Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-05
2004-12-14
Corsaro, Nick (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S558000, C455S557000, C455S552100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832104
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card, e.g., a PC card, that is detachably inserted to an information processing terminal, including a personal computer and a portable information terminal, when used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information processing terminals, including a personal computer and a portable information terminal, are capable of having a detachable PC card inserted/attached to it. Examples of such PC cards are a memory card utilized as a storage medium, a modem card for wire communication, an ISDN card, a LAN card, a wireless LAN card for wireless communication, and a PHS card. By using those PC cards, a personal computer or a portable information terminal is flexibly adaptable for various situations and environment under which it is employed. For example, communication can be performed using a LAN card when the environment allows for the use of wired LAN, and using a wireless LAN card when the environment allows for the use of wireless LAN.
When using a PC card, a card connector is inserted to a PC card slot of a PC card interface provided in an information processing terminal in conformity with the PC Card Standards of PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). When a PC card is not used, the card connector can be withdrawn from the PC card slot.
Recently, with the reduction in size of information processing terminals, cards having smaller sizes have been put into the market. In particular, a Compact Flash (abbreviated to “CF” hereinafter) card proposed by CFA (Compact Flash Association) is already utilized in a small-sized information processing terminal such as a digital camera and a portable information terminal. With the advent of CF cards, adaptable for the above-mentioned various functions, it has become possible to provide cards having smaller sizes and more convenient portability.
A PC card has a 68-pin connector and employs a parallel data bus up to 32 bits as a host interface. On the other hand, a CF card has a 50-pin two-piece connector and employs a parallel data bus up to 16 bits, as a host interface.
Further, with recent widespread usage of digital equipment, the ability to form wireless networks everywhere including offices, homes and so on, has received attention. Particularly, the short-distance wireless communication standard called “Bluetooth” is known as a technology that was developed for connection between a notebook personal computer and a portable telephone. Application of the Bluetooth technology has spread over all kinds of electronic equipment without being restricted by frames represented by peripheral equipment.
Bluetooth technology is also adapted for speech communication and is able to use a line-exchange type SCO (Synchronous Connection Oriented) link that establishes a connection, ensuring real-time correspondence. With an SCO link, a communication time (time slot for communication) is allocated beforehand, and data is transmitted and received at constant intervals. In general data communication, a packet-exchange type ACL (Asynchronous Connection-Less) link is employed. With the ACL link, a communication time is not particularly allocated, and data is transmitted and received only as the occasion requires. Using an ACL link for speech communication causes deterioration in real-time correspondence and sound quality due to a packet delay.
FIG. 11
shows one example of a configuration of a general Bluetooth communication environment. A Bluetooth host
1100
is capable of establishing connections to an IP network
1103
and a line exchange network
1104
which are installed as parts of a communication infrastructure. Also, in
FIG. 11
, a Bluetooth data terminal
1101
and a Bluetooth cordless telephone
1102
are provided as Bluetooth terminals to form an environment in which a 1:2 piconet can be formed. The Bluetooth data terminal
1101
is able to establish connection for data communication to the IP network
1103
via the Bluetooth host
1100
, by using the ACL link. Simultaneously, the Bluetooth cordless telephone
1102
is able to establish a connection for real-time speech communication to the line exchange network
1104
via the Bluetooth host
1100
by using the SCO link. The Bluetooth host
1100
also is capable of processing both the ACL link and the SCO link at the same time.
FIG. 12
shows a configuration of a Bluetooth communicating section built in the Bluetooth host
1100
. Numeral
1204
denotes a base band unit having the function of a link controller only, or the functions of both a link controller and a link manager for Bluetooth. The base band unit
1204
has a data communication signal line
1206
corresponding to the ACL link and a speech communication signal line
1207
corresponding to the SCO link. A host CPU
1200
is connected to the base band unit
1204
via a data communication interface
1202
and supervises overall control of the Bluetooth host
1100
. The data communication interface
1202
has, for example, the function of making it adaptable to the format enabling the data communication signal line
1206
to be directly connected to a data bus of the host CPU
1200
, or the function of making it adaptable to the format of a serial data communication line so that matching with a peripheral device interface of the host CPU
1200
can be established. The speech communication interface
1203
has the function of making it adaptable to a digital signal, e.g., a PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) signal, and an analog signal so that the speech communication signal line
1207
of the base band unit
1204
is connected to a speech processing unit
1201
. The speech processing unit
1201
has the function of establishing an electrical interface adapted for the line exchange network
1104
shown in FIG.
11
. Although the data communication interface
1202
and the speech communication interface
1203
are built in the base band unit
1204
, both interfaces will be described below as being separated from each other for convenience of explanation. Data communication through the ACL link is performed via an RF unit
1205
for transmitting and receiving data with wireless communication, the base band unit
1204
, the data communication interface
1202
and the host CPU
1200
. Speech communication, maintaining real-time correspondence through the SCO link, is performed via a route separated from the data communication interface
1202
, downstream of the base band unit
1204
, and then passing the speech communication interface
1203
and the speech processing unit
1201
.
Hitherto, PC and CF cards adapted for a Bluetooth communication function have been constructed such that all kinds of communications between a base band unit and a host CPU for the Bluetooth communication pass through a bus interface.
FIG. 13
shows a configuration of a conventional Bluetooth-adapted PC card. An RF unit
1305
and a base band unit
1304
are the same as those shown in
FIG. 12. A
data communication signal
1303
from the base band unit
1304
is converted by a PC bus controller
1302
into a bus signal
1301
having the bus format adapted for a PC bus. The converted bus signal
1301
is introduced to a PC card connector
1300
. However, a speech communication route from the base band unit
1304
is not provided, or is held in a non-use state.
FIG. 14
shows a PC card interface section of a conventional host. A PC card connector
1400
is connected in the bus signal format to a host CPU
1402
via a PC bus controller
1401
. Thus, in a conventional wireless communication device, the PC card connector
1300
of the PC card is connected to the PC card connector
1400
of the host, and the base band unit
1304
is coupled to the host CPU
1402
through the PC card bus interface.
The CF card also has a similar configuration to that of the PC card.
Because, as described above, a Bluetooth communicating section incorporated in a PC or CF card is constructed such that a data signal line from a base band unit is adapted only for an ACL link coupled in the
Aminzay Shaima Q.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Corsaro Nick
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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