Receiving device, semiconductor integrated circuit, transmitting/receiving device, transport apparatus portable transmitting/receiving device, communication system and receiving method

• US 7,437,132 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanabusa, Mikio, Watanabe, Kazunori, Ishida, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SIMON
• Application Number:
  US11/212,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20060073857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 4552261-2264, 4553431-3432, 455/574, 340/7.32, 340/7.33
• US Class Current: 455/130
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A receiving device includes a receiver circuit for outputting a received signal as a reception electric field intensity signal, an operation control circuit for controlling an operation of the receiver circuit, and an intermittent reception control circuit for outputting a periodic signal. A comparator circuit holds a first threshold indicating that the receiving device has entered a communication area and a second threshold indicating a start of a continuous electric field intensity measurement. If the reception electric field intensity signal is lower than the second threshold, the operation control circuit makes the receiver circuit perform intermittent operation. If the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or higher than the second threshold, the operation control circuit makes the receiver circuit perform a continuous operation. If the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the operation control circuit makes the demodulation circuit perform an operation.

Claims

1. A receiving device for receiving a signal transmitted from a base station, the device comprising:

a receiver circuit for outputting a reception electric field intensity of a signal received via an antenna as a reception electric field intensity signal;

a comparator circuit for comparing a level of the reception electric field intensity signal output from the receiver circuit using a first threshold indicating that the receiving device is in a communication area and a second threshold which is lower than the first threshold and indicates a continuous field measurement level and outputting a result of the comparison;

an intermittent reception control circuit for outputting a periodic signal for intermittently operating the receiver circuit; and

an operation control circuit for controlling an operation of the receiver circuit based on a comparison result of the comparator circuit,

wherein, based on the comparison result of the comparator circuit, if the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is lower than the second threshold, the operation control circuit makes the receiver circuit perform intermittent operation based on the periodic signal and if the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or higher than the second threshold, the operation control circuit makes the receiver circuit perform a continuous operation.

2. The receiving device of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuit further includes the function of amplifying and outputting the received signal,

wherein the receiving device further includes a demodulator circuit for demodulating the amplified signal and outputting the signal as a modulation signal, and

wherein the operation control circuit controls an operation of the demodulator circuit.

3. The receiving device of claim 2, wherein, based on the comparison result of the comparator circuit, the operation control circuit operates the demodulator circuit when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal exceeds the first threshold.

4. The receiving device of claim 2, wherein, based on the comparison result of the comparator circuit, the operation control circuit supplies a first clock signal to the demodulator circuit when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal exceeds the first threshold.

5. The receiving device of claim 2, further comprising:

a signal processing circuit for processing the demodulation signal output from the demodulator circuit; and

a processing unit for arithmetically processing the demodulation signal processed by the signal processing circuit,

wherein, based on the comparison result of the comparator circuit, the operation control circuit supplies a second clock signal to the signal processing circuit and the processing unit to control the signal processing circuit and the processing unit when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is lower than the second threshold.

6. The receiving device of claim 1, wherein the second threshold has a first boundary value which is smaller than the second threshold and a second boundary value which is larger than the second threshold,

wherein an operation of the receiver circuit is changed from an intermittent operation to a continuous operation when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is increased to exceed the second boundary value, and

wherein the operation of the receiver circuit is changed from a continuous operation to an intermittent operation when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is reduced to be equal to the first boundary value.

7. The receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a speed detector for detecting a moving speed of the receiving device and outputting the detected speed as a speed signal,

wherein the comparator circuit changes the second threshold according the speed signal.

8. The receiving device of claim 7, wherein when the moving speed of the receiving device is increased, the comparator circuit changes the second threshold so that a difference between the first threshold and the second threshold becomes larger.

9. The receiving device of claim 1, wherein the intermittent reception control circuit changes the periodic signal according to the reception electric field intensity signal.

10. The receiving device of claim 9, wherein when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal becomes high, the intermittent control circuit shortens a cycle of the periodic signal.

11. The receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a speed detector for detecting a moving speed of the receiving device and outputting the detected speed as a speed signal,

wherein the intermittent reception control circuit changes the periodic signal according to the speed signal.

12. The receiving device of claim 11, wherein when the moving speed of the receiving device is increased, the intermittent reception control circuit shortens a cycle of the periodic signal.

13. The receiving device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing location information for the base station; and

a location detector for detecting a location of the receiving device,

wherein the intermittent reception control circuit changes the periodic signal according to a result of comparison between the location of the base station stored in the memory and the result of detection by the location detector.

14. The receiving device of claim 13, wherein the intermittent reception control circuit shortens a cycle of the periodic signal when a distance between the base station and the receiving device is decreased.

15. The receiving device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reception control circuit for controlling a receiving time which it takes for the receiver circuit to receive the signal via the antenna,

wherein the comparator circuit compares a level of the reception electric intensity signal with the first threshold, the second threshold, and a third threshold which is lower than the second threshold and indicating whether or not the signal to be received exists, and

wherein, as the comparison result of the comparator circuit, when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal exceeds the third threshold, the reception control circuit increases the receiving time so that the receiving time becomes longer than the receiving time when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or lower than the third threshold.

16. The receiving device of claim 15, wherein the intermittent reception control circuit increases a cycle of the periodic signal when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or lower than the third threshold.

17. The receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a reception control circuit for measuring a rate of change in the reception electric field intensity,

wherein the reception control circuit changes, according to the rate of change, a receiving time which it takes for the receiver circuit to receive the signal.

18. The receiving device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reception control circuit for controlling a receiving time which it takes for the receiver circuit to receive the signal;

a memory for storing a location of the base station and frequency information of the signal transmitted from the base station; and

a location detector for detecting a location of the receiving device,

wherein the reception control circuit changes the receiving time according to a result of comparison between the location of the base station stored in the memory and a detection result of the location detector.

19. The receiving device of claim 18, wherein when a distance between the base station and the receiving device is reduced, the receiving time is increased.

20. The receiving device of claim 18, further comprising a station selector for selecting, from signals of a plurality of frequencies, a frequency signal which the receiver circuit is to receive, based on an output of the reception control circuit,

wherein, as the result comparison of the comparator circuit, the station selector selects from the plurality of frequency signals a frequency signal having a reception electric field intensity level exceeding the second threshold and the receiver circuit receives the selected frequency signal.

21. The receiving device of claim 1, wherein the first threshold is in a range of −

70 dBm or more and −

60 dBm or less, and

wherein the second threshold is in a range from −

90 dBm or more and −

70 dBm or less.

22. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:

a semiconductor substrate; and

the receiving device of claim 1 integrated on the semiconductor device.

23. A transmitting/receiving device comprising:

the receiving device of claim 1;

a transmitting device for outputting a signal processed by the receiving device to the base station; and

an antenna for receiving a signal transmitted from the base station, outputting the received signal to the receiving circuit, and also outputting the signal output from the transmitting device to the base station.

24. The transmitting/receiving device of claim 23, further comprising a notifying section for notifying, the comparison result of the comparator circuit, that the level of the reception electric field intensity signal has exceeded the second threshold.

25. A transport apparatus comprising:

the transmitting/receiving device of claim 23; and

a power supply device for supplying power to the transmitting/receiving device.

26. A portable transmitting/receiving device comprising:

the transmitting/receiving device of claim 23; and

a battery for supplying power to the transmitting/receiving device.

27. A communication system comprising;

the receiving device of claim 1; and

a transmitting device for transmitting a signal processed by the receiving device the base station.

28. A method for receiving a signal using a receiving device for receiving a signal transmitted from a base station, the method comprising:

a first step of receiving the signal via an antenna by a receiver circuit;

a second step of outputting a reception electric field intensity of the received signal as a reception electric field intensity signal from the receiver circuit;

a third step of comparing the level of the reception electric field intensity signal with a first threshold indicating that the receiving device is in a communication area and a second threshold which is lower than the first threshold and indicates a continuous field measurement start level;

a fourth step of making, if the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is lower than the second threshold, as a result of the comparison, the receiver circuit perform an intermittent operation; and

a fifth step of making, if the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or higher than the second threshold, as a result of the comparison, the receiver circuit perform a continuous operation.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising a sixth step of making, if the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or higher than the first threshold, as a result of the comparison, a demodulator circuit for demodulating the signal received by the receiver circuit perform an operation.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein in the sixth step, a clock signal for demodulation operation is given to the demodulator circuit.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein each of the fourth step and the fifth step includes the step of giving a clock signal to a signal processing circuit for processing a signal output from the receiver circuit and a processing unit for arithmetically processing the signal.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the third step includes the step of comparing the level of the reception electric field intensity signal with the second threshold by hysterisis control using a first boundary value which is lower than the second threshold and a second boundary value which is higher than the second threshold.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising before the third step:

a seventh step of detecting a moving speed of the receiving device and outputting the moving speed as a speed signal; and

an eighth step of changing the second threshold according to the speed signal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein in the eighth step, when the moving speed is increased, the second threshold is changed so that a difference between the first threshold and the second threshold is increased.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the fourth step includes a ninth step of changing a cycle of the intermittent operation according to the reception electric field intensity signal.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein in the ninth step, when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is high, the cycle of the intermittent operation is shortened.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

a tenth step of detecting a moving speed of the receiving device and outputting the detected moving speed as a speed signal; and

an eleventh step of changing a cycle of the intermittent operation according to the speed signal.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein in the eleventh step, when the moving speed is increased, the cycle of the intermittent operation is shortened.

39. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

the step of detecting a location of the receiving device; and

the step of calculating a distance between a location of the base station stored in the receiving device and the detected location of the receiving device,

wherein the fourth step further includes a twelfth step of changing a cycle of the intermittent operation according to the calculated distance.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein in the twelfth step, when the distance between the base station and the receiving device is reduced, the cycle of the intermittent operation is shortened.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein the third step further includes the step of comparing the level of the reception electric field intensity signal with a third threshold which indicates whether or not a signal to be received exists is lower than the second threshold and,

wherein the fourth step includes the step of increasing, if the level of the reception electric field intensity signal exceeds the third threshold, as a result of the comparison, a receiving time of the receiver circuit so that the receiving time is longer than a receiving time when the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or lower than the third threshold.

42. The method of claim 28, wherein the fourth step includes the step of changing a receiving time which it takes for the receiver circuit to receive the signal, according to a rate of change in the reception electric field intensity.

43. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

the step of detecting a location of the receiving device; and

the step of calculating a distance between a location of the base station stored in the receiving device and the detected location of the receiving device,

wherein the fourth step includes the step of changing a receiving time which it takes for the receiver circuit to receive the signal according to the calculated distance.

44. The method of claim 28, further comprising, after the third step, the step of selecting, from the plurality of received signals, a signal with a reception electric field intensity signal having a level equal to or higher than the second threshold.

45. The method of claim 28, wherein the fifth step includes the step of notifying that the level of the reception electric field intensity signal is equal to or higher than the second threshold.