Noncontact information transmitter

• US 6,585,431 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Leslie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leung, Christina Y
• Application Number:
  US09/320,526
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 359/152, 359/154, 359/159, 359/157
• US Class Current: 398/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/801 using optical interconnects, e.g. light coupled isolators, circuit board interconnections

Abstract

The invention solve the problems, such as imperfect connection and transmission error in the connector between the personal computer or other information appliance and the docking unit for its function expansion, and lowering of reliability in the contact portion of the connector by repeated insertion and pulling out, or lowering of reliability in the contact portion due to vibration, salt, or moisture. As the means of solving the problems, a serial signal of USB or IEEE1394 is converted into a signal for optical transmission, and it is transmitted, without making contact, between an emitter 52A and a receiver 52B disposed oppositely across a spatial gap. The transmission routes are prepared in two lines, and full duplex transmission is realized. Therefore, signals are connected and disconnected easily, and anytime, and a highly reliable transmission is realized.

Claims

1. A noncontact information transmitter comprising:

a first transmitter side including a first emitter and a first receiver;

a second transmitter side including a second emitter and a second receiver;

wherein the first emitter transmits a first optical signal to the second receiver across a spatial gap of 0-15 mm and the second emitter transmits a second optical signal to the first receiver across the spatial gap, and

wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal each comprise a serial signal conforming to one of the USB and IEEE 1394 standards, and full duplex transmission is accomplished between the first transmitter side and the second transmitter side.

2. The noncontact information transmitter recited in claim 1, wherein the serial signal conforms to the IEEE1394 standard.

3. The noncontact information transmitter as recited in claim 2 further comprising,

a route physical layer circuit coupled to the first transmitter side; and

a branch physical layer circuit coupled to the second transmitter side;

wherein noncontact transmission is realized between the route physical layer circuit and the branch physical layer circuit.

4. The noncontact information transmitter as recited in claim 2 further comprising,

a branch physical layer circuit coupled to the first transmitter side;

and

a leaf physical layer circuit coupled to the second transmitter side;

wherein noncontact transmission is realized between the branch physical layer circuit and the leaf physical layer circuit.

5. The noncontact information transmitter recited in claim 1, wherein the serial signal conforms to the USB standard.

6. The noncontact information transmitter of claim 5, wherein noncontact transmission is realized between at least one of a host controller circuit coupled to the first transmitter side and a hub controller circuit coupled to the second transmitter side, a hub controller circuit coupled to the first transmitter side and a function circuit coupled to the second transmitter side, and a first hub controller circuit coupled to the first transmitter side and a second hub controller circuit coupled to the second transmitter side.

7. A noncontact information transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first transmission side is provided in an information processing device, and the second transmission side is provided in a function expansion device of said information processing device.

8. A noncontact information transmitter comprising:

a first speed optical transmission block comprising a first transmitter side including a first emitter and a first receiver, and a second transmitter side including a second emitter and a second receiver;

wherein the first emitter transmits a first optical signal to the second receiver across a spatial gap of 0-‥

mm and the second emitter transmits a second optical signal to the first receiver across the spatial gap, and wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal each comprise a serial signal conforming to one of the USB and IEEE 1394 standards, and full duplex transmission is accomplished between the first transmitter side and the second transmitter side; and

a second speed optical transmission block, having a lower transmission speed than said first speed optical transmission block, including a first transmitter side including a first emitter and a first receiver, and a second transmitter side including a second emitter and a second receiver;

wherein the first emitter transmits a first optical signal to the second receiver across a spatial gap of 0-15 mm and the second emitter transmits a second optic al signal to the first receiver across the spatial gap, wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal each comprise a serial signal conforming to one of the USB and IEEE1394 standards, and full duplex transmission is accomplished between the first transmitter side and the second transmitter sided.