Physical layer adapted for EHF contactless communication

• US 9,929,776 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D, Kyles, Ian A, Isaac, Roger D
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US14/205,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/20 characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A Physical Layer (PHY) of a host system of an electronic device may be implemented as a contactless PHY (Host-cPHY) for extremely high frequency (EHF) contactless communication and the operation of EHF transmitters (TX), receivers (RX) and transceivers (EHF-XCVR) in an extremely high frequency integrated circuit (EHF IC) of the electronic device. The Host-cPHY translates logical communications requests from the Link Layer (LINK) into hardware-specific operations to affect transmission or reception of signals over an EHF contactless link). The Link Layer (LINK) may also be optimized as a contactless Link Layer (cLINK) for EHF contactless communication. Multiple data streams may be transported over the EHF contactless link over a range of frequencies.

Claims

1. A first electronic device comprising:

a host system comprising a Physical Layer (PHY) and a Link Layer (LINK); and

an EHF contactless EHF IC comprising at least one transceiver (EHF-XCVR) and capable of communicating over a contactless link with a second electronic device;

characterized by;

the PHY comprises a first contactless Physical Layer (Host-cPHY) which communicates with the EHF IC for at least one of transmitting and receiving signals over the contactless link, wherein the Host-cPHY is capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals that can interface with a PHY that conforms to a Standards-based protocol, and wherein the Physical Layer is a virtualized contactless Physical Layer (VcPHY), wherein the Link Layer (LINK) is a Standards-based Link Layer (LINK), wherein the VcPHY comprises the Host-cPHY, and wherein the VcPHY further comprises a first contactless link layer (cLINK) for interfacing to the Standards-based Link Layer (LINK).

2. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device further comprises:

at least one of a Standards-based Link Layer (LINK) and a contactless Link Layer (cLINK).

3. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one EHF-XCVR is configured to operate as either a transmitter or receiver, or both.

4. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

control and status data is communicated between the host system and the EHF IC to provide power management and control of the EHF IC.

5. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

one or more parameters of a signal output by the host system determines one or more characteristics of an EHF signal output from the EHF IC.

6. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the EHF IC further comprises:

a second contactless Physical Layer (EHF-cPHY) disposed in a signal path between the Host-cPHY and the at least one transceiver.

7. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the Host-cPHY is adapted to perform at least one of:

implementing the transfer of data over the EHF contactless link;

performing encoding or decoding of data;

performing encoding for modulation of data;

performing presence detection;

encrypting/decrypting data;

adjusting voltage levels between the host system and the EHF IC; and

enabling at least one of polling, beaconing and security.

8. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the host system of the first electronic device is adapted to optimize performance of at least a portion of a communication link, including any electrical links and the contactless link, along an entire path between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

9. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the host system of the first electronic device tracks the states of one or more EHF ICs.

10. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the Host-cPHY is capable of emulating a Standards-based PHY, and can be toggled between Standards-based PHY functionality and contactless Host-cPHY functionality.

11. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the Host-cPHY is implemented transparently, without requiring any software changes in the host system to support Standards-based protocols.

12. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the Host-cPHY is capable of optimizing emissions from the EHF IC.

13. A contactless communications system comprising:

at least one first electronic device, according to claim 1.

14. A first electronic device comprising:

a host system comprising a Physical Layer (PHY) and a Link Layer (LINK); and

an EHF contactless EHF IC comprising at least one transceiver (EHF-XCVR) and capable of communicating over a contactless link with a second electronic device;

characterized by;

the PHY comprises a first contactless Physical Layer (Host-cPHY) which communicates with the EHF IC for at least one of transmitting and receiving signals over the contactless link,

wherein the Host-cPHY is adapted to;

optimizing performance of the EHF contactless link;

determining and establishing optimum timing and signal levels for an EHF signal being sent via the EHF IC over the contactless transmission medium; and

translating an output of the LINK layer to a format suitable for interfacing with and being transmitted over the EHF contactless link.

15. A method of communicating between electronic devices over an EHF contactless communications link, at least one device having a host system and an EHF IC, characterized by:

at least one of the electronic devices comprises a contactless Physical Layer (Host-cPHY) which is dedicated to EHF contactless communication over the EHF contactless communications link, wherein the Host-cPHY enables at least one of polling and beaconing of the EHF IC wherein the Physical Layer is a virtualized contactless Physical Layer (VcPHY), wherein the VcPHY comprises the Host-cPHY, and wherein the VcPHY further comprises a first contactless link layer (cLINK) for interfacing to a Standards-based Link Layer (LINK).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the Host-cPHY is operable to control modes of operation of the EHF IC, selected from the group consisting of programming registers, controlling transmitter and receiver settings, adjusting power settings and selecting frequencies.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the Host-cPHY performing at least one of:

a

directly driving and controlling the EHF IC;

implementing the transfer of data over the EHF contactless link;

allowing the host system to implement additional functionality comprising one or more of power management, encryption, digital rights management, and vibration detection;

performing encoding to control the EHF IC;

performing power management;

optimizing performance of the EHF contactless link;

performing presence detection;

encrypting/decrypting data;

determining and establishing optimum timing and levels for an EHF signal being sent via the EHF IC over the transmission medium;

adjusting voltage levels between the host system and the EHF IC;

translating an output of the LINK layer to a format suitable for interfacing with and being transmitted over the EHF contactless link; and

optimizing behavior of a communication, from end-to-end, along an entire path from the host system of the electronic device to a host system of the other electronic device.