CN117641483A

CN117641483A - Data channel switching method and device, readable storage medium and chip

Info

Publication number: CN117641483A
Application number: CN202210957834.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈龙
Original assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-08-10
Filing date: 2022-08-10
Publication date: 2024-03-01

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a data channel switching method, a device, a readable storage medium and a chip, and relates to the field of communication, wherein the method comprises the following steps: under the condition that the terminal is in a double-card double-pass mode and the data authority of the auxiliary card is opened, detecting the double-card double-pass state of the terminal and the data signal state of the main card through the modem, wherein in the double-card double-pass mode, the main card is used for data service, the auxiliary card is used for voice service, and under the condition that the double-card double-pass state or the data signal state meets the set state, the data channel is switched from the main card to the auxiliary card so as to carry out data service through the auxiliary card. Under the condition that the DSDA state of the user equipment is unstable or the data signal state is poor, the switching of the data channel from the main card to the auxiliary card can be realized, the phenomenon that data is unavailable or network searching is performed for a long time is avoided, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Data channel switching method and device, readable storage medium and chip

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to the field of communication, and in particular, to a data channel switching method, a device, a readable storage medium and a chip.

Background

With the development of communication technology, devices supporting dual cards are becoming more popular, and dual card dual pass (Dual SIM Dual Active, DSDA) technology is becoming mature, and in the DSDA state, a main card of a user device supports data services and voice services, and a sub card supports voice services. In the daily use process, if the DSDA state of the user equipment is unstable or the data signal state is poor, the phenomenon that the main card data is unavailable or the network is searched for a long time may occur, so that poor user experience is caused.

Disclosure of Invention

To overcome the problems in the related art, the present disclosure provides a data channel switching method, apparatus, readable storage medium, and chip.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a data channel switching method, applied to a terminal, the method including:

under the condition that the terminal is in a double-card double-pass mode and the data authority of the auxiliary card is opened, detecting the double-card double-pass state of the terminal and the data signal state of the main card through a modem; in the dual-card dual-pass mode, the main card is used for data service, and the auxiliary card is used for voice service;

and under the condition that the double-card double-pass state or the data signal state meets the set state, switching a data channel from the main card to the auxiliary card so as to carry out data service through the auxiliary card.

Optionally, the determining that the dual card dual pass state meets the set state includes:

and under the condition that the terminal is switched from the double-card double-pass state to the double-card double-standby state, determining that the double-card double-pass state meets the set state.

and under the condition that the terminal is changed from a double-card double-pass state of double-card full concurrence to a double-card double-pass state of shared transmission, determining that the double-card double-pass state meets the set state.

Optionally, the determining that the data signal state satisfies the set state includes:

and under the condition that the data signal parameter of the main card is smaller than a set threshold value, determining that the data signal state meets the set state.

Optionally, the switching the data channel from the primary card to the secondary card to perform data service through the secondary card includes:

and under the condition that the terminal is in the double-card double-pass state of the shared transmission and the auxiliary card carries out voice service, switching the data channel from the main card to the auxiliary card so as to carry out data service through the auxiliary card.

Optionally, the method further comprises:

after the voice service of the auxiliary card is finished, the data channel is kept in the auxiliary card so as to keep the data service through the auxiliary card; or,

and switching the data channel from the auxiliary card back to the main card after the voice service of the auxiliary card is finished, so as to carry out data service through the main card.

Optionally, the method further comprises:

and under the condition that the data signal parameter of the auxiliary card is smaller than the set threshold value and the data signal parameter of the main card is larger than the set threshold value, switching the data channel from the auxiliary card back to the main card so as to carry out data service through the main card.

According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a data channel switching device, applied to a terminal, the device including:

the detection module is configured to detect the double-card double-pass state of the terminal and the data signal state of the main card through the modem under the condition that the terminal is in a double-card double-pass mode and the data authority of the auxiliary card is opened; in the dual-card dual-pass mode, the main card is used for data service, and the auxiliary card is used for voice service;

and the switching module is configured to switch a data channel from the main card to the auxiliary card so as to carry out data service through the auxiliary card under the condition that the double-card double-pass state or the data signal state is determined to meet the set state.

According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a data channel switching apparatus, including:

a processor;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

wherein the processor is configured to: the steps of the method of any of the above first aspects are carried out when the executable instructions are executed.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method of any of the first aspects described above.

According to a fifth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a chip comprising a processor and an interface; the processor is configured to read instructions to perform the steps of the method of any of the first aspects above.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can comprise the following beneficial effects:

in the above technical solution, when the terminal is in a dual-card dual-pass mode and the data authority of the sub-card is opened, the dual-card dual-pass state of the terminal and the data signal state of the main card are detected by the modem, wherein in the dual-card dual-pass mode, the main card is used for data service, the sub-card is used for voice service, and when the dual-card dual-pass state or the data signal state is determined to satisfy the set state, the data channel is switched from the main card to the sub-card, so as to perform the data service through the sub-card. Through the implementation mode, under the condition that the DSDA state of the user equipment is unstable or the data signal state is poor, the switching of the data channel from the main card to the auxiliary card can be realized, the phenomenon that data is unavailable or network searching is performed for a long time is avoided, and user experience is improved.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a data channel switching method according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a data channel switching method according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a data channel switching apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a data channel switching apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, the same numbers in different drawings refer to the same or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary examples are not representative of all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the accompanying claims.

It is understood that the term "plurality" in this disclosure means two or more, and other adjectives are similar thereto. "and/or", describes an association relationship of an association object, and indicates that there may be three relationships, for example, a and/or B, and may indicate: a exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. The character "/" generally indicates that the context-dependent object is an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It will be further understood that although operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

It should be noted that, all actions for acquiring signals, information or data in the present application are performed under the condition of conforming to the corresponding data protection rule policy of the country of the location and obtaining the authorization given by the owner of the corresponding device.

Fig. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a data channel switching method according to an exemplary embodiment, which is applied to a terminal as shown in fig. 1, and includes the following steps.

In step S101, in the case that the terminal is in the dual card dual pass mode and the sub card data authority is opened, the dual card dual pass state of the terminal and the data signal state of the main card are detected by the modem.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terminal is a dual card-supporting terminal, and the terminal may include two card slots, where each card slot may be inserted into a UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card ) card, where the UICC card is a generic term for various smart cards, for example, the UICC card may be a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module ) card, a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module, universal subscriber identity module) card, a UIM (User Identity Module, subscriber identity module) card, a RUIM (Removable User Identity Module, removable subscriber identity module) card, and the like, and the terminal supports DSDA mode. In the dual-card dual-pass (DSDA) mode, the main card of the terminal is used for data service and also supports voice service, and the sub-card is used for voice service, namely the default data channel is in the main card, and the main card can perform data service and voice service. The dual-card dual-pass state of the terminal may include a dual-card dual-pass sustainable state and a dual-card dual-pass non-sustainable state, and in the dual-card dual-pass sustainable state, may include a dual-card dual-pass (Full-current DSDA) state of dual-card Full concurrency and a dual-card dual-pass (Tx-sharing DSDA) state of shared transmission, where the dual-card Full concurrency refers to that two cards are respectively used for transmitting of two cards through independent antennas as transmitting ends (Tx) and the shared transmission refers to that two cards are multiplexed (e.g., time division multiplexed) with one antenna as a transmitting end (Tx). When the dual card dual pass state is not sustainable, the terminal may switch from the dual card dual pass state to a dual card dual standby (Dual SIM Dual Standby, DSDS) state.

In step S102, in the case where it is determined that the two-card two-way state or the data signal state satisfies the set state, the data channel is switched from the main card to the sub card to perform the data service through the sub card.

The setting state may include switching from dual-card dual-pass (DSDA) to dual-card dual-standby (DSDS) or switching from Full-current DSDA to Tx-sharing DSDA; alternatively, the data signal state becomes worse to a certain state. When the two-card two-way state or the data signal state satisfies the set state, the state of the terminal can be uploaded to an application processor (Application Processor, AP) on the terminal end through a modem (modem), or when the set state is determined to be satisfied, a data channel with an optimal sub-card is determined and reported to the application processor, and the application processor can switch the data channel from the main card to the sub-card so as to perform data service through the sub-card.

Further, fig. 2 is a flowchart of a data channel switching method according to an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the determining that the dual card bi-pass state or the data signal state satisfies the set state in step S102 may include the following steps: step S103, step S104, or step S105.

Step S103, when the terminal is switched from the double-card double-pass state to the double-card double-standby state, determining that the double-card double-pass state meets the set state.

Taking a 5G communication technology as an example, in a currently mainstream dual-card dual-pass state, dual-card dual-pass can support NR (New Radio) +nr or nr+lte (Long Term Evolution ), where NR is a network system under SA (Standalone) networking in the 5G technology, and LTE is a 4G network system, it can be understood that in a nr+nr mode, a main card of a terminal may perform data service through NR, and in a case where a data channel is switched to a sub-card, the sub-card may also perform data service through NR; in the NR+LTE mode, the main card of the terminal can perform data service through NR, and the sub card can perform data service through LTE under the condition that the data channel is switched to the sub card. In a case where a dual card dual pass state (DSDA) of the terminal is not sustainable, for example, a network system of the main card is redirected from NR to GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications ) of the 2G network, since the main card does not support data service after falling back to GSM, the dual card dual pass of the terminal is not sustainable and is switched to a dual card dual standby state (DSDS), at which time the main card of the terminal can perform voice service based on GSM and at which time data service is not performed, at which time it can be determined that the dual card dual pass state satisfies the set state, the modem can send information to an upper layer application processor, and the application processor can switch a data channel from the main card to the sub card so that the terminal performs data service through the sub card.

Step S104, when the terminal is changed from the dual-card dual-pass state of dual-card full concurrence to the dual-card dual-pass state of shared transmission, determining that the dual-card dual-pass state meets the set state.

It can be understood that in the case where the dual card dual pass state (DSDA) of the terminal may be changed from the dual card dual pass state (Full-current DSDA) of the dual card to the dual card dual pass state (Tx-sharing DSDA) of the shared transmission, the main card and the sub card jointly multiplex one transmission line for use as the transmission (Tx), at which time it can be determined that the set state is satisfied to switch the data channel from the main card to the sub card.

Optionally, in a possible implementation manner, in a case that the terminal is in a dual-card dual-pass state of shared transmission and the sub-card performs voice service, the data channel is switched from the main card to the sub-card, so as to perform data service through the sub-card.

It can be understood that in the Tx-sharing DSDA state, when the sub-card is performing voice service, more Tx resources are expected to be in the sub-card, so that switching the data channel to the sub-card can ensure that more Tx resources are in the sub-card.

Optionally, after the voice service of the sub-card is finished, the data channel may be kept in the sub-card, so as to keep the data service performed by the sub-card; or,

and after the voice service of the auxiliary card is finished, switching the data channel from the auxiliary card to the main card so as to carry out the data service through the main card.

It can be understood that when the voice service of the sub-card is finished, the data channel can be switched back to the main card, and the data service is performed through the main card; or, the data channel can be kept in the auxiliary card, and the data service is continuously carried out through the auxiliary card, so that the frequent switching of the data channel between the two cards is avoided. For example, after the voice service of the sub-card is finished, the data channel can be switched back to the main card based on the time when the data channel is switched to the sub-card, for example, after a certain period of time after the data channel is switched to the sub-card, so that frequent switching of the data channel between the two cards is avoided; or after the voice service of the auxiliary card is finished, whether to switch back to the main card can be determined based on the signal parameters of the main card, for example, when the signal intensity of the main card is smaller than that of the auxiliary card, the data channel is kept not to switch back to the main card at the auxiliary card, and when the signal intensity of the main card is smaller than that of the auxiliary card, the data channel is switched back to the main card.

Step S105, determining that the data signal state satisfies the set state when the data signal parameter of the host card is smaller than the set threshold.

For example, when the data signal parameter of the main card is smaller than the set threshold, for example, the data downlink rate of the main card is 0, the main card data can be considered to be in a cut-off state, and the double-card double-pass state is determined to meet the set state; or when the data downlink rate is not 0 but is smaller than a certain rate threshold, the dual-card dual-pass state can be determined to meet the set state, the modem can send information to the upper layer application processor, and the application processor can switch the data channel from the main card to the auxiliary card so that the terminal can perform data service through the auxiliary card. Or the data signal parameter may be signal strength, and may be in an out-of-service state when the signal strength of the main card is less than the set signal strength threshold, where it may be determined that the dual-card dual-pass state meets the set state, and the modem may send information to an upper layer application processor, where the application processor may switch the data channel from the main card to the sub-card, so that the terminal performs data service through the sub-card. The signal strength may be RSRP (Reference Signal Receiving Power, reference signal received power), for example.

Optionally, when the data signal parameter of the secondary card is smaller than a set threshold value and the data signal parameter of the primary card is larger than the set threshold value, the data channel is switched from the secondary card back to the primary card so as to perform data service through the primary card.

It can be understood that in the process of performing data service through the sub card, when the state of the sub card signal is detected to be poor, and the state of the main card data signal is good, the data channel can be switched from the sub card to the main card, and the data service is performed through the main card.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a data channel switching apparatus 300, which is applied to a terminal, according to an exemplary embodiment, and which includes a detection module 310 and a switching module 320 with reference to fig. 3.

The detecting module 310 is configured to detect, through the modem, a dual card dual pass state of the terminal and a data signal state of the main card in a case where the terminal is in a dual card dual pass mode and a sub card data authority is opened; in the dual-card dual-pass mode, the main card is used for data service, and the auxiliary card is used for voice service;

the switching module 320 is configured to switch a data channel from the main card to the sub card to perform a data service through the sub card in case it is determined that the dual card dual pass state or the data signal state satisfies a set state.

Optionally, the apparatus 300 further comprises: a determining module;

the determination module is configured to:

Optionally, the determining module is configured to:

and under the condition that the terminal is changed from the double-card double-pass state of the double-card full concurrence to the double-card double-pass state of the shared transmission, determining that the double-card double-pass state meets the set state.

Optionally, the determining module is configured to:

Optionally, the switching module 320 includes a switching sub-module;

the switching sub-module is configured to:

and under the condition that the terminal is in the double-card double-pass state of the shared transmission and the auxiliary card carries out voice service, the data channel is switched from the main card to the auxiliary card so as to carry out data service through the auxiliary card.

Optionally, the switching module 320 is further configured to:

after the voice service of the auxiliary card is finished, the data channel is switched from the auxiliary card to the main card so as to carry out the data service through the main card.

Optionally, the switching module 320 is configured to:

The specific manner in which the various modules perform the operations in the apparatus of the above embodiments have been described in detail in connection with the embodiments of the method, and will not be described in detail herein.

The present disclosure also provides a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the data channel switching method provided by the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 800 for data channel switching, according to an example embodiment. For example, apparatus 800 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcast terminal, messaging device, game console, tablet device, medical device, exercise device, personal digital assistant, or the like.

Referring to fig. 4, apparatus 800 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 802, a memory 804, a power component 806, a multimedia component 808, an audio component 810, an input/output interface 812, a sensor component 814, and a communication component 816.

The processing component 802 generally controls overall operation of the apparatus 800, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps of the data channel switching method described above. Further, the processing component 802 can include one or more modules that facilitate interactions between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 can include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

The memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operations at the apparatus 800. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the device 800, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, and the like. The memory 804 may be implemented by any type or combination of volatile or nonvolatile memory devices such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic or optical disk.

The power supply component 806 provides power to the various components of the device 800. The power components 806 may include a power management system, one or more power sources, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the device 800.

The multimedia component 808 includes a screen between the device 800 and the user that provides an output interface. In some embodiments, the screen may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a Touch Panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may sense not only the boundary of a touch or slide action, but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front camera and/or a rear camera. The front camera and/or the rear camera may receive external multimedia data when the apparatus 800 is in an operational mode, such as a photographing mode or a video mode. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

The audio component 810 is configured to output and/or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a Microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when the device 800 is in an operational mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in the memory 804 or transmitted via the communication component 816. In some embodiments, audio component 810 further includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

Input/output interface 812 provides an interface between processing component 802 and peripheral interface modules, which may be keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to: homepage button, volume button, start button, and lock button.

The sensor assembly 814 includes one or more sensors for providing status assessment of various aspects of the apparatus 800. For example, the sensor assembly 814 may detect an on/off state of the device 800, a relative positioning of the components, such as a display and keypad of the device 800, the sensor assembly 814 may also detect a change in position of the device 800 or a component of the device 800, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 800, an orientation or acceleration/deceleration of the device 800, and a change in temperature of the device 800. The sensor assembly 814 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 814 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 814 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate communication between the apparatus 800 and other devices, either in a wired or wireless manner. The device 800 may access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi,2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives broadcast signals or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 further includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short range communications. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 800 may be implemented by one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), digital Signal Processors (DSPs), digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic elements for performing the data channel switching methods described above.

In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium is also provided, such as memory 804 including instructions executable by processor 820 of apparatus 800 to perform the data channel switching method described above. For example, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium may be ROM, random Access Memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc.

The apparatus may be a stand-alone electronic device or may be part of a stand-alone electronic device, for example, in one embodiment, the apparatus may be an integrated circuit (Integrated Circuit, IC) or a chip, where the integrated circuit may be an IC or may be a collection of ICs; the chip may include, but is not limited to, the following: GPU (Graphics Processing Unit, graphics processor), CPU (Central Processing Unit ), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic array), DSP (Digital Signal Processor ), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, application specific integrated circuit), SOC (System on Chip, SOC, system on Chip or System on Chip), etc. The integrated circuit or the chip may be configured to execute executable instructions (or codes) to implement the data channel switching method described above. The executable instructions may be stored on the integrated circuit or chip or may be retrieved from another device or apparatus, such as the integrated circuit or chip including a processor, memory, and interface for communicating with other devices. The executable instructions may be stored in the memory, which when executed by the processor implement the data channel switching method described above; alternatively, the integrated circuit or the chip may receive the executable instruction through the interface and transmit the executable instruction to the processor for execution, so as to implement the data channel switching method described above.

In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, comprising a computer program executable by a programmable apparatus, the computer program having code portions for performing the above described data channel switching method when executed by the programmable apparatus.

Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following, in general, the principles of the disclosure and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the disclosure pertains. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be effected without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A data channel switching method, which is applied to a terminal, the method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the two-card two-way status satisfies the set status comprises:

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the two-card two-way status satisfies the set status comprises:

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the data signal state satisfies the set state comprises:

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein said switching a data channel from the primary card to the secondary card for data traffic through the secondary card comprises:

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

8. A data channel switching device, applied to a terminal, comprising:

9. A data channel switching apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

wherein the processor is configured to: the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-7 are implemented when the executable instructions are executed.

10. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions, which when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method of any of claims 1-7.

11. A chip, comprising a processor and an interface; the processor being adapted to read instructions to perform the steps of the method of any of claims 1-7.