Re-configurable terminals with a user friendly interface
Reconfiguration will allow terminals to change their modes of operation and use different Radio Access technology. A system architecture has been developed which provides a first definition of the main functional components and interactions required to support re-configurable terminals. This has been developed in Unified Modeling Language, or UML, which can easily be explored and developed further by other interested parties. In order to change between modes, terminals have to be reconfigured at different levels such as baseband, RF and protocols. To meet these requirements, software architecture for a re-configurable baseband subsystem has also been developed. There are several factors, which affect the baseband subsystem of a re-configurable terminal, ranging from terminal capacity, to user profile, to network capacity. For any given terminal and network, it is necessary to ascertain whether they can be involved in baseband re-configuration. Therefore prior to reconfiguration, the terminal, user profile and network have to be assessed in terms of their capabilities and requirements. To facilitate this process, the types of signaling and protocols necessary have been designed, as has a method for administering and managing reconfiguration. Although currently these developments apply only to baseband, there is the possibility for development to meet higher levels of reconfiguration. The project hopes to define user scenarios from which re-configurability requirements and benefits may be derived. This is an innovative approach which concentrates on the benefits that the user may obtain from a re-configurable radio system network as seen through their own computer terminal.
