Information-processing apparatus, information-processing method, and program

• US 20100141387A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kosaka, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/32 using combination of interrupt and burst mode transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/02 using transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An information-processing method performed in an information-processing apparatus, the information-processing apparatus performing wireless communication with a first apparatus and wire communication with a second apparatus, the information-processing method including the steps of:

• • transmitting an interrupt signal to the second apparatus by using the wire communication when data is received from the first apparatus;
  • receiving, by using the wire communication, a clock signal from the second apparatus which receives the interrupt signal; and
  • transmitting and receiving, by using the wire communication, data between the information-processing apparatus and the second apparatus.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

communication means configured to communicate with a reader/writer;

a module configured to control the communication means;

a processing means configured to transmit and receive data to and from the module, respectively;

an interrupt-signal output means configured to output an interrupt signal from the module to the processing means when the communication means receives data from the reader/writer;

a clock-signal output means configured to output a clock signal from the processing means to the module when the interrupt signal is received;

a data output means configured to output data, in synchronization with the clock signal, from the module to the processing means or from the processing means to the module; and

a switching-signal output means through which the processing means outputs a switching signal used for switching the direction of data transmission and reception;

wherein the module outputs the interrupt signal, and transmits data-length data when the clock signal is received, the data-length data indicating a data length of data to be transmitted to the processing means; and

the processing means counts the data length of data, the data being transmitted from the module by the data output means and received, after the data-length data indicating the data length is received, and determines the termination of data output from the module when the count value is equal to or greater than the data length indicated by the data-length data.

2. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein data transmitted from the reader/writer includes a command;

the module analyzes the command when data is received from the reader/writer with the communication means; and

the interrupt-signal output means outputs the interrupt signal to the processing means in response to the analysis result of the command analyzed by the module.

3. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

a first line included in a predetermined interface and used for transmitting an interrupt signal to a second apparatus connected by using the interface when data is received from a first apparatus;

a second line included in the interface and used for receiving a clock signal from the second apparatus; and

a third line included in the interface and used for transmitting and receiving data between the information-processing apparatus and the second apparatus.

4. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein data transmitted from the first apparatus includes a command;

the command is analyzed when data is received from the first apparatus; and

the interrupt signal is transmitted to the second apparatus in response to the analysis result of the command.

5. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the clock signal is received from the second apparatus through the second line after the interrupt signal is transmitted to the second apparatus through the first line;

and

a data length of data is transmitted to the second apparatus through the third line after the clock signal is received, the data being transmitted to the second apparatus through the third line in synchronization with the clock signal.

6. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a fourth line included in the interface and used for receiving a signal from the second apparatus, the signal indicating whether data is to be transmitted to or received from the second apparatus.

7. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein, on the basis of the changeover of the signal transmitted through the fourth line, it is detected that data is to be transmitted from the second apparatus or data transmission therefrom is terminated.

8. A recording medium storing a computer readable program configured to cause an information-processing apparatus to execute processing, the information-processing apparatus performing wireless communication with a first apparatus and wire communication with a second apparatus, the computer readable program comprising the steps of:

transmitting an interrupt signal to the second apparatus by using the wire communication when data is received from the first apparatus;

receiving, by using the wire communication, a clock signal from the second apparatus which receives the interrupt signal; and

transmitting and receiving, by using the wire communication, data between the information-processing apparatus and the second apparatus.

9. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

a first line included in a predetermined interface and used for receiving an interrupt signal from a second apparatus connected by using the interface when the second apparatus receives data from a first apparatus;

a second line included in the interface and used for transmitting a clock signal to the second apparatus; and

a third line included in the interface and used for transmitting and receiving data between the information-processing apparatus and the second apparatus.

10. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the clock signal is transmitted to the second apparatus through the second line after the interrupt signal is received from the second apparatus through the first line;

data-length data indicating a data length of data is received from the second apparatus through the third line after the clock signal is transmitted, the latter data being transmitted from the second apparatus through the third line in synchronization with the clock signal; and

the data length of data, the data being transmitted from the second apparatus, is counted after the data-length data is received, and the termination of data transmission from the second apparatus is determined when the count value is equal to or greater than the data length indicated by the received data-length data.

11. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a fourth line included in the interface and used for transmitting a signal to the second apparatus, the signal indicating whether data is to be transmitted to or received from the second apparatus.

12. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, on the basis of the changeover in the state of the signal transmitted through the fourth line, it is detected that data is to be transmitted to the second apparatus or data transmission thereto is terminated.

13. A recording medium storing a computer readable program configured to cause an information-processing apparatus to execute processing, the information-processing apparatus performing wireless communication with a first apparatus and wire communication with a second apparatus, the computer readable program comprising the steps of:

receiving an interrupt signal from the second apparatus by using the wire communication when the second apparatus receives data from the first apparatus;

transmitting, by using the wire communication, a clock signal to the second apparatus when the interrupt signal is received; and

transmitting and receiving, by using the wire communication, data between the information-processing apparatus and the second apparatus.

14. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with a reader/writer;

a module configured to control the communication unit;

a processing unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from the module, respectively;

an interrupt-signal output unit configured to output an interrupt signal from the module to the processing unit when the communication unit receives data from the reader/writer;

a clock-signal output unit configured to output a clock signal from the processing unit to the module when the interrupt signal is received;

a data output unit configured to output data, in synchronization with the clock signal, from the module to the processing unit or from the processing unit to the module; and

a switching-signal output unit through which the processing unit outputs a switching signal used for switching the direction of data transmission and reception;

wherein the module outputs the interrupt signal, and transmits data-length data when the clock signal is received, the data-length data indicating a data length of data to be transmitted to the processing unit; and

the processing unit counts the data length of data, the data being transmitted from the module by the data output unit and received, after the data-length data indicating the data length is received, and determines the termination of data output from the module when the count value is equal to or greater than the data length indicated by the data-length data.