This invention is in the field of electronic computing hardware and software and communications, and is more specifically directed to improved processes, circuits, devices, and systems for information and communication processing purposes, and processes of making them. Without limitation, the background is further described in connection with communications processing.
Wireline and wireless communications, of many types, have gained increasing popularity in recent years. The personal computer with a wireline modem such as DSL (digital subscriber line) modem or cable modem communicates with other computers over networks. The mobile wireless (or “cellular”) telephone has become ubiquitous around the world. Mobile telephony handsets can communicate video and digital data, and voice over packet (VoP or VoIP), in addition to cellular voice. Wireless modems, for communicating computer data over a wide area network, using mobile wireless telephone channels and techniques are also available.
Wireless data communication in wireless local area networks (WLAN), such as that operating according to the well-known IEEE 802.11 standard, has become popular in a wide range of installations, ranging from home networks to commercial establishments. Short-range wireless data communication according to the “Bluetooth” technology permits computer peripherals to communicate with a personal computer or workstation within the same room. Numerous other wireless technologies exist and are emerging.
Security techniques are used to improve the security of retail and other business commercial transactions in electronic commerce (e-commerce) and its mobile commerce form (m-commerce), and to improve the security of communications wherever personal and/or commercial privacy is desirable. Security is important in both wireline and wireless communications.
For security reasons, at least some processors provide at least two levels of operating privilege: a first level of privilege for user programs; and a higher level of privilege for use by the operating system. However, the higher level of privilege may or may not provide adequate security for m-commerce and e-commerce, given that this higher level relies on proper operation of operating systems. In order to address security concerns, some mobile equipment manufacturers implement yet another third level of privilege, or secure mode, that places less reliance on operating system programs, and more reliance on hardware-based monitoring and control of the secure mode.
As computer and communications applications with security become larger and more complex, a need has arisen for technology to inexpensively handle large amounts of software program code and the data for highly disparate applications, such as for high performance and fast response given a mix of real-time and non-real-time applications, and run them more or less concurrently in a secure manner in an energy-efficient and power-efficient way.
Processors of various types, including DSP (digital signal processing) chips, RISC (reduced instruction set computing) and/or other integrated circuit devices are important to these systems and applications. Constraining or reducing the cost of manufacture and providing a variety of circuit and system products with performance features for different market segments are important goals in these chips and integrated circuits generally and system-on-a-chip (SOC) design.
Further alternative and advantageous solutions would, accordingly, be desirable in the art.