Mobile device for performing power line communication and operation method thereof

Abstract

A mobile device includes: a power line communication module (PLC), which communicates data with an external device via a power line, receives a first preamble signal from the external device during a first preamble interval, receives a voltage signal as the data during a data reception interval after the first preamble interval, and demodulates the voltage signal to provide a demodulated voltage signal; a frequency / duty cycle detector, which detects the frequency and duty cycle of the first preamble signal; and a control circuit, which performs a data determination operation on the demodulated voltage signal during a data period and using the first detection frequency and the first detection duty cycle.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0016636, filed on February 11, 2020, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0030380, filed on March 11, 2020, the common subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present inventive concept relates to mobile devices and more particularly to mobile devices capable of providing power line communication and methods of operating the same. Background Art

[0004] Mobile devices use various technologies to send and receive data. Power line communication is one technology. However, data transmission and reception of mobile devices using power line communication generally requires the use of a phase locked loop (PLL) and corresponding data processing (e.g., phase lock or frequency lock) to synchronize the communication of data. In addition, due to noise associated with the power line, data loss or complete data communication failure may occur during power line communication.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to improve the stability of power line communication and the efficiency of power line communication. Summary of the invention

[0006] Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a mobile device capable of stably transmitting and receiving data using power line communication and an operating method thereof.

[0007] According to an embodiment conceived by the present invention, a mobile device is provided, comprising: a power line communication (PLC) module, the PLC module being configured to communicate data with an external device via a power line, receiving a first preamble signal from the external device during a first preamble interval, receiving a voltage signal during a data reception interval after the first preamble interval, and demodulating the voltage signal to provide a demodulated voltage signal; a frequency / duty cycle detector, the frequency / duty cycle detector being configured to detect a frequency and a duty cycle of the first preamble signal, and providing a first detection frequency and a first detection duty cycle; and a control circuit, the control circuit being configured to perform a data determination operation on the demodulated voltage signal using the first detection frequency and the first detection duty cycle.

[0008] According to an embodiment conceived by the present invention, a mobile device is provided, the mobile device comprising: a power line communication (PLC) module, the PLC module being configured to communicate data with an external device via a power line, receiving a preamble signal from the external device during a preamble interval, and receiving the data during a data reception interval after the preamble interval; a frequency / duty cycle detector, the frequency / duty cycle detector being configured to detect the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal, and to provide a detection frequency and a detection duty cycle; and a control circuit, the control circuit being configured to determine the data received from the external device using at least one of the detection frequency and the detection duty cycle, wherein the PLC module is further configured to receive the data in a data period at a rate corresponding to the detection frequency.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an operation method for a mobile device to communicate data with an external device via a power line. The method includes: receiving a first preamble signal from the external device via the power line during a first preamble interval; detecting at least one of a frequency and a duty cycle of the first preamble signal to provide at least one of a first detection frequency and a first detection duty cycle, respectively; receiving data from the external device during a data reception interval; and determining the data according to a data period corresponding to the first detection frequency and a timing corresponding to the first detection duty cycle.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the inventive concept, there is provided an operation method for a first mobile device to communicate data with a second mobile device connected to the first mobile device via a power line. The method includes: receiving a first preamble signal from the second mobile device via the power line during a first preamble interval, analyzing the first preamble signal to detect a frequency and a duty cycle of the first preamble signal to provide a detection frequency and a detection duty cycle, setting a data reception frequency according to the detection frequency and setting a data reception timing according to the detection duty cycle, and receiving first data from the second mobile device via the power line during a data reception interval after the first preamble interval using the data reception frequency and the data reception timing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Embodiments of the inventive concept will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile system according to an embodiment of the inventive concept;

[0013] Figure 2 and Figure 3 are waveform diagrams showing a preamble interval and a data interval according to an embodiment of the inventive concept, respectively;

[0014] Figure 4 is a flowchart summarizing, in one example, an operating method for a mobile device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept;

[0015] Figure 5 and Figure 6 are exemplary block diagrams showing a mobile system according to an embodiment of the inventive concept;

[0016] Figure 7 is a waveform diagram illustrating, in one example, a signal received by a mobile device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept;

[0017] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 are waveform diagrams showing voltage signals and current signals according to embodiments of the inventive concept, respectively;

[0018] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating, in one example, detecting a frequency and a duty cycle of a preamble signal according to an embodiment of the inventive concept;

[0019] Fig.11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a data structure and a confirmation signal that may be communicated between mobile devices according to an embodiment of the inventive concept; and

[0020] Fig.12 and Fig.13 They are respectively flowcharts summarizing communication methods according to embodiments of the inventive concept. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the inventive concept will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile system 10 according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0023] Reference Figure 1, the mobile system 10 may generally include a mobile device and an external device. In certain embodiments of the present inventive concept, the mobile device may be a first mobile device (MD1) 100, and the external device may be a second mobile device (MD2) 200, wherein MD1 100 and MD2 200 are configured to send and / or receive (hereinafter, individually or in combination, referred to as "communication") data and / or provide or receive power via a power line during a power line communication (PLC) operation. In certain embodiments, MD1 100 may include a first connection terminal T1, which may be electrically connected to MD2 200 via a power line, so as to receive power from MD2 200 and / or communicate data with MD2 200. Similarly, MD2 200 may include a second connection terminal T2, which may be electrically connected to MD1 100 via a power line, so as to supply power to MD1 100 and / or communicate data with MD1 100.

[0024] Thus, in the context of certain embodiments of the present inventive concept, (one or more) PLC operations allow for selectively providing power and / or selectively communicating data between mobile devices using a power line connection. For example, MD1 100 may communicate data with MD2 200 via a first connection terminal T1, and may also receive power from MD2 200 via the first connection terminal T1, and / or MD2 200 may communicate data with MD1 100 via a second connection terminal T2, and may also supply power to MD1 100 via the second connection terminal T2. It is noteworthy that this configuration does not require each mobile device to provide a separate connection terminal (e.g., a separate connection pin) to receive power and communicate data, and the omission of a separate connection terminal allows each mobile device to be implemented differently with a relatively small physical size.

[0025] exist Figure 1 In the example shown in , MD1 100 may include a frequency / duty cycle detector 110, a control circuit 120, a PLC module 130, and a first battery (BAT1) 140. In addition, MD1 100 may also include an impedance circuit (not shown) connected to the first connection terminal T1, wherein the impedance circuit may be designed differently. Data may be communicated via a power line using a signal having a specified voltage swing (hereinafter, a "voltage signal") or using a signal having a specified current swing (hereinafter, a "current signal"). In this regard, the voltage / current swing level may be adjusted according to the impedance value of the impedance circuit.

[0026] The control circuit 120 may be used to control the overall operation of the MD1 100. For example, the control circuit 120 may be used to control: (1) a communication operation during which data is communicated to the MD2 200 under the control of the PLC module 130; and / or (2) a charging operation during which the BAT 1140 is charged by power received from the MD2 200. In some embodiments, the control circuit 120 may include a micro control unit (MCU). However, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto, and the control circuit 120 may include a processor, a central processing unit (CPU), etc.

[0027] The PLC module 130 may receive power from the MD2 200 and / or communicate data with the MD2 200 under the control of the control circuit 120. For example, the PLC module 130 may be used to (1) modulate a voltage signal and / or a current signal provided by the MD1 100 at the first connection terminal T1, and / or (2) demodulate a voltage signal and / or a current signal received at the first connection terminal T1 from the MD2 200. For example, it is assumed that the MD1 100 receives data by demodulating a voltage signal and transmits data by modulating a current signal, and the PLC module 130 may include a current source, a current modulator, and a voltage demodulator.

[0028] Similar to the aforementioned example of MD1 100, MD2 200 may include a frequency / duty cycle detector 210, a control circuit 220, a PLC module 230, and a second battery (BAT2) 240. In certain embodiments of the present inventive concept, MD2 200 may further include an input voltage terminal Tin, through which an externally generated input voltage Vin (e.g., 5V DC) may be provided. In this regard, the input voltage Vin may be a voltage provided by a charger, a computer, an auxiliary battery, etc.

[0029] The control circuit 220 may control the PLC module 230 during a communication operation of communicating data with the MD1 100 and / or during a charging operation of charging the BAT2 240 using the input voltage Vin. The control circuit 220 of the MD2 200 may be substantially similar to the control circuit 120 of the MD1 100.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present inventive concept, MD1 100 may be a wireless earbud or a wireless headset, and MD2 200 may be a wireless charger (e.g., a wireless earbud charger or a wireless headset charger). Using a PLC operation implemented by an electrical connection between the first connection terminal T1 and the second connection terminal T2, MD2 200 (e.g., an earbud charger) may supply power to MD1 100 (e.g., a wireless earbud), and / or MD1 100 and MD2 200 may communicate data.

[0031] MD1 100 may also include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) (not shown) configured to manage BAT1 140, and MD2 200 may also include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) (not shown) configured to manage BAT 240. For example, the PMIC may be used to control various power management operations, such as control or definition of current and / or voltage used during PLC operation.

[0032] exist Figure 1 In the example shown in , the frequency / duty cycle detector 110 can detect the frequency and duty cycle of the signal communicated via the power line. For example, MD1 100 and MD2 200 can operate in a preamble mode during a preamble interval before communication data, during which preamble interval, (for example,) MD2 200 can send at least one preamble signal to MD1 100. The frequency / duty cycle detector 110 can detect the frequency and / or duty cycle of the preamble signal and provide the obtained detection result to the control circuit 120.

[0033] Here, the preamble interval and the preamble signal may be defined differently. For example, the preamble interval may include a plurality of intervals, wherein each interval corresponds to one cycle of the preamble signal. In addition, during each of the plurality of intervals, the preamble signal may be flipped (toggle) at least once, and the duty cycle of the preamble signal may be detected based on the detection of the flip width of the preamble signal (e.g., the width (measured by time) of a specific logic state (e.g., "high" or "low") of the preamble signal).

[0034] In this regard, MD2 200 may communicate data with MD1 100 according to the frequency and duty cycle of the detected preamble signal. For example, data may be communicated between MD1 100 and MD2 200 during a data interval following the preamble interval according to the same frequency and / or duty cycle as that detected with respect to the preamble interval. Thus, when MD2 200 transmits data as a voltage signal, the PLC module 130 may generate an internal signal (e.g., a digital signal having a logic high or low level) by a voltage demodulation operation performed on the received voltage signal. Thereafter, the control circuit 120 may determine the received data according to a preset frequency and / or a preset duty cycle of the internal signal.

[0035] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the frequency / duty cycle detector 110 may use various methods to perform the detection operation. For example, the frequency / duty cycle detector 110 may use a first clock signal CLK1 generated internally by the MD1 100 to detect the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal, wherein the frequency of the first clock signal CLK1 may be greater than the frequency of the preamble signal. For example, the first clock signal CLK1 may correspond to a limit clock having the highest frequency in the MD1 100, or to a system clock for controlling various circuits in the MD1 100. In some embodiments, the magnitude of the frequency of the first clock signal CLK1 may be about 20 times the magnitude of the frequency of the preamble signal, and the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal may be detected based on a value obtained by counting the first clock signal CLK1 during one of the preamble intervals or during a certain logic state (e.g., high or low) of the preamble signal.

[0036] In the aforementioned manner, MD1 100 can be operated so that data can be received according to the frequency and duty cycle detected during the preamble interval. For example, information indicating the detected frequency and / or the detected duty cycle can be stored in a storage circuit (not shown) in MD1 100, and the control circuit 120 can determine data from the voltage signal transmitted via the power line according to the data cycle and timing corresponding to the stored information. That is, MD1 100 can receive data during the data cycle according to the detected frequency, and determine the timing of the data according to the detected duty cycle.

[0037] In some embodiments, MD1 100 may transmit data to MD2 200 using a current signal via power line communication according to a current modulation operation. In addition, similar to the above-described embodiment, MD1 100 may transmit a current signal or a voltage signal as a preamble signal during a preamble interval, and the frequency / duty ratio detector 210 of MD2 200 may detect the frequency and duty ratio of the preamble signal from MD1 100 by using the second clock signal CLK2. Thereafter, MD1 100 may transmit the current signal as data to MD2 200, and MD2 200 may determine the data based on the frequency and duty ratio detected during the preamble interval.

[0038] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, when power supply and / or data communication is performed via a power line connecting a mobile device, a separate clock line that is usually used for data synchronization is not required. In addition, additional circuits (e.g., PLL) required for data processing such as phase locking and frequency locking are not required. Nevertheless, the rate and determination timing of the data to be communicated between the mobile devices (at which the flip occurs) can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal. Therefore, in certain embodiments of the present invention, data communication characteristics can be set differently without using such additional circuits.

[0039] The aforementioned embodiments assume that the frequency / duty ratio detectors 110 and 210 are respectively provided outside the control circuits 120 and 220. However, this is not always the case, and other embodiments of the inventive concept provide the frequency / duty ratio detectors 110 and 210 located within the control circuits 120 and 220.

[0040] Furthermore, it should be noted that embodiments of the inventive concept may detect a frequency and / or a duty cycle of a preamble signal during a preamble interval.

[0041] Figure 2 is a waveform diagram showing the order of a preamble interval and a data interval, and Figure 3 is a waveform diagram illustrating a preamble interval according to an embodiment of the inventive concept in one example. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Presents the perspective of a mobile device receiving data.

[0042] Reference Figure 2 , the mobile device may enter a preamble interval before communicating data, and thus, the mobile device may receive a preamble signal that flips at least once during the preamble interval. Figure 2 An example is shown in which the preamble signal is toggled once so that the mobile device can detect the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal.

[0043] For example, when the duty cycle of the preamble signal is set to correspond in a 1:1 relationship, the frequency (or period T) of the preamble signal can be detected by detecting a logic high interval or a logic low interval of the preamble signal. The mobile device can perform various configuration operations associated with data reception based on the frequency of the preamble signal, for example, the period T of the preamble signal corresponds to a data period including one bit in the data transmission interval, and an internal configuration operation can be performed to determine data in each data period according to the detected frequency.

[0044] Thereafter, the mobile device may determine data D1, D2, and D3 based on preset conditions in each data cycle. For example, the timing (or interval) at which a flip occurs in a voltage signal (or internal signal) during each data cycle may be set based on the duty cycle of the preamble signal, and when a flip occurs in the voltage signal during each data cycle, logic high data may be determined, otherwise, when a flip does not occur in the voltage signal, logic low data may be determined.

[0045] Figure 3 An example is shown in which the preamble interval includes a plurality of intervals. Figure 3 An example is shown in which the preamble interval includes three (3) intervals and a preamble signal is transmitted in each interval, but embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto and various numbers of preamble signals may be transmitted.

[0046] The preamble signal may be communicated to the mobile device via the power line, and the signal applied to the power line before the preamble interval may have an initial state. Thereafter, when the preamble interval begins, the preamble signal may be sent in each of the first interval, the second interval, and the third interval, the first interval, the second interval, and the third interval may have the same time interval, and the duty cycle D of each preamble signal may be the same. The mobile device may detect the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal received in each of the first interval, the second interval, and the third interval based on the preamble signal.

[0047] The frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal may be set differently, and its detection operation may also be performed in various ways. For example, when a preamble signal having the same frequency and duty cycle is transmitted in each of the first interval, the second interval, and the third interval, the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal may be detected. Alternatively, at least one of the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal may vary in each of the first interval, the second interval, and the third interval, and the mobile device may detect the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal by calculating the average value of the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal in a plurality of intervals.

[0048] An example of an operation capable of transmitting and detecting a preamble signal assumes that a mobile device (e.g., MD2) transmitting power provides a voltage signal as data, wherein the level of the voltage signal to be transmitted over the power line can be swung to an appropriate level that does not affect the operation of a mobile device (e.g., MD1) receiving power. MD2 can perform voltage modulation to provide the preamble signal, and the frequency (or period) of the preamble signal can be lower than the frequency of the limit clock (e.g., system clock) of MD1. For example, the frequency of the limit clock of MD1 can be 20 times the frequency of the preamble signal.

[0049] Although the initial state before the preamble interval is shown as logic low, the embodiments of the present inventive concept are not limited thereto, and the preamble signal may flip once in each of the plurality of intervals of the preamble interval. In addition, MD2 may perform a voltage modulation operation so that the duty cycle of the preamble signal in the plurality of intervals of the preamble interval is the same. MD1 may analyze the preamble signal by using a limit clock, and detect the frequency (or period) and duty cycle of the preamble signal based on the analysis.

[0050] Figure 4 is a flowchart summarizing, in one example, an operating method for a mobile device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0051] Here, the mobile device may receive power from an external device via a power line, perform a battery charging operation using the received power, and / or communicate data with the external device via the power line through which power is supplied. First, the mobile device enters a preamble interval prior to a data interval for receiving data (S11). During the preamble interval, the mobile device analyzes at least one preamble signal transmitted during the preamble interval to detect a frequency and a duty cycle of the preamble signal (S12).

[0052] Various configuration operations associated with data reception in a data transmission interval (or data reception interval) can be performed based on the analysis of the preamble signal during the preamble interval. For example, the frequency and duty cycle for data reception can be set (S13). Thereafter, the mobile device can enter a data (reception) interval (S14). During the data interval, the mobile device can receive data according to the set frequency and duty cycle (S15). For example, the mobile device can receive data in a data period corresponding to the frequency of the preamble signal, and in addition, the data can be determined based on whether a flip occurs in the signal at a timing indicated by the duty cycle of the preamble signal (e.g., a timing in one data period).

[0053] That is, after detecting the frequency and duty cycle associated with the preamble signal, the mobile device can set the data reception frequency (S13) and / or set the data reception timing (S13) according to the detected frequency. Then, during the subsequent data reception interval (S14), the first mobile device can receive data from the second mobile device using the previously set data reception frequency and data reception timing (S15).

[0054] Figure 5 3 is a block diagram of a mobile system 300 according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. The mobile system 300 may include MD1 310 and MD2 320 capable of communicating data using a PLC operation.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present inventive concept, MD1 310 may be a wireless earbud or a wireless headset, and MD2 320 may be a wireless earbud charger or a wireless headset charger. MD2 320 may charge a component battery using an external power source connected via an input voltage terminal Tin. In addition, when MD1 310 is mounted on MD2 320, MD2 320 may transmit power via a power line for charging a battery in MD1 310. In addition, although Figure 5 An example in which the mobile system 300 includes two mobile devices (MD1 310 and MD2 320) is shown, but when two or more sets of wireless headphones are mounted on the wireless headphone charger, the mobile system 300 may include three or more mobile devices.

[0056] MD1 310 may include a PLC module 312 and an MCU 311 corresponding to the control circuit in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may further include a PMIC and a Bluetooth module (BT) 313 as another component. The above-mentioned components may be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), and although Figure 5 Although not shown, MD1 310 may also include various other components for performing the unique functions of MD1 310.

[0057] Likewise, MD2 320 may include MCU 321, PLC module 322, and PMIC 323, and these components may also be mounted on a PCB. MD1 310 and MD2 320 may be connected to each other through one or more terminals, for example, a voltage signal supplied from PMIC 323 in MD2 320 may be provided to MD1 310 through a first terminal (+) of MD1 310, and a second terminal (-) of MD1 310 may be connected to a ground voltage.

[0058] Each of MD1 310 and MD2 320 may also include an additional terminal for connecting to an external host (e.g., a smart phone or a personal computer (PC)), and may communicate with the host through the additional terminal to send and receive various information. For example, each of MD1 310 and MD2 320 may receive firmware from the host and process internal operations according to the firmware, and the Bluetooth module in MD1 310 may receive firmware from the host through wireless communication such as Bluetooth communication.

[0059] In addition, MD1 310 may provide the received firmware to MD2 320 through data communication, and similarly, MD2 320 may provide the firmware received from the host through data communication to MD1 310. When a part of an integrated circuit (IC) fails after shipping MD1 310, MD1 310 may repair the failure of the IC using the firmware received from MD2 320.

[0060] The PMIC 323 in the MD2 320 may control an operation of charging a battery in the MD2 320, and may also provide power via a power line for data communication. In addition, the PLC module 322 in the MD2 320 may perform a voltage modulation operation using the power of the PMIC 323 for data communication, and according to the above-described embodiment, the MD1 310 may determine data through a voltage demodulation operation. Likewise, the PLC module 312 in the MD1 310 may send data to the MD2 320 by performing a current modulation operation using the power of the PMIC 313 for data communication, for example, the MD1 310 may adjust the amplitude of a load current to be consumed therein, thereby providing a current signal whose amplitude is adjusted. In addition, according to the above-described embodiment, the MD2 320 may determine data through a current demodulation operation.

[0061] exist Figure 5 In the example shown in , a component configured to detect the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal may be included in the control circuit. For example, MD1 310 may include a frequency / duty cycle detection circuit 311_1 for detecting the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal from MD2 320; similarly, MD2 320 may include a frequency / duty cycle detection circuit 321_1 for detecting the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal from MD1 310.

[0062] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile system 400 according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0063] The mobile system 400 may include MD1 410 and MD2 420, and MD1 410 may include a first connection terminal T1, an impedance circuit 413, a control circuit 411, a PLC module 412, a first battery 414, and a charger 415. The charger 415 may be a linear charger and may be implemented using a charging IC. The control circuit 411 may activate the charger 415 during the charging interval, and accordingly, the first battery 414 may be charged to a battery voltage VBAT1 using power received via a power line. In addition, during a data (reception) interval, the control circuit 411 may deactivate the charger 415, and MD1 410 may operate using the battery voltage VBAT1 charged in the first battery 414. However, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto, and the aforementioned operations may be performed in various ways. For example, MD1 410 may be implemented so that charging of the first battery 414 may also be performed in response to receiving power during a data (transmission) interval.

[0064] MD2 420 may include a second connection terminal T2, an impedance circuit 423, a control circuit 421, a PLC module 422, a second battery 424, and a converter 425. The converter 425 may include a switching regulator configured to generate a conversion voltage Vc from an externally provided input voltage Vin applied to an input voltage terminal Tin or a battery voltage VBAT2 of the second battery 424. The converter 425 may be a DC-DC converter, for example, the converter 425 may be a step-up converter (e.g., a boost converter) configured to convert a low input voltage Vin or a battery voltage VBAT2 into a high conversion voltage Vc or a step-down converter (e.g., a buck converter) configured to convert a high input voltage Vin or a battery voltage VBAT2 into a low conversion voltage Vc. In addition, the converter 425 may charge the second battery 424 to the battery voltage VBAT2 based on the input voltage Vin received from the outside.

[0065] The PLC module 412 in the MD1 410 may include a current modulator 412_1 and a voltage demodulator 412_2, and according to an embodiment of the inventive concept, the PLC module 412 may further include a current source (not shown). The current modulator 412_1 may receive a control signal from the control circuit 411 and perform current modulation according to the received control signal. The current source (not shown) may generate a current pulse according to the current modulation and provide the generated current pulse to the first connection terminal T1. The voltage demodulator 412_2 may demodulate the voltage signal received through the first connection terminal T1 and provide the demodulated internal signal to the control circuit 411.

[0066] The PLC module 422 in the MD2 420 may include a voltage modulator 422_1 and a current demodulator 422_2. The control circuit 421 may generate a control signal for controlling the voltage modulator 422_1 and the current demodulator 422_2, and the voltage modulator 422_1 may receive the control signal from the control circuit 421 and perform voltage modulation according to the received control signal, and generate a voltage signal according to the voltage modulation. The voltage modulator 422_1 may send the generated voltage signal to the MD1 410 through the impedance circuit 423 and the second connection terminal T2. The voltage modulator 422_1 may include a linear regulator, for example, a low dropout (LDO) regulator. The current demodulator 422_2 may demodulate the current signal received through the second connection terminal T2, and provide the demodulated signal to the control circuit 422.

[0067] According to certain embodiments of the present inventive concept, MD1 410 and MD2 420 may input a preamble interval for setting a data cycle and data determination timing before performing data communication. Here, one or more preamble signals may be communicated between MD1 410 and MD2 420. When MD2 420 sends data to MD1 410, MD2 420 may adjust the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal through a voltage modulation operation, and send a preamble signal having a specific frequency and duty cycle to MD1 410. In addition, when MD1 410 sends data to MD2 420, MD1 410 may adjust the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal through a current modulation operation, and send a preamble signal having a specific frequency and duty cycle to MD2 420.

[0068] Figure 7 is a waveform diagram illustrating, in one example, a signal received by a mobile device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. Again, the perspective of a mobile device receiving data is presented here.

[0069] Reference Figure 7 , the mobile device can receive the preamble signal and the data, and analyze the preamble signal received in the first preamble interval to detect the frequency (or period) and duty cycle of the preamble signal. For example, the mobile device can determine that the data period corresponds to the first time T1 based on the detection result of the frequency of the preamble signal. In addition, based on the detected duty cycle of the preamble signal, whether a flip occurs in the signal at a certain timing (or a certain interval) within each data period can be used to determine the logical state of the data.

[0070] Data may be received during the data interval, wherein the period of the received data may correspond to the period of the preamble signal, and the voltage signal may (or may not) flip according to the logic state of the data in each data period. For example, data D11 and D13 may be determined to be "0" because no flip occurs, and data D12 and D14 may be determined to be "1" because flip occurs.

[0071] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, the level of the voltage signal received via the power line may be independent of the logic state of the data. For example, data D12 and D14 may have voltage signals of different levels, but because a flip occurs during the data cycle, data D12 and D14 may be determined to be "1". However, the embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto, and a voltage modulation operation may be performed so that a voltage signal with the same level is transmitted when the logic state of the data is the same.

[0072] The mobile device may enter a second preamble interval and receive one or more preamble signals in the second preamble interval. Figure 7 An example is shown in which the frequency / duty cycle of the preamble signal in the first preamble interval is different from the frequency / duty cycle of the preamble signal in the second preamble interval, and it can be determined that the data period corresponds to the second time T2 based on the frequency detected in the second preamble interval.

[0073] Because different frequencies / duty ratios of the preamble signal are detected, the mobile device can receive data at different rates, and in addition, the timing for determining whether a flip occurs in each data cycle can be set differently. For example, data D21 and D23 can be determined to be "0" because no flip occurs, and data D22 and D24 can be determined to be "1" because a flip occurs.

[0074] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 are waveform diagrams respectively showing voltage signals and current signals that can be communicated through certain embodiments of the present inventive concept.

[0075] The mobile device can operate in various operating modes. For example, Figure 8 Operations in a charging mode and then in a charging and communication mode are shown. MD1 receiving power may receive a voltage signal as data, and MD2 providing power may provide a voltage signal having a different waveform according to the operation mode.

[0076] The reference voltage V1 having a certain level is defined by a level greater or less than a specific value in the charging mode, for example, MD2 can send a voltage signal having a fixed level greater than the reference voltage V1 by a specific value in the charging mode. Thereafter, in the charging and communication mode, MD2 can send a voltage signal having a specific swing level to MD1, and the swing level can have the same value in the preamble interval and the data transmission interval. In addition, the voltage difference ΔV of the swing level can be set to various values ​​such as 200mV, and when the charging mode is executed again, MD2 can send a voltage signal having a level greater than the level of the reference voltage V1.

[0077] Reference Fig. 9 , MD1 can send data to MD2 based on the current modulation operation. It is shown here again that the charging mode is followed by the charging and communication mode. MD1 can generate a reference current I1 whose amplitude is greater than the charging current in the charging mode by a specific value and corresponds to the change of the charging current. Thereafter, in the charging and communication mode, MD1 can send a preamble signal and data to MD2 by providing a current signal with a specific swing level to MD2. In addition, the current difference ΔI of the swing level of the current signal can be set to various values ​​such as 40mA, and when the charging mode is executed again, MD1 can send a current signal whose level is lower than that of the reference current I1.

[0078] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile device can perform both a charging operation and data communication without separating a charging interval and a data transmission interval. In addition, unless the levels of a voltage signal and a current signal fluctuate significantly during a charging interval, there is little possibility of a failure such as a mobile device erroneously recognizing a preamble signal or data. Therefore, the mobile device can stably communicate data through an appropriate swing level in a data transmission interval.

[0079] Fig.10 is a block diagram further illustrating, in one example, detecting a frequency and a duty cycle of a preamble signal according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0080] Reference Fig.10 , the mobile system 500 may include MD1 510 and MD2 520. Here, it is assumed that MD1 510 receives a voltage signal as a preamble signal and data, and MD2 520 receives a current signal as a preamble signal and data. According to some embodiments of the inventive concept, MD1 510 may include a control circuit 511, a voltage demodulator 512, and a current modulator 513, wherein the voltage demodulator 512 includes a filter 512_1 and an amplifier 512_2. In addition, the current modulator 513 may include a current source.

[0081] MD2 520 may include a control circuit 521 , a current demodulator 522 , and a voltage modulator 523 , wherein the voltage modulator 523 includes an LDO and the current demodulator 522 includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

[0082] During the operation of MD1 510, the filter 512_1 in the voltage demodulator 512 may perform a filtering operation that removes noise by filtering a voltage signal of a specific level received through the power line, and provide the filtered voltage signal to the amplifier 512_2. The amplifier 512_2 may generate an internal signal having a logic high level or a logic low level by processing the received voltage signal, and provide the internal signal to the control circuit 511, and the control circuit 511 may perform a data determination operation by using the internal signal based on the frequency and duty cycle detection results according to the above-described embodiment. In addition, the control circuit 511 may generate a current signal for data communication by controlling the current modulator 513.

[0083] During the operation of MD2, the current demodulator 522 can provide an internal signal with a logic high or logic low to the control circuit 521 based on the ADC operation of the received current signal, and the control circuit 521 can perform a data determination operation based on the frequency / duty ratio detected in the preamble interval. In addition, the control circuit 521 can generate a voltage signal for data communication according to the above-mentioned embodiment by controlling the voltage modulator 523.

[0084] Fig.11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a data structure and a confirmation signal that may be communicated between mobile devices according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0085] Reference Fig.11 , data can be communicated based on a voltage signal or a current signal sent from a mobile device through a power line, and the data can include multiple fields. For example, the data can include a start field, a header type field, a header parity field, a data message field, a data parity field, a data checksum field, and an end field. Fig.11 The data structure shown is illustrative only, and the data structure may also include at least one other field, or Fig.11 At least one of the fields shown may be removed. Fig.11 An example is shown in which a preamble signal is transmitted before data having a specific structure is transmitted, and for example, the preamble interval has five intervals, and since the preamble signal is inverted in each interval, all logic values ​​of the preamble signal are "1".

[0086] The start field, the header type field, and the header parity field may correspond to header information, and the data message field, the data parity field, the data checksum field, and the end field may correspond to data information. For example, the start field may have a one-bit value and correspond to information indicating the start of data transmission. In addition, the header type field may include one or more bits (e.g., four bits) and indicate the type of data being transmitted, and the header parity field may include one bit and may be transmitted to determine the validity of the transmitted header information.

[0087] The data message field may include actual data having a plurality of bits, and the data parity field may have a one-bit value and may be transmitted to determine the validity of the data. When the actual data transmitted has a greater number of bits, a plurality of data message fields may be transmitted continuously, or may be transmitted continuously multiple times. Fig.11 The data checksum field may include a plurality of bits for data error detection, and the end field may have a one-bit value to indicate the end of data transmission.

[0088] In order to improve the reliability of data transmission and reception, the mobile device that has received the data can send a message with (for example) Fig.11 An acknowledgement signal (ACK) of the structure shown. ACK may be transmitted once after receiving data, but embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto, and ACK may be configured and communicated differently.

[0089] According to an embodiment of the present invention, ACK may have a field structure shorter than data. With this structure, the time taken to send ACK may be reduced, and, for example, ACK may include a start field, a header type field, and a header parity field. In addition, according to the above-described embodiment, a preamble signal is sent before sending ACK, and, for example, the preamble interval has five intervals, and because the preamble signal is flipped in each interval, all logical values ​​of the preamble signal are "1". In addition, the start field may have a bit value and correspond to information indicating the start of sending ACK, the header type field may include one or more bits (e.g., four bits) and indicate the type of ACK sent, and the header parity field may include one bit and may be sent to determine the validity of the sent header information.

[0090] During transmission and reception of data or ACK, when a toggle occurs in one data cycle, one bit can be represented as indicating logic "1", and when a toggle does not occur, one bit can be represented as logic "0". In addition, since the preamble interval is a frequency and duty cycle detection period, it is necessary to make the frequency and duty cycle unchanged in the preamble interval before transmitting and receiving data.

[0091] Fig.12 and Fig.13 is a flowchart further illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. Fig.12 and Fig.13 The examples shown assume two-way communication between mobile devices.

[0092] In a mobile system, since a mobile device can send one of a voltage signal and a current signal as data and receive data as the other of a voltage signal and a current signal, a communication operation between mobile devices can be performed bidirectionally. However, during a communication operation using a power line, signal stability may be limited. Therefore, bidirectional communication may fail. When bidirectional communication is difficult to perform due to external and / or internal noise associated with power transmission, by executing a sequence according to an embodiment of the present invention, bidirectional simultaneous communication can be detected and changed to sequential communication, thereby improving communication stability.

[0093] Reference Fig.12 , can be executed sequentially in a top-down manner Fig.12 Operations shown. When performing two-way simultaneous communication, the mobile device can be used as a transmitting device (TX) and a receiving device (RX). Assuming that MD1 (device A) is used as TX and RX, when data is sent from MD2 (device B) in operation S21, device A can send ACK in operation S22, and when ACK is sent in operation S22, device B can send data in operation S24, or device A sends data in operation S28.

[0094] Otherwise, when the data is not completely transmitted from the device B due to, for example, noise in operation S21, the device A cannot transmit ACK in operation S22, and after a certain time has passed, the transmission of ACK by the device A in operation S22 may enter a timeout state in operation S23. In addition, after entering the timeout state in operation S23, when the first time T11 has passed, data transmission may be retried, and therefore, after the first time T11 has passed, the device B may transmit data in operation S24.

[0095] Similarly, device A may transmit data according to the bidirectional communication in operation S25, and the data transmission of device A in operation S25 may be performed simultaneously with the data transmission of device B in operation S21. When device A transmits the completion data in operation S25, device B may transmit ACK in operation S26, and when ACK is transmitted to completion, device B may transmit data in operation S24, or device A transmits data in operation S28.

[0096] Otherwise, when the data is not completely sent from device A in operation S25, the sending of ACK by device B in operation S26 may enter a timeout state in operation S27. In addition, after entering the timeout state in operation S27, when the second time T12 has passed, data sending may be retried, and thus, after the second time T12 has passed, device A may send data in operation S28.

[0097] Here, the first time T11 may be less than the second time T12, and therefore, device B may wait for a relatively short time and then retransmit the data. However, device A may wait for a relatively long time and then retransmit the data. When the first time T11 is set to be much less than the second time T12, the communication operation may be defined so that when a failure occurs in bidirectional simultaneous communication, device A is able to transmit data after all data of device B is transmitted. That is, according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, by defining ACK and defining a time related to data retransmission after a timeout state, when a failure occurs in bidirectional communication, the communication operation may be changed to a sequential operation, thereby improving data stability.

[0098] For example, when device A corresponds to a wireless earbud charger and device B corresponds to a wireless earbud, device B may receive important data (e.g., firmware) through communication with a host (e.g., wireless communication such as Bluetooth), and needs to send the received data to device A. In this case, device A may send data to device B while receiving the data, and according to an embodiment of the inventive concept, through a communication operation rule, communication may be performed so that the important data from device B is first sent to device A.

[0099] Fig.13 In an example operation, it is further shown that Fig.12 A flowchart of the operation of a mobile system executed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.13 , it is assumed that device A corresponds to a wireless earbud charger and device B corresponds to a wireless earbud.

[0100] Device A may start data transmission in operation S31, device B may start data reception in operation S32, and device B may determine whether all data is normally received in operation S33. When data is not normally received, device B may determine that data reception has failed in operation S34.

[0101] Otherwise, when device B has received the data normally, device B may start sending ACK in operation S35, and device A may start receiving ACK in operation S36. Device A may determine whether ACK is received normally in operation S37, and when ACK is received normally, device A may determine that data sending of device A is completed in operation S38.

[0102] Otherwise, when the ACK is not normally received, the device A may determine that the data transmission fails in operation S39, perform a waiting operation of waiting for a specific time to retry in operation S40, and start the data transmission operation again in operation S31 after the specific time has passed.

[0103] According to the above embodiment, when the data from the device A is not normally received, the device B can determine in operation S34 that the data reception has failed, and transmit the data to the device A without a separate waiting time or after a short waiting time after the determination. However, when the ACK is not normally received, the device A can perform a retransmission operation after waiting for a relatively long time, and therefore, the device B can have a higher priority in data transmission. The above communication operation can be applied to all communication situations or specific communication situations, and, for example, selectively applied to a communication situation for transmitting important information such as firmware from a host.

[0104] According to example embodiments of the inventive concept, ACK exists in a data structure, and a field structure of ACK may be shorter than a field structure of data to increase a data transmission and reception rate.

[0105] In addition, according to an example embodiment of the present invention, there may be a preamble interval, the preamble signal may include multiple bits (e.g., three or more bits), and the mobile device that may be a transmitting device or a receiving device may have (or generate) a clock signal that is faster than the frequency of the preamble signal (or data signal) to detect the frequency or duty cycle of the preamble signal. In addition, the mobile device that is an electric power source may modulate the data by voltage (or voltage swing) and perform a demodulation operation on the received data by using current. However, the mobile device that receives power may modulate the data by current (or current swing) and perform a demodulation operation on the received data by using voltage.

[0106] According to an embodiment of the present invention, two-way simultaneous communication can be performed based on PLC operation, and when two-way simultaneous communication cannot be performed, the retry time can be set through the data modulation / demodulation process, for example, the retry time of a mobile device sending important information such as firmware can be less than the retry time of a mobile device receiving the information.

[0107] While the inventive concept has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising: a power line communication module configured to: communicate data with an external device via a power line, receive a first preamble signal from the external device during a first preamble interval, receive a voltage signal during a data reception interval after the first preamble interval, and demodulate the voltage signal to provide a demodulated voltage signal; a frequency / duty cycle detector configured to: detect a frequency and a duty cycle of the first preamble signal, and provide a first detection frequency and a first detection duty cycle; and A control circuit is configured to perform a data determination operation on the demodulated voltage signal using the first detection frequency and the first detection duty cycle, wherein the data determination operation includes: determining a data cycle according to the first detection frequency, and determining a logic state of the data at a timing corresponding to the first detection duty cycle in each data cycle.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein: The first preamble signal includes a plurality of preamble signals.

3. The mobile device according to claim 2, wherein: Each of the plurality of preamble signals has a same frequency and a same duty cycle.

4. The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising: an impedance circuit connected to the power line through a first terminal of the mobile device; a battery configured to supply power to the mobile device; and A charging circuit is configured to control a charging operation of the battery using power received via the power line.

5. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein: The power line communication module is further configured to transmit a second preamble signal to the external device during a second preamble interval, and transmit data to the external device by modulating the current signal during a data transmission interval after the second preamble interval.

6. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein: The power line communication module is further configured to: receive a second preamble signal from the external device during a second preamble interval, The frequency / duty cycle detector is further configured to detect the frequency and duty cycle of the second preamble signal and provide a second detection frequency and a second detection duty cycle, and The control circuit is further configured to perform a data determination operation at a rate corresponding to the second detection frequency and at a timing corresponding to the second detection duty cycle.

7. The mobile device according to claim 6, wherein: At least one of the second detection frequency and the second detection duty cycle is different from the first detection frequency and the first detection duty cycle, respectively.

8. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein: The mobile device is a wireless earbud or a wireless headset, and the external device is a wireless charger.

9. A mobile device, comprising: a power line communication module configured to communicate data with an external device via a power line, receive a preamble signal from the external device during a preamble interval, and receive the data during a data reception interval after the preamble interval, A frequency / duty cycle detector configured to: detect the frequency and duty cycle of the preamble signal, and provide a detected frequency and a detected duty cycle; and a control circuit configured to determine the data received from the external device using at least one of the detection frequency and the detection duty cycle, The power line communication module is further configured to: receive the data in a data cycle at a rate corresponding to the detection frequency, The control circuit is further configured to determine the logic state of the data at a timing corresponding to the detection duty cycle in each data cycle.

10. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein: The preamble interval includes a plurality of intervals, and the preamble signal is received in each of the plurality of intervals at the same frequency and the same duty cycle.

11. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein: The frequency / duty cycle detector is further configured to: receive a clock signal generated internally by the mobile device, and use the clock signal to detect the frequency and the duty cycle of the preamble signal to provide the detected frequency and the detected duty cycle, and The frequency of the clock signal is greater than the detection frequency.

12. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein: The power line communication module comprises: a voltage demodulator configured to demodulate a voltage signal received as the data during the data reception interval; and A current modulator is configured to transmit data to the external device by modulating the current signal during a data transmission interval.

13. The mobile device according to claim 9, further comprising: a current demodulator configured to demodulate a current signal received as the data in the data reception interval; and A voltage modulator is configured to transmit data to the external device by modulating a voltage signal in a data transmission interval.

14. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein: The mobile device sends a confirmation signal to the external device in response to the data received from the external device, and The field structure of the received data is different from the field structure of the confirmation signal.

15. The mobile device according to claim 14, wherein: The mobile device performs two-way data communication with the external device, When a confirmation signal is not received from the external device, the mobile device enters a timeout state, and when a first waiting time has passed after the timeout state, the mobile device retries to send data to the external device; and The first waiting time is set to be smaller than a second waiting time set for the external device to retransmit data after a timeout state of the external device.

16. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein: The mobile device is a wireless earbud or a wireless headset, and the external device is a wireless charger.

17. An operating method for a mobile device to communicate data with an external device via a power line, the method comprising: receiving a first preamble signal from the external device via the power line during a first preamble interval; detecting a frequency and a duty cycle of the first preamble signal to provide a first detection frequency and a first detection duty cycle, respectively; receiving data from the external device in a data cycle at a rate corresponding to the first detection frequency during a data reception interval; and determining the data according to a data period corresponding to the first detection frequency and a timing corresponding to the first detection duty cycle, Wherein, determining the data comprises: determining a logic state of the data at a timing corresponding to the first detection duty cycle in each data cycle.

18. The operating method according to claim 17, further comprising: receiving a second preamble signal from the external device via the power line during a second preamble interval; and Detect at least one of the frequency and the duty cycle of the second preamble code signal to provide at least one of a second detection frequency and a second detection duty cycle, respectively, wherein the at least one of the first detection frequency and the first detection duty cycle is different from the at least one of the second detection frequency and the second detection duty cycle, respectively.

19. The operating method according to claim 17, further comprising: transmitting a second preamble signal to the external device via the power line during a second preamble interval; and sending data to the external device in a data period corresponding to the frequency of the second preamble signal, The logic value of the data transmitted to the external device is determined by whether the data is inverted or not inverted at a timing corresponding to a duty cycle of the second preamble signal during each data cycle.

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