Communication system

• US 7,813,368 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ootaka, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALIYUR, VENKATESH N
• Application Number:
  US11/787,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 370228-503, 709224-245, 326 98-106
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/02 in which the signal transmitted is magnitude of current or voltage G08C19/36, G08C19/38 take precedence

Abstract

A communication system includes master and slave controllers, a local device connected to the slave controller, and a communication cable having a pair of wires and connected between the master and slave controllers. The master controller feeds a first DC voltage to the slave controller via the communication cable and communicates with the slave controller by changing the first DC voltage such that voltages on the wires of the communication cable are opposite in phase. The slave controller generates a second DC voltage from the first DC voltage and feeds the second DC voltage to the local device. When the master and slave controllers communicate with each other, the slave controller changes the second DC voltage such that voltages on terminals of the local device are opposite in phase and vary synchronously with the voltages on the communication cable.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

first and second communication wires;

a local device having positive and negative terminals;

a slave controller connected to the first and second communication wires and connected to the positive and negative terminals of the local device, the slave controller being fed with a first direct current voltage via the first and second communication wires and feeding a second direct current voltage to the local device; and

a master controller connected to the first and second communication wires, the master controller having a feeding phase for feeding the first direct current voltage to the first and second communication wires and a communication phase for communicating with the slave controller by changing the first direct current voltage in such a manner that voltages on the first and second communication wires are opposite in phase, wherein

when the master controller communicates with the slave controller, the slave controller changes the second direct current voltage in such a manner that voltages on the positive and negative terminals of the local device are opposite in phase and vary synchronously with the first direct current voltage;

the feeding phase and the communication phase are repeated;

the slave controller includes a power supply circuit, a voltage change detection circuit, a voltage control circuit, first and second constant current circuits, and a signal ground,

the power supply circuit generates the second direct current voltage from the first direct current voltage,

the voltage change detection circuit detects a change in the first direct current voltage and outputs a first signal corresponding to the change in the first direct current voltage to the voltage control circuit,

the voltage control circuit changes the second direct current voltage in accordance with the first signal,

the first constant current circuit is connected between the voltage control circuit and the positive terminal of the local device to feed a constant current to the positive terminal of the local device, and

the second constant current circuit is connected between the negative terminal of the local device and the signal ground to draw the constant current from the negative terminal of the local device.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the local device is a touch sensor including first and second conductors and a resistor connected between the first and second conductors,

the first conductor has a first end connected to the resistor and a second end acting as the positive terminal,

the second conductor has a first end connected to the resistor and a second end acting as the negative terminal, and

when force is applied to the touch sensor, the first and second conductors electrically contact each other so that a resistance between the positive and negative terminals of the touch sensor varies.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein

the slave controller further includes a differential amplifier for amplifying a voltage between the positive and negative terminals of the touch sensor.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein

the slave controller further includes a holding circuit for holding an output voltage of the differential amplifier,

the voltage change detection circuit determines, based on the change in the first direct current voltage, a communication status between the master and slave controllers and outputs a second signal corresponding to the communication status to the holding circuit, and

the holding circuit holds the output voltage of the differential amplifier in accordance with the second signal.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first linear conductor connected between the positive terminal of the local device and the slave controller; and

a second linear conductor connected between the negative terminal of the local device and the slave controller.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

when the master controller communicates with the slave controller, the first and second voltages are pulsed.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the feeding phase and the communication phase are continuously repeated.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second communication wires are the only wires connected between the master controller and the slave controller.