COMMUNICATION INCLUDING A REQUEST SIGNAL AND REPLY SIGNAL

• US 20130343472A1
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: SCHERR, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1484 operating bytewise
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/00 Arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter synchronisation of generators of electric oscillations or pulses H03L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/044 using a single bit, e.g. start stop bit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/06 the synchronisation signals differing from the information signals in amplitude, polarity or frequency or length

Abstract

A controller unit is configured to transmit a request signal. A sensor is configured to transmit a reply signal in response to the request signal, the reply signal including a synchronization signal and a data signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a request signal from a controller unit to a sensor, the request signal comprising at least one pulse having a pulse length;

in response to the request signal, triggering a starting of a transmission of a reply signal on the communication line from the sensor to the controller unit, the reply signal including a synchronization signal and a data signal, the data signal representing at least one nibble of data;

measuring a length of the synchronization signal received by the controller unit;

based on the measured length of the synchronization signal, determining a time base to recover data from the data signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a sensor identification is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a sensor range is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a power-down is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a self test command is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a power-down command is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pulse starts with a falling edge and ends with a rising edge, and wherein the synchronization signal starts with a falling edge and ends with a rising edge, wherein the rising edge of the request signal ends before the falling edge of the synchronization signal.

8. A controller unit comprising:

a circuit to transmit a request signal over a communication line to a sensor, the request signal including at least one pulse having information coded into the pulse;

the controller configured to receive a reply signal including a synchronization signal and a data signals and to determine a time base from the synchronization signal.

9. The controller unit according to claim 8, wherein a sensor identification is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

10. The controller unit according to claim 8, wherein a sensor range is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

11. The controller unit according to claim 8, wherein a power-down is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

12. The controller unit according to claim 8, wherein a self test command is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.

13. The controller unit according to claim 8, wherein a power-down command is coded into the length of the at least one pulse.