexibility due to shared memory dependencies and inflexible internal bus communication, particularly when handling large data amounts.

Innovation Solution

Implementing inter-core communication using independent address spaces and a media access controller (MAC) to transmit data between processing cores, allowing parallel communication through multiple channels, ensuring secure and stable data transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If shared memory is used for inter-core communication, then communication simplicity is improved, but security and stability deteriorate due to inability to ensure independence of virtual machine resources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication simplicityVSAvoidsecurity and stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the memory address space into separate first and second address spaces that are independently accessible by different processing cores. This segmentation prevents cores from directly accessing each other's memory space, ensuring resource independence and security while maintaining communication capability through controlled access paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If internal bus is used for inter-core communication, then communication flexibility is improved, but data transfer efficiency deteriorates when handling large amounts of data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication flexibilityVSAvoiddata transfer efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a media access controller as an intermediary component between processing cores and memory address spaces. This mediator enables efficient data transfer by providing dedicated access paths and controlling the flow of data between cores and memory, improving transfer efficiency for large data amounts while maintaining the flexibility of the internal bus architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If independent address spaces are used for inter-core communication, then security and stability are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional address space management

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity and stabilityVSAvoidaddress space management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the media access controller to perform multiple functions: it manages access to independent address spaces, controls data transfer between cores, and handles communication protocols. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate management mechanisms for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while maintaining security and stability benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4700592A1Inter-processor communication method and apparatus for system on chip, and storage medium and electronic device
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 HORIZON JOURNEY (HANGZHOU) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
  • EP4700592A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4700592A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4700592A1 patent drawingFigure 1C~2

AI summary

This disclosure provides an inter-core communication method and apparatus for a system-on-chip, a storage medium, and an electronic device. The inter-core communication method for a system-on-chip includes: generating a communication request for inter-core communication between a first processing core and a second processing core; determining a target media access controller based on the communication request; reading inter-core communication data from a first address space corresponding to the first processing core based on the communication request and the target media access controller; and transmitting the inter-core communication data to a second address space corresponding to the second processing core based on the target media access controller. The first address space and the second address space correspond to different address spaces in a memory, so that address spaces accessed by the first processing core and the second processing core are independent of each other, which can improve security and stability of communication. Moreover, parallel communication can be performed by using a plurality of channels of a media access controller, so that inter-core communication with a large amount of data can be implemented, thereby improving high efficiency and flexibility of the inter-core communication.