Virtual radio interface and radio operating system for a communication device

Claim 1

A radio frequency communication device having a plurality of operating modes, at least one feature, at least one protocol, and a keypad, the communication device comprising: a hardware platform including at least a micro-processor and at least a memory device having a predetermined memory space and coupled to the micro-processor; an ergonomics/control means having a first predetermined plurality of tasks that cannot be dynamically altered and each task having a predetermined fixed priority, comprising: an interpreter for interpreting information entered via the keypad; a first controller for controlling the features and the plurality of operating modes; a feature/protocol means having a second predetermined plurality of tasks that cannot be dynamically altered and each task having a predetermined fixed priority, comprising: means for implementing the features as dictated by the ergonomics/control means; means for implementing the at least one protocol having means for formulating a desired protocol message; a hardware means for providing a kernel and a hardware interface having a third predetermined plurality of tasks that cannot be dynamically altered and each task having a predetermined fixed priority, comprising: means for partitioning the memory device to produce a plurality of buffers; scheduling means for scheduling the first, second, and third plurality of tasks; message handler means for handling messages between the first, second, and third plurality of tasks using a buffer from the plurality of buffers; a buffer pool manager for assigning a buffer from the plurality of buffers to one of the first, second, and third plurality of tasks; an interrupt handler means for handling hardware interrupts; hardware interface means coupled to the hardware platform for converting a signal from the hardware platform to a signal having a standardized format; a high level interface means for providing a first standardized interface between the feature/protocol means and the ergonomics/control means so as to allow preemptive changes to either the feature/protocol means or to the ergonomics/control means without requiring changes to the other; a low level interface means for providing a second standardized interface between the feature/protocol means and the hardware means so as to allow preemptive changes to either the feature/protocol means or to the hardware means without requiring changes to the other; and an intermediate level interface means using the second standardized interface to provide preemptive communication between the ergonomics/control means and the hardware means.