Radio integrated circuit and radio communication method

• US 20060187961A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kai, Atsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A PHY-equipped radio LSI and a radio communication method capable of transmitting data without fail while maintaining a beacon interval. Using a selector which is switched by a beacon transmission signal output from a beacon register, a data transmission request signal is switched for transmitting data from a RAM to a PHY part, and a transfer is started when this signal goes to “1. ” In this way, for transmitting beacon data, the beacon data has been previously transferred to the RAM, and the beacon data is transmitted at the time of beacon transmission interval with the PHY part remaining in a transmission state, so that the beacon interval can be maintained. In addition, it is possible to prevent a failure in the transmission of transfer data due to the state of the PHY part.

Claims

1. A radio integrated circuit comprising:

a radio transmission/reception part for converting modulated data to radio waves and transmitting the radio waves during a transmission, and receiving the incoming radio waves to output reception data during a reception in accordance with a predetermined radio communication standard;

a modulator/demodulator part for modulating converted data to the modulated data and outputting the modulated data to said radio transmission/reception part during the transmission, and demodulating the reception data and outputting demodulated data during the reception;

a physical layer part for outputting a transmission state transition signal and converting transfer data to the converted data in a predetermined format, and outputting the converted data to said modulator/demodulator part during the transmission, and capturing the demodulated data in a reception state;

a time measuring part for outputting a beacon interval signal when a beacon interval expires;

a storage part for storing the demodulated data captured by said physical layer part, normal transmission data sent from a media access control layer part disposed outside, or beacon data sent from said media access control layer part;

a physical layer interface part for transmitting/receiving data between said media access control layer part and said physical layer part in synchronism with a serial transfer clock, transmitting the demodulated data stored in said storage part to said media access control layer, and outputting a storage part data transmission request signal when the normal transmission data sent from said media access control part or the beacon data is received and stored in said storage part; and

a transfer part for controlling a transfer of data between said physical layer part and said storage part,

wherein a beacon flag is provided which is set by said media access control layer part to a first logic when the normal transmission data is transmitted, and to a second logic when the beacon data is transmitted, and said transfer part comprises a selector for selecting the storage part data transfer request signal when the beacon flag is at the first logic to transfer the normal transmission data stored in the storage part to said physical layer part, and selecting the result of a logical AND of the transmission state transition signal, the beacon interval signal, and the storage part data transmission request signal when the beacon flag is at the second logic to transfer the beacon data stored in said storage part to said physical layer part.

2. A radio integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a security part for encrypting or decrypting the data transferred between said physical layer part and said transfer part such that said security part can be inserted or disconnected based on a predetermined set value.

3. A radio integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:

said switching circuit includes;

a first latch circuit for latching the transmission state transition signal;

a second latch circuit for latching the beacon interval signal;

a third latch circuit for latching the storage part data transmission request signal;

a logic circuit for taking a logical AND of output signals of said first, second, and third latch circuits;

a selecting part for selecting the output signal of said third latch circuit when the beacon flag is at the first logic to transfer the normal transmission data stored in said storage part to said physical layer part, and selecting an output signal of said logical circuit when the beacon flag is at the second logic to transfer the beacon data stored in said storage part to said physical part; and

a clear circuit for clearing said second latch circuit, said third latch circuit, and said beacon flag in response to a transfer of the beacon data stored in said storage part to said physical layer part.

4. A radio integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein:

said switching circuit includes;

a first latch circuit for latching the transmission state transition signal;

a second latch circuit for latching the beacon interval signal;

a third latch circuit for latching the storage part data transmission request signal;

a logic circuit for taking a logical AND of output signals of said first, second, and third latch circuits;

a selecting part for selecting the output signal of said third latch circuit when the beacon flag is at the first logic to transfer the normal transmission data stored in said storage part to said physical layer part, and selecting an output signal of said logical circuit when the beacon flag is at the second logic to transfer the beacon data stored in said storage part to said physical part; and

a clear circuit for clearing said second latch circuit, said third latch circuit, and said beacon flag in response to a transfer of the beacon data stored in said storage part to said physical layer part.

5. A radio integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said radio communication standard is ZigBee.

6. A radio integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein said radio communication standard is ZigBee.

7. A radio integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein said radio communication standard is ZigBee.

8. A radio integrated circuit according to claim 4, wherein said radio communication standard is ZigBee.

9. A method of making a radio communication using data in a frame structure having a first data duration in which a device can be accessed, and a second data duration in which an access to said device is prohibited,

wherein processing performed from the first data duration of current data is performed from the second data duration of data received previous to the current data.

10. A method of making a radio communication using a data in a frame structure having a first data duration in which a device can be accessed, and a second data duration in which an access to said device is prohibited,

wherein processing is started for another data received in succession from the second data duration.