Transmitter, receiver, combined transceiver, and radio link for communicating a data stream of data packets, method for receiving a data stream of data packets, method for operating a radio link, and bicycle and fitness computers utilizing the transmitter and receiver

• US 7,590,121 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BM Wireless Limited & Company KG
• Original Assignee: BM Wireless Limited & Company KG
• Inventors: de Mier, Eduardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Warner
• Application Number:
  US10/166,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,654 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/392, 370/394, 370/474, 370/475
• US Class Current: 370/394
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/242 by comparing a transmitted test signal with a locally generated replica

Abstract

A radio link with transmitters and a receiver transmits data packets of a data stream at a regular time interval. To receive the data packets, the data stream is sampled for the presence of data packets in a locked mode. In addition, times for an expected reception of one data packet each are predetermined. In a transmission mode, one data packet each is sampled at regular time intervals, it being determined from a comparison of a test coding with the content of the data packet whether an error-free data packet is present.

Claims

1. A transmitter for unidirectionally transmitting a data stream of data packets over a unidirectional radio link including a receiver, the transmitter comprising:

an input unit for inputting the data packets;

a transmitter control unit connected to said input unit for receiving the data packets from said input unit, processing the data packets by inserting a predetermined test coding into each of the data packets, and generating a duplicate of each of the data packets, the respective duplicate including a type information item and an offset information item, said offset information item providing information on a time interval in which the duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet;

a transmitting unit connected to said transmitter control unit for receiving each data packet and its duplicate transmitter control unit and transmitting each data packet and its duplicate regularly in succession with a time offset between each data packet and its duplicate, the time offset between each data packet and its duplicate varying in accordance with a predetermined offset rule and said offset information item; and

the offset information item being generated from a predetermined counting sequence.

2. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein:

the data packets have a content; and

the predetermined test coding results from the content of the respective data packets.

3. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter control unit controls said transmitting unit.

4. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein:

said transmitting unit counts the data packets having been transmitted to produce a count; and

the predetermined counting sequence of the offset information item is derived from the count of the data packets transmitted by the transmitter.

5. The transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising an identity information item assigned to the transmitter and to be added to at least one of each of the data packets and the respective duplicates.

6. The transmitter according to claim 5, wherein said identity information item includes an unambiguous information item regarding the transmitter.

7. The transmitter according to claim 5, wherein said identity information item includes an information item selected from the group consisting of a respective type of each of the data packets and a respective significance of each of the data packets.

8. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein:

said transmitting unit is switchable between a switched-on state and a state with reduced energy consumption;

said transmitter control unit holds said transmitting unit in the switched-on state when one of the data packets and the duplicates are transmitted; and

said transmitter control unit holds said transmitting unit in the state with reduced energy consumption when none of the data packets and the duplicates are transmitted.

9. A receiver for unidirectionally receiving a data stream including data packets and duplicates of the data packets over a unidirectional radio link including a transmitter, the receiver comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving each of the data packets;

a receiver control unit connected to said receiving unit for receiving the data packets from said receiving unit, processing the data packets, and outputting the data packets;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the data packets, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective data packet to determine if each of the data packets is one of error-free and errored, and discarding errored data packets;

said receiver control unit determining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

said receiver control unit selectively evaluating two successive data packets by using a time interval between the two successive data packets;

said receiving unit receiving duplicates of the data packets, processing the duplicates, and outputting the duplicates;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the duplicates, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective duplicate to determine if each duplicate is errored, and discarding errored duplicates; and

said receiver control unit determining an offset rule for a time offset between each data packet and its duplicate by evaluating an offset information item taken from the respective duplicate, said offset information item providing information on a time interval in which a duplicate packet will follow its respective data packet, said receiver control unit selectively evaluating the duplicates by applying the offset rule.

10. The receiver according to claim 9, wherein the offset information item is generated from a predetermined counting sequence.

11. The receiver according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined counting sequence is formed from a count of the data packets having been received.

12. The receiver according to claim 9, wherein:

said receiver control unit switches said receiving unit between a switched-on state and a state with reduced energy'"'"' consumption;

said receiver control unit holds said receiving unit in the switched-on state when one of a reception of a data packet and a duplicate is expected; and

said receiver control unit holds said receiving unit in the state with reduced energy consumption when no reception is expected.

13. The receiver according to claim 12, wherein said receiver control unit selectively switches off the receiving unit for a predetermined time.

14. The receiver according to claim 9, wherein:

an identity information allocated to a transmitter is decoded from at least one of each of the data packets and the respective duplicate; and

the time interval between two data packets with matching identity information items is determined.

15. The receiver according to claim 9, wherein times of an expected reception of the data packets are determined by repetitively selectively evaluating a signal output by said receiving unit to said receiver control unit when in a search mode.

16. The receiver according to claim 15, wherein the times are calculated for the expected reception of the data packets by using a starting time on reception of a first of the data packets and from a predetermined interval time.

17. The receiver according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined interval time is reconstructed from a content of the first data packet.

18. The receiver according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined interval time is reconstructed from an interval time between two successive data packets.

19. The receiver according to claim 18, wherein one of the two successive data pockets is a first of the data packets.

20. A receiver for receiving a data stream including data packets and duplicates of the data packets over a radio link including a transmitter, the receiver comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving each of the data packets;

a receiver control unit connected to said receiving unit for receiving the data packets from said receiving unit, processing the data packets, and outputting the data packets;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the data packets, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective data packet to determine if each of the data packets is one of error-free and errored, and discarding errored data packets;

said receiver control unit determining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

said receiver control unit selectively evaluating two successive data packets by using a time interval between the two successive data packets;

said receiving unit receiving duplicates of the data packets, processing the duplicates, and outputting the duplicates;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the duplicates, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective duplicate to determine if each duplicate is errored, and discarding errored duplicates;

said receiver control unit determining an offset rule for a time offset between each of the data packets and the respective duplicates by evaluating an offset information item taken from the respective duplicates of each of the data packets and selectively evaluating the duplicates by applying the offset rule times of an expected reception of the data packets being determined by repetitively selectively evaluating a signal output by said receiving unit to said receiver control unit when in a search code; and

the times for an expected reception of each of the data packets being calculated from an interval time between two of the data packets, the interval time being determined from a starting time on reception of a first of the data packets and from a retransmission time derived from a reception of a further one of the data packets.

21. A radio link, comprising:

a transmitter for unidirectionally transmitting a data stream of data packets over the unidirectional radio link, the transmitter including;

an input unit for inputting the data packets;

a transmitter control unit connected to said input unit for receiving the data packets from said input unit, processing the data packets by inserting a predetermined test coding into each of the data packets, and generating a duplicate of each of the data packets, the respective duplicate including a type information item and an offset information item, said offset information item providing information on a time interval in which a duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet; and

a transmitting unit connected to said transmitter control unit for receiving each data packet and its duplicate from said transmitter control unit and transmitting each data packet and its duplicate regularly in succession with a time offset between each data packet and its duplicate, the time offset between each data packet and its duplicate varying in accordance with a predetermined offset rule and said offset information item;

the offset information item being generated from a predetermined counting sequence; and

a receiver for unidirectionally receiving a data stream including data packets and duplicates of the data packets over the unidirectional radio link, the receiver including;

a receiving unit for receiving each of the data packets;

a receiver control unit connected to said receiving unit for receiving the data packets from said receiving unit, processing the data packets, and outputting the data packets;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the data packets, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective data packet to determine if each of the data packets is one of error-free and errored, and discarding errored data packets;

said receiver control unit determining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

said receiver control unit selectively evaluating two successive data packets by using a time interval between the two successive data packets;

said receiving unit receiving duplicates of the data packets, processing the duplicates, and outputting the duplicates;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the duplicates, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective duplicate to determine if each duplicate is errored, and discarding errored duplicates; and

said receiver control unit determining an offset rule for a time offset between each of the data packets and the respective duplicates by evaluating an the offset information item taken from at least one of a data packet and its duplicate and selectively evaluating the duplicates by applying the offset rule.

22. A combined transceiver module for a radio link, comprising:

a transmitter for unidirectionally transmitting a data stream of data packets over the unidirectional radio link, the transmitter including;

an input unit for inputting the data packets;

a transmitter control unit connected to said input unit for receiving the data packets from said input unit, processing the data packets by inserting a predetermined test coding into each of the data packets, and generating a duplicate of each of the data packets, the respective duplicate including a type information item and an offset information item, said offset information item providing information on a time interval in which a duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet; and

a transmitting unit connected to said transmitter control unit for receiving each data packet and its duplicate from said transmitter control unit and transmitting each data packet and its duplicate regularly in succession with a time offset between each data packet and its duplicate, the time offset between each data packet and its duplicate varying in accordance with a predetermined offset rule and said offset information item;

the offset information item being generated from a predetermined counting sequence; and

a receiver for unidirectionally receiving a data stream including data packets and duplicates of the data packets over the unidirectional radio link, the receiver including;

a receiving unit for receiving each of the data packets;

a receiver control unit connected to said receiving unit for receiving the data packets from said receiving unit, processing the data packets, and outputting the data packets;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the data packets, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective data packet to determine if each of the data packets is one of error-free and errored, and discarding errored data packets;

said receiver control unit determining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

said receiver control unit selectively evaluating two successive data packets by using a time interval between the two successive data packets;

said receiving unit receiving duplicates of the data packets, processing the duplicates, and outputting the duplicates;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the duplicates, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective duplicate to determine if each duplicate is errored, and discarding errored duplicates; and

said receiver control unit determining an offset rule for a time offset between each of the data packets and the respective duplicates by evaluating the offset information item taken from at least one of a data packet and its duplicate and selectively evaluating the duplicates by applying the offset rule.

23. The combined transceiver module according to claim 22, wherein said transmitter and said receiver are operably connected to one another to prevent collisions of the data packets and the duplicates of the data packets.

24. The combined transceiver module according to claim 23, wherein said receiver temporarily suppresses said transmitter during sampling of a data packet transmitted by another transmitter.

25. The combined transceiver module according to claim 23, wherein said receiver temporarily causes said transmitter to transmit data packets with a changed time interval during sampling of a data packet transmitted by another transmitter.

26. A method for unidirectionally transmitting a data stream having data packets in a unidirectional radio link between a transmitter and a receiver, the method which comprises the following steps:

providing a data packet to be transmitted;

inserting a predetermined test coding into the data packet;

transmitting the data packet by the transmitter;

generating a duplicate of the data packet and inserting a type information item into the duplicate;

generating an offset information item for a time offset between the data packet and the duplicate from a predetermined counting sequence, the offset information item providing information on a time interval in which a duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet;

inserting the offset information item into at least one of the data packet and the its duplicate;

obtaining a time offset between the data packet and the duplicate from the offset information item in accordance with a predetermined offset rule;

transmitting, by the transmitter, the duplicate later than the data packet by the time offset.

27. The method according to claim 26, which further comprises forming the predetermined test coding from a content of the respective data packet.

28. The method according to claim 26, which further comprises:

counting the data packets having been transmitted to form a count; and

generating the predetermined counting sequence, from the count.

29. The method according to claim 26, which further comprises:

allocating an identity information item to the transmitter; and

adding the identity information item to the data packet transmitted by the transmitter and to the duplicate of the data packet.

33. The method according to claim 29, which further comprises:

decoding the identity information item allocated to the transmitter of the data packet from one of the data packets; and

determining a time interval between two of the data packets with matching identity information items.

30. A method for unidirectionally receiving a data stream having data packets in a unidirectional radio link having a transmitter and a receiver, the method which comprises a search mode and a transmission mode;

the search mode including the following steps;

sampling the data stream for data packets; and

predetermining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

sampling the data stream for duplicates of the data packets;

predetermining an offset rule for a time offset between data packets and the duplicates from an offset information item taken from the duplicate, the offset information item providing information on a time interval in which a duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet;

the transmission mode including the following steps;

selectively evaluating of each of the data packets, comparing a test coding with the content of the data packet to determine if each of the data packets are error-free or errored; and

selectively evaluating each of the duplicates belonging to each of the errored data packets.

31. The method according to claim 30, which further comprises generating the offset information from a predetermined counting sequence.

32. The method according to claim 31, which further comprises using a count of the data packets having been received to form the predetermined counting sequence.

34. The method according to claim 30, which further comprises:

decoding an identity information item from at least one of each of the data packets and the respective duplicates, the identity information item having been allocated to a transmitter of the at least one of each of the data packets and the respective duplicates; and

determining an offset rule for a time offset between the data packet and the respective duplicates from the offset information item taken from the at least one of the data packets and the respective duplicates of the data packet.

35. The method according to claim 30, which further comprises, in the search mode, during the step of predetermining the times for the expected reception of each of the data packets, repeatedly selectively evaluating a signal output by a receiving unit to a receiver control unit.

36. The method according to claim 35, which further comprises calculating the expected reception of each of the data packets from a starting time when a first of the data packets is registered, and from a predetermined interval time between two of the data packets, the interval time being reconstructed from a content of the first data packet.

37. The method according to claim 35, which further comprises calculating the expected reception of each of the data packets from a starting time when a first of the data packets is registered, and from a predetermined interval time between two of the data packets, the interval time being reconstructed from a positioning in. time of the first data packet.

38. The method according to claim 35, which further comprises calculating times for the expected reception of one of the data packets from an interval time between two of the data packets, the interval time being determined from a starting time when a first data packet is registered and from a retransmission time when a further data packet is registered.

39. A method for operating a unidirectional radio link, which comprises:

a method for unidirectionally transmitting a data stream having data packets in a unidirectional radio link between a transmitter and a receiver, the method including the following steps;

providing a data packet to be transmitted;

inserting a predetermined test coding into the data packet;

transmitting, by the transmitter, the data packet;

generating a duplicate of the data packet and inserting a type information item into at least one of the data packet and its duplicate;

generating an offset information item for a time offset between the data packet and its duplicate from a predetermined counting sequence, the offset information item providing information on a time interval in which a duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet;

inserting the offset information item into the respective duplicate;

obtaining a time offset between the data packet and the duplicate from the offset information item in accordance with a predetermined offset rule; and

transmitting, by the transmitter, the duplicate later than the data packet by the time offset; and

a method for unidirectionally receiving a data stream having data packets in a unidirectional radio link having a transmitter and a receiver, the method which includes a search mode and a transmission mode;

the search mode including the following steps;

sampling the data stream for data packets; and

predetermining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

sampling the data steam for duplicates of the data packets;

predetermining an offset rule for a time offset between each data packet and its duplicate from the offset information item;

the transmission mode including the following steps;

selectively evaluating of each of the data packets, comparing a test coding with the content of the data packet to determine if each of the data packets are error-free or errored; and

selectively evaluating one of the duplicates belonging to each of the errored data packets.

40. A bicycle computer, comprising:

a transmitter for unidirectionally transmitting a data stream of data packets over a unidirectional radio link, the transmitter including;

an input unit for inputting the data packets;

a transmitter control unit connected to said input unit for receiving the data packets from said input unit, processing the data packets by inserting a predetermined test coding into each of the data packets, and generating a duplicate of each of the data packets, the duplicate including a type information item and an offset information item, said offset information item providing information on a time interval in which a duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet; and

a transmitting unit connected to said transmitter control unit for receiving each, data packet and its duplicate from said transmitter control unit and transmitting each data packet and its duplicate regularly in succession with a time offset between each data packet and its duplicate, the time offset between each data packet and its duplicate varying in accordance with a predetermined offset rule and said offset information item;

the offset information item being generated from a predetermined counting sequence; and

a receiver for unidirectionally receiving a data stream including data packets and duplicates of the data packets over a unidirectional radio, the receiver including;

a receiving unit for receiving each of the data packets;

a receiver control unit connected to said receiving unit for receiving the data packets from said receiving unit, processing the data packets, and outputting the data packets;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the data packets, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective data packet to determine if each of the data packets is one of error-free and errored, and discarding errored data packets;

said receiver control unit determining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

said receiver control unit selectively evaluating two successive data packets by using a time interval between the two successive data packets;

said receiving unit receiving duplicates of the data packets, processing the duplicates, and outputting the duplicates;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the duplicates, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective duplicate to determine if each duplicate is errored, and discarding errored duplicates; and

said receiver control unit determining an offset rule for a time offset between each of the data packets and the respective duplicates by evaluating the offset information item taken from at least one of a data packet and its duplicate and selectively evaluating the duplicates by applying the offset rule;

a sensor connected to said transmitter, said sensor measuring data selected from the group consisting of wheel rotations, pedal rotations, and resistance to movement; and

a display connected to said receiver for indicating the data transmitted by the sensor.

41. A fitness computer, comprising:

a transmitter for unidirectionally transmitting a data stream of data packets over a unidirectional radio link, the transmitter including;

an input unit for inputting the data packets;

a transmitter control unit connected to said input unit for receiving the data packets from said input unit, processing the data packets by inserting a predetermined test coding into each of the data packets, and generating a duplicate of each of the data packets, the duplicate including a type information item and an offset information item, said offset information item providing information on a time interval in which the duplicate data packet will follow its respective data packet; and

a transmitting unit connected to said transmitter control unit for receiving each data packet and its duplicate from said transmitter control unit and unidirectionally transmitting each data packet and its duplicate regularly in succession with a time offset between each data packet and its duplicate, the time offset between each data packet and its duplicate varying in accordance with a predetermined offset rule and an said offset information item;

the offset information item being generated from a predetermined counting sequence; and

a receiver for unidirectionally receiving a data stream including data packets and duplicates of the data packets over a radio link, the receiver including;

a receiving unit for unidirectionally receiving each of the data packets;

a receiver control unit connected to said receiving unit for receiving the data packets from said receiving unit, processing the data packets, and outputting the data packets;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the data packets, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective data packet to determine if each of the data packets is one of error-free and errored, and discarding errored data packets;

said receiver control unit determining times for an expected reception of each of the data packets;

said receiver control unit selectively evaluating two successive data packets by using a time interval between the two successive data packets;

said receiving unit receiving duplicates of the data packets, processing the duplicates, and outputting the duplicates;

said receiver control unit determining a test coding of each of the duplicates, comparing the test coding with a content of the respective duplicate to determine if each duplicate is errored, and discarding errored duplicates; and

said receiver control unit determining an offset rule for a time offset between each of the data packets and the respective duplicates by evaluating the offset information item taken from at least one of a data packet and its duplicate and selectively evaluating the duplicates by applying the offset rule;

a sensor connected to said transmitter, said sensor measuring data selected from the group consisting of a heartbeat and a stepping rate of a user; and

a display connected to said receiver exhibits for displaying the data measured by said sensor.