TDMA communication apparatus

• US 7,796,636 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Tsudaka, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gidado; Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US11/887,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 370/443, 370/337
• US Class Current: 370/443
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/22 using time-division multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/005 compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]

Abstract

A TDMA communication apparatus is configured for transmitting DSC response signals while preventing overlapping with AIS. A CPU 1 computes the DSC transmission time length T_dsc of a DSC response command (S11) and detects the present time t₀ (S12). CPU 1 computes an AIS transmission standby time length T_aistx and compares it with the DSC transmission time length T_dsc (S13 to S14). Next, if the DSC transmission time length T_dsc is shorter, CPU 1 computes an AIS reception standby time length T_aisrx and compares it with the DSC transmission time length T_dsc (S15 to S16). If the DSC transmission time length T_dsc is shorter, CPU 1 effectuates transmission control (S17).

Claims

1. A Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) communication apparatus that, by allocating a plurality of slots to a single frame in a time-divided manner, effects transmission of a first communication signal during slots reserved by communicating stations by performing respective slot synchronization and, along with that, effects transmission of a second communication signal without the slot synchronization being performed, the apparatus comprising:

a reserved slot storage unit that stores reserved slots for each of the stations,

an overlapping reserved slot storage unit that stores corresponding slots as overlapping reserved slots when the present station'"'"'s transmission is subject to reservation by another station, and

a control unit that, along with computing a transmission time length for the second communication signal being transmitted,

computes a standby time length from the present time until the time of receipt of the first communication signal or the time of transmission of the next first communication signal read from the reserved slot storage unit,

effects transmission control over the second communication signal if the transmission time length is detected to be shorter than the standby time length,

holds the second communication signal pending if the transmission time length is detected to be longer than the standby time length, and

wherein at the timing when compilation starts for the overlapping reserved slots, the control unit selects a signal transmitted during the overlapping reserved slots based on information from the overlapping reserved slot storage unit.

2. The TDMA communication apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a receipt detection unit that detects receipt of the first communication signal,

wherein the control unit effects transmission control over the second communication signal when it is determined that the receipt detection unit has not detected receipt of the first communication signal.

3. The TDMA communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the receipt detection unit detects receipt using timing delayed from the slot start timing by a predetermined time within the same slot.

4. The TDMA communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication signal is an Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal and the second communication signal is a Digital Selective Calls (DSC) signal.

5. A Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) communication apparatus that, by allocating a plurality of slots to a single frame in a time-divided manner, effects transmission of a first communication signal during slots reserved by communicating stations by performing respective slot synchronization and, along with that, effects transmission of a second communication signal without the slot synchronization being performed, the apparatus comprising:

a reserved slot storage unit that stores reserved slots for each of the stations, and

a control unit that, along with computing a transmission time length for the second communication signal being transmitted,

computes a standby time length from the present time until the time of receipt of the first communication signal or the time of transmission of the next first communication signal read from the reserved slot storage unit,

effects transmission control over the second communication signal if the transmission time length is detected to be shorter than the standby time length,

holds the second communication signal pending if the transmission time length is detected to be longer than the standby time length, and

wherein the control unit effects operation initiation control over a transmission reference frequency generation unit using a slot start timing moved back by a predetermined number of slots and the oscillation stabilization time of the transmission reference frequency generation unit from a transmission start timing of the first communication signal and second communication signal.

6. The TDMA communication apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a receipt detection unit that detects receipt of the first communication signal,

wherein the control unit effects transmission control over the second communication signal when it is determined that the receipt detection unit has not detected receipt of the first communication signal.

7. The TDMA communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the receipt detection unit detects receipt using timing delayed from the slot start timing by a predetermined time within the same slot.

8. The TDMA communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first communication signal is an Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal and the second communication signal is a Digital Selective Calls (DSC) signal.