Communication device and communication mode setting method

• US 20060039399A1
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ejima, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US11/206,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20060039399A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40136 Nodes adapting their rate to the physical link properties LAN switches H04L49/351

Abstract

A disclosed first communication device includes a communication mode detecting part for detecting a predetermined communication mode with respect to a second communication device, a communication mode setting part for setting a communication mode of the first communication device, and a jam signal detecting part for detecting a jam signal from the second communication device. The communication mode setting part is configured to set the communication mode of the first communication device to a full-duplex communication mode when the predetermined communication mode detected by the communication mode detecting part is a half-duplex communication mode, and configured to set the communication mode of the first communication device to the half-duplex communication mode when the jam signal is detected by the jam signal detecting part.

Claims

1. A first communication device comprising:

a communication mode detecting part for detecting a predetermined communication mode with respect to a second communication device;

a communication mode setting part for setting a communication mode of the first communication device; and

a jam signal detecting part for detecting a jam signal from the second communication device;

wherein the communication mode setting part is configured to set the communication mode of the first communication device to a full-duplex communication mode when the predetermined communication mode detected by the communication mode detecting part is a half-duplex communication mode, and configured to set the communication mode of the first communication device to the half-duplex communication mode when the jam signal is detected by the jam signal detecting part.

2. The first communication device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an auto-negotiating part for performing an auto-negotiation process with the second communication device;

wherein the predetermined communication mode detected by the communication mode detecting part is set according to the auto-negotiation process performed by the auto-negotiating part.

3. The first communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication mode detecting part includes communication mode information used for detecting the predetermined communication mode.

4. The first communication device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a communicating part for communicating with the second communication device according to the communication mode set by the communication mode setting part.

5. The first communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jam signal detecting part includes jam signal detection information used for detecting the jam signal.

6. A communication mode setting method for setting a communication mode of a first communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) determining whether a predetermined communication mode with respect to a second communication device is a full-duplex communication mode or a half-duplex communication mode;

b) setting the communication mode of the first communication device to the full-duplex communication mode when the communication mode determined in step a) is the half-duplex communication mode;

c) detecting a jam signal from the second communication device; and

d) setting the communication mode of the first communication device to the half-duplex communication mode when the jam signal is detected in step c).

7. The communication mode setting method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a step of:

e) performing an auto-negotiation process with the second communication device;

wherein the predetermined communication mode in step a) is determined according to the auto-negotiation process performed by the auto-negotiating part.