Pulse or digital communications – Multilevel – Transmission line
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-23
2001-06-12
Pham, Chi (Department: 2631)
Pulse or digital communications
Multilevel
Transmission line
C375S257000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246724
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal transfer method for transferring multi-bit signals over a transfer path which is allocated to one bit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, two signal lines are employed for transferring signals having values of “0” or “1”. At the transmission end of the transfer path, voltages which are selected in accordance with a particular value of a signal for transmission are applied to the two respective signal lines. At the receiving end of the transfer path, the difference between the voltage which is applied to one of the signal lines and the voltage which is applied to the other signal line is detected. For example, if the detected difference is larger than a predetermined voltage value, the received signal may be determined as having the value “1”, and if the detected difference is smaller than the predetermined voltage value, the received signal may be determined as having the value “0”. Such a pair of signal lines is usually referred to differential signal lines.
As a method for transferring a signal which may take one of three or more values (hereinafter such a signal will be referred to as a “multi-value” signal) over such a pair of differential signal lines, a method is known in which the range between a voltage corresponding to the “0” value and a voltage corresponding to the “1” value is divided into a plurality of regions, for example. According to this method, any values other than “0” or “1” can be assigned to the respective divided regions.
However, the aforementioned conventional method for transferring multi-value signals, which involves dividing a range between a voltage corresponding to the “0” value and the voltage corresponding to the “1” value into a plurality of regions, can only provide a small margin for the determination of signal values at the receiving end. This increases the likelihood of misdetecting signal values at the receiving end.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a signal transfer method for transferring a multi-bit signal over a transfer path which is allocated to one bit, including the steps of: respectively assigning a plurality of parameters for a plurality of bits so that a value representing “0” or a value representing “1” is set to each of the plurality of parameters in accordance with a value of a corresponding one of the plurality of bits; outputting an electric signal to the transfer path, the electric signal expressing a combination of the plurality of parameters having the values as set in the assigning step; receiving the electric signal from the transfer path and extracting the plurality of parameters from the electric signal; and detecting the respective values of the plurality of parameters.
In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of parameters include: a first parameter indicating a direction of an electric current flowing through the transfer path; a second parameter indicating an amount of electric current flowing through the transfer path; and a third parameter indicating a balance between an amount of electric current flowing out to the transfer path and an amount of electric current flowing in from the transfer path.
In another embodiment of the invention, the transfer path is a pair of differential signal lines.
According to the present invention, an electric signal which express a combination of a plurality of parameters, each parameter having a value representing “0” or “1”, is output to a transfer path, and the electrical signal is received from the transfer path. The plurality of parameters are extracted from the received electric signal so that the values of the respective parameters can be detected.
Thus, at the transmission end, a multi-bit signal is encoded into an electric signal that can be transferred over a transfer path which is allocated to one bit. At the receiving end, the electric signal which has been received via the transfer path is decoded into a multi-bit signal. As a result, it is possible to transfer a signal having multiple values over a transfer path which is allocated to one bit.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantage of providing a signal transfer method for transferring multi-value signals over a transfer path which is allocated to one bit without increasing the likelihood of misdetecting signal values at the receiving end.
This and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.
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Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Pham Chi
Phu Phuong
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
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