Transmission apparatus, communication system, and transmission method

• US 10,461,885 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakahara, Kentaro, Matsumoto, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rehman, Mohammed H
• Application Number:
  US15/551,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/06 using capacity coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/04 Control of transmission; Equalising
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/50 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via two-conductor transmission lines H04B3/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0023 characterised by the signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission

Abstract

The present technology relates to a communication system, and a transmission method that a restoration time from a state that a transmission of a signal between AC-coupled apparatuses is suspended can be shortened without increasing a power consumption.

A first control signal is transmitted via the second signal line in a case where a transmission of the signal via the first signal line is restored from a suspended state, and that a transmission of a charging signal that charges an AC coupling capacitance serially connected to the first signal line via the first signal line is started before a timing when the transmission of the first control signal is ended. The present technology is applicable, for example, to a communication system in conformity with the eDP standard.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus, comprising:

a communication circuitry configured to

transmit a signal to a reception apparatus via a first signal line, the reception apparatus being AC-coupled to the transmission apparatus via the first signal line, and

transmit a first control signal to the reception apparatus via a second signal line that is different than the first signal line; and

a communication control circuitry configured to

control transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus,

determine whether the transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus will be restored from a suspended state,

responsive to determining that the transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus will be restored from the suspended state, control the communication circuitry to transmit the first control signal via the second signal line, and

control the communication circuitry to transmit a charging signal that charges an AC coupling capacitance serially connected to the first signal line via the first signal line before a timing when the transmission of the first control signal is ended.

2. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the communication control circuitry is further configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit a second control signal via the first signal line before the communication control circuitry controls the communication circuitry to suspend the transmission of the signal via the first signal line.

3. The transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus is in accordance with an Embedded DisplayPort standard,

the first control signal is an AUX_PHY_WAKE signal, and

the second control signal is one of an ML_PHY_SLEEP signal or an ML_PHY_STANDBY signal.

4. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the communication control circuitry is further configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit the first control signal and the charging signal at approximately the same time.

5. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the communication control circuitry is further configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit the charging signal before a first predetermined time to a start the transmission of the first control signal or after a second predetermined time from the start of the transmission of the first control signal.

6. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the communication control circuitry is further configured to control the communication circuitry to end the transmission of the first control signal and the transmission of the charging signal at approximately the same time.

7. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bias circuit configured to

maintain a potential of the first signal line at a transmission apparatus side from a capacitance and at a predetermined potential, and

enter a suspended state during a downtime of the transmission of the signal via the first signal line.

8. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first signal line is constituted of a pair of two signal lines, and

the communication circuitry is further configured to transmit a differential signal via the first signal line.

9. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the communication control circuitry is further configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit a second transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus after the timing when the transmission of the first control signal is ended, and

wherein the second transmission is within 0.5 microseconds after the timing when the transmission of the first control signal is ended.

10. A transmission method, the method comprising:

determining, with a communication control circuitry, whether a transmission of a signal from a communication circuitry to a reception apparatus via a first signal line will be restored to an active state from a suspended state;

responsive to determining the transmission of the signal from the communication circuitry to the reception apparatus will be restored to the active state from the suspended state, controlling, with the communication control circuitry, the communication circuitry to transmit a predetermined control signal via a second signal line; and

controlling, with the communication control circuitry, the communication circuitry to transmit a charging signal that charges an AC coupling capacitance serially connected to the first signal line via the first signal line before a timing when the transmission of the predetermined control signal is ended.

11. A communication system, comprising:

a transmission apparatus; and

a reception apparatus connected to the transmission apparatus via a first signal line and a second signal line and AC-coupled to the transmission apparatus via the first signal line,

the transmission apparatus including

a communication unit that transmits a signal via a first signal line and a second signal line to the reception apparatus, and

a communication control unit that controls transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus, the communication control unit controlling such that a first control signal is transmitted via the second signal line in a case where a transmission of the signal via the first signal line is restored from a suspended state, and that a transmission of a charging signal that charges an AC coupling capacitance serially connected to the first signal line via the first signal line is started before a timing when the transmission of the first control signal is ended.

12. The transmission apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the communication control unit is further configured to control the communication unit to transmit a second control signal via the first signal line before the communication control unit controls the communication unit to suspend the transmission of the signal via the first signal line.

13. The transmission apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus is in accordance with an Embedded DisplayPort standard,

the first control signal is an AUX_PHY_WAKE signal, and

the second control signal is one of an ML_PHY_SLEEP signal or an ML_PHY_STANDBY signal.

14. The transmission apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the communication control unit is further configured to control the communication unit to transmit the first control signal and the charging signal at approximately the same time.

15. The transmission apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the communication control unit is further configured to control the communication unit to transmit the charging signal before a first predetermined time to a start the transmission of the first control signal or after a second predetermined time from the start of the transmission of the first control signal.

16. The transmission apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the communication control unit is further configured to control the communication unit to end the transmission of the first control signal and the transmission of the charging signal at approximately the same time.

17. The transmission apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a bias circuit configured to

maintain a potential of the first signal line at a transmission apparatus side from a capacitance and at a predetermined potential, and

enter a suspended state during a downtime of the transmission of the signal via the first signal line.

18. The transmission apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the first signal line is constituted of a pair of two signal lines, and

the communication unit is further configured to transmit a differential signal via the first signal line.

19. The transmission apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communication control unit is further configured to control the communication unit to transmit a second transmission of the signal to the reception apparatus after the timing when the transmission of the first control signal is ended, and

wherein the second transmission is within 0.5 microseconds after the timing when the transmission of the first control signal is ended.