Wireless communication system

• US 6,130,905 A
• Filed: 07/02/1997
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Wakayama, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesghen
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURD, KEVIN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/887,332
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 375/202, 455/71, 370/330, 370/436, 370/437, 370/445, 370/468
• US Class Current: 375/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference

Abstract

A wireless communication device for performing bi-directional communication using a frequency hopping method, in which the communication time at any one frequency can be varied. The user uses the dial to adjust the length of time during which a single frequency is used. Accordingly, if the volume of data is large, as in image data, the communication time can be increased. If the volume of data is small, as in voice data, the communication time can be decreased. If privacy is desirable, the communication time is decreased, whereas increasing the communication time will increase the transfer rate. Such settings can be made manually by the user to suit the user'"'"'s needs, or can be made automatically based on the type of data being transferred.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device for performing bi-directional communication with a remote communication device using a frequency hopping method, the device comprising:

a frequency changing unit changing a frequency, at which communication is performed;

a communication unit performing communication at the changed frequency for a holding time;

a holding time length controlling unit controlling a length of the holding time and controlling the communication unit to perform communications at the changing frequency for the controlled holding time; and

a holding time inputting unit allowing a user to input the user'"'"'s desired value as the length of the holding time, the holding time length controlling unit changing the length of the holding time into the user'"'"'s inputted value.

2. A wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a storing unit storing a frequency changing pattern, according to which the frequency changing unit changes the frequency.

3. A wireless communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the holding time length controlling unit includes a unit adding holding time data, indicative of the inputted holding time, to the communication data in every transmission of communication data.

4. A wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the holding time length controlling unit further includes:

a holding time data detecting unit detecting the holding time data contained in the communication data transmitted from the remote communication device; and

a unit changing the length of the holding time in correspondence with the holding time data.

5. A wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the holding time length controlling unit includes:

an error rate detecting unit detecting an error rate of signals received from the remote communication device at a present frequency;

a memory storing a predetermined error rate reference value;

an error rate determining unit determining whether or not the detected error rate of the received signals is higher than the predetermined error rate reference value; and

a frequency changing control unit controlling the frequency changing unit to change the frequency from the present frequency into another frequency when the error rate determining unit determines that the detected error rate is higher than the predetermined error rate reference value, the frequency changing control unit controlling the communication unit to perform communications according to the changed frequency.

6. A wireless communication device of claim 5, wherein the holding time length controlling unit further includes:

a timing unit measuring time after the frequency is changed; and

a time determining unit determining whether or not the measured time reaches a predetermined time, and

wherein the frequency changing control unit controls the frequency changing unit to change the frequency at a timing which is an earlier one of a timing when the error rate determining unit determines that the error rate becomes higher than the error rate reference value and another timing when the time determining unit determines that the predetermined time has elapsed.

7. A wireless communication device of claim 6, further comprising a storing unit storing a frequency changing pattern, according to which the frequency changing unit changes the frequency.

8. A wireless communication device of claim 7, further comprising:

high a error rate frequency determining unit for determining mining a frequency whose error rate is determined by the error rate determining unit to be higher than another predetermined error rate reference value which is higher than the predetermined error rate reference value; and

pattern changing means for changing the frequency changing pattern stored in the pattern storing means through removing the determined frequency from the frequency changing pattern.

9. A wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the pattern changing unit replaces the determined frequency with another frequency whose error rate has been determined by the high error rate frequency determining unit to be lower than the other predetermined error rate reference value.

10. A wireless communication device for performing bi-directional communication with a remote communication device using a frequency hopping method, the device comprising:

a frequency changing unit changing a frequency, at which communication is performed;

a communication unit performing communication at the changed frequency for a holding time;

a holding time length controlling unit controlling a length of the holding time and controlling the communication unit to perform communications at the changed frequency for the controlled holding time; and

a frequency changing pattern storing unit storing a frequency changing pattern, according to which the frequency changing unit chances the frequency,

wherein the holding time length controlling unit sets the holding time to a first value when communication data to be communicated by the communication unit is voice data and sets the holding time to a second value longer than the first value when the data to be communicated by the communication unit is non-voice data.

11. A wireless communication device of claim 10, wherein the holding time length controlling unit includes:

a determining unit determining whether or not data to be communicated contains voice data; and

a holding time changing unit changing the holding time in correspondence with the determined result.

12. A wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the determining unit includes:

a detecting unit detecting a type of the communication device;

a sending unit sending, to the remote communication device, a personal ID signal indicative of the type of the communication device, thereby allowing the remote communication device, to which the communication is to be performed, to determine whether or not the subject communication device will send voice data.

13. A wireless communication device for performing bi-directional communication with a remote communication device using a frequency hopping method, the device comprising:

a frequency changing unit changing a frequency, at which communication is performed;

a communication unit performing communication at the changed frequency for a holding time;

a holding time length controlling unit controlling a length of the holding time and controlling the communication unit to perform communications at the changed frequency for the controlled holding time; and

a frequency changing pattern storing unit storing a frequency changing pattern according to which the frequency changing unit changes the frequency,

wherein the communication unit communicates packet data according to a packet exchanging method, the holding time length controlling unit adjusting the holding time so that a possible communication time during the holding time becomes equal to an integral multiple of the packet length.

14. A wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the communication unit includes:

a unit temporarily storing communication data;

a unit dividing the communication data into equal packets; and

a unit transmitting the packets to the remote communication device.

15. A wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein the possible communication time during the holding time is equal to a time length obtained by subtracting an occupied time length from the length of the holding time.

16. A wireless communication device for performing bi-directional communication with a remote communication device using a frequency hopping method, the device comprising:

a frequency changing unit changing a frequency, at which communication is performed;

a communication unit performing communication at the changed frequency for a holding time;

a holding time length controlling unit controlling a length of the holding time and controlling the communication unit to perform communications at the changed frequency for the controlled holding time;

a frequency changing pattern storing unit storing a frequency changing pattern, according to which the frequency changing unit changes the frequency; and

a holding time changing pattern storing unit storing a pattern for changing the holding time, the holding time length controlling unit changing the holding time according to the pattern stored in the pattern storing unit.

17. A wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the holding time length controlling unit determines the holding time for a certain frequency the stored pattern each time according to the frequency changes.

18. A wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the holding time length controlling unit determines whether to stay with a current frequency or to change to another frequency at set time intervals.