Method and apparatus to support multi standard, multi service base-stations for wireless voice and data netwoks

Abstract

An apparatus for digitally processing signals within wireless communications base-stations which includes a channel pooling signal processor and a digital signal processor. The channel pooling signal processor includes a plurality of computation units typically realized in a heterogeneous multiprocessing architecture, a test interface for testing the function of the plurality of the computation units, a general-purpose microprocessor for managing the dataflow into and out of the channel pooling signal processor as well as effecting the control and configuration of the computation units, and an interconnect mechanism for connecting the plurality of computation units to the input, output, test interface, and the general-purpose microprocessor.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . Method for reconfiguring a signal processor having a plurality of computational units in a base-station transceiver system to support at least one of a plurality of service classes of interest that include at least one of multiple cellular telephone telecommunication system standards, applications and protocols, comprising the steps of: 
 profiling the function to be performed by the signal processor by:    first surveying all signal processing and control functions required to accommodate the service classes of interest,    analyzing the commonality of signal functions across the service classes of interest;    defining the data processing computational units necessary to serve the services of interest;    analyzing the data flow from the profiling; and    interconnecting the plurality of computational units based on the results of the data flow analysis.    
   
   
       10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the step of defining operates to consider at least two different sets of cellular telephone telecommunication system standards.  
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the sets of cellular telephone telecommunication system standards include CDMA, TDMA and OFDM systems.  
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the signal processor is a reconfigurable microprocessor and the base station transceiver also includes a DSP processor, and the step of interconnecting directs the most computational intensive function to the computational units of the reconfigurable microprocessor and the remaining functions to the DSP processor.  
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the microprocessor is a heterogeneous reconfigurable microprocessor.  
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the step of defining operates to consider at least two different sets of cellular telephone telecommunication system standards.  
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the sets of cellular telephone telecommunication system standards include CDMA, TDMA and OFDM systems.  
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the profiling step assigns invariant functions across all of multiple cellular telephone telecommunication system standards and variable functions to a specific system standard.  
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising the step of utilizing the results of the profiling step to compile a library of functions to be performed by at least one of a CDMA, TDMA or OFDM cellular telephone telecommunication system.  
   
   
       18 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the step of profiling the computational functions further comprises: 
 categorizing the functions according to a type of operation such as one of arithmetic/logical, control and memory access; and    determining the characteristic computational power required to perform each such function.    
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  further comprising: 
 measuring the number of static operations of a given type required to realize a receiver for a particular system standard.    
   
   
       20 . A CDMA base station transceiver system for operating across a plurality of cellular telephone telecommunication system standards comprising: 
 a computational unit having a fixed hardware portion and flexible hardware portion; and    means for reconfiguring the flexible hardware portion to accommodate each of the different cellular telephone telecommunication system standards.    
   
   
       21 . A CDMA base station transceiver as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said flexible hardware portion comprises: 
 a channel pooling signal processor, including:    a reconfigurable multiprocessor having a plurality of computational units and an interconnect mechanism, each said computational unit having a data sequencer for controlling program execution, a configurable logic unit and a dedicated memory.    
   
   
       22 . A CDMA base station transceiver system as claimed in  claim 21  and further comprising: 
 a general purpose microprocessor for managing data flow into and out of said channel pooling signal processor;    wherein the interconnect mechanism connects said plurality of computational units and said general purpose microprocessor; and    a digital signal processor connected to said channel pooling signal processor;    wherein said channel pooling signal processor performs more computationally intensive signal processing operations and said digital signal processor performs less computationally intensive signal processing operations.    
   
   
       23 . A CDMA base station transceiver system as claimed in  claim 22  wherein there are multiple computational units that perform one or more of the functions in the base station system receiver part of 
 antenna selection,    finger function,    searching functions,    matched filter functions to perform preamble processing,    symbol processing,    parameter estimator, and    channel element processing.    
   
   
       24 . The CDMA base station transceiver system as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said multiple computation units perform one or more of the functions in the base station system transmitter part of: 
 data mapping    diversity method selection,    code modulation, and    a channel summer.    
   
   
       25 . The CDMA base station transceiver system as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said multiple computational units also perform the function of a closed loop power control in the base station transmitter part.  
   
   
       26 . A CDMA base station transceiver system as claimed in  claim 20  wherein: 
 said computational unit flexible portion performs at least one of the functions of descrambling and dechannelization of a received signal.