Data transmitting and receiving apparatus for performing radio communication from terminal apparatus having operation section to transmitting and receiving processing section provided for machine body

• US 20020054626A1
• Filed: 10/18/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Inamura, Junichi
• Application Number:
  US09/982,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054626A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/219
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0238 where the received signal is an unwanted signal, e.g. interference or idle signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A transmitting and receiving processing section sequentially sends data which includes a communication command to each controller. When each controller receives the data, it sends back data which includes an operation signal to the transmitting and receiving processing section. During a period when the transmitting and receiving processing section communicates with a machine body, the transmitting and receiving processing section sends a dummy signal. When a controller receives the dummy signal, it does not send back an operation signal, but operates so as to set a receiving mode for the next time slot. Therefore, even during a busy period when the transmitting and receiving processing section is busy, data transmission and receiving is performed between the transmitting and receiving processing section and each controller. Since each controller is made to enter a short receiving mode during the busy period, the power consumption of the controller is reduced.

Claims

1. A data transmitting and receiving apparatus comprising a terminal apparatus having an operation section, and a transmitting and receiving processing section for receiving an operation signal sent from the terminal apparatus by radio, and for sending data to a host section,

wherein the transmitting and receiving processing section comprises a control section for sending a dummy signal to the terminal apparatus at an interval having a predetermined time during a busy period when processing for sending data to the host section is performed, and for sending a communication command to the terminal apparatus at the interval in a period other than the busy period, and

wherein the terminal apparatus comprises a receiving section for which a receiving mode is set for a period shorter than the interval in each interval, and a terminal control section for sending an operation signal to the transmitting and receiving processing section when the communication command is received in the receiving mode, and for controlling so as not to send the operation signal when the dummy signal is received in the receiving mode.

2. A data transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving processing section is provided with N terminal apparatuses (N is an integer equal to two or more), and

wherein the control section of the transmitting and receiving processing section performs control such that it sequentially sends the communication command to each terminal apparatus at the interval during a period other than the busy period, and it sends a dummy signal at the interval and then sequentially sends a communication command after the dummy signal is sent, during the busy period.

3. A data transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a receiving mode is sequentially set for each terminal for a period shorter than the interval in each interval, and when each terminal receives the communication command in the receiving mode, it sends the operation signal to the transmitting and receiving processing section, and

when each terminal receives the dummy signal or data sent to another terminal in the receiving mode, it does not send an operation signal to the transmitting and receiving processing section, but operates so as to set the receiving mode in the next interval.

4. A data transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the busy period has n intervals (n is an integer equal to one or more), the transmitting and receiving processing section issues a dummy signal n times in n intervals, and then sequentially sends the communication command to each terminal apparatus.

5. A data transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when a period in which the communication command is sequentially sent to a first terminal apparatus to an N-th terminal apparatus is called one frame, the control section of the transmitting and receiving processing section has at least one frame between the busy period and the next busy period.

6. A data transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when a period in which the communication command is sequentially sent to a first terminal apparatus to an N-th terminal apparatus is called one frame, the transmitting and receiving processing section has the busy period inserted into the frame.