Communication device, receiving device, and communication system for transmitting information in daisy chain network

• US 9,712,897 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirata, Yuuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vlahos, Sophia
• Application Number:
  US15/065,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33226 Daisy chain
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4247 on a daisy chain bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4252 using a handshaking protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/06 through light guides, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A communication device is included in a daisy chain connection. A receiver receives a first signal from a preceding device in the daisy chain connection. A transmitter transmits the first signal received in the receiver to a succeeding device in the daisy chain connection. An acceptor accepts a second signal starting from the communication device. The transmitter transmits the second signal accepted in the acceptor to the succeeding device at a transmission rate higher than a transmission rate of the first signal received in the receiver.

Claims

1. A communication device included in a daisy chain connection of communication devices, the communication device comprising:

a receiver that receives a first signal from a preceding communication device in the daisy chain connection;

a transmitter that transmits the first signal received in the receiver to a succeeding communication device in the daisy chain connection at a transmission rate; and

an acceptor that accepts a second signal originating from the communication device and not the preceding communication device, wherein

the transmitter transmits the second signal to the succeeding communication device at a transmission rate higher than the transmission rate of the first signal.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter maintains the transmission rate of the first signal when transmitting the first signal received in the receiver to the succeeding communication device in the daisy chain connection.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the acceptor determines the transmission rate of the second signal.

4. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the acceptor determines the transmission rate of the second signal.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the communication device is connected to a battery pack, and

the second signal accepted in the acceptor includes information regarding the battery pack.

6. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein

the communication device is connected to a battery pack, and

the second signal accepted in the acceptor includes information regarding the battery pack.

7. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein

the communication device is connected to a battery pack, and

the second signal accepted in the acceptor includes information regarding the battery pack.

8. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein

the communication device is connected to a battery pack, and

the second signal accepted in the acceptor includes information regarding the battery pack.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

10. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

11. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

12. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

13. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

14. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

15. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

16. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein a reference signal for identifying a corresponding transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value, is included in the first signal and the second signal transmitted from the transmitter.

17. A receiving device comprising:

a receiver that receives a signal from any of a plurality of communication devices included in a daisy chain connection, the signal including any of a plurality of different transmission rates; and

a processor that processes the signal received in the receiver, wherein

in the signal received in the receiver, a reference signal for identifying the transmission rate of the signal received in the receiver, which reference signal has a common value irrespective of the transmission rate, of the signal received in the receiver, is included, and

the receiver receives the signal at each of the plurality of different transmission rates, and selects a transmission rate at which the reference signal for identifying the transmission rate has been detected.

18. A communication system comprising:

a management circuit; and

a plurality of communication circuits in a daisy chain connection and coupled to the management circuits, wherein

each of the plurality of communication circuit transfers a signal received from a preceding communication circuit in the daisy chain connection to a succeeding communication circuit in the daisy chain connection, and transmits, to the succeeding communication circuit, a signal originating from the communication circuit and not the preceding communication circuit at a transmission rate higher than a transmission rate used for the transfer.

19. The communication system according to claim 18, wherein

a reference signal for identifying the transmission rate, which reference signal has a common value irrespective of the transmission rate, is included in the signal in the daisy chain connection, and

the management circuit receives the signal at each of a plurality of different transmission rates used in the daisy chain connection, and selects a transmission rate at which the reference signal for identifying the transmission rate has been detected.