Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04B—TRANSMISSION
  • H04B13/00—Transmission systems characterised by the medium used for transmission, not provided for in groups H04B3/00 - H04B11/00

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a communication device for transmitting a signal and a communication device for realizing the signal transmission, and more particularly to a communication technology for transmitting a signal using a plurality of communication devices.
• a plurality of communication terminals are connected by coaxial cables or optical fibers. These communication terminals transmit a signal to a desired communication terminal by designating an address in the network.
• communication terminals are generally connected by wire.
• systems for connecting the terminals by wireless have been proposed. For example, an ad hoc network has been proposed in which all nodes, which are mobile devices, have a predetermined transmission radius and perform wireless communication between nodes (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-26168). Reference).
• terminals and elements are physically connected by individual wiring, so if the wiring is cut, signals cannot be transmitted, and communication functions may stop. Can occur. Disclosure of the invention
• An object of the present invention is to provide a novel communication technology relating to a communication device and a communication device, and further provide a power supply technology in order to solve such a conventional problem.
• an embodiment of the present invention relates to a communication device for transmitting a signal, comprising: a ground layer and a power supply layer; a communication element electromagnetically connected to the ground layer and the power supply layer; Layers and signals stacked between layers and power layers A communication device, wherein the communication device includes a communication layer connected to the signal layer via a capacitor.
• the signal layer is the structure (layer) involved in transmitting signals.
• the communication element preferably emits a signal by generating an electric or electromagnetic field in the dielectric layer.
• the communication device further includes a drive circuit that connects the ground layer or the power supply layer to the signal layer, and the capacitor has a capacitance set to reduce a reactance component of an output impedance of the drive circuit.
• the capacitance of the capacitor may be set so that the output impedance of the drive circuit is a resistance component.
• a plurality of communication elements are distributed and arranged, each communication element is electromagnetically connected to a first signal layer, a dielectric layer, and a second signal layer, and the dielectric layer is connected to the first signal layer.
• Each communication element is disposed between the second signal layers, and each communication element is connected to the first signal layer via a capacitor, and transmits a signal by flowing a current between the first signal layer and the second signal layer.
• a plurality of signal layers for transmitting signals are formed, and a plurality of communication elements connected to two or more signal layers and transmitting and receiving signals between the two or more signal layers are provided.
• a provided communication device is provided.
• the communication element may transmit and receive signals to and from a communication element provided in a signal layer to which the communication element is connected. Further, the communication element receives a signal from a communication element provided in a signal layer to which the communication element is connected, and transmits a signal to a communication element provided in another signal layer to which the communication element is connected, thereby forming a signal. It may be transmitted to the intended signal layer sequentially.
• Each signal layer has an identification number, and signal transmission may be realized by using the identification number of the signal layer.
• Each communication element is provided with a signal layer within the signal layer for each signal layer to which the communication element is connected. A signal having a local identification number may be transmitted in the signal layer by using the local identification number.
• an identification number serving as a reference is set in at least one signal layer, and identification numbers of other signal layers are sequentially set based on the reference identification number.
• the communication element receives a signal including the identification number of the signal layer to which the communication element itself is connected
• the communication element sets and holds the identification number of the signal layer to which the communication signal is transmitted, and then sets the other signal layer to which the communication element itself is connected. May be set, and a signal including the set identification number may be transmitted to the other signal layer.
• the identification number is set with the reference identification number
• the signal layer may be expressed as coordinates indicating the two-dimensional or three-dimensional position of the signal layer.
• the communication element can specify the communication element to which the signal is to be transferred, and can transmit the data signal to the communication element to be the transfer destination while receiving the data signal.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a method of a communication technique according to an embodiment.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of the communication device according to the embodiment.
• FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the communication element.
• FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the communication device
• FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the communication device.
• Fig. 5 (a) is a diagram for explaining the basic principle of a communication device transmitting a signal
• Fig. 5 (b) is a diagram for explaining another example of the principle of a communication device transmitting a signal. is there.
• FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a communication device including a communication element.
• FIG. 7 (a) is a diagram showing an outline of a circuit operation for realizing a communication device
• FIG. 8 (a) is a diagram showing a specific configuration example of the communication element
• FIGS. 8 (b) and 8 (c) are diagrams for explaining the principle of signal transmission by the communication element.
• FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a plot of P (X).
• FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication device in which the radius of the electrode is reduced.
• FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modification of the configuration of the communication device in which the radius of the electrode is reduced.
• FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a signal transmission method in the communication device.
• FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a bucket of a signal generated by a communication element of a transmission source.
• FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication device according to the second embodiment.
• FIG. 15 (a) is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross section of the communication device
• FIG. 15 (b) is a diagram illustrating another example of a cross section of the communication device.
• FIG. 16 (a) is a diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the communication device
• FIG. 16 (b) is a diagram showing a further modified example of the configuration of the communication device
• FIG. 16 (c) is a diagram showing the communication device
• FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a further modified example of the configuration of FIG.
• FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a communication device.
• FIG. 18 (a) is a diagram showing the data format of the RTS packet
• FIG. 18 (b) is a diagram showing the data format of the CTS packet
• FIG. 18 (c) is the data format of the DT bucket.
• FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a communication method in the communication device.
• FIG. 20 (a) is a diagram showing a waveform format of a signal flowing through the signal layer
• FIG. 20 (b) is a diagram showing a configuration of one frame.
• FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an implementation example of a digital circuit of a communication element.
• FIG. 22 is a state transition diagram of a process in a digital circuit of a communication element.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a method of a communication technique according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 1 shows a state in which a plurality of communication elements indicated by small circles are dispersedly arranged in a space.
• Each communication element has a local communication function of transmitting a signal to another communication element arranged around the communication element. By this local communication, signals are successively relayed between adjacent communication elements in order and transmitted to the communication element which is the final destination.
• This communication method is called a chain transfer communication method.
• the signal is transmitted from the communication element 200a through the communication elements 200c and 200d according to the chain communication method.
• the communication element 200b As a method of transmitting a signal, for example, the communication element 200 a The signal may be transmitted to the element, and all the communication elements receiving the signal may further transmit the signal to the peripheral communication element, so that the signal may be concentrically transmitted to the final destination.
• a path between the communication elements 200a and 200b may be set in advance or in real time, and a signal may be transmitted only through a specific communication element via this path. In particular, when the latter method is adopted, only the communication elements necessary for signal transmission transmit, so that power consumption can be reduced and interference with communication of other communication elements can be reduced. .
• An example of a signal transmission method in the chain transmission type communication method will be described later.
• a plurality of communication elements are arranged in a space, and no individual wiring for physically connecting the communication elements is formed in the space.
• these communication elements may be connected to a flat conductive layer or a conductive substrate, an electromagnetic transmission layer capable of transmitting an AC signal, or the like.
• the conductive layer and the electromagnetic transmission layer may be formed on a silicon wafer.
• the transmission of the signal may be realized by discharging electric charges in the conductive layer.
• the communication element is not limited to an element configured as a chip, and is a concept including an element having a communication function described in the embodiment of the present invention, and its form and shape are not limited.
• each communication element has a relatively short distance for transmitting a signal (hereinafter, also referred to as “effective communication distance”).
• Increasing the communication distance of a signal may increase power consumption and adversely affect other communication elements that do not contribute to communication.
• the chain-communication type communication method it is sufficient to be able to transmit a signal to a communication element present in the vicinity of itself, so that the effective communication distance is preferably set according to the average distance to the surrounding communication elements.
• the communication technology of the present invention can be applied to various uses. For example, by providing electronic components (circuit elements) such as LSIs and memories with the communication function of the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for mounting a plurality of electronic components on a board without individually wiring each electronic component. It is.
• electronic components circuit elements
• LSIs and memories with the communication function of the present invention
• robots with skin sensations have been actively researched.However, a technology has been proposed in which a tactile sensor of a robot is provided with the communication function of the present invention to transmit detection information of the tactile sensor to a brain computer of the robot. It can be provided.
• the sensor having the communication function of the present invention is scattered on the floor of the building. It is possible to monitor the behavior of elderly people living alone and to help prevent crime while away from home.
• the communication function of the present invention is provided to the wireless communication element, for example, the computer is equipped with the communication function, and the wireless communication element of the other computer is arranged near the wireless communication element, so that the transmission and reception of information between the computers is facilitated. It is also possible.
• the communication device having the communication function of the present invention is embedded in the conductive inner wall of the vehicle, so that a communication device that does not require cumbersome individual wiring can be realized.
• this communication technology transmits signals between communication elements arranged at a relatively short distance, signal attenuation and deterioration due to distance are small, and high-speed transmission can be performed with high throughput regardless of the number of nodes.
• a wide-range signal transmission area is realized as an information exchange medium with a chip having a predetermined function such as a sensor.
• the communication element can be arranged at a relatively free position, it is possible to generate an artificial skin or a display device having a desired function with a simple design.
• the substrate circuit design such as wiring is not required, and the substrate circuit can be manufactured with a small number of processes.
• FIG. 2 shows an example of an external configuration of the communication device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
• a plurality of communication elements 200 are sandwiched between two conductive layers 16 and 18.
• Each communication element 200 is electromagnetically connected to the two conductive layers 16 and 18.
• the conductive layers 16 and 18 may have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure.
• the conductive layers 16 and 18 have a configuration that extends two-dimensionally over one surface.
• FIG. 2 shows a state where the conductive layers 16 and 18 are open to explain that the communication element 200 is sandwiched.
• the conductive layers 16 and 18 are formed of a conductive rubber material.
• the artificial skin By forming the artificial skin with a flexible rubber material, the artificial skin can freely expand and contract in accordance with the operation of the robot. In addition, since there are no individual wirings and signals are transmitted through the conductive layers 16 and 18 which are stretchable, the possibility of communication function failure due to disconnection etc. is reduced, and stable communication performance is achieved. Can be provided. Further, when the communication device 100 according to the present invention is applied as a circuit board, a flexible circuit board can be realized by forming the conductive layers 16 and 18 with a conductive rubber material.
• Each communication element 200 may have another function in addition to the communication function.
• some of the communication elements 200 also have a function as a tactile sensor, and after detecting an externally applied stimulus, the other communication elements are used. And transmits the detected signal to the target communication element.
• the communication element 200 may have a function as a circuit element such as an LSI or a memory.
• the term "communication device” is used to mean at least a device having a communication function, and has other added functions, such as a sensor function as an artificial skin and an arithmetic function as an electronic circuit. It is understood by those skilled in the art that this may be done.
• FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the communication element 200.
• the communication element 200 includes a communication unit 50, a processing unit 60, and a memory 70.
• the communication unit 50 may transmit and receive signals to and from other communication elements via the conductive layers 16 and 18 (see FIG. 2).
• the communication device 100 includes a dielectric layer disposed around the communication element 200 and sandwiched between the conductive layers 16 and 18. Alternatively, signals may be transmitted to and received from another communication element 200 by an electric or electromagnetic field generated in the dielectric layer.
• the processing unit 60 controls the communication function of the communication element 200. Specifically, the processing unit 600 performs processing related to signal transmission with other communication elements 200, such as monitoring of surrounding signals, analysis of received signals, generation of transmission signals, and control of transmission timing. I do. Further, the processing unit 60 may realize functions other than the communication function, such as a sensor function and an arithmetic function. Memory 70 is required to implement communication and other functions Information is recorded in advance, and if necessary.
• FIG. 4A shows a cross section of the communication device 100 and is a diagram for explaining an example of the structure of the communication device 300 for realizing local communication.
• “communication device” is used to mean a structure that realizes a local communication function.
• the communication device 300 includes a first signal layer 20 and a second signal layer 30, and a communication element 200 electromagnetically connected to the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30. And a dielectric layer 22 disposed between the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30. As illustrated, the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 sandwich the dielectric layer 22 and the plurality of communication elements 200. The communication element 200 and the dielectric layer 22 are electromagnetically connected.
• the second signal layer 30 may be a grounded ground layer.
• the communication device 300 repeatedly emits and discharges charges from the surfaces of the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 on the side of the communication element 200 to transmit a signal. Generate.
• the conditions such as the layer thickness
• the electric field and the electromagnetic field generated by the alternating current I can be confined in the dielectric layer 22, and the electromagnetic wave can be transmitted two-dimensionally in the dielectric layer 22.
• the current flowing in the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 flows only near the surface on the dielectric layer 22 side, and the electromagnetic wave is generated by the electric conductivity of the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30.
• the transmission distance of motion is determined. The higher the electrical conductivity, the smaller the attenuation, and the longer the transmission distance, ie, the effective communication distance.
• the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 may be made of a conductor such as a metal or a conductive rubber material, or may be made of a dielectric.
• the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 When the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 are made of a dielectric, the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 have a dielectric constant smaller than that of the dielectric layer 22. It is composed of materials having This makes it possible to confine an electric or electromagnetic field in the dielectric layer 22.
• the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 may have a configuration such as air or vacuum.
• the alternating current I for generating an electric or electromagnetic field may be a uniform current or a displacement current. It is also possible to use electromagnetic waves such as light from a laser or LED to generate an electromagnetic field.
• FIG. 4 (b) is a diagram for explaining another example of the structure of the communication device 300 for realizing local communication.
• the communication device 300 includes a first signal layer 20 and a second signal layer 30, and a communication element 2 electromagnetically connected to the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30. 0, the dielectric layers 22a and 22b disposed between the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30, and the dielectric layer 22a and the dielectric layer 22b.
• a conductive layer 24 is provided. Even in the case where the communication device 300 has such a structure, communication using an electric field or an electromagnetic field can be performed by generating an alternating current in the communication device 200.
• FIG. 5 (a) is a diagram for explaining the basic principle of the communication device 300 in the embodiment transmitting a signal.
• the communication device 300 alternately switches the switch 26 to suck and discharge charges between the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 to generate an alternating current, thereby generating an electromagnetic field. generate.
• This electromagnetic field propagates through the dielectric layer 22 sandwiched between the first signal layer 2 ⁇ and the second signal layer 30, and is transmitted to the communication device 300 located nearby.
• FIG. 5B is a diagram for explaining another example of the principle in which the communication device 300 transmits a signal.
• the communication device 300 is composed of a switch 26a and a switch
• An alternating current is generated during 30 and an electromagnetic field is generated.
• FIG. 6 shows a specific implementation example of the communication device 300 including the communication element 200.
• the communication device 300 includes a second signal layer 30 and a power supply layer 44 which are ground layers, a communication element 200 electromagnetically connected to the second signal layer 30 and the power supply layer 44, It includes a dielectric layer 22, a first signal layer 20, and a dielectric layer 43 laminated between the two signal layers 30 and the power supply layer 44. As shown, the second signal layer 30, the dielectric layer 22, the first signal layer 20, the dielectric layer 43, and the power supply layer 44 are stacked in this order.
• the communication element 200 transmits a signal by generating an electric field or an electromagnetic field in the dielectric layers 22 and 43.
• the communication element 200 is sandwiched between the second signal layer 30 and the power supply layer 44 and is surrounded by the dielectric layer 22, the first signal layer 20 and the dielectric layer 43.
• the dielectric layer 22, the first signal layer 20, and the dielectric layer 43 are electromagnetically connected to the communication element 200.
• the communication element 200 is connected to the dielectric layer 22 and the dielectric layer 43.
• first signal layer 20 and the power supply layer 44 and the second signal layer 30 can be short-circuited, and the potential of the first signal layer 20 can be easily turned on. This is an advantage of connecting the communication element 200 to the power supply layer 44 and the second signal layer 30 that is the ground layer.
• FIG. 7A shows an outline of a circuit operation for realizing the communication device 300.
• the communication device 300 may be formed on a silicon using a semiconductor manufacturing technique.
• the communication device 300 has a switch 26 such as an MS switch in which pMOS and nMOS are connected in parallel, and the switch 26 is a communication device 200 and a second layer which is a ground layer. 2 Alternately switch the electromagnetic connection between the signal layer 30 and the power layer 44.
• the switch 26 connects the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 with the first signal layer 20 and the power layer according to the logical value of the signal to be transmitted.
• 4 Switches between 4 and 4 to transmit signals as electromagnetic waves.
• the dielectric layer 22 is provided between the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30.
• the dielectric layer 22 is provided between the first signal layer 20 and the power supply layer 44. Another dielectric layer 43 is provided between them. A voltage corresponding to the logical value of the signal to be transmitted is applied to the input unit 52, and the switching operation by the switch 26 is performed.
• the processing section 60 (see FIG. 3) in the communication element 200 supplies an input signal to the input section 52.
• the communication element 200 may detect a signal from an electric or electromagnetic field generated in both the dielectric layer 22 and the dielectric layer 43. Detect the electric or electromagnetic field in the dielectric layers 22 and 43, respectively, and detect the difference between the electric and electromagnetic fields in the dielectric layers 22 and 43 to minimize the effects of external noise And the SN ratio can be increased.
• FIG. 7 (b) shows an example of a circuit for limiting the amplitude of the AC voltage applied to the first signal layer 20.
• a voltage limiting element 54 for limiting the voltage in this example, a diode array is arranged.
• the voltage applied to the first signal layer 20 can be limited by inserting one or a plurality of diodes as the voltage limiting element 54 in each power path in the forward direction.
• the voltage limiting element 54 is not provided, the ground voltage (0 [V]) from the second signal layer 30 and the power supply voltage (E [V]) from the power supply layer 44 alternate with the first signal.
• n diode rows are inserted in the forward direction in the power path from second signal layer 30 and the power path from power layer 44, respectively, the first signal layer To 20, ne [V] and (E-ne) [V] voltages are applied alternately. Where e [V] indicates the forward voltage of the diode.
• the applied voltage can be reduced to a required level even when the power supply voltage is sufficiently higher than the voltage required for signal transmission.
• the amount of current is reduced, so that power consumption can be reduced, which contributes to power saving of the communication device 300.
• the resistance value of b may be different.
• FIG. 8A shows a specific configuration example of the communication element 200.
• the communication element 200 is configured as an LSI having the above-described communication function, and FIG. 8A shows the top surface of the LSI that contacts the first signal layer 20.
• the communication element 200 has a digital circuit 202 having the functions of the processing unit 60 and the memory 70 shown in FIG. Circular electricity
• the pole 204 acts as the communication section 50.
• the electrode 204 is preferably formed small.
• the electrode on the back side of the LSI (not shown) is electromagnetically connected to the second signal layer 30.
• the power supply voltage is applied to the electrode 204 from the power supply layer 44 via the first signal layer 20 by the switching operation of the switch 26 (see FIG. 5 or FIG. 7).
• the ground voltage is applied from 0.
• FIGS. 8B and 8C are views for explaining the principle of signal transmission by the communication element 200.
• ⁇ be the conductivity of the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 and ⁇ be the permittivity of the dielectric layer 22.
• ⁇ be the conductivity of the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30
• ⁇ be the permittivity of the dielectric layer 22.
• a structure in which the dielectric layer 22 is sandwiched between the first signal layer 20 and the second signal layer 30 will be considered.
• 8 (b) and 8 (c) the illustration of the dielectric layer 22 is omitted. In this structure, an electromagnetic wave is generated, and the generated electromagnetic wave is transmitted to the dielectric layer 22.
• the magnetic field vector B has only zero component, which is expressed as B (r, z). In such a structure, the radius r from the first signal layer 20 to the second signal layer 30 in the communication element 200.
• R e [k] is the wave number of the electromagnetic wave in the dielectric layer 22, and c is the speed of light in the dielectric layer 22.
• I m [k] is a parameter that gives attenuation of the propagating electromagnetic wave.
• R e [p] is a parameter that gives the skin depth.
• the skin depth is smaller than the thickness of the conductive layer.
• the attenuation distance is greater than the electromagnetic wavelength in vacuum corresponding to the frequency. That is, _I m [k] is equal to or smaller than R e [k].
• the magnetic permeability is ⁇ for both the dielectric layer 22 and the conductor layer.
• the communication device 100 By transmitting electromagnetic waves as microwaves, the signal transmission speed becomes equal to the speed of light.
• the communication device 100 As described above, the communication device 100 according to the present embodiment generates a ring-shaped electromagnetic field having a width of about one wavelength for transmitting 1-bit information, and performs communication using this electromagnetic field. However, signal transmission exceeding 1 GHz can be performed with low power consumption. Thereby, the communication device 100 can transmit a high-frequency logic signal in synchronization with a clock of a computer or the like.
• FIG. 9 shows a plot of P (X) against the real number X.
• the imaginary part (I m [P (X)]) of P) means the reactance component, which diverges logarithmically near the origin. This is the radius r of the cylinder used as the current path. As the value of becomes smaller, the reactance component increases, which means that even if a voltage is applied, it is not effectively converted to electromagnetic wave energy. Therefore, when this structure is employed, it is difficult to reduce the radius r 0 , that is, the radius of the circular electrode 204.
• FIG. 10 shows a configuration example of the communication device 300 in which the radius of the electrode 204 is reduced.
• the communication device 300 is used to drive the communication element 200.
• the driving circuit 82 includes a capacitor 80 for connecting the communication element 200 and the first signal layer 20.
• the drive circuit 82 may be present in the communication element 200. As described above, the drive circuit 82 has the switch 26. Radius r of electrode 204.
• the reactance component (Im shown in Fig. 9) generated when is small is inductive. Radius r.
• the communication element 200 is connected to a capacitor. By connecting to the first signal layer 20 via 80, the reactance component can be reduced.
• the capacitor 80 can be configured inside the communication element 200.
• the capacity C is
• FIG. 11 shows a modification of the configuration of the communication device 300 in which the radius of the electrode 204 is reduced.
• the electrode 204 of the communication element 200 is connected to the first signal layer 20 via the insulating layer 210.
• the capacitor 80 may be configured inside the communication element 200, but as shown in FIG. 11, the communication element 200 is formed as an insulating layer 210. 0 may be provided outside.
• a non-conductive adhesive can be used to connect the communication element 200 and the first signal layer 20, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.
• the electrode 204 can be downsized, and the communication element 204 can be The communication device 100 can be easily mounted to create the communication device 100.
• FIG. 12 shows an explanatory diagram of a signal transmission method in communication apparatus 100 according to the embodiment.
• each communication element 200 holds the coordinates indicating its own position in the space as an address in a memory.
• the coordinates may be two-dimensional coordinates or three-dimensional coordinates.
• the coordinates of the communication element 200 may be set by an external computer or the like, or may be set autonomously by each.
• the purpose is to transmit a signal from the communication element located at the coordinates (1, 1) to the communication element located at the coordinates (7, 7).
• the communication element located at the coordinates (M, N) is referred to as “communication element (M, N)”.
• the communication elements are regularly arranged for convenience of explanation, but this arrangement may be random.
• FIG. 13 shows a packet of a signal generated by the communication element of the transmission source.
• the packet includes a command, a source address, a destination address, and transmission data.
• This signal is used to transfer data to the communication element (7, 7), and the command describes a code that indicates a transfer bucket.
• the source address describes (1, 1) which is the coordinates of the source communication element
• the destination address describes (7, 7) which is the coordinates of the destination communication element.
• Transmission data is data to be transmitted.
• the communication element (1, 1) generates a packet of a signal including the source coordinates and the destination coordinates.
• the generation of the bucket is performed by the processing unit 60 (see FIG. 3).
• the communication element (1, 1) of the transmission source transmits a signal
• the signal is transmitted to the surrounding communication elements, that is, coordinates (0, 0), (2, 0), (3, 1). , (2, 2), (0, 2), (1-1, 1).
• these communication elements receive the signal, they determine whether to relay the signal based on the coordinates where they are located. This determination is made by determining whether or not the device itself is spatially located between the source coordinates (1, 1) and the destination coordinates (7, 7). On the path connecting the original communication element (1, 1) and the destination communication element (7, 7), for example, the path connecting the communication element (1, 1) and the communication element (7, 7) linearly This is done by determining whether or not you are on top.
• the communication elements (2, 2) and the communication elements (1, 1) and (7, 7) It is determined that it is located on the route that connects, and it is decided to relay the signal.
• the communication element (2, 2) transmits the received signal, and the other communication elements do not respond. Thereafter, the signal is relayed by the communication element (3, 3), the communication element (4, 4), the communication element (5, 5), the communication element (6, 6) and transmitted to the communication element (7, 7). Is done.
• each communication element determines whether or not to relay a signal based on the relationship between its own coordinates and the coordinates of the source and destination. There is no need to predetermine the communication path, and it is possible to set the shortest path dynamically with a simple algorithm and transmit the signal.
• the communication device 100 can transmit signals between the communication elements 200.
• a simple communication element having no communication function required between the communication elements 200 as described above may be arranged.
• This simple communication element is under the control of the communication element 200. From this relationship, the communication element 200 is called a parent element, and the communication element under its management is called a child element.
• the communication element 200 as a parent element has an ID such as its own two-dimensional coordinates.
• This parent-child relationship is formed dynamically when the parent device issues a response request periodically and the child device responds to it. Specifically, the parent device first sends a “response request command” with its ID embedded in a bucket. A child element whose parent element has already been determined does not respond to it, and a child element whose parent element has not been determined yet has a waiting time set by a random number. Issues a packet indicating the intention. Upon receiving this bucket, the parent device immediately sends an ID determination command, and assigns an ID within its jurisdiction to the child device. In this way, any child element dynamically establishes a unique parent-child relationship with neighboring elements.
• the child element may be a built-in element or an information device connected to the signal layer via a connector.
• the child element enables communication only with the parent element.
• the communication element 200 which is the parent element, has a role of transmitting a signal transmitted from the child element to the surrounding communication element 200 and a signal transmitted from another communication element 200. Has a role to communicate to the child.
• a parent element may manage multiple child elements, The child element under management is specified by the ID.
• FIG. 14 shows a configuration of a communication device 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
• the communication device 400 includes a plurality of signal layers for transmitting signals 410a, 410b, 410c, 410d, 410e, 410f, 410g, 410h, 41 0 i (hereinafter, collectively referred to as “signal layer 410”) is formed.
• the signal layer 410 is formed of a conductive material, and is insulated from the adjacent signal layer 410.
• a high-resistance layer 420 may be provided between adjacent signal layers 410, and the signal layers 410 may be provided on the high-resistance layer 420 so as to be separated from each other.
• the communication device 400 includes a total of 12 communication elements 500 e, 500 f, 500 h, which are connected to two or more signal layers 410 and transmit and receive signals between the two or more signal layers 410.
• 500i, 500j, 5001, 500m, 500o, 500p, 500q, 500s, 500t are provided.
• 3 ⁇ 3 signal layers 4 10 are formed in the vertical and horizontal directions. However, one signal layer 41 0 is included in the surrounding signal layers 4 10 except for the central signal layer 4 10 e.
• Communication element 500 may have the same function as communication element 200 described in the first embodiment, or may have the same configuration. As described above, in the communication device 400, a total of 24 communication elements 500 are provided in order to transmit and receive signals within the signal layer 410 or between the signal layers 410. In FIG. 14, a total of 12 communication elements 500 are provided to connect two adjacent signal layers 410, but in another example, some of the communication elements 500 It may be omitted.
• the number of signal layers 410 is small, the number of communication elements 500 spanning a plurality of signal layers 410 (total 12) is compared with the total number of communication elements 500 (total 24). Occupies only 50%, but as the number of signal layers 410 increases, the ratio increases.
• the following description assumes that the communication element 500 is connected to a plurality of signal layers 410 unless otherwise specified. Then, the communication device 400 according to the second embodiment will be described.
• the communication element 500 is electrically connected to two adjacent signal layers 410, and is connected to another communication element 500 provided in the connected signal layer 410. It has the function of transmitting and receiving signals between the two, and also has the function of transmitting and receiving signals between the two signal layers 410 to be connected.
• the communication element 500e is connected to the signal layer 410a and the signal layer 410b, but is provided in the signal layer 410a. Signals can be transmitted and received between the other communication elements 500 a, 500 d, and 500 h, and the other communication elements 500 0 provided in the signal layer 410 b. Signals can be transmitted and received between b, 500f and 500i.
• This communication in the signal layer 410 is called inward communication. Further, as a communication function between the signal layers 410, the communication element 500e can transmit a signal transmitted through the signal layer 410a to the signal layer 410b, and A signal transmitted through 10b can also be transmitted to the signal layer 410a. The communication between the signal layers 410 is called outbound communication. For example, the communication element 500e can receive a signal from the communication element 500a in the signal layer 410a and transmit it to the communication element 500f in the signal layer 410b. , And vice versa. Since each communication element 500 has the above-described functions, the communication device 400 in the second embodiment can communicate between arbitrary communication elements 500 without forming wiring. It can be achieved.
• a signal transmission method in the communication device 400 will be described by taking as an example a case where a signal is transmitted from the communication element 500d to the communication element 500f.
• communication element 500d is the source of the signal and communication element 500f is the final destination of the signal.
• the communication element 5 ⁇ 0d transmits a signal to the communication element 500e via the signal layer 410a, and communicates via the communication element 500e. Transfer the signal to element 500f. Focusing on the communication element 500e, the communication element 500e communicates with the communication element 500d in the signal layer 410a, and communicates with the communication element 500f.
• the communication between the signal layer 410b and the signal layer 410c is realized as a result of performing the communication within the signal layer 410b at the same time.
• each communication element 500 is connected to a plurality of signal layers 410 insulated from each other, and communication between the signal layers 410 is performed.
• signals can be sequentially transmitted from the signal layer 410 of the transmission source to the signal layer 410 of the intended destination, and signal transmission between the transmission source and the final destination can be realized. It becomes possible.
• Each signal layer 410 may be provided with a configuration for realizing various functions such as a sensing unit, a power unit, and a display unit. In particular, by making these units easily replaceable, a highly applicable communication device 400 can be realized.
• each communication element 500 may have a function such as a connector to enable connection with an external device. By providing the communication element 500 with an interface function with an external device, the communication device 400 can be used in various environments.
• FIG. 15 (a) shows an example of a cross section of the communication device 400.
• the adjacent signal layers 410 are insulated by the high resistance layer 420.
• Adjacent signal layers 410 are connected by a communication element 500, thereby realizing communication between the signal layers 410.
• FIG. 15 (b) shows another example of the cross section of the communication device 400.
• adjacent signal layers 410 are provided on the high resistance layer 420 apart from each other. Adjacent signal layers 410 are connected by a communication element 500, and communication between the signal layers 410 is realized.
• FIG. 16A shows a modified example of the configuration of the communication device 400.
• This communication device 400 has a plurality of hexagonal signal layers 410 and a plurality of communication elements 500 for transmitting and receiving signals between the signal layers 410.
• each signal layer 410 is insulated by the high-resistance layer 420.
• FIG. 16B shows a modification of the configuration of the communication device 400.
• the high resistance region 430 is formed in the signal layer 410, and the conductive region in the signal layer 410 is partially formed. Note that, similarly to the communication device 400 shown in FIG. 15, each signal layer 410 is insulated by the high-resistance layer 420.
• FIG. 16C shows a modification of the configuration of the communication device 400.
• This communication device 400 has a plurality of quadrangular signal layers 410 and a plurality of communication elements 500 connected to the four signal layers 410.
• the shape of the signal layer 410 is the same as the shape of the signal layer 410 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG. 15 except that the arrangement position of the communication element 500 is different. ing.
• Each signal layer 410 is insulated by the high resistance layer 420.
• the communication device 400 can include the signal layers 410 of various shapes and structures, and the number of the signal layers 410 connected to the communication element 500 may be arbitrary.
• the shape of the signal layer 410 is a regular polygon, but is not limited to this.
• each communication element 500 transmits the packet to the final destination by including the identification number of the signal layer 410 as the final destination in the packet to be transmitted.
• the signal layer 410 since the signal layer 410 is formed on a plane, the two-dimensional coordinates of each signal layer 410 are used as the identification number of each signal layer 410.
• a unique serial number can be assigned to the signal layer 410 as the identification number, and if the signal layer 410 is formed three-dimensionally, the signal It is also possible to represent the identification number of the layer 410 in three-dimensional coordinates.
• FIG. 17 shows a schematic diagram of the communication device 400 shown in FIG. In FIG. 17, a solid line drawn so as to connect each communication element 500 means a state where adjacent signal layers 410 are insulated.
• the coordinates of the signal layer 410a that is, the identification number is (0, 0)
• the identification number of the signal layer 410b is (1, 0).
• the identification number of the signal layer 410 c is (2, 0), the identification number of the signal layer 410 d is (0, 1), the identification number of the signal layer 410 e is (1, 1), the signal layer
• the identification number of 41 O f is (2, 1), the identification number of signal layer 410 g is (0, 2), the identification number of signal layer 41 O h is (1, 2), and the signal layer 41 0 i is The identification number can be defined as (2, 2).
• the identification number of the signal layer 410 may be set in advance when the communication device 400 is manufactured, or may be set autonomously by an algorithm described later. Signal transmission between the signal layers 410 is realized using the identification number of the signal layer 410.
• each communication element 500 stores the signal layer ID of the signal layer 410 to which the communication element 500 is connected. Therefore, when connecting to a plurality of signal layers 410, it is necessary to store a plurality of signal layer IDs. Become.
• Each communication element 500 is assigned a local identification number in the signal layer 410 for each signal layer 410 to which it is connected.
• the signal layer 410 is formed in a quadrangular shape, and the row of the communication element 500 located on the right side is The local identification number of the communication element 500 located on the upper side is 1, the local identification number of the communication element 500 located on the lower side is 3, and the local identification number of the communication element 500 located on the left side is 3
• the identification number is set to “4”. Transmission of the signal in the signal layer 410 is realized using this local identification number.
• the signal layer 410a of the signal layer ID (0, 0) has the local identification number "1" because it is located on the right side.
• the local identification number "4" is assigned because it is located on the left side.
• the local identification number of the communication element 500 is referred to as “local ID”.
• each communication element 500 holds the signal layer ID of the signal layer 410 to which it is connected and the local ID in each signal layer 410. Based on this premise, a communication method according to the second embodiment will be described. In this communication method, three types of buckets are used.
• FIG. 18 (a) shows the data format of the RTS packet.
• the RTS bucket has three fields. The items of each field are shown below.
• FIG. 18 (b) shows the data format of the CTS packet.
• CTS packets have two fields. The items of each field are shown below.
• FIG. 18 (c) shows the data format of the DT packet. The following shows the items of each building.
• each field is composed of 8 bits.
• FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a communication method in communication device 400.
• FIG. 19 shows an example in which a signal is transmitted from the communication element 500d as the transmission source to the communication element 500g as the final destination. .
• the communication element 500 d calculates the direction in which the DT packet is transmitted from the positional relationship between its own signal layer ID (0, 0) and the signal layer ID (2, 0) of the communication element 500 g, which is the final destination.
• the communication element to which the DT bucket is to be transmitted is determined in the signal layer 410a. That is, the communication element 500d calculates the shortest path to the communication element 500g, and the route that transmits the DT packet to the signal layer 410c via the signal layers 410a and 410b is the shortest. Is determined. Since the element existing on this path is the communication element 500e, the communication element 500d transmits an RTS bucket to the communication element 500e in order to establish a connection with the communication element 500e.
• the first field of the RTS packet is set to “1”.
• the communication element 500d monitors whether or not another communication element is communicating in the signal layer 410a in order to avoid a signal collision, and when no communication is performed, the RTS bucket is used. Send Is preferred.
• the communication element 500e refers to the first field included in the RTS packet and determines that the RTS bucket is addressed to itself, and transmits a CTS packet to the communication element 500d. At this time, the first field of the CTS packet is referred to as “4 J ⁇ ”.
• the communication element 500d When receiving the CTS packet addressed to itself within a certain period of time, the communication element 500d transmits a DT bucket.
• the first field of the DT bucket is set to "1".
• the communication element 500e receives the DT bucket. If the communication element 500d cannot receive the CTS packet within the fixed time, the process returns to step 1 and transmits the RTS packet again. When there is no response from the communication element 500e a plurality of times, an RTS packet whose destination is changed may be transmitted. This makes it possible to autonomously change the communication path. Referring back to FIG. 17, in this case, it is preferable to set the first field of the RTS packet to “2”.
• the communication element 500e determines the direction to transfer the DT packet. In this case, since the communication element 500e receives the DT packet from the communication element 500d on the signal layer 410a side, the transfer direction must be the signal layer 410b side, that is, the outward direction. To determine. Accordingly, transmission of the subsequent DT bucket is determined to be performed in signal layer 410b.
• the communication element 500 e transmits a DT bucket in the signal layer 410 b based on the positional relationship between its own signal layer ID (1, 0) and the signal layer ID (20) of the communication element 500 g, which is the final destination. A communication element to be determined is determined. Since the element existing on the shortest path is the communication element 500f, the communication element 500e transmits an RTS packet to the communication element 500f in order to establish a connection with the communication element 500f. At this time, the first field of the RTS packet is set to “1”. The communication element 500e monitors whether or not another communication element is communicating in the signal layer 410b in order to avoid a signal collision, and transmits an RTS bucket when no communication is being performed. Also Good.
• the communication element 500f refers to the first field included in the RTS bucket and determines that the RTS bucket is addressed to itself, and transmits a CTS packet to the communication element 500e. At this time, the first field of the CTS packet is set to “4”.
• the communication element 500e When receiving the CTS bucket addressed to itself within a certain time, the communication element 500e transmits a DT bucket.
• the first field of the DT bucket is set to "1".
• Communication element 5 ⁇ 0 f receives the DT bucket.
• the communication element 500f Upon receiving the DT packet, the communication element 500f determines the direction in which the DT packet is to be transferred. Since the communication element 500 f has received the DT bucket from the communication element 500 e on the signal layer 410 b side, it is determined that the transfer direction is the signal layer 410 c side, that is, the outward direction. I do. Accordingly, it is determined that the subsequent transmission of the DT packet is performed in the signal layer 410c.
• the communication element 500f recognizes from the destination coordinates in the fifth and sixth fields of the DT packet that the final destination is the communication element 500g in the signal layer 410c.
• the destination coordinates in the fifth and sixth fields include coordinates specifying the signal layer 410c and local ID specifying the communication element 500g.
• the communication element 500f transmits an RTS packet to the communication element 500g to establish a connection with the communication element 500g.
• the first field of the RTS packet is set to “1”.
• the communication element 500g refers to the first field included in the RTS packet and determines that the RTS bucket is addressed to itself, and transmits a CTS packet to the communication element 500f. At this time, the first field of the CTS packet is set to “4”.
• the communication element 500 f When receiving the CTS bucket addressed to itself within a certain period of time, the communication element 500 f transmits a DT bucket.
• the first field of the DT bucket is set to "1".
• the communication element 500 g as the final destination can receive the DT packet. For example, when an external device is connected to the communication element 500 g, data included in the DT bucket can be transmitted to the outside.
• each communication element 500 that relays a signal dynamically sets a route based on a signal layer ID without previously setting a route from a signal transmission source to a final destination. It is possible to do. Therefore, in the communication device 400, even if some of the communication elements 500 fail, for example, it is necessary to avoid the communication element 500 and transmit the DT packet to the final destination. Becomes possible.
• FIG. 19 shows a case where a signal is transmitted in one axis direction, that is, in the X-axis direction
• the signal can be transmitted naturally even in an oblique direction.
• Which route is selected may be determined at random, and according to a predetermined rule, for example, signal transmission in the X-axis direction is given priority over signal transmission in the Y-axis direction. It may be determined.
• FIG. 20 (a) shows a waveform format of a signal flowing through the signal layer 410.
• a start bit and data indicating the start of the field are added.
• the start bit has a pattern of “01” periodically repeated for a certain period of time, here 30 times the operation clock cycle of the digital circuit. The sampling time is determined by this periodic pattern.
• Communication data handles 10 bits as a unit, and this is called one frame.
• FIG. 20 (b) shows the configuration of one frame.
• One frame consists of 8-bit actual data and 2-bit frame delimiters. For example, when outputting decimal number data “10”, a frame is expressed as 1000001010 by adding a frame delimiter “10” to the head. Also, a bit sequence 11111111 is inserted into the signal every 20 frames. At this time, no frame break is inserted.
• Field start instruction data Is represented as 1011111111 with the bit string 11111111 added to the field delimiter “10”. This data string is always inserted after the start bit, and the end of this data string is the beginning of each packet.
• FIG. 21 shows an implementation example of a digital circuit of the communication element 500.
• the port definitions in the digital circuit are as follows.
• Ainp-a Input signal (output from the constant observation type comparator)
• Ainp_b Input signal (output from the constant observation type comparator)
• Inp_a Direction input judgment flag in the signal layer 0: No input 1 Input
• 0utBit_nb Inversion of 0utBit_b
• FIG. 22 shows a state transition diagram of a process in the digital circuit of the communication element 500.
• the communication element 500 can take the following states.
• communication element 500 can accept input from any direction.
• One of Inp-a and Inp_b is set to 1 so as to accept data in the direction that arrived earlier among the inward or outward communications of the signal layer 410. After that, sample the data of 1 which becomes 1.
• the inward communication of the signal layer 410 means transmission and reception of data to and from the other communication elements 500 in the signal layer 410, and the outward communication of the signal layer 410 corresponds to the signal layer 410. Means transmission and reception of data between communication elements in a different signal layer.
• Judgment according to the RTS format is performed in order from the first field of the input data to determine whether to establish a connection. If an RTS bucket is correctly received, the state transits to state 2. If a process error is detected, return to state 0.
• Output CTS bucket The output direction is the same as the direction that received the RTS bucket. At this time, all signals from other directions are ignored. If an error occurs during output, transit to state 0. When the output is completed, transit to state 3.
• the receiving direction is the same as the direction of the CTS bucket output. If there is no DT packet within a certain time (100T: T is the master clock cycle), an error occurs and the state transits to state 0. If an error occurs while acquiring the DT packet, if more than 10 bytes of data have been acquired, transition to state 4; otherwise, transition to state 0.
• the acquired data is compared with its own coordinates. If the destination matches the coordinates of its own signal layer 410, the process is passed to the application layer. At the destination If not, determine the next connection destination (direction, local ID).
• the first field of the DT packet header (the local ID to be responded to) and the third field (hop limit) are rewritten, and the state transits to state 5.
• the hop limit is rewritten by decrementing the upper limit of the number of relays by one.
• the physical layer monitors the occupation status of the network in the output direction, and starts output if the surrounding elements do not communicate during the time 16T (2 bytes).
• the state transits to State 6. If the surrounding elements are communicating and the output is not started within a certain time (100T), the state transits to State 8.
• Output DT packet The output direction is the same as the RTS output direction. If data is output correctly, transition to state 9. If an error is detected on the way, transition to state 8 is made.
• connection cannot be established correctly, it will try to establish a connection to the same communication element up to five times. If the connection is not established after 5 attempts, another route is calculated at the network layer. After recalculating the route, transit to state 5.
• the signal layer ID is assigned to each signal layer 410 in advance, but the communication element 500 included in each signal layer 410 is It is also possible to dynamically obtain the signal layer ID to which it is connected.
• the ID determination command includes The coordinates (X, Y) of the layer 410 are described.
• the communication element 500 that has received the ID determination command recognizes that the coordinates of the signal layer 410 to which the communication element 500 belongs are (X, Y).
• Each communication element 500 transmits an ID determination command to communication elements 500 whose local IDs are “1” and “2” in the same signal layer 410. At this time, if the communication element 500 of the transmission destination is communicating, the transmission of the ID determination command is stopped.
• the communication element 500 that has received the ID determination command transmits the ID determination command to another signal layer 410 existing in a direction different from the direction in which the ID command was received, that is, in the outer direction opposite to the inner direction. .
• the communication element 500 that has received the ID determination command with the local ID of “1” becomes the communication element 500 having the local ID of “4” in the adjacent signal layer 410 and coordinates (X + 1, Y ) Is sent.
• the communication element 500 that has received the ID determination command with the local ID of “2” sets the coordinates (X, Y + 1) as the communication element 500 having the local ID of “3” in the adjacent signal layer 410. Send the described ID determination command.
• the communication element 500 functioning as described above, after the power to the communication apparatus 400 is turned on, the coordinates of the signal layer 410 a at the lower left corner are set to (0, 0), and the communication elements 500 belonging to the signal layer 41 0 a By transmitting the Kara ID determination command, it becomes possible to dynamically allocate the signal layer ID to all the signal layers 410.
• a reference signal layer ID (0, 0) is set in advance for at least one signal layer 410, in this example, the signal layer 410a, and based on the reference signal layer ID. Then, by sequentially setting the identification numbers of the other signal layers 410, it is possible to set the signal layer ID of the signal layer 410 in the communication device 400.
• the reference signal layer ID is not limited to the signal layer 410a at the lower left corner of the communication device 400, and may be set to another signal layer 410. For example, in the communication device 400 of FIG.
• the communication element 500 when the central signal layer 410 e is determined as a reference signal layer for determining the signal layer ID, the communication element 500 m belonging to the signal layer 410 e , 500 p, 500 i, 500 1 Force Send an ID determination command in the outward direction, and set the signal layer ID of the surrounding signal layer 410 sequentially.
• the communication element 500 receives a signal (ID determination command) including the signal layer ID of the signal layer 410 to which the communication element 500 is connected. And the signal layer ID of the signal layer 410 that transmitted the signal, and then set the signal layer IDs of the other signal layers 410 connected to itself, and set the ID including the set signal layer ID.
• the decision command is transmitted to the other signal layer 410.
• the communication element 500 holds the local ID, and by grasping its own positional relationship in the signal layer 410, the signal layer ID expressed by coordinates is obtained. Can be set autonomously by a simple algorithm.
• the communication element 500 is configured to receive a signal once and then transfer the signal. However, the communication element 500 may start transferring the signal before the reception of the signal is completed. .
• header items such as commands and destination coordinates are described at the beginning of the bucket.From the point of receiving the header items, the communication element 500 to which the signal is to be transferred is specified.
• the DT bucket can be sequentially transferred to the communication element 500 that is the transfer destination. As a result, the delay time required for data to reach the final destination can be reduced, and the throughput can be improved.
• the present invention can be used for a new communication device and a new communication device.

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