Communication device and communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025068576-A1
Application number	US-202218553054-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2022
Priority date	May 19, 2021
Publication date	Feb 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication device includes: a communication interface unit configured to receive, from a master, control data including data of a predetermined transmission format of a first protocol which a communication partner device transmits to a slave; a storage unit configured to store the data of the first protocol received by the communication interface unit; an encapsulator configured to convert the data of the first protocol stored in the storage unit into data of a second protocol; and a communication unit configured to transmit the data of the second protocol converted by the encapsulator to the communication partner device.

First claim

1 . A communication device comprising:
a communication interface unit configured to receive, from a master, control data including data of a predetermined transmission format of a first protocol which a communication partner device transmits to a slave; a storage unit configured to store the data of the first protocol received by the communication interface unit; an encapsulator configured to convert the data of the first protocol stored in the storage unit into data of a second protocol; and a communication unit configured to transmit the data of the second protocol converted by the encapsulator to the communication partner device.

2 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined transmission format is a format in which an ACK signal or a NACK signal from the communication partner device is received after transmission of data of multiple bytes to the communication partner device is completed.

3 . The communication device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined transmission format of the first protocol is an I2C bulk mode format defined in an Automotive SerDes Alliance (ASA) standard ver. 1.01.

4 . The communication device according to claim 3 , wherein the storage unit stores the control data including identification information of the encapsulator, the number pieces of data, and information of the I2C bulk mode format.

5 . The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein a data transmission speed of the communication interface unit is faster than a data transmission speed between the communication partner device and the slave.

6 . The communication device according to claim 1 , further comprising a decapsulator configured to convert the data of the second protocol transmitted from the communication partner device and received by the communication unit into the data of the first protocol and store the converted data in the storage unit.

7 . A communication system comprising:
a first communication device configured to perform data communication of a first protocol with a master; and a second communication device configured to perform data communication of a second protocol with the first communication device and perform data communication of the first protocol with a slave, wherein the first communication device includes a first communication interface unit configured to receive, from the master, control data including data of a predetermined transmission format of the first protocol which the second communication device transmits to the slave, a first storage unit configured to store the data of the first protocol received by the first communication interface unit, a first encapsulator configured to convert the data of the first protocol stored in the first storage unit into data of a second protocol, and a first communication unit configured to transmit the data of the second protocol converted by the first encapsulator to the second communication device.

8 . The communication system according to claim 7 , further comprising a first decapsulator configured to convert the data of the second protocol transmitted from the second communication device and received by the first communication unit into the data of the first protocol and store the converted data in the first storage unit.

9 . The communication system according to claim 7 , wherein the predetermined transmission format of the first protocol is an I2C bulk mode format defined in an ASA standard ver. 1.01.

10 . The communication system according to claim 7 , wherein a data transmission speed of the first communication interface unit is faster than a data transmission speed between the second communication device and the slave.

11 . The communication system according to claim 7 , wherein the second communication device includes:
a second communication unit configured to receive the data of the second protocol transmitted from the first communication device; and a second decapsulator configured to convert the data of the second protocol received by the second communication unit into the data of the first protocol; and a second communication interface unit configured to transmit the data of the first protocol converted by the second decapsulator to the slave.

12 . The communication system according to claim 11 , wherein the second communication device includes a second encapsulator configured to convert the data of the first protocol transmitted by the slave and received by the second communication interface unit into the data of the second protocol, and
the second communication unit transmits the data of the second protocol converted by the second encapsulator to the first communication device.

13 . The communication system according to claim 7 , wherein the master includes:
a second storage unit configured to store the control data including the data of the first protocol which the second communication device is to transmit to the slave; and a third communication interface unit configured to transmit the control data stored in the second storage unit to the first communication device.

14 . The communication system according to claim 7 , further comprising an internal slave incorporated in the second communication device and directly controlled by the master,
wherein the second communication device includes a third storage unit configured to store data for the master to directly control the internal slave.

15 . The communication system according to claim 14 , wherein the third storage unit stores the data of the first protocol to be transmitted to the slave.

16 . The communication system according to claim 14 , wherein the first communication device includes:
a third encapsulator configured to convert data from the master, which is stored in the first storage unit, into the data of the second protocol; and a third decapsulator configured to perform protocol conversion on data of the internal slave, which is received by the first communication unit and read from the third storage unit, and the second communication device stores data output from the third encapsulator in the third storage unit.

17 . A communication method comprising:
by communication interface unit, receiving, from a master, control data including data of a predetermined transmission format of a first protocol which a communication partner device transmits to a slave; storing the data of the first protocol received by the communication interface unit in a storage unit; converting the data of the first protocol stored in the storage unit into data of a second protocol; and transmitting the converted data of the second protocol to the communication partner device.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Hyakudai Toshihisa
• Yamada Junya

Classifications

• G06F2213/0016

  Inter-integrated circuit (I2C) · CPC title

• G06F13/4282

  on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247) · CPC title

• H04L69/08 Primary

  Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion · CPC title

• H04L2212/00

  Encapsulation of packets · CPC title

• H04L1/16

  in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals · CPC title