Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-27
2004-08-10
Cumming, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
C375S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06775532
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a communication apparatus, and more particularly to a communication apparatus for carrying out data communication between a data terminal equipment and a controlled equipment using a radio wave.
2. Discussion of the Background
Various types of data communication have been conventionally carried out using a radio wave between a controlled equipment and a data terminal equipment. In this instance, a communication apparatus is provided for each of the controlled equipment and data terminal equipment.
Now, such a conventional communication apparatus will be described with reference to
FIG. 4. A
communication apparatus generally designated at reference numeral
100
in
FIG. 4
includes an input terminal for a data terminal equipment (DTE input terminal) designated at reference numeral
101
which is adapted to receive input data from a data terminal equipment (DTE) (not shown) and a central processing unit (CPU)
103
for carrying out control of the whole communication unit
100
.
The CPU
103
is provided therein with a read only memory (ROM)
104
a
for storing a variety of programs therein and a random access memory (RAM)
104
b
in which input data inputted through the DTE input terminal
101
to the CPU
103
are temporarily stored. Also, the CPU
103
has a predetermined operation clock inputted thereto from a clock generator.
The communication unit
100
also includes a command analysis processing block
106
which functions to subject a command transmitted thereto through a bus line to analysis processing and transfer results of the analysis processing to the CPU
103
.
Reference numeral
107
designates an RF control block which functions to subject command data transmitted through a bus line thereto to control of various types. For example, the RF control block
107
controls an RF modem or modulator demodulator
108
acting as a data circuit terminating equipment and a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit section
109
b
arranged in an RF circuit section
109
a.
As data to be transmitted to a controlled equipment (not shown) through a bus line, transmission data in the form of a predetermined signal are prepared, for example, when command data, text data or the like are transmitted.
The RF modem block
108
modifies transmission data transmitted from the RF control block
107
through a bus line thereto according to a predetermined modulation system and then outputs it in the form of a base band signal (DC digital signal).
In the RF circuit section
109
a
, a predetermined transmission channel is selected from predetermined plural transmission channels by the PLL circuit section
109
b
. Also, the RF circuit section
109
a
converts a base band signal (digital signal) fed from the RF modem block
108
thereto into an analog data signal. Further, the RF circuit section
109
a
modifies a carrier by means of the analog data signal and transmits it from an antenna
120
through an antenna terminal
110
.
In the conventional communication unit
100
shown in
FIG. 4
, a digital processing block constituted by, for example, the CPU
103
, command analysis processing block
106
, RF control block
107
and RF modem block
108
surrounded by broken lines in
FIG. 4
is normally constituted by a one-chip microcomputer
102
. In this instance, operation of the one-chip microcomputer
102
is controlled by a single operation clock fCK, so that an operation clock for the one-chip microcomputer
102
is set at a highly increased operation speed which permits processing required in each of the processing blocks to be attained.
It is generally known that electric power consumed by an integrated circuit (IC) such as a microcomputer or the like is determined depending on a gate size of the IC and an operation clock therefor. For example, when power consumption of the IC, the gate size and the operation clock are indicated at P, Gs and fCK, respectively, power consumption P of the IC is represented by the following expression:
P=Gs×fCK×k
wherein k is a constant. Thus, the integrated circuit is increased in power consumption with an increase in speed of the operation clock fCK.
Therefore, the one-chip microcomputer
102
in which an operation clock increased in speed is fed even to a processing block operable at a low speed has a disadvantage of being increased in whole power consumption.
In particular, in the conventional communication unit
100
described above, an operation clock for the command analysis processing block
106
is set to be 20 kHz, whereas an operation clock for the RF modem block
108
is set at a level as high as 1.1 MHz. Thus, for example, conformation or correspondence of an operation speed of the one-chip microcomputer
102
to that of the RF modem block
108
leads to waste power consumption, because a high-speed clock is used as a whole.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication apparatus which is capable of being significantly reduced in power consumption.
In accordance with the present invention, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes a data input terminal for receiving a command outputted from a data terminal unit, a command analysis processing section for subjecting the command inputted thereto through the data input terminal to analysis processing, a control section for carrying out required control depending on command data analyzed in the command analysis processing section, command data to be transmitted of command data analyzed in the command analysis processing section, and an RF transmission section for transmitting transmit data in the form of a predetermined signal. At least the command analysis processing section is constituted by a logic circuit operated by a predetermined clock signal.
As described above, in the present invention, at least the command analysis processing section is constituted by a logic circuit and a low-speed clock signal is fed to the command analysis processing section for operation thereof. Thus, the communication apparatus of the present invention eliminates waste power consumption caused by the conventional command analysis block, leading to a reduction in power consumption.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5479479 (1995-12-01), Braitberg et al.
patent: 5678562 (1997-10-01), Sellers
patent: 2001/0017884 (2001-08-01), Ishii
Cumming William
Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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