Radio communication apparatus

• US 7,024,164 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Izumi, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US09/932,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20020022456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 364/514, 348/13, 455/4, 455/419, 455/420
• US Class Current: 455/74.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

A communication apparatus having a transmission section and a reception section that are selectively attached or detached from one another. The transmission section is operable to modulate an information signal to generate a high frequency signal and to wirelessly transmit the high frequency signal to the reception section, or to output the information signal to the reception section via a non-wireless coupling. The reception section is operable to receive the high frequency signal transmitted from the transmission section and to demodulate the high frequency signal to recover the information signal, or to receive the information signal outputted from the transmission section. Further, an attached condition is sensed, indicating whether the transmission section and the reception section are connected/attached to each other or disconnected/detached from each other, and switching between wireless transmission and non-wireless transmission is performed in accordance with the indicated condition.

Claims

1. A radio communication apparatus, comprising:

a transmission section for transmitting an information signal; and

a reception section for receiving the information signal transmitted from said transmission section;

said transmission section and said reception section being attachable to each other and being detachable from each other;

wherein said transmission section further comprises;

a transmitter for modulating the information signal to generate a high frequency signal;

a transmission antenna for wirelessly transmitting the high frequency signal; and

an output terminal for outputting the information signal to said reception section via a non-wireless coupling;

said reception section further comprises;

a reception antenna for receiving the high frequency signal transmitted from said transmission antenna;

a receiver for demodulating the high frequency signal received by said reception antenna to generate an information signal; and

an input terminal to which the information signal outputted from said output terminal of said transmission section is inputted;

at least one of said transmission section and said reception section further comprising;

a sensor for sensing an attached condition between said transmission section and said reception section,

wherein the sensed condition is determined by a location of an applied voltage; and

a switch for selectively switching, in accordance with the sensed condition of attachment between the transmission section and the reception section, between wireless transmission and non-wireless transmission when communicating said information signal from said transmission section to said reception section.

2. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output terminal of said transmission section outputs the high frequency signal, and

wherein said input terminal of said reception section receives the high frequency signal outputted from said output terminal of said transmission section.

3. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission section further comprises:

a recorder/reproducer for recording and/or reproducing image information and/or sound information onto and/or from an information recording medium, and transmits the image information and/or sound information to said reception section as at least a portion of the information signal, and

said reception section further comprises;

a reproducer for reproducing the image information and/or sound information included in the received information signal.

4. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission section further comprises:

a receiver for receiving image information and/or sound information transmitted from a transmitting station and transmits the image information and/or sound information to said reception section as at least a portion of the information signal, and

wherein said reception section further comprises;

a reproducer for reproducing the image information and/or sound information included in the received information signal.

5. A radio communication method, comprising the steps of:

sensing an attached condition between a transmission section and a reception section, said transmission section and said reception section being attachable to each other and being detachable from each other,

wherein the sensed condition is determined by a location of an applied voltage; and

switching, in accordance with the sensed condition of attachment between the transmission section and the reception section, between wireless transmission of an information signal from said transmission section to said reception section and non-wireless transmission of said information signal from said transmission section to said reception section;

wherein communicating said information signal from said transmission section to said reception section via wireless transmission;

modulating said information signal to generate a high frequency signal;

passing said high frequency signal to an antenna for transmission;

receiving said high frequency signal at said reception section; and

demodulating said high frequency signal at said reception section to recover said information signal; and

wherein communicating said information signal from said transmission section to said reception section via non-wireless transmission comprises;

outputting said information signal via a non-wireless terminal of said transmission section; and

receiving said information signal via a non-wireless terminal of said reception section.

6. The radio communication method according to claim 5, wherein said non-wireless terminal of said transmission section outputs the high frequency signal, and

said non-wireless terminal of said reception section receives the high frequency signal outputted from said non-wireless terminal of said transmission section.

7. A radio communication method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

recording and/or reproducing, at said transmission section, image information and/or sound information onto and/or from an information recording medium;

including said image information and/or sound information in said information signal transmitted from said transmission section to said reception section; and

reproducing, at said reception section, said image information and/or sound information included in said received information signal.

8. The radio communication method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said transmission section, image information and/or sound information transmitted from a transmitting station;

including said image information and/or sound information in said information signal transmitted from said transmission section to said reception section; and

reproducing, at said reception section, said image information and/or sound information included in said received information signal.