Communication device, communication system, and communication method

• US 8,699,549 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spansion LLC (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tadese, Berhanu
• Application Number:
  US13/309,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/295, 375/316, 710/107
• US Class Current: 375/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/13 of power amplifiers, e.g. gain or non-linearity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03019 adaptive, i.e. capable of adjustment during data reception
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A communication device includes a transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal under a certain transmission condition, a reception circuit that receives a reception result of the transmission signal under a certain reception condition and the certain reception condition, and an adjustment circuit that transmits information used to adjust the reception condition based on the reception result and the reception condition from the transmission circuit.

Claims

1. A communication device, which communicates with another communication device, comprising:

a transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal under a first transmission condition;

a reception circuit that receives a reception result of the transmission signal under a first reception condition and the first reception condition; and

an adjustment circuit that transmits first information from the transmission circuit to the another communication device, based on the reception result and the first reception condition before changing the first transmission condition to a second transmission condition in which power consumption of the communication device is less than that in the first transmission condition, the first information allowing the another communication device to adjust the first reception condition to a second reception condition in which power consumption of the another communication device is less than that in the first reception condition.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

a reception circuit of a reception-side communication device that receives the transmission signal under the first reception condition includes an amplification circuit that amplifies a signal within a certain band of received signals, and

the adjustment circuit adds second information that controls the amplification circuit to the first information.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission circuit transmits the transmission signal to the another communication device coupled to the communication device at a transmission amplitude that corresponds to the transmission condition,

the reception result includes a reception amplitude of the transmission signal received by the another communication device under the first reception condition, and

the adjustment circuit adjusts the amplitude based on the transmission amplitude of the transmission signal and the reception amplitude.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein

the transmission circuit is set with a first amplitude value,

the adjustment circuit calculates a second amplitude value based on the first amplitude value set for the transmission circuit, a reception amplitude value corresponding to the reception amplitude, and a reference value, and

the adjustment circuit sets the second amplitude value to the transmission circuit.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the adjustment circuit calculates the second amplitude value so that the reception amplitude value becomes equal to the reference value.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission circuit includes a waveform shaping circuit that shapes a waveform of a transmission signal, and

the adjustment circuit controls an operation state of the waveform shaping circuit in accordance with the reception result.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment circuit transmits the transmission signal and the first information during a transmission state that transmits a speed code used to set a speed at which the communication device and the another communication device communicate with each other.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein

the transmission circuit repeatedly transmits a tone signal in a certain cycle, and

the adjustment circuit transmits the speed code and the first information in an interval between the tone signal and an immediately following tone signal.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment circuit transmits the transmission signal and the first information at a time before a period of synchronization state in which the reception circuit is synchronized with a received signal based on a synchronization signal.

10. A communication device, which communicates with another communication device, comprising:

a reception circuit that receives a transmission signal transmitted from the another communication device under a first reception condition;

a transmission circuit that transmits a reception result of the transmission signal received by the reception circuit and the first reception condition to the another communication device; and

an adjustment circuit that adjusts the first reception condition to a second reception condition in which power consumption of the communication device is less than that in the first reception condition in response to a receipt notification transmitted from the another communication device based on the reception result and the first reception condition, before the another communication device changes a first transmission condition to a second transmission condition in which power consumption of the another communication device is less than that in the first transmission condition.

11. A communication system comprising first and second communication devices that are coupled to each other,

wherein the first communication device includes:

a first transmission circuit that transmits a transmission signal under a first transmission condition;

a first reception circuit that receives a reception result of the transmission signal under a first reception condition and the first reception condition; and

a first adjustment circuit that transmits first information from the transmission circuit to the second communication device, based on the reception result and the first reception condition before changing the first transmission condition to a second transmission condition in which power consumption of the first communication device is less than that in the first transmission condition, the first information allowing the second communication device to adjust the first reception condition to a second reception condition in which power consumption of the second communication device is less than that in the first reception condition; and

wherein the second communication device includes;

a second reception circuit that receives the transmission signal transmitted from the first communication device under the first reception condition;

a second transmission circuit that transmits the first reception condition and the reception result of the transmission signal received by the second reception circuit to the first communication device; and

a second adjustment circuit that adjusts the first reception condition of the second reception circuit to the second reception condition based on the reception result and the first reception condition in response to a receipt notification transmitted from the first communication device, before the first communication device changes the first transmission condition to the second transmission condition.

12. A communication method comprising:

transmitting a transmission signal under a first transmission condition from a transmission circuit of a communication device, which communicates with another communication device;

receiving, with a reception circuit of the communication device, a reception result of the transmission signal under a first reception condition and the first reception condition; and

transmitting first information from the transmission circuit to the another communication device, based on the reception result and the first reception condition before changing the first transmission condition to a second transmission condition in which power consumption of the communication device is less than that in the first transmission condition, the first information allowing the another communication device to adjust the first reception condition to a second reception condition in which power consumption of the another communication device is less than that in the first reception condition.

13. A method for adjusting a communication device, which communicates with another communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a transmission signal transmitted from the another communication device with a reception circuit of the communication device that operates under a first reception condition;

transmitting, from a transmission circuit of the communication device, the first reception condition and reception result of the transmission signal received by the reception circuit and to the another communication device; and

adjusting, with an adjustment circuit of the communication device, the first reception condition to a second reception condition in which power consumption of the communication device is less than that in the first reception condition in response to a receipt notification transmitted from the another communication device based on the reception result and the first reception condition, before the another communication device changes a first transmission condition to a second transmission condition in which power consumption of the another communication device is less than that in the first transmission condition.