Communication devices, radio switch and method for communication

• US 9,253,723 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Graf, Alexander, Hanft, Hans-Jrgen, Boethe, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Russell, Wanda Z
• Application Number:
  US14/069,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20140146729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.26, 455/39, 713/193
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication device for a remote switch has a control device designed to supply a preparatory signal for preparing a transmission process and a transmission signal for starting the transmission process. A memory device is designed to save one structural information and a parameter for different transmission protocols. A processing device is designed to supply data to be sent, read the structural information and the parameters from the memory device in response to the preparatory signal and, based on the data to be sent and the structural information, create a send packet, and output the send packet and the parameter in response to the transmission signal. A transmission device is designed to wirelessly emit a transmission signal representing the send packet with a transmission characteristic defined by the parameter.

Claims

1. A communication device configured for remote switch activation, the communication device comprising:

a control device configured to supply a preparatory signal for preparing a transmission process and a first transmission signal for starting the transmission process;

a memory device having stored therein structural information data and a parameter for both an initial transmission protocol and at least one additional transmission protocol, the structural information data of the initial transmission protocol and the structural information data of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising a respective protocol frame for data bits, the parameter of the initial transmission protocol and the parameter of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising at least one of a respective transmission frequency or a respective transmission power;

a processing device in communication with the control device and the memory device, the processing device configured to supply data to be transmitted and;

in response to the preparatory signal, read from the memory device the structural information data and the parameter for an assigned one of the transmission protocols stored within the memory device for the data to be transmitted;

create a send packet based on the data to be transmitted and the assigned one of the transmission protocols; and

output the send packet and the parameter of the assigned one of the transmission protocols in response to the first transmission signal from the control device; and

a transmission device configured to wirelessly emit a second transmission signal containing the send packet and a transmission characteristic defined by the parameter of the assigned one of the transmission protocols.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the processing device creates the send packet by inserting the data to be transmitted into a defined position of the protocol frame of the assigned one of the transmission protocols.

3. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to select the assigned one of the transmission protocols for the data to be transmitted based on information contained in the preparatory signal or information assigned to the data to be transmitted.

4. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the processing device is in communication with a sensor and receives measurement data from the sensor, the processing device configured to include the measurement data in the data to be transmitted.

5. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to encrypt data, and to include the encrypted data in the data to be transmitted.

6. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the control device is a state machine, and the processing device is a micro-controller.

7. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to file update data in the memory device via a programming interface with the memory device.

8. The communication device as in claim 1, further comprising an activation device configured to change components of the communication device from an energy savings mode to an operational mode in response to an activation signal from the activation device.

9. The communication device as in claim 1, further comprising a remote switch to initiate a transmission via the communication device.

10. A communication device configured for remote switch activation, the communication device comprising:

a memory device having stored therein structural information data and a parameter for both an initial transmission protocol and at least one additional transmission protocol, the structural information data of the initial transmission protocol and the structural information data of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising a respective protocol frame for data bits, the parameter of the initial transmission protocol and the parameter of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising at least one of a respective transmission frequency or a respective transmission power;

a processing device in communication with the memory device;

a receiver in communication with the processing device, the receiver configured to receive a wirelessly transmitted signal and supply the wirelessly transmitted signal as an input signal to the processing device; and

a decoding device configured to read the structural information for the transmission protocols from the memory device, and to use the structural information to decode the input signal and supply data contained in the input signal to the processing device.

11. A communication device configured for remote switch activation, the communication device comprising:

a control device configured to supply a preparatory signal for preparing a transmission process, and a first transmission signal for starting the transmission process;

a memory device having stored therein structural information data and a parameter for an initial transmission protocol and at least one additional transmission protocol, the structural information data of the initial transmission protocol and the structural information data of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising a respective protocol frame for data bits, the parameter of the initial transmission protocol and the parameter of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising at least one of a respective transmission frequency or a respective transmission power;

a processing device in communication with the control device and the memory device, the processing device configured to supply data to be transmitted and;

in response to the preparatory signal, read the structural information data and parameter for an assigned one of the transmission protocols for the data to be transmitted from the memory device;

create a send packet based on the data to be transmitted and the assigned one of the transmission protocols; and

output the send packet and the parameter of the assigned one of the transmission protocols in response to the first transmission signal from the control device; and

a transmission device configured to wirelessly emit a second transmission signal containing the send packet and a transmission characteristic defined the parameter of the assigned one of the transmission protocols;

a receiver in communication with the processing device, the receiver configured to receive a wirelessly transmitted signal and supply the wirelessly transmitted signal as an input signal to the processing device; and

a decoding device configured to read the structural information for the transmission protocols from the memory device, and to use the structural information to decode the input signal and supply data contained in the input signal to the processing device.

12. A communication method implemented via a communication device, the communication method comprising:

generating and supplying a preparatory signal for preparing a transmission process;

supply data to be transmitted in the transmission process;

assigning a transmission protocol to the data to be transmitted from a plurality of different transmission protocols stored in a memory device;

reading structural information and a parameter of the assigned transmission protocol from the memory device, the structural information data of the assigned transmission protocol comprising a protocol frame for data bits, the parameter of the assigned transmission protocol comprising at least one of a transmission frequency or a transmission power;

create a send packet based on the data to be transmitted and the structural information of the assigned transmission protocol;

supply a first transmission signal for starting the transmission process;

in response to the first transmission signal, outputting the send packet and the parameter of the assigned transmission protocol; and

wirelessly emit a second transmission signal containing the send packet and a transmission characteristic defined by the parameter of the assigned transmission protocol.

13. A communication method implemented via a communication device, the communication method comprising:

receiving a wirelessly transmitted signal, and supplying the signal as an input signal to a processing device;

in a memory device, storing structural information data and a parameter for both an initial transmission protocol and at least one additional transmission protocol, the structural information data of the initial transmission protocol and the structural information data of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising a respective protocol frame for data bits, the parameter of the initial transmission protocol and the parameter of the at least one additional transmission protocol each comprising at least one of a respective transmission frequency or a respective transmission power;

reading the structural information for the transmission protocols from the memory device, and using the structural information to decode the input signal; and

supplying data from the decoded input signal with the input signal to the processing device.