System including reply signal that at least partially overlaps request

• US 8,183,982 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Scherr, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus
• Application Number:
  US11/838,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20090046773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/572.1, 340/10.41, 375/240.28, 375/355, 375/356
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1484 operating bytewise
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/00 Arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter synchronisation of generators of electric oscillations or pulses H03L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/044 using a single bit, e.g. start stop bit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/06 the synchronisation signals differing from the information signals in amplitude, polarity or frequency or length

Abstract

A system including a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver is configured to transmit a request. The transmitter is configured to transmit a reply signal that at least partially overlaps the request.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a receiver configured to transmit a request that includes at least one of a request command and a request data signal; and

a transmitter configured to receive the request and transmit a reply signal that includes a synchronization signal and a reply data signal correlated to the synchronization signal, wherein at least one of the synchronization signal and the reply data signal completely overlaps the at least one of the request command and the request data signal and the synchronization signal indicates a time base of the transmitter, such that the receiver receives the reply signal and obtains the time base to recover data from the reply data signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a pulse width modulated reply signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a trigger signal in the request and the transmitter is configured to start the reply signal in response to the trigger signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit the request via one communications path and the transmitter is configured to transmit the reply signal via the one communications path.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one communications path is one of a conductive line, an RF frequency, an optical wavelength, a magnetic signal, and a pressure signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit the request via a first communications path and the transmitter is configured to transmit the reply signal via a second communications path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit transmitter identification in the request.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a data request parameter in the request.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a configurable parameter in the request.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a power down signal in the request.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a send data and remain powered-up signal in the request.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a send data and power down signal in the request.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a self-test signal in the request.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a wake-up signal in the request.

15. A system, comprising:

a receiver configured to transmit a request that includes at least one of a request command and a request data signal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a pulse width modulated signal in response to the request, wherein the pulse width modulated signal includes a synchronization signal and a reply data signal correlated to the synchronization signal in the pulse width modulated signal, wherein at least one of the synchronization signal and the reply data signal completely overlaps the at least one of the request command and the request data signal, wherein the width of the synchronization signal in the pulse width modulated signal indicates a time base of the transmitter and the width of the reply data signal in the pulse width modulated signal represents a data bit pattern of more than one bit and the receiver is configured to receive and decode the pulse width modulated signal to obtain the time base and recover the data bit pattern.

16. A method of communicating in a system, comprising:

transmitting a request that includes at least one of a request command and a request data signal from a receiver;

receiving the request at a transmitter;

transmitting a reply signal via the transmitter, wherein the reply signal includes a synchronization signal and a reply data signal correlated to the synchronization signal, such that at least one of the synchronization signal and the reply data signal completely overlaps the at least one of the request command and the request data signal, and the synchronization signal indicates a time base of the transmitter;

receiving the reply signal at the receiver;

obtaining the time base from the reply signal; and

recovering data from the reply data signal using the time base.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

transmitting the request comprises transmitting a trigger signal in the request; and

transmitting the reply signal comprises starting the reply signal in response to the trigger signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the reply signal comprises transmitting a pulse width modulated reply signal.

19. A method of communicating comprising:

transmitting a request that includes at least one of a request command and a request data signal;

transmitting a pulse width modulated signal in response to the request, wherein the pulse width modulated signal includes a synchronization signal and a data signal, wherein at least one of the synchronization signal and the data signal completely overlaps the at least one of the request command and the request data signal, and the width of the synchronization signal in the pulse width modulated signal indicates a time base of the transmitter and the width of the data signal in the pulse width modulated signal represents a data bit pattern of more than one bit; and

receiving and decoding the pulse width modulated signal to obtain the time base and recover the data bit pattern.

20. A system, comprising:

a receiver configured to transmit a request that includes at least one of a request command and a request data signal;

a transmitter configured to receive the request and transmit a reply signal, wherein the transmitter transmits a pulse width modulated synchronization signal and at least one pulse width modulated data signal in the reply signal, wherein at least one of the pulse width modulated synchronization signal and the at least one pulse width modulated data signal completely overlaps the at least one of the request command and the request data signal, wherein the pulse width modulated synchronization signal indicates a time base of the transmitter and the width of the at least one pulse width modulated data signal represents a data bit pattern of more than one bit correlated to the time base, and the receiver receives the reply signal and determines the time base from the width of the pulse width modulated synchronization signal and decodes the data bit pattern from the width of the at least one pulse width modulated data signal.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the pulse width modulated synchronization signal ends after the request data signal ends.