TRANSMITTER, TRANSMISSION METHOD, RECEIVER, AND RECEPTION METHOD

• US 20190013975A1
• Filed: 01/04/2017
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KAWASAKI, KENICHI, YAMAGISHI, HIROYUKI, TAKEDA, TAKAHIRO
• Granted Patent: US 10,511,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/165 Non-radiating dielectric waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/06 Waveguide mouths horns H01Q13/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/17 Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations H04B17/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/29 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0002 analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line duplex arrangements H04L5/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/24 for connection devices

Abstract

The present technology relates to a transmitter, a transmission method, a receiver, and a reception method, and particularly to a transmitter, a transmission method, a receiver, and a reception method that can keep upsizing and cost increase to a minimum. The transmitter and the receiver have a detection mode and a communication mode as operation modes. The detection mode detects contact between a first waveguide on the side of the transmitter and a second waveguide on the side of the receiver. The communication mode sends or receives a modulated signal, acquired through frequency conversion of a baseband signal, via the first and second waveguides. The transmitter sends a given signal to the first waveguide in the detection mode. The transmitter and the receiver go from the detection mode to the communication mode in response to a given signal received by the receiver via the second waveguide and send and receive the modulated signal via the first and second waveguides in the communication mode. The present technology is applicable, for example, to communication via waveguides.

Claims

1. A transmitter having as operation modes:

a detection mode adapted to detect contact between a first waveguide on a side of the transmitter and a second waveguide on a side of a receiver; and

a communication mode adapted to send a modulated signal acquired through frequency conversion of a baseband signal via the first and second waveguides, wherein

the transmitter

sends a given signal to the first waveguide in the detection mode,

goes from the detection mode to the communication mode in response to the given signal received by the receiver via the second waveguide, and

sends the modulated signal via the first and second waveguides in the communication mode.

2. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein

the given signal is a narrow-band low-level signal that is narrower in band and lower in level than the modulated signal.

3. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein

the transmitter goes to the communication mode in a case where the level of the given signal received by the receiver via the second waveguide is equal to or larger than a threshold.

4. The transmitter of claim 3, wherein

in the detection mode, the transmitter goes to the communication mode in a case where the level of the given signal received by the receiver via the second waveguide is equal to or larger than a first threshold, and in the communication mode, the transmitter goes to the detection mode in a case where the level of the modulated signal received via the first waveguide is larger than the first threshold or equal to or smaller than a second threshold.

5. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein

the transmitter goes from the detection mode to the communication mode also in response to the given signal that returns after being reflected by an end face of the first waveguide.

6. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein

the first and second waveguides include a piece of hollow metal filled inside with a given dielectric.

7. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein

the given signal and the modulated signal are millimeter wave band signals.

8. A transmission method of a transmitter having as operation modes:

a detection mode adapted to detect contact between a first waveguide on a side of the transmitter and a second waveguide on a side of a receiver; and

a communication mode adapted to send a modulated signal acquired through frequency conversion of a baseband signal via the first and second waveguides, wherein

the transmitter

sends a given signal to the first waveguide in the detection mode,

goes from the detection mode to the communication mode in response to the given signal received by the receiver via the second waveguide, and

sends the modulated signal via the first and second waveguides in the communication mode.

9. A receiver having as operation modes:

a detection mode adapted to detect contact between a first waveguide on a side of a transmitter and a second waveguide on a side of the receiver; and

a communication mode adapted to send a modulated signal acquired through frequency conversion of a baseband signal via the first and second waveguides, wherein

the receiver

receives a given signal via the second waveguide in the detection mode,

goes from the detection mode to the communication mode in response to the given signal received via the second waveguide, and

receives the modulated signal via the first and second waveguides in the communication mode.

10. The receiver of claim 9, wherein

the given signal is a narrow-band low-level signal that is narrower in band and lower in level than the modulated signal.

11. The receiver of claim 9, wherein

the receiver goes to the communication mode in a case where the level of the given signal received via the second waveguide is equal to or larger than a threshold.

12. The receiver of claim 11, wherein

in the detection mode, the receiver goes to the communication mode in a case where the level of the given signal received via the second waveguide is equal to or larger than a first threshold, and in the communication mode, the receiver goes to the detection mode in a case where the level of the modulated signal received via the second waveguide is larger than the first threshold or equal to or smaller than a second threshold.

13. The receiver of claim 9, wherein

the first and second waveguides include a piece of hollow metal filled inside with a given dielectric.

14. The receiver of claim 9, wherein

the given signal and the modulated signal are millimeter wave band signals.

15. A reception method of a receiver having as operation modes:

a detection mode adapted to detect contact between a first waveguide on a side of a transmitter and a second waveguide on a side of the receiver; and

a communication mode adapted to send a modulated signal acquired through frequency conversion of a baseband signal via the first and second waveguides, wherein

the receiver

receives a given signal via the second waveguide in the detection mode,

goes from the detection mode to the communication mode in response to the given signal received via the second waveguide, and

receives the modulated signal via the first and second waveguides in the communication mode.