Communication apparatus, integrated circuit, and communication method

• US 8,565,292 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Galli, Stefano, Kurobe, Akio, Koga, Hisao, Kodama, Nobutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khanh C
• Application Number:
  US13/403,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 375/222, 375/257, 375/260, 375/295, 375/316, 375/319, 370437-439, 370/445, 370/458, 370/462
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/544 Setting up communications; Call and signalling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 with decentralised control

Abstract

In communication method for communicating via a transmission channel to which first communication apparatuses communicating based on a first communication system, second communication apparatuses communicating based on a second communication system, and third communication apparatuses communicating based on a third communication system are connected, a data transmission domain and a notification domain for notifying a data transmission within the data transmission domain are allocated to the first communication apparatuses, the second communication apparatuses, and the third communication apparatuses, respectively. In the communication method, notices of the data transmission for each of the first communication apparatuses, the second communication apparatuses and the third communication apparatuses are transmitted within the notification domain, and the data transmission domain is reallocated in accordance with the notices transmitted from the first, second and third communication apparatuses.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus which is capable of communicating based on a first communication system via a transmission channel to which another communication apparatus communicating based on a second communication system is capable of connecting, comprising:

a transmitter which transmits a first notice including a first notification signal which is rotated by a first phase vector and a second notification signal which is rotated by a second phase vector within a first notification domain;

a detector which detects a second notice transmitted from the another communication apparatus within the second notification domain which is different from the first notification domain; and

a controller which allocates a data transmission which is transmitted from the communication apparatus and a data transmission which is transmitted from the another communication apparatus for at least one of data transmission domains on the basis of the first notice and the second notice.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first notification domain is allocated to the first communication system and the second notification domain is allocated to the second communication system.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a transmission order of the first notification signal and the second notification signal corresponds to one of the first communication system and the second communication system.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the first notification signal and the second notification signal are transmitted in order of the first notification signal and the second notification signal, the order of those notification signal corresponds to the first communication system.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the second notice including the first notification signal and the second notification signal,

wherein the first notification signal and the second notification signal are transmitted in order of the second notification signal and the first notification signal, the order of those notification signal corresponds to the second communication system.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller allocates the data transmission domain in a predetermined allocation order on the basis of the first notice and the second notice.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a memory for previously storing the allocation order of the data transmission domain.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission channel is a power line which is provide an alternating current,

wherein the first notification domain and the second notification domain are allotted on the basis of zero cross points of the alternating current.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first notification domain and the second notification domain are allotted periodically on the basis of a predetermined interval.

10. An integrated circuit which is capable of communicating based on a first communication system via a transmission channel to which another communication apparatus communicating based on a second communication system is capable of connecting, comprising:

a transmitter which transmits a first notice including a first notification signal which is rotated by a first phase vector and a second notification signal which is rotated by a second phase vector within a first notification domain;

a detector which detects a second notice transmitted from the another communication apparatus within the second notification domain which is different from the first notification domain; and

a controller which allocates a data transmission which is transmitted from the integrated circuit and a data transmission which is transmitted from the another communication apparatus for at least one of data transmission domains on the basis of the first notice and the second notice.

11. A communication method for communicating based on a first communication system via a transmission channel to which another communication apparatus communicating based on a second communication system is capable of connecting, comprising:

transmitting a first notice including a first notification signal which is rotated by a first phase vector and a second notification signal which is rotated by a second phase vector within a first notification domain;

detecting a second notice transmitted from the another communication apparatus within the second notification domain which is different from the first notification domain; and

allocating at least one of data transmission for at least one of data transmission domains on the basis of the first notice and the second notice.