Signal transmission device and signal transmission system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11863245-B2
Application number	US-202117928322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Jun 22, 2020
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A signal transmission device includes a communication unit that is connected to an electronic device by a signal wiring and performs communication with the electronic device via the signal wiring, a signal processing unit that performs signal processing related to the communication, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the electronic device via the signal wiring, and a filter circuit connected between the signal wiring and the power supply unit. The filter circuit includes a plurality of filters having frequency characteristics different from each other, and the signal processing unit acquires communication quality information indicating quality of the communication in at least two or more frequency bands, and determines a state of the filter circuit based on the communication quality information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A signal transmission device comprising:
a communication unit that is connected to an electronic device by a signal wiring and performs communication with the electronic device via the signal wiring;
a signal processing unit that performs signal processing related to the communication;
a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the electronic device via the signal wiring; and
a filter circuit connected between the signal wiring and the power supply unit,
wherein
the filter circuit includes a plurality of filters having frequency characteristics different from each other, and
the signal processing unit acquires communication quality information indicating quality of the communication in at least two or more frequency bands, and determines a state of the filter circuit based on the communication quality information.

2. The signal transmission device according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication unit receives a signal transmitted from the electronic device in a first frequency band and a signal transmitted from the electronic device in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and
the signal processing unit determines a state of the filter circuit based on the communication quality information in the first frequency band and the communication quality information in the second frequency band.

3. The signal transmission device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit has a bidirectional communication function of receiving a signal transmitted from the electronic device and transmitting a signal to the electronic device.

4. The signal transmission device according to claim 3 , wherein
the communication unit receives a signal transmitted from the electronic device in a first frequency band and transmits a signal to the electronic device in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, and
the signal processing unit determines a state of the filter circuit based on the communication quality information in the first frequency band and the communication quality information in the second frequency band.

5. The signal transmission device according to claim 4 , wherein
the electronic device includes a sensor that detects a surrounding environment of a vehicle, and
the communication unit receives a signal including information regarding a detection result of the surrounding environment from the electronic device in the first frequency band, and transmits a signal including control information for controlling operation of the sensor to the electronic device in the second frequency band.

6. The signal transmission device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit acquires power supply information indicating a supply state of the direct current in the power supply unit, and determines a state of the filter circuit and the power supply unit based on the communication quality information and the power supply information.

7. The signal transmission device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal wiring is a coaxial cable or a twisted pair cable.

8. The signal transmission device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication quality information includes at least any one of a data error frequency of the communication, a setting parameter of a waveform equivalent circuit included in the communication unit, and a measurement result of a signal waveform in the communication.

9. The signal transmission device according to claim 1 , wherein an operation mode of the electronic device is changed based on a determination result of a state of the filter circuit by the signal processing unit.

10. A signal transmission system comprising:
a first electronic device; and
a second electronic device connected to the first electronic device by a signal wiring,
wherein
the first electronic device includes:
a first communication unit that performs communication with the second electronic device via the signal wiring;
a first signal processing unit that performs signal processing related to the communication;
a first power supply unit that supplies direct current to the second electronic device via the signal wiring; and
a first filter circuit connected between the signal wiring and the first power supply unit,

the second electronic device includes:
a second communication unit that performs communication with the first electronic device via the signal wiring;
a second signal processing unit that performs signal processing related to the communication;
a second power supply unit that supplies power to the second communication unit and the second signal processing unit by using the direct current supplied from the first electronic device via the signal wiring; and
a second filter circuit connected between the signal wiring and the second power supply unit,

each of the first filter circuit and the second filter circuit includes a plurality of filters having frequency characteristics different from each other, and
the first signal processing unit acquires communication quality information indicating quality of the communication in at least two or more frequency bands, and determines a state of the first filter circuit and the second filter circuit based on the communication quality information.

11. The signal transmission system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a third electronic device connected to the first electronic device by a signal wiring; and
a switch provided between the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and the third electronic device,
wherein
the third electronic device includes:
a third communication unit that performs communication with the first electronic device via the signal wiring;
a third signal processing unit that performs signal processing related to the communication;
a third power supply unit that supplies power to the third communication unit and the third signal processing unit using the direct current supplied from the first electronic device via the signal wiring; and
a third filter circuit connected between the signal wiring and the third power supply unit,

the first signal processing unit further determines a state of the third filter circuit based on the communication quality information,
the signal wiring includes a first signal wiring connecting the second electronic device and the switch, a second signal wiring connecting the third electronic device and the switch, and a third signal wiring and a fourth signal wiring connecting the first electronic device and the switch, and
the switch switches connection between the first signal wiring and the second signal wiring, and connection between the third signal wiring and the fourth signal wiring based on a determination result of a state of the first filter circuit, the second filter circuit, and the third filter circuit by the first signal processing unit.

Assignees

• Hitachi Astemo Ltd

Inventors

• Uematsu Yutaka
• Sakamoto Hideyuki

Classifications

• H04B3/54 Primary

  Systems for transmission via power distribution lines · CPC title

• H04B3/21

  using a set of bandfilters · CPC title

• H04B3/46 Primary

  Monitoring; Testing · CPC title

• H04L25/02

  Details {; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines (systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54)} · CPC title

• H03H7/01

  Frequency selective two-port networks · CPC title