Communication apparatus, communication system, and communication method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12284138-B2
Application number	US-202117800677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2021
Priority date	Mar 16, 2020
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes: a communication unit that performs signal transmission to and from a communication partner apparatus; and a communication control unit that changes a signal ratio in a first direction to the communication partner apparatus and a signal ratio in a second direction from the communication partner apparatus in accordance with a signal transmission state with the communication partner apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:
a communication circuitry configured to perform signal transmission to and from a communication partner apparatus; and
a controller configured to change signal ratios, each signal ratio being a ratio of signals transmitted in a first direction to the communication partner apparatus to signals received in a second direction from the communication partner apparatus, the change of each said signal ratio being made in accordance with a signal transmission state with the communication partner apparatus, wherein
the controller adjusts the signal ratios in the first direction and the second direction for each of a plurality of predetermined fixed periods, and
the signal transmission state includes a state in which signal transmission to and from the communication partner apparatus is stopped.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal transmission state includes at least one of a state in which initialization, security authentication, and key exchange of the communication partner apparatus are performed, or a state in which the communication partner apparatus transmits a signal after the initialization, security authentication, and key exchange of the communication partner apparatus have ended.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the signal transmission state includes at least a state in which power activation of at least one of the communication partner apparatus or the communication apparatus or reset of at least one of the communication partner apparatus or the communication apparatus is performed, a state in which initialization, security authentication, and key exchange of the communication partner apparatus are performed, a state in which a signal is transmitted to the communication partner apparatus after initialization, security authentication, and key exchange of the communication partner apparatus have ended, and a state in which signal transmission to and from the communication partner apparatus is stopped.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to perform signal transmission in the first direction and signal transmission in the second direction in a switching manner in each of the predetermined fixed periods by time-dividing into the predetermined fixed periods.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust signal ratios in the first direction and the second direction for each of the plurality of predetermined fixed periods.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller is configured to select one of a plurality of signal ratio patterns representing a type of signal ratios in the first direction and the second direction in accordance with the signal transmission state, and
the communication circuitry is configured to perform signal transmission in the first direction and the second direction in a switching manner by time division on a basis of the signal ratio pattern selected by the controller.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a memory that stores the plurality of signal ratio patterns, wherein
in accordance with the signal transmission state, the controller selects one of the plurality of signal ratio patterns stored in the memory, and
the communication circuitry transmits a signal indicating the signal ratio pattern selected by the controller to the communication partner apparatus.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the communication circuitry transmits and receives a signal having a predetermined frame structure, and
the frame structure includes information indicating whether or not to permit change of a count value defining timing of changing signal ratios in the second direction and the first direction, information indicating the count value, the signal ratio pattern being selected, the signal ratio pattern to be selected next, and information indicating whether or not to permit change of a signal ratio.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the frame structure is included in an operation administration and maintenance (OAM).

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
in a case of changing the signal ratios in the first direction and the second direction, the controller changes the signal ratios in the first direction and the second direction after a period n times (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) as long as the fixed period has elapsed.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the controller changes the signal ratios in the first direction and the second direction in a case where a response indicating that change of a signal ratio pattern is accepted is received from the communication partner apparatus within the period n times as long as the fixed period.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the communication circuitry transmits and receives a signal having a frame structure including one or more containers storing a transmitted and received signal for each of the fixed periods, and
the controller adjusts a number of the containers in accordance with the signal transmission state.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the frame structure includes a synchronization signal, at least one of the containers transmitted and received within the fixed period, and a parity signal.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller makes the signal ratio in the first direction and the signal ratio in the second direction 1:1 in at least one of when the communication apparatus and the communication partner apparatus perform security authentication and key exchange, when the communication apparatus performs initialization, or when the communication partner apparatus performs initialization.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal ratio is a ratio of a signal amount or a usage ratio of a signal.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication circuitry is configured to transmit a captured video signal, and
the controller makes the signal ratio in the second direction within a period of receiving a video signal from the communication partner apparatus higher than the signal ratio in the first direction.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein
the communication circuitry receives a video signal transmitted from the communication partner apparatus in units of video frame, and
the controller makes the signal ratio in the second direction within a period of receiving a video signal in one video frame higher than the signal ratio in the second direction within a vertical blanking period after receiving a video signal in one video frame.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein
the communication circuitry transmits a video signal to the communication partner apparatus in units of video frame, and
the controller stops signal transmission in the first direction and the second direction within a vertical blanking period after transmitting a video signal in one video frame.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication circuitry is configured to transmit a video signal to be displayed on a display of the communication partner apparatus or to be processed by a processor of the co

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Hyakudai Toshihisa
• Takahashi Hiroo
• Yamada Junya

Classifications

• H04L5/22

  using time-division multiplexing · CPC title

• H04N7/17309

  Transmission or handling of upstream communications · CPC title

• H04L63/08 Primary

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L63/061

  for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838) · CPC title

• H04N21/6118

  involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem · CPC title