Transmitting device, receiving device, and transmitting and receiving system

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to realize high-quality data transmission by performing rapid startup and stable frequency control, even following a standby state.　The present technology provides a transmitting device, etc., comprising: an oscillator that causes a clock signal to oscillate; a rewritable non-volatile storage unit that stores a control signal for the oscillator; and a control unit that controls the oscillator by using the control signal stored in the storage unit when returning to normal operation. The storage unit may store a moving average of a plurality of past instances of the control signal, and the control unit may control the frequency of the oscillator by using the moving average.

Description

Transmitting device, receiving device, and transmission / reception system

[0001] The technology according to the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as "the present technology") relates to a transmitting device, a receiving device, and a transmission / reception system.

[0002] In recent years, the demand for high-speed data transmission has been increasing. In these systems, it is necessary to transmit a large amount of data between the transmitting device and the receiving device at high speed and accurately. In data transmission, the transmitting device transmits data based on a clock signal output from an oscillator, and the receiving device receives the data in synchronization with the received clock signal.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, a technology related to "a transmitting device including an oscillator that oscillates a first clock signal and a control signal receiving unit that receives a control signal transmitted from an external device and controls the first clock signal" is disclosed.

[0004] If the frequency of the oscillator of the transmitting device is unstable, the receiving device cannot synchronize the data correctly, and a transmission error occurs. In order to stabilize the frequency of the oscillator of the transmitting device, it is generally known to perform calibration to adjust the frequency of the oscillator to a desired frequency at the time of startup of the transmitting device.

[0005] International Publication No. 2020 / 070974

[0006] In a general system, in order to ensure the reliability of data transmission, it is necessary to keep the frequency of the oscillator of the transmitting device constant. Depending on the system, there may be a standby mode to suppress power consumption. In this case, if initial calibration is performed every time the system returns from the standby mode, the effective data transmission rate decreases and the response time of the system becomes slow. In this technical field, it is desired to achieve both high-speed startup and high transmission quality of the system.

[0007] Therefore, the main object of the present technology is to achieve high-quality data transmission by starting up at high speed and performing stable frequency control even across a standby state.

[0008] This technology provides a transmitting device comprising: an oscillator that generates a clock signal; a rewritable non-volatile memory unit that stores control signals for the oscillator; and a control unit that controls the oscillator using the control signals stored in the memory unit when returning to normal operation. The memory unit may store a moving average of several past control signals, and the control unit may control the frequency of the oscillator using the moving average. If the time until the control unit returns to normal operation is less than a predetermined time, it is not necessary to write or read the control signals to and from the memory unit. The control unit may correct the frequency of the oscillator based on at least one of temperature changes around the oscillator and power supply fluctuations. The control unit may calculate the frequency dependence based on the temperature change and correct the frequency based on the calculation result. The control unit may calculate the frequency dependence based on the power supply fluctuation and correct the frequency based on the calculation result. The transmitting device includes a machine learning model that takes at least one of the temperature change and the power supply fluctuation as input and outputs a frequency correction value based on the input, and the control unit may correct the frequency using the machine learning model. The transmitting device further includes a data transmission unit that transmits a data signal synchronized with the clock signal to an external device, and the data transmission unit may transmit the data signal with the clock signal embedded to the external device. The transmitting device further includes a control signal receiving unit that receives a control signal for controlling the clock signal transmitted from the external device. The data signal and the control signal may be transmitted and received via different communication paths. The data signal and the control signal may be transmitted and received via the same communication path. The data signal may be transmitted to the external device via multiple communication paths. The storage unit may be located on the same semiconductor substrate as the oscillator. The transmitting device may be applied to an image sensor. The transmitting device may be applied to a SPAD sensor.Furthermore, this technology provides a receiving device comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a clock signal; a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing control signals of an oscillator that oscillates the clock signal; and a signal transmitting unit for transmitting the control signals stored in the storage unit to an external device when returning to normal operation. Furthermore, this technology provides a transmitting and receiving system comprising: a transmitting device for transmitting a predetermined signal; and a receiving device for receiving the predetermined signal, wherein the transmitting device comprises: an oscillator that oscillates a clock signal which is one of the predetermined signals; and a control unit for controlling the oscillator using control signals when returning to normal operation; and the receiving device comprises: a receiving unit for receiving the clock signal; and a signal transmitting unit for transmitting the control signals generated based on the clock signal to the transmitting device, wherein a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing the control signals is provided in at least one of the transmitting device and the receiving device. The transmitting and receiving system further comprises: an error detection unit for evaluating transmission quality; and the control unit may reset the system including the transmitting device and the receiving device when an error of a certain level or higher is detected. The transmitting device may employ a source-synchronous method in which it transmits a clock signal along with a data signal, and the receiving device operates in synchronization with the clock signal transmitted from the transmitting device.

[0009] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the transmission / reception system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a flowchart showing an example operation of the transmission device 10A according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a timing chart showing an example operation of the transmission device 10A according to this embodiment. This is a block diagram showing an example operation of the transmission device 10A according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the transmission / reception system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a flowchart of temperature compensation according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the transmission / reception system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a block diagram showing an example operation of the transmission / reception system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a block diagram showing an example configuration device 10A according to one embodiment of this technology. This is a timing chart showing the transition of operating modes in the transmission device 10A.

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for implementing this technology will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples of typical embodiments of this technology and do not limit the scope of this technology. Furthermore, this technology can be implemented by combining any of the following embodiments and their modifications.

[0011] In the following description of embodiments, configurations may be described using terms with "approximately" attached, such as "approximately parallel" and "approximately orthogonal." For example, "approximately parallel" means not only that they are perfectly parallel, but also that they are substantially parallel, that is, that is, they are deviated from a perfectly parallel state by, for example, a few percent. The same applies to other terms with "approximately." Also, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. The scale of the drawings is exaggerated to make the technical features easier to understand. Therefore, it should be noted that the scale of the drawings and the scale of the actual device are not necessarily the same.

[0012] Unless otherwise specified, in drawings, "up" means the upper direction or upper side in the drawing, "down" means the lower direction or lower side in the drawing, "left" means the left direction or left side in the drawing, and "right" means the right direction or right side in the drawing. In addition, in drawings, the same or equivalent elements or components are denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0013] The explanation will proceed in the following order: 1. First Embodiment of the Technology (Example 1 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) (1) Overall Configuration of the Comparative Example (2) Configuration of the Transmitting Device (3) Configuration of the Receiving Device (4) Operation of the Transmitting and Receiving System (5) Overall Configuration of the Technology (6) Storage Unit (7) Data Transmission Unit (8) Control Signal Receiving Unit (9) Transmission Line (10) Operation of the Transmitting Device (11) Effects 2. Second Embodiment of the Technology (Example 2 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 3. Third Embodiment of the Technology (Example 3 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 4. Fourth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 4 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 5. Fifth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 5 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 6. Sixth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 6 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 7. Seventh Embodiment of the Technology (Example 7 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 8. Eighth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 8 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 9. Ninth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 9 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 10. Tenth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 10 of a Transmitting and Receiving System) 11. Eleventh embodiment of this technology (Example 11 of the transmitting / receiving system) 12. Twelfth embodiment of this technology (Application example 1 of the transmitting / receiving system) 13. Thirteenth embodiment of this technology (Application example 2 of the transmitting / receiving system) 14. Fourteenth embodiment of this technology (Application example 3 of the transmitting / receiving system)

[0014] [1. First Embodiment of the Technology (Example 1 of a Transmitting / Receiving System)] [(1) Overall Configuration of the Comparative Example] The technology relating to this comparative example concerns a transmitting / receiving system that transmits and receives data and clock signals using a clock-embedded method. The transmitting / receiving system relating to the comparative example of the technology will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 18. Figure 18 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the transmitting / receiving system 1 relating to the comparative example of the technology.

[0015] As shown in Figure 18, the transmitting and receiving system 1 comprises a transmitting device 10A and a receiving device 10B.

[0016] The transmitting device 10A generates a predetermined signal including a clock signal and transmits it to the receiving device 10B via the transmission line. The receiving device 10B receives the signal transmitted from the transmitting device 10A via the transmission line and reconstructs the clock signal based on the received signal.

[0017] The transmitting / receiving system 1 can be applied, for example, to an endoscope system. The transmitting device 10A is miniaturized to enter narrow areas such as inside the human body, and transmits image data captured by a solid-state image sensor such as a CMOS image sensor as a predetermined signal to the receiving device 10B. The receiving device 10B processes the received image data and performs processing such as displaying it on a display device (not shown) such as an LCD or an organic EL display.

[0018] [(2) Configuration of the Transmitting Device] The transmitting device 10A comprises a data source 12 (an example of a data generation unit) and a transmitting unit 11. The data source 12 is, for example, a CMOS image sensor equipped with a color filter such as a Bayer array, which generates image data of the external environment. The transmitting unit 11 transmits the data input from the data source 12 to the receiving device 10B using a clock-embedded method.

[0019] The transmitting unit 11 has the following components:

[0020] The oscillator 112 generates the first clock signal CLK1. The oscillator 112 is composed of, for example, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) or a current-controlled oscillator (CCO). A crystal oscillator may also be used as the oscillator 112. The oscillation frequency is variable, for example, in the range of 10 MHz to 1 GHz, and can be changed according to the value set in the register 113.

[0021] Register 113 stores the frequency setting value of the first clock signal CLK1. Register 113 is, for example, an 8-bit register, and the value of each bit is associated with the frequency of the first clock signal CLK1.

[0022] The register signal receiving unit (an example of a control signal receiving unit) 114 receives a register signal (an example of a control signal) Rs transmitted from the receiving device 10B. The register signal Rs is transmitted, for example, by serial communication and includes frequency high / low information, which will be described later.

[0023] The data transmission unit 115 transmits the data input from the data source 12 to the receiving device 10B in synchronization with the first clock signal CLK1. The data transmission unit 115 includes, for example, a driver (an example of a transmission drive unit) 115c.

[0024] The driver 115c is configured as, for example, a CMOS inverter, and embeds the first clock signal CLK1 into serial data Ds synchronized with the first clock signal CLK1 to generate a clock embedding signal EB, which is then transmitted to the receiving device 10B. The driver 115c embeds the single-ended first clock signal CLK1 into single-ended data Ds input from the parallel-to-serial conversion unit 115b (described later) to generate a single-ended clock embedding signal EB.

[0025] As a result, the transmitting unit 11 can reduce the number of pins (terminals) used for input / output and other purposes. In addition, because the driver 115c has a low output impedance, the output current can be improved, preventing malfunctions caused by a decrease in the signal level of the embedded clock signal EB output from the driver 115c in the wiring connecting the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B.

[0026] The frequency divider 115a has a fixed frequency division ratio, such as 2 division or 4 division, or a configuration that allows the frequency division ratio to be changed by register settings, and divides the first clock signal CLK1 to generate the second clock signal CLK2.

[0027] The parallel-to-serial conversion unit 115b is configured, for example, as a shift register, and converts data Dp, which is input in parallel from the data source 12 in synchronization with the second clock signal CLK2, into data Ds in serial format synchronized with the first clock signal CLK1.

[0028] The control unit 111 comprehensively controls each component of the transmission unit 11. The control unit 111 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP). The control unit 111 performs operations such as controlling the operation of the data source 12, controlling the frequency of the oscillator 112, writing setting values ​​to the register 113, and reading frequency high / low information from the register signal receiving unit 114.

[0029] [(3) Configuration of the receiving device] The receiving device 10B comprises a receiving unit 13 and a data processing unit 14. The receiving unit 13 receives the clock embedded signal EB transmitted from the transmitting device 10A. The data processing unit 14 performs predetermined processing on the received data.

[0030] The receiving unit 13 has the following components:

[0031] The data receiving unit 133 receives the embedded clock signal EB transmitted from the transmitting device 10A and reproduces the data Ds and the first clock signal CLK1.

[0032] The data receiving unit 133 includes, for example, a regeneration unit 133b, which is, for example, a CDR (Clock Data Recovery) circuit that regenerates data Ds and a first clock signal CLK1 from the embedded clock signal EB. The regeneration unit 133b outputs the data Ds, from which the first clock signal CLK1 has been regenerated, to a series-parallel conversion unit 133d, which will be described later. The regeneration unit 133b also outputs the first clock signal CLK1 regenerated from data Ds to a frequency divider 133c, which will be described later.

[0033] The frequency divider 133c has a fixed frequency division ratio, such as 2 division or 4 division, or a configuration that allows the frequency division ratio to be changed by register settings, and divides the first clock signal CLK1 to generate the second clock signal CLK2.

[0034] The series-to-parallel conversion unit 133d is configured, for example, as a shift register, and converts data Ds, which is input in series from the transmitter 10A in synchronization with the first clock signal CLK1, into data Dp in parallel, which is synchronized with the second clock signal CLK2.

[0035] The signal generation unit 134 compares the reference clock signal INCK with the received first clock signal CLK1 or second clock signal CLK2, and generates a register signal Rs based on the result. The reference clock signal INCK is generated, for example, from an oscillator 112.

[0036] The signal generation unit 134 includes, for example, a counter circuit, and continuously compares the frequencies of the input second clock signal CLK2 and the reference clock signal INCK sequentially. The signal generation unit 134 compares the count values ​​counted by each counter within a predetermined period and obtains the frequency difference between the second clock signal CLK2 and the reference clock signal INCK. When the frequency difference between the second clock signal CLK2 and the reference clock signal INCK falls outside a predetermined error range, such as ±1%, the signal generation unit 134 outputs a register signal Rs, which includes frequency high / low information indicating whether the frequency of the first clock signal CLK1 is higher or lower than the reference clock signal INCK, to the register signal transmission unit 135, which will be described later.

[0037] The register signal transmission unit 135 transmits the register signal Rs generated by the signal generation unit 134 to the transmission device 10A. The register signal transmission unit 135 transmits the register signal Rs, for example, using a serial communication method.

[0038] The control unit 131 comprehensively controls each component of the receiving unit 13. The control unit 131 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP). The control unit 131 controls the operation of the data receiving unit 133, the signal generation unit 134, and the register signal transmission unit 135.

[0039] [(4) Operation of the Transmission / Reception System] The signal generation unit 134 of the reception device 10B compares the frequency of the reference clock signal INCK with the received clock signal (the first clock signal CLK1 or the second clock signal CLK2), and when the frequency difference is outside a predetermined error range, transmits a register signal Rs including frequency high / low information to the transmission device 10A.

[0040] When the register signal reception unit 114 of the transmission device 10A receives the register signal Rs, it acquires the frequency high / low information, and the control unit 111 adjusts the frequency of the oscillator 112 based on this. Specifically, the control unit 111 writes a set value into the register 113 based on the frequency high / low information, and the oscillator 112 generates the first clock signal CLK1 having a frequency corresponding to the set value read from the register 113.

[0041] In this way, the transmission / reception system 1 of the present embodiment can synchronize the frequency of the clock signal of the transmission device 10A with the reference clock signal INCK of the reception device 10B.

[0042] FIG. 19 is a timing chart showing the transition of the operation mode in the transmission device 10A. The transmission device 10A has two operation modes, an "initial calibration mode" and a "normal transmission mode".

[0043] In the "initial calibration mode", the transmission device 10A executes a calibration process for adjusting the frequency of the oscillator 112 to a desired frequency.

[0044] In the "normal transmission mode", the transmission device 10A transmits a data signal to the reception device 10B using the clock signal having the adjusted frequency.

[0045] As shown in the figure, the transmission device 10A transitions to the "initial calibration mode" at startup and when resuming from the standby state, and after the calibration process is completed, transitions to the "normal transmission mode" to execute data transmission.

[0046] Here, in the "initial calibration mode", a certain amount of time is required for frequency adjustment of the oscillator 112. In particular, in a system where transitions to and from the standby state occur frequently, the execution time of this "initial calibration mode" becomes a factor that significantly reduces the power efficiency of the entire system.

[0047] For example, in a system that aims to reduce power consumption by shifting the transmission device 10A to the standby state during periods when data transmission is not being performed, if the "initial calibration mode" is executed every time the device transitions to and from the standby state, during the execution time, data transmission is not performed and power is consumed for the calibration process, resulting in a decrease in the power efficiency of the entire system.

[0048] Furthermore, the execution time of the "initial calibration mode" also affects the response time of the system. After resuming from the standby state, the execution time of the "initial calibration mode" is required until data transmission starts, so the response time of the system is delayed accordingly.

[0049] As described above, in a system where the execution time of the "initial calibration mode", especially when accompanied by frequent transitions to and from the standby state, the execution time of the "initial calibration mode" becomes an overhead that cannot be ignored from the perspectives of the power efficiency and response time of the system. By repeating this operation, the transmission device 10A can always perform data transmission at an appropriate frequency and maintain high transmission quality, but a system design considering the aforementioned overhead is required.

[0050] [(5) Overall Configuration of the Present Technology] Therefore, the present technology provides a transmission device including an oscillator that oscillates a clock signal, a rewritable non-volatile storage unit that stores a control signal for the oscillator, and a control unit that controls the oscillator using the control signal stored in the storage unit when returning to normal operation.

[0051] This will be described while referring to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a transmission / reception system 1 according to an embodiment of the present technology

[0052] As shown in Figure 1, the transmitting device 10A includes an oscillator 112 that generates a clock signal, a rewritable non-volatile storage unit 15 that stores control signals for the oscillator 112, and a control unit 111 that controls the oscillator 112 using the control signals stored in the storage unit 15 when returning to normal operation.

[0053] The oscillator 112 is, for example, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) or a current-controlled oscillator (CCO), and generates a clock signal of a predetermined frequency. The control signal is a signal for determining the oscillation frequency of the oscillator 112, and is, for example, a signal that specifies the voltage value or current value to be supplied to the oscillator 112.

[0054] The memory unit 15 is a rewritable, non-volatile memory that stores the control signals of the oscillator 112. The memory unit 15 holds the control signals written by the control unit 111 in low-power modes, including the standby state and the power-off state, and supplies the control signals to the control unit 111 after recovering from the low-power mode.

[0055] The control unit 111 is, for example, a microprocessor or a DSP (digital signal processor) and controls the overall operation of the transmitting device 10A. In particular, in this embodiment, when the transmitting device 10A returns from low-power mode to normal operation, the control unit 111 reads a control signal from the storage unit 15 and uses the read control signal to control the oscillation frequency of the oscillator 112.

[0056] The other components are the same as those shown in Figure 18, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0057] [(6) Storage Unit] For the storage unit 15, for example, flash memory or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) can be used. These memories are suitable for the application of this embodiment because they allow data to be electrically erased and written, and can retain data even when the power supply is cut off.

[0058] The memory unit 15 is not limited to the flash memory or EEPROM mentioned above. For example, other non-volatile memories such as magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) or Phase-change Random Access Memory (PRAM) may be used. MRAM is a memory that stores data based on the magnetization direction of a magnetic material, enabling high-speed reading and writing. PRAM is a memory that stores data using the state change of a phase-change material such as a chalcogenide-based material, and has high rewrite endurance. These memories can be appropriately selected according to the required performance, cost, etc.

[0059] The key point is that the memory unit 15 is a non-volatile memory that can retain the control signal for the oscillator 112 even in low-power modes, including standby and power-off states, and can supply the control signal to the control unit 111 when returning to normal operation. As a result, the transmitter 10A of this embodiment can achieve rapid recovery from these low-power modes, enabling both low power consumption and high-precision control of the oscillation frequency.

[0060] [(7) Data Transmission Unit] In this embodiment, the transmitting device 10A includes a data transmission unit 115. The data transmission unit 115 generates a data signal while synchronizing with the clock signal output from the oscillator 112, and transmits the generated data signal to an external device (for example, a receiving device 10B).

[0061] In particular, in this embodiment, the data transmission unit 115 employs a so-called clock-embedded method, which embeds the clock signal into the data signal and transmits it. In the clock-embedded method, since the clock information is included in the data signal itself, there is no need to transmit a separate clock signal.

[0062] Specifically, the data transmission unit 115 encodes the data signal using an encoding method that can embed clock information into the data signal, such as the 8B10B encoding method, the Manchester encoding method, or the PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) method. Then, it transmits the encoded data signal to an external device.

[0063] For example, the data transmission unit 115 uses the clock signal output from the oscillator 112 to transmit the data signal output from the data source 12 using a clock-embedded method.

[0064] By using the clock embedded method, separate wiring for transmitting the clock signal is unnecessary, reducing the circuit size of the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B. Furthermore, since it is no longer necessary to consider skew (timing difference) between the data signal and the clock signal, it is suitable for high-speed data transmission.

[0065] Furthermore, in the clock-embedded method, the receiver 10B needs to regenerate the clock signal. The receiver 10B extracts clock information from the received data signal and samples the data signal based on the extracted clock information. This allows synchronization between the transmitter 10A and the receiver 10B.

[0066] According to the transmitting device 10A of this embodiment, by transmitting data signals using a clock-embedded method, the circuit size can be reduced and high-speed data transmission can be achieved. In addition, since there is no need to transmit a clock signal separately, it also contributes to reducing power consumption.

[0067] [(8) Control Signal Receiving Unit] In this embodiment, the transmitting device 10A includes a register signal receiving unit (an example of a control signal receiving unit) 114. The register signal receiving unit 114 receives a register signal (an example of a control signal) transmitted from an external device (for example, a receiving device 10B) that receives a clock signal transmitted from the transmitting device 10A.

[0068] This register signal is a signal for controlling the frequency of the clock signal oscillated by the oscillator 112, and includes, for example, the frequency information of the clock signal measured by the receiving device 10B and the frequency correction value calculated by the receiving device 10B.

[0069] The register signal is generated, for example, by the receiving device 10B, which extracts clock information from the received data signal and generates the register signal based on the extracted clock information. Specifically, the receiving device 10B compares the frequency of the extracted clock signal with a reference frequency and generates a control signal based on the difference.

[0070] The control unit 111 updates the control signal of the oscillator 112 based on the register signal received by the register signal receiving unit 114. For example, the control unit 111 adjusts the control signal so that the frequency of the oscillator 112 becomes a desired value based on the frequency information contained in the register signal.

[0071] In this way, by controlling the frequency of the oscillator 112 using a register signal transmitted from an external device, a closed loop can be formed between the transmitting device 10A and the external device, enabling more precise frequency control.

[0072] Furthermore, the register signal may be generated by another external device (for example, a controller that manages the control of the entire system) instead of the receiving device 10B.

[0073] According to the transmitting device 10A of this embodiment, by controlling the oscillator frequency using a control signal transmitted from an external device, more precise frequency control can be achieved and high-quality data transmission can be maintained.

[0074] [(9) Transmission Path] In this embodiment, in communication between the transmitting device 10A and an external device (for example, the receiving device 10B), a communication path for transmitting data signals and a communication path for transmitting control signals are provided separately. That is, the communication path through which the data transmitting unit 115 transmits data signals and the communication path through which the control signal receiving unit receives control signals are physically or logically separated. Data signals and control signals are transmitted and received via different communication paths.

[0075] For example, as shown in Figure 1, the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B are connected using two transmission lines: a transmission line 30a for data signals and a transmission line 30r for control signals. In this configuration, the data transmitting unit 115 transmits data signals using the transmission line 30a, and the register signal receiving unit (an example of a control signal receiving unit) 114 receives control signals using the transmission line 30r.

[0076] In this way, by transmitting and receiving data signals and control signals through separate communication channels, interference between the signals can be suppressed, resulting in more stable communication. For example, it is possible to avoid situations where noise generated during the transmission of data signals affects the control signal, causing the oscillator 112 to be controlled based on an incorrect control signal.

[0077] Furthermore, by transmitting and receiving data signals and control signals through separate communication channels, the optimal transmission method can be selected according to the characteristics of each signal. For example, it becomes possible to use a high-speed transmission method for data signals and a highly reliable transmission method for control signals.

[0078] Furthermore, physically separating the data signal communication path from the control signal communication path offers the advantage of increased design flexibility. For example, it becomes possible to use a cable suitable for high-speed transmission for the data signal transmission path 30a and an inexpensive cable for the control signal transmission path 30r.

[0079] According to the transmitting device 10A of this embodiment, by transmitting and receiving data signals and control signals through separate communication paths, mutual interference can be suppressed, stable communication can be achieved, and the degree of design flexibility can be improved.

[0080] [(10) Operation of the Transmitter] The operation of the transmitter in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transmitter 10A according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0081] [Step S101: Initial Calibration] When the transmitting device 10A is started up, the control unit 111 performs initial calibration of the oscillator 112. Specifically, the control unit 111 adjusts the control signal so that the frequency of the oscillator 112 becomes a desired frequency, based on the control signal transmitted from an external device (for example, the receiving device 10B).

[0082] [Step S102: Normal Operation] After initial calibration, the transmitting device 10A transitions to normal operation. In normal operation, the data transmission unit 115 transmits a data signal to the receiving device 10B that is synchronized using a clock signal.

[0083] [Step S103: Storage of Control Signals] After normal operation, the control unit 111 stores the control signals of the oscillator 112 in the storage unit 15.

[0084] [Step S104: Transition to Standby State] The transmitting device 10A transitions to a standby state based on predetermined conditions (for example, reception of a VSYNC signal or instruction from the user). In the standby state, power consumption is reduced by stopping the operation of the oscillator 112, etc.

[0085] [Step S105: Return from standby state] The transmitting device 10A returns from the standby state to normal operation based on predetermined conditions (for example, reception of a VSYNC signal or instruction from the user).

[0086] [Step S106: Reading out control signals] When the control unit 111 returns from standby to normal operation, it reads out the control signals stored in the storage unit 15.

[0087] [Step S107: Control of the oscillator] The control unit 111 controls the oscillator 112 using the control signal read from the storage unit 15.

[0088] Figure 3 is a timing chart showing an example of operation of the transmitter 10A according to this embodiment. The transmitter 10A has four operating modes: initial calibration mode, normal transmission mode, control signal writing mode, and control signal reading mode.

[0089] During initial startup prior to time t1, the transmitting device 10A performs an initial calibration mode. In the initial calibration mode, the frequency of the clock signal output by the oscillator 112 is adjusted in cooperation with an external device (for example, the receiving device 10B) to a desired value.

[0090] After the initial calibration is complete, the transmitter 10A transitions to normal transmission mode and begins data transmission. In normal transmission mode, the transmitter 10A transmits data signals synchronized with the clock signal. At times t1 and t2, the transmitter 10A evaluates the frequency of the clock signal output by the oscillator 112.

[0091] At time t3, the transmitting device 10A transitions to control signal writing mode. In control signal writing mode, information for controlling the frequency of the oscillator 112 (hereinafter referred to as "control signal"), calculated based on the frequencies evaluated at times t1 and t2, is written to the storage unit 15, which is a non-volatile memory.

[0092] Subsequently, the transmitter 10A switches to low power consumption mode.

[0093] At time t4, the transmitting device 10A returns from low-power mode to normal operation and transitions to control signal reading mode. In control signal reading mode, it reads the control signals that were written to the storage unit 15 at time t3.

[0094] Subsequently, the transmitter 10A transitions to normal transmission mode. At this time, the transmitter 10A controls the oscillator 112 using the control signal read at time t4. This allows normal transmission to be quickly resumed without performing initial calibration.

[0095] At times t5 and t6, the transmitting device 10A evaluates the frequency of the clock signal output by the oscillator 112 in normal transmission mode.

[0096] After time t6, the transmitting device 10A continues normal transmission and transitions to control signal writing mode at time t7. In control signal writing mode, the control signals calculated based on the frequencies evaluated at times t5 and t6 are written to the storage unit 15.

[0097] Subsequently, the transmitter 10A switches to low power consumption mode.

[0098] At time t8, the transmitter 10A returns from low-power mode to normal operation and transitions to control signal reading mode. In control signal reading mode, it reads the control signals that were written to the storage unit 15 at time t7.

[0099] Subsequently, the transmitter 10A transitions to normal transmission mode. At this time, the transmitter 10A controls the oscillator 112 using the control signal read at time t8. This allows normal transmission to be quickly resumed without performing initial calibration. Furthermore, compared to the normal transmission mode from time t4 onward, the normal transmission mode from time t8 onward achieves more precise frequency control, reflecting the frequency evaluation results at times t5 and t6.

[0100] At times t9 and t10, the transmitting device 10A evaluates the frequency of the clock signal output by the oscillator 112 in normal transmission mode.

[0101] Subsequently, the transmitting device 10A repeats the same operation. That is, the transmitting device 10A performs a frequency evaluation in the normal transmission mode, writes a control signal based on the evaluation result to the storage unit 15 before switching to the low power consumption mode, and reads the written control signal when returning from the low power consumption mode and uses it to control the oscillator 112.

[0102] Thus, the transmitter 10A according to this embodiment writes control signals based on past frequency evaluation results to the storage unit 15 when it switches to low-power consumption mode, and reads and uses those control signals when it returns from low-power consumption mode, thereby enabling a rapid resumption of normal transmission without performing initial calibration. Furthermore, by continuously performing frequency evaluation in normal transmission mode, frequency drift caused by temperature changes and power supply voltage fluctuations can be compensated for, and highly accurate frequency control can be achieved.

[0103] [(11) Effects] According to the transmitting device 10A of this embodiment, when returning to normal operation from a low power consumption mode including standby state and power off state, the oscillator 112 is controlled using the control signal stored in the memory unit 15, so initial calibration is not required and normal operation can be resumed quickly. This improves the responsiveness of the system and reduces the power required for initial calibration.

[0104] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely illustrative and not limiting, and other effects may also occur.

[0105] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the first embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0106] [2. Second Embodiment of the Technology (Example 2 of a Transmitting and Receiving System)] The transmitting device 10A according to this embodiment is characterized in that the storage unit 15 stores a moving average of multiple past control signals, and the control unit 111 controls the frequency of the oscillator 112 using the moving average.

[0107] In this embodiment, the storage unit 15 stores the moving average of the control signals of the oscillator 112 that have been calculated multiple times in the past by the control unit 111. For example, the control unit 111 calculates the average value of the most recent N control signals (where N is an integer of 2 or more) and stores this as a moving average in the storage unit 15. Specifically, each time a new control signal is calculated, the average value of the past N control signals is calculated and the moving average stored in the storage unit 15 is updated.

[0108] Then, when the control unit 111 returns from standby to normal operation, it reads the moving average from the memory unit 15 and uses the read moving average to control the frequency of the oscillator 112.

[0109] In this way, by using a moving average of multiple past control signals, it is possible to suppress abrupt changes in the oscillator frequency even when the control signal fluctuates temporarily due to noise or other factors. This enables more stable frequency control.

[0110] For example, in the operation of the transmitter 10A described with reference to Figure 3, the control signals read out at time t4 and time t8 can be the moving average of the control signals calculated before time t2 and before time t6.

[0111] Specifically, in the control signal writing mode at time t3, the control unit 111 not only calculates the control signal based on the frequencies evaluated at times t1 and t2, but also stores the control signals or frequency evaluation results calculated in the past multiple times (for example, the most recent 10 times) in the normal transmission mode, calculates their moving average, and writes it to the storage unit 15.

[0112] Then, in the control signal readout mode at time t4, the control unit 111 reads the moving average from the storage unit 15 and controls the oscillator 112 using the readout moving average.

[0113] Similarly, in the control signal writing mode at time t7, the control unit 111 not only calculates the control signal based on the frequencies evaluated at times t5 and t6, but also calculates the control signal calculated in multiple past normal transmission modes, or the moving average of the frequency evaluation results, and writes it to the storage unit 15.

[0114] Then, in the control signal readout mode at time t8, the control unit 111 reads the moving average from the storage unit 15 and controls the oscillator 112 using the readout moving average.

[0115] The number of control signals (sample size) used when calculating the moving average can be set appropriately according to the system's requirements and environment. Furthermore, in addition to the simple moving average, other methods such as the weighted moving average may be used to calculate the moving average.

[0116] According to the transmitting device of this embodiment, the oscillator frequency is controlled using a moving average of multiple past control signals. This suppresses the effects of temporary fluctuations in the control signal due to noise and other factors, thereby achieving more stable frequency control.

[0117] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the second embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0118] [3. Third Embodiment of the Technology (Example 3 of a Transmitting and Receiving System)] The transmitting device according to this embodiment is characterized in that, if the time until the control unit 111 returns to normal operation (hereinafter referred to as the "standby period") is less than a predetermined time, it does not write or read control signals to the storage unit 15.

[0119] In this embodiment, the control unit 111 monitors the standby period, and if the standby period is less than a predetermined time, it omits writing and reading control signals to and from the storage unit 15. That is, in the operation of the transmitting device 10A described with reference to Figure 3, for example, if the standby period from time t3 to time t4 is less than a predetermined time, the control signal writing mode at time t3 and the control signal reading mode at time t4 are skipped.

[0120] Now, with reference to Figure 4, the operation of the transmitting device when the standby period is less than a predetermined time will be described in more detail. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transmitting device 10A according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0121] Since the processes in steps S101 to S107 were explained with reference to Figure 2, a further explanation will be omitted.

[0122] [Step S108: Determination of Standby Period] Next, in step S108, the control unit 111 determines whether the standby period is less than a predetermined time. If it is determined that the standby period is less than a predetermined time (YES in step S108), the control unit 111 omits writing the control signal to the storage unit 15 in step S109 and proceeds to step S110. This is because, for short standby periods, the environmental changes can be considered minimal, and by omitting the writing process, power consumption is reduced and a rapid transition to the standby state is achieved.

[0123] On the other hand, if it is determined that the standby period is longer than a predetermined time (NO in step S108), the control unit 111 executes step S109 as usual, writes the control signal to the storage unit 15, and then proceeds to step S110. This is because prolonged standby can cause significant changes in the environment, such as temperature, which may alter the oscillation frequency.

[0124] [Step S110: Transition to Standby State] The transmitting device 10A transitions to a standby state based on predetermined conditions (for example, reception of a VSYNC signal or instruction from the user). In the standby state, power consumption is reduced by stopping the operation of the oscillator 112, etc.

[0125] [Step S111: Return from standby state] The transmitting device 10A returns from the standby state to normal operation based on predetermined conditions (for example, reception of a VSYNC signal or instruction from the user).

[0126] [Step S112: Reading out control signals] When the control unit 111 returns from standby to normal operation, it reads out the control signals stored in the memory unit 15.

[0127] [Step S113: Control of the oscillator] The control unit 111 controls the oscillator 112 using the control signal read from the storage unit 15.

[0128] Thus, when the standby period is short, the time required for writing can be reduced by omitting the writing of control signals to the memory unit 15, allowing for a quicker return to normal operation. In addition, power consumption associated with writing can be reduced.

[0129] Here, this predetermined time can be set appropriately according to the system requirements and environment. For example, this predetermined time can be set to a time so small that the frequency drift of the oscillator 112 is negligible, or to a time shorter than the time required to write to the memory unit 15.

[0130] Specifically, the control unit 111 starts a timer when transitioning to standby mode, and measures the standby period by reading the timer's measured value when returning from standby mode to normal operation. If the timer's measured value is less than a predetermined time, the control unit 111 determines that it will not write a control signal to the storage unit 15.

[0131] Even if the standby period is short, the control unit 111 can evaluate the frequency of the clock signal output by the oscillator in normal operation mode and update the control signal based on the evaluation result. In this case, the updated control signal is written to the storage unit 15 when the system transitions to the standby state next time.

[0132] According to the transmitting device of this embodiment, when the standby period is short, the time required to return to normal operation can be shortened by omitting the writing of control signals to the storage unit 15, thereby improving the responsiveness of the system and reducing power consumption.

[0133] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the third embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0134] [4. A Fourth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 4 of a Transmitting and Receiving System)] An example of the configuration of the transmitting device 10A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of the technology.

[0135] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the transmitting device 10A further includes at least one of a temperature sensor 16 that measures the temperature around the oscillator 112 and a power sensor 17 that measures the voltage of the power supply supplied to the oscillator 112 or monitors voltage fluctuations of the power supply. The control unit 111 corrects the frequency of the oscillator 112 based on at least one of the temperature information measured by the temperature sensor 16 and the power supply voltage information measured by the power sensor 17.

[0136] The temperature sensor 16 detects the ambient temperature of the transmitter 10A or the temperature near the oscillator 112, and outputs a signal corresponding to that temperature (hereinafter referred to as the "temperature detection signal"). The temperature detection signal is input to the control unit 111. The temperature sensor 16 can be configured using, for example, a temperature detection element that utilizes a thermistor, a bandgap reference circuit, or the forward voltage of a semiconductor pn junction.

[0137] The power sensor 17 detects the power supply voltage supplied to the transmitter 10A or the power supply voltage supplied to the oscillator 112, and outputs a signal corresponding to that voltage (hereinafter referred to as the "power supply voltage detection signal"). The power supply voltage detection signal is input to the control unit 111. The power sensor 17 can be configured using, for example, a resistive voltage divider circuit or a bandgap reference circuit.

[0138] For example, at times t1, t2, t5, t6, t9, and t10 in Figure 3, the control unit 111 acquires temperature information measured using the temperature sensor 16 and power supply voltage information measured using the power supply sensor 17, and based on this information, improves the accuracy of frequency control of the oscillator 112 in normal transmission mode.

[0139] Specifically, in normal transmission mode, the control unit 111 measures the oscillator frequency at different temperatures and calculates the frequency dependence to temperature changes (e.g., frequency-temperature coefficient). Based on the calculated temperature dependence, it adjusts the control signal of the oscillator 112 to compensate for frequency fluctuations due to temperature changes. For example, the control unit 111 calculates a frequency correction value by multiplying the difference between the current temperature and a reference temperature by the temperature dependence.

[0140] More specifically, the control unit 111 can perform temperature dependence calculation and frequency correction according to the flowchart shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart of temperature correction according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0141] [Step S201: N=0] The control unit 111 initializes the counter N to 0.

[0142] [Step S202: Increment N by one] The control unit 111 increments the counter N by one.

[0143] [Step S203: Evaluate temperature and frequency and associate with set frequency code] The control unit 111 measures the temperature TempN using the temperature sensor 16 and measures the actual frequency FreqN of the oscillator 112. It also associates and stores the frequency code FcodeN that is set for the oscillator 112 at that time.

[0144] [Step S204: Does FcodeN match any of the past Fcode1 to FcodeN-1?] The control unit 111 determines whether the current frequency code FcodeN matches any of the past frequency codes Fcode1 to FcodeN-1. If they do not match (NO in step S204), the unit returns to step S202. If they do match (YES in step S204), the unit proceeds to step S205.

[0145] [Step S205: Are the two sets of matching Fcodes different temperatures?] The control unit 111 compares the measured temperatures of the two sets of matching Fcodes (for example, FcodeN and FcodeK (K < N)) and determines whether the temperatures are different or not. If the temperatures are the same (NO in step S205), the unit returns to step S202. If the temperatures are different (YES in step S205), the unit proceeds to step S206.

[0146] [Step S206: Calculate temperature dependence] The control unit 111 calculates the temperature dependence ΔFreq / ΔTemp from two sets of measurement results where Fcode matches. For example, if FcodeN and FcodeK match and TempN≠TempK, the temperature dependence is calculated by the following equation (1).

[0147] ΔFreq / ΔTemp=(FreqN-FreqK) / (TempN-TempK)...(1)

[0148] [Step S207: Evaluate temperature and perform correction] The control unit 111 measures the current temperature Temp using the temperature sensor 16 and corrects the frequency using the temperature dependence calculated in step S206. For example, if the current temperature is TempN, the frequency correction value ΔFreq is calculated using the following equation (2).

[0149] ΔFreq=(ΔFreq / ΔTemp)×(Temp−TempN) (2)

[0150] The control unit 111 corrects the frequency of the oscillator 112 based on the calculated correction value ΔFreq.

[0151] Similar to the temperature compensation described above, the control unit 111 can correct the frequency of the oscillator 112 based on the power supply voltage measured by the power supply sensor 17. Specifically, in normal transmission mode, the control unit 111 measures the frequency of the oscillator 112 at different power supply voltages and calculates the frequency dependence (e.g., frequency-voltage coefficient) to fluctuations in the power supply voltage. Then, based on the calculated power supply voltage dependence, it adjusts the control signal of the oscillator 112 to compensate for frequency fluctuations caused by fluctuations in the power supply voltage. For example, the control unit 111 calculates a frequency correction value by multiplying the difference between the current power supply voltage and a reference voltage by the power supply voltage dependence.

[0152] Furthermore, the control unit 111 may correct the frequency of the oscillator 112 by combining temperature compensation and power supply compensation. This makes it possible to stabilize the frequency with higher precision against both temperature changes and power supply fluctuations.

[0153] Temperature dependence and power supply voltage dependence may be measured in advance and stored in the memory unit 15, or they may be calculated dynamically in normal transmission mode. Furthermore, these dependencies may be stored in a table format, or they may be calculated using an approximation formula.

[0154] According to the transmitting device of this embodiment, high-precision frequency control can be achieved and high-quality data transmission can be maintained by compensating for frequency fluctuations of the oscillator 112 due to temperature changes and fluctuations in power supply voltage.

[0155] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the fourth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0156] [5. Fifth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 5 of the Transmitting and Receiving System)] An example of the configuration of the transmitting device 10A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of the Technology.

[0157] As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the transmitting device 10A further includes a machine learning model 18. The machine learning model 18 takes at least one of the temperature change (change in temperature information) measured by the temperature sensor 16 and the power supply fluctuation (fluctuation in power supply voltage information) measured by the power supply sensor 17 as input, and outputs a frequency correction value for correcting the frequency of the oscillator 112 based on these input values. The machine learning model 18 is constructed using algorithms such as neural networks, decision trees, and support vector machines.

[0158] The machine learning model 18 is trained in advance using training data. The training data includes, for example, the frequency of the oscillator 112 measured under various temperature and power supply voltage conditions, the temperature and power supply voltage at those times, and a frequency correction value for correcting the frequency to a desired value. Using this training data, the machine learning model 18 learns the relationship between at least one of the temperature change and power supply fluctuations and the frequency correction value.

[0159] In normal transmission mode, the control unit 111 inputs information acquired from at least one of the temperature sensor 16 and the power sensor 17 into a machine learning model and corrects the frequency of the oscillator 112 using the frequency correction value output from the machine learning model.

[0160] For example, at times t1, t2, t5, t6, t9, and t10 in Figure 3, the control unit 111 acquires temperature information measured using the temperature sensor 16 and power supply voltage information measured using the power supply sensor 17, and inputs this information into the machine learning model 18. Then, it adjusts the control signal of the oscillator 112 using the frequency correction value output from the machine learning model 18.

[0161] In this way, by using the machine learning model 18, it is possible to achieve highly accurate frequency correction that takes into account the nonlinear characteristics of frequency fluctuations in response to temperature changes and power supply fluctuations, as well as the interaction between temperature and power supply voltage.

[0162] The machine learning model 18 may be pre-trained during the manufacturing of the transmitter 10A, or it may be trained online while the transmitter 10A is in operation. In the case of online training, the control unit 111 updates the machine learning model 18 in normal transmission mode based on information obtained from the temperature sensor 16 and the power sensor 17, and the actual frequency measurement results.

[0163] Furthermore, the machine learning model 18 may be stored in the memory of the transmitting device 10A (for example, the storage unit 15), or it may be stored on an external server or the like, and the transmitting device 10A may access it as needed.

[0164] According to the transmitting device 10A of this embodiment, by correcting the frequency of the oscillator 112 using a machine learning model 18, frequency fluctuations due to temperature changes and power supply fluctuations can be compensated with high accuracy, thereby realizing high-quality data transmission. This is particularly effective when the characteristics of frequency fluctuations due to temperature changes and power supply fluctuations are complex or exhibit nonlinear characteristics.

[0165] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the fifth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0166] [6. Sixth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 6 of the Transmitting and Receiving System)] An example of the configuration of the transmitting device 10A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of the Technology.

[0167] As shown in Figure 8, in this embodiment, the receiving device 10B further includes an error detection unit 19 that evaluates the transmission quality of the data transmitted by the data transmission unit 115. The error detection unit 19 detects the occurrence of a transmission error by, for example, analyzing the data transmitted from the transmitting device 10A. As a method for detecting a transmission error, techniques such as parity checks, CRC (cyclic redundancy check), and checksums can be used.

[0168] The control unit 111 monitors the frequency and severity of errors detected by the error detection unit 19, and resets the transmission / reception system 1, including the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B, when the frequency and severity of errors exceed a predetermined threshold (i.e., when a certain number of errors are detected).

[0169] Here, the overall operation flow of the transmitting and receiving devices will be explained with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0170] [Step S301: Initial Calibration] When the transmitting device 10A is started up, the control unit 111 performs initial calibration of the oscillator 112. Specifically, the control unit 111 adjusts the control signal so that the frequency of the oscillator 112 becomes a desired frequency, based on the control signal transmitted from an external device (for example, the receiving device 10B).

[0171] [Step S302: Normal Operation] After initial calibration, the transmitting device 10A switches to normal operation. In normal operation, the data transmission unit 115 transmits a data signal to the receiving device 10B that is synchronized using a clock signal.

[0172] [Step S303: Monitoring the occurrence of transmission errors] The error detection unit 19 monitors the occurrence of transmission errors.

[0173] [Step S304: Has a certain level of error been detected?] If the frequency or severity of errors detected by the error detection unit 19 exceeds a predetermined threshold (YES in step S304, i.e., if a certain level of error has been detected), the control unit 111 of the transmitting device 10A returns to step S301 and restarts from the initial calibration.

[0174] Specifically, the control unit 111 resets the control signals stored in the memory unit 15 and restarts the initial calibration, or performs frequency control that is different from the normal procedure (for example, increasing the frequency correction amount or increasing the frequency correction frequency).

[0175] For example, referring to Figure 3, in the normal transmission mode, the error detection unit 19 monitors transmission errors, and if the frequency of errors exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 111 makes a determination. The control unit 111 checks the occurrence of transmission errors separately from frequency correction at timings such as t2, t6, and t10. If it determines that a certain number of errors have been detected, the control unit 111 resets the control signals stored in the memory unit 15 and performs a process equivalent to initial calibration. In this initial calibration process, the frequency of the clock signal output by the oscillator 112 is adjusted to a desired value in cooperation with an external device (for example, the transmitter 10A). After that, the system transitions to the normal transmission mode, and frequency evaluation is performed as in t1, t5, and t9.

[0176] [Step S305: Is there an instruction to transition to standby state?] Returning to the explanation of Figure 9, if the frequency and severity of errors do not exceed the threshold (NO in step S304), the transmitter 10A proceeds to step S305 to determine whether or not there is an instruction to transition to standby state. If there is an instruction to transition to standby state (YES in step S305), the transmitter 10A transitions to correction information writing mode and writes correction information based on the frequency evaluation result to the storage unit 15, which is a non-volatile memory (step S306). Subsequently, in step S307, the transmitter 10A transitions to standby state.

[0177] In step S308, when the transmitting device 10A returns from standby mode, in step S309 it transitions to correction information reading mode and reads the correction information written to the storage unit 15. Then, in step S310, the transmitting device 10A controls the oscillator 112 using the read correction information and transitions to normal transmission mode.

[0178] If there is no instruction to transition to standby mode in step S305, the transmitting device 10A returns to step S303 and continues monitoring for transmission errors.

[0179] In this way, by resetting the system according to the occurrence of transmission errors, the deterioration of transmission quality can be suppressed and stable data transmission can be maintained. For example, even if the frequency of the oscillator 112 fluctuates greatly due to disturbances, the frequency can be quickly restored to an appropriate value.

[0180] Furthermore, if an error exceeding a certain level is detected, the control unit 111 may not only reset the system but also take other measures (for example, increasing the transmission power, lowering the communication rate, requesting retransmission, etc.).

[0181] Thus, the transmission / reception system 1 according to this embodiment can suppress deterioration of transmission quality and maintain stable data transmission by monitoring the occurrence of transmission errors and performing processing equivalent to initial calibration as necessary.

[0182] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the sixth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0183] [7. Seventh Embodiment of the Technology (Example 7 of the Transmitting and Receiving System)] In this embodiment, in communication between the transmitting device 10A and an external device (for example, the receiving device 10B), the communication path for transmitting data signals and the communication path for transmitting control signals are shared. That is, the communication path through which the data transmitting unit 115 transmits data signals and the communication path through which the control signal receiving unit receives control signals are physically and logically identical. Data signals and control signals are transmitted and received via the same communication path.

[0184] An example of the configuration of the transmitting device 10A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0185] For example, as shown in Figure 10, a configuration is possible in which the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B are connected by a single transmission line 30a. In this case, the data transmitting unit 115 and the register signal receiving unit (an example of a control signal receiving unit) 114 share the transmission line 30 to send and receive data signals and control signals.

[0186] To achieve such a configuration, bidirectional communication technologies such as time-division bidirectional communication and frequency-division bidirectional communication are used. In time-division bidirectional communication, the time axis is divided into multiple slots, and bidirectional communication using a single communication channel is achieved by switching the transmission direction and reception direction for each slot. In frequency-division bidirectional communication, bidirectional communication using a single communication channel is achieved by assigning different frequency bands to the transmission direction and reception direction.

[0187] In this way, by transmitting and receiving data signals and control signals over the same communication channel, the number of communication channels can be reduced, contributing to miniaturization, cost reduction, and reduced wiring of the device. In particular, it has a significant effect in reducing the cost of cables and connectors connecting the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B.

[0188] Furthermore, transmitting and receiving data signals and control signals over the same communication channel offers the advantage of easier synchronization between the two. For example, when using a time-division bidirectional communication method, data signals and control signals can be transmitted and received using the same timing reference, making synchronization control easier.

[0189] According to the transmitting device of this embodiment, by transmitting and receiving data signals and control signals on the same communication path, the number of communication paths can be reduced, resulting in a smaller device, lower costs, and reduced wiring.

[0190] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the seventh embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0191] [8. Eighth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 8 of the Transmitting and Receiving System)] In this embodiment, a so-called multi-lane transmission method is adopted, which uses multiple communication paths (lanes) for data communication between the transmitting device 10A and an external device (for example, the receiving device 10B). That is, the data transmission unit 115 transmits data signals via multiple communication paths.

[0192] An example of the configuration of the transmitting device 10A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0193] For example, as shown in Figure 11, a configuration is conceivable in which the transmitting device 10A is equipped with multiple data transmitting units 115A to 115N, and each data transmitting unit 115A to 115N is connected to the corresponding data receiving unit 133A to 133N of the receiving device 10B via different transmission lines 30a to 30n. In this case, the transmitting device 10A divides the data to be transmitted into multiple data streams and transmits each data stream in parallel from each data transmitting unit 115A to 115N via each transmission line 30a to 30n.

[0194] In this way, by transmitting data signals using multiple communication channels, it is possible to achieve faster data transmission compared to using a single communication channel. For example, if four communication channels are used, theoretically, it is possible to transmit data at four times the speed of using a single communication channel.

[0195] Furthermore, multi-lane transmission systems not only transmit different data to each communication channel, but also enable redundant data transmission. For example, by transmitting the same data to multiple communication channels, data transmission can continue using the functioning channels even if some channels fail.

[0196] Furthermore, multi-lane transmission systems allow for the transmission of signals with different characteristics across each communication channel. For example, it becomes possible to transmit high-speed data signals through some channels and low-speed but reliable data signals through others.

[0197] In this embodiment, the case where data signals are transmitted through multiple communication channels has been described, but a configuration in which control signals are transmitted through multiple communication channels is also possible. In this case, the time required for control can be shortened by transmitting multiple control signals simultaneously.

[0198] According to the transmitting device of this embodiment, high-speed data transmission can be achieved and system performance can be improved by transmitting data signals using multiple communication channels.

[0199] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the eighth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0200] [9. Ninth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 9 of a Transceiver System)] In this embodiment, the circuit constituting the oscillator 112 and the memory unit 15 that stores the control signals are integrated within the same semiconductor chip. That is, the memory unit 15 is a non-volatile memory monolithically integrated with the oscillator 112.

[0201] An example of the configuration of the transmitting device 10A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0202] For example, as shown in Figure 12, in the transmitting device 10A, the oscillator 112 and the memory unit 15 may be formed on the same semiconductor substrate 20. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 16 and the power sensor 17 may also be formed on the same semiconductor substrate 20 as the oscillator 112.

[0203] By arranging the memory unit 15 and the oscillator 112 on the same semiconductor substrate, the wiring length between the memory unit 15 and the oscillator 112 can be shortened, thereby suppressing signal propagation delay and waveform degradation. This enables high-speed readout of control signals and allows for rapid recovery from standby mode.

[0204] Furthermore, integrating the memory unit 15 and the oscillator 112 into the same chip makes it possible to miniaturize and reduce the cost of the transmitting device. In addition, it reduces the influence of external noise and contributes to improved reliability.

[0205] In this embodiment, the case in which the memory unit 15 and the oscillator 112 are arranged on the same semiconductor substrate has been described, but other circuits constituting the transmitting device, such as the control unit 111, may also be integrated on the same semiconductor substrate.

[0206] According to the transmitting device of this embodiment, by arranging the storage unit 15 and the oscillator 112 on the same semiconductor substrate, high-speed reading of control signals can be achieved, enabling rapid recovery from low-power modes including standby and power-off states, and contributing to miniaturization, cost reduction, and high reliability of the device.

[0207] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the ninth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0208] [10. Tenth Embodiment of the Technology (Example 10 of a Transmitting and Receiving System)] The receiving device in this embodiment is characterized by comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a clock signal; a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing control signals of an oscillator that oscillates the clock signal; and a signal transmitting unit for transmitting the control signals stored in the storage unit to an external device when returning to normal operation.

[0209] An example of the configuration of the receiving device 10B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transmitting and receiving system 1 according to one embodiment of this technology.

[0210] In this embodiment, a receiving device 10B that receives a clock signal transmitted from an external device (for example, a transmitting device 10A) will be described. As shown in Figure 13, the receiving device 10B includes a receiving unit 13, a storage unit 15, and a register signal transmitting unit (an example of a signal transmitting unit) 135, etc.

[0211] The receiving unit 13 receives the signal transmitted from the transmitting device 10A.

[0212] The memory unit 15 stores the control signals for the oscillator 112 provided in the transmitting device 10A. These control signals are for controlling the frequency of the clock signal oscillated by the oscillator 112, and are, for example, signals that specify the voltage value and current value to be supplied to the oscillator 112. The memory unit 15 is a rewritable non-volatile memory, and is composed of, for example, flash memory or EEPROM.

[0213] The operation of the receiving device will be explained in more detail using Figure 3. For example, at time t4, when the receiving device 10B returns to normal operation, the register signal transmission unit 135 reads a control signal from the storage unit 15 and transmits it to the transmitting device 10A. The transmitting device 10A receives the control signal transmitted from the receiving device 10B and uses the received control signal to control the oscillator 112. As a result, the transmitting device 10A can quickly resume normal operation without performing initial calibration.

[0214] Similarly, at time t8, when the receiving device 10B returns to normal operation, the register signal transmission unit 135 reads the control signal stored in the storage unit 15 and transmits it to the transmitting device 10A.

[0215] As described above, the receiving device 10B according to this embodiment stores the control signal of the oscillator 112 in a storage unit 15 provided on the receiving device 10B side, and transmits the control signal to the transmitting device 10A when it returns from low power consumption mode. As a result, the transmitting device 10A can quickly resume normal operation without performing initial calibration, thereby improving the responsiveness of the system and reducing power consumption.

[0216] In this embodiment, the timing at which the receiving device 10B stores the control signal in the storage unit 15 is not particularly limited. For example, the receiving device 10B may generate a control signal based on the received clock signal while receiving a clock signal from the transmitting device 10A, and store the generated control signal in the storage unit 15. Alternatively, the receiving device 10B may receive a control signal from the transmitting device 10A and store the received control signal in the storage unit 15.

[0217] According to the receiving device 10B of this embodiment, the control signal of the oscillator 112 is stored in the storage unit 15 provided on the receiving device 10B side, and when recovering from a low power consumption mode including standby state and power off state, the control signal is transmitted to the transmitting device 10A, thereby enabling a rapid resumption of normal operation in the transmitting device 10A and contributing to improved system responsiveness and reduced power consumption.

[0218] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the tenth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0219] [11. Eleventh Embodiment of the Technology (Example 11 of a Transmitting / Receiving System)] The transmitting / receiving system provided by the Technology comprises a transmitting device that transmits a predetermined signal and a receiving device that receives the predetermined signal, wherein the transmitting device has an oscillator that oscillates a clock signal which is one of the predetermined signals and a control unit that controls the oscillator using a control signal when returning to normal operation, and the receiving device has a receiving unit that receives the clock signal and a signal transmitting unit that transmits the control signal generated based on the clock signal to the transmitting device, and a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing the control signal is provided in at least one of the transmitting device and the receiving device.

[0220] This transmission and reception system may employ a source-synchronous method in which the transmitting device transmits a clock signal along with a data signal, and the receiving device operates in synchronization with the clock signal transmitted from the transmitting device.

[0221] In this embodiment, a transmitting and receiving system comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device is described. The transmitting device transmits a predetermined signal (for example, a data signal or a clock signal) to the receiving device. The receiving device receives the predetermined signal transmitted from the transmitting device.

[0222] The transmitting device includes an oscillator and a control unit. The oscillator oscillates a clock signal, which is one of the predetermined signals. The control unit controls the oscillator using a control signal when returning to normal operation. The control signal is, for example, a signal for controlling the frequency of the clock signal oscillated by the oscillator.

[0223] The receiving device comprises a receiving unit and a signal transmitting unit. The receiving unit receives a clock signal transmitted from the transmitting device. The signal transmitting unit transmits the control signal generated based on the clock signal received by the receiving unit to the transmitting device.

[0224] A rewritable, non-volatile storage unit for storing the control signals is provided in at least one of the transmitting device and the receiving device. That is, the storage unit may be provided in the transmitting device, or in the receiving device, or in both the transmitting device and the receiving device.

[0225] For example, as shown in Figure 1, the transmitting device 10A may include a storage unit 15. Also, as shown in Figure 13, the receiving device 10B may include a storage unit 15.

[0226] When the control unit 111 of the transmitting device 10A returns to normal operation from a low-power mode, including standby and power-off states, it reads control signals from the storage unit (storage unit 15 of the transmitting device or storage unit 15 of the receiving device, or both), and uses the read control signals to control the oscillator 112.

[0227] By providing a non-volatile memory for storing control signals in at least one of the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B, operation can be quickly resumed without performing initial calibration when returning to normal operation. This contributes to improved system responsiveness and reduced power consumption.

[0228] Furthermore, the transmitting / receiving system 1 can employ a source-synchronous method. In the source-synchronous method, the transmitting device 10A transmits a clock signal along with the data signal, and the receiving device 10B operates in synchronization with the clock signal transmitted from the transmitting device 10A.

[0229] The transmission and reception system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 14. Figure 14 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the transmission and reception system 1 according to this embodiment. The transmission and reception system 1 has a transmitting device 10A and a receiving device 10B, and performs data transmission using a source synchronous method.

[0230] As shown in Figure 14, the transmitting device 10A includes a transmitting unit 11, a control unit 111, an oscillator 112, and a storage unit 15. The transmitting unit 11 is connected to the oscillator 112 and transmits the first clock signal CLK1 generated by the oscillator 112 to the receiving device 10B along with the data signal. The transmitting unit 11 includes a clock signal transmitting unit 116 that transmits the first clock signal CLK1 and a data transmitting unit 115 that transmits the data signal.

[0231] The clock signal transmission unit 116 has a driver 116a connected to the output of the oscillator 112. The driver 116a, for example, outputs the single-ended first clock signal CLK1 input from the oscillator 112 in its single-ended form. This allows the transmission unit 11 to reduce the number of pins (terminals) used for input / output and other purposes.

[0232] Furthermore, if the driver 116a has a configuration such as a voltage follower, it can perform input / output impedance conversion, thereby keeping the output impedance low and improving the output current. As a result, malfunctions caused by a decrease in the signal level of the first clock signal CLK1 (i.e., a blurring of the signal waveform of the first clock signal CLK1) can be prevented in the transmission line connecting the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B.

[0233] Furthermore, the driver 116a can also be configured to convert the first clock signal CLK1 input from the oscillator 112 from single-ended to differential and transmit it to the receiving device 10B. In this case, the transmitting unit 11 has one more pin (terminal) compared to transmitting the first clock signal CLK1 in single-ended mode, but it becomes possible to transmit a higher frequency first clock signal CLK1 at a lower voltage.

[0234] The receiving device 10B includes a receiving unit 13 and a control unit 131, etc. The receiving unit 13 receives a first clock signal CLK1 and data signals transmitted from the transmitting device 10A. The receiving unit 13 includes a clock signal receiving unit 132 that receives the first clock signal CLK1 and a data receiving unit 133 that receives the data signals. In this embodiment, the transmitting device 10A is an example of an external device for the receiving device 10B.

[0235] The clock signal receiving unit 132 has a driver 132a connected to the clock signal transmitting unit 116. The driver 132a is connected to the driver 116a of the clock signal transmitting unit 116. The driver 132a amplifies the input first clock signal CLK1 and outputs it to the subsequent circuit.

[0236] Furthermore, if the driver 116a of the clock signal transmission unit 116 is configured to output a differential first clock signal CLK1, the driver 132a can also be configured to convert the differentially transmitted first clock signal CLK1 into a single-ended signal and output it to the subsequent circuit.

[0237] The data receiving unit 133 has a data synchronization unit 133b that temporarily holds the data signal transmitted from the transmitting device 10A in synchronization with the first clock signal CLK1. The data synchronization unit 133b is composed of, for example, a flip-flop circuit, and its input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the driver 132a.

[0238] There is a possibility that the data signal transmitted from the transmitter 10A and the first clock signal CLK1 are out of phase. The data synchronization unit 133b adjusts the phase between the data signal and the first clock signal CLK1 by temporarily holding (latching) the data signal in synchronization with the first clock signal CLK1, thereby appropriately sampling the data signal. In this way, the data synchronization unit 133b functions as a phase adjustment unit.

[0239] The data receiving unit 133 has a frequency divider 133c that divides the frequency of the received first clock signal CLK1 to generate a second clock signal CLK2 which has a lower frequency than the first clock signal CLK1. The frequency divider 133c has the same configuration as the frequency divider 115a provided in the data transmission unit 115 of the transmitting device 10A, and divides the frequency of the first clock signal CLK1 to generate a second clock signal CLK2 which has the same frequency as the second clock signal CLK2 generated by the frequency divider 115a.

[0240] The data receiving unit 133 has a series-parallel conversion unit 133d that converts a serial data signal input from the transmitting device 10A in synchronization with the first clock signal CLK1 into a parallel data signal synchronized with the second clock signal CLK2. The series-parallel conversion unit 133d converts the serial data signal, which is temporarily held by the data synchronization unit 133b, into a parallel data signal synchronized with the second clock signal CLK2 generated by the frequency divider 133c.

[0241] In the source-synchronous method employed in this embodiment, the receiving device 10B samples the data signal in synchronization with the received clock signal, thereby enabling high-precision data reception. Furthermore, since there is no need to consider clock skew between the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B, it is suitable for high-speed data transmission.

[0242] Furthermore, according to the transmission / reception system 1 of this embodiment, the control signal for the oscillator 112 is stored in a memory unit provided in at least one of the transmitting device 10A and the receiving device 10B. When recovering from a low-power consumption mode, including a standby state and a power-off state, the oscillator 112 is controlled using this control signal, thereby enabling rapid restart of operation and contributing to improved system responsiveness and reduced power consumption.

[0243] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the 11th embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0244] [12. Twelfth Embodiment of the Technology (Application Example 1 of the Transmitting and Receiving System)] The transmitting device 10A of the Technology is applied to an image sensor. This will be explained with reference to Figure 15. Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an application example of the transmitting device 10A according to one embodiment of the Technology. This figure is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an image sensor 40 and an application processor 50, which is an example of a receiving device connected thereto, according to the Technology.

[0245] The image sensor 40 comprises an imaging unit 41, an A / D conversion unit 42, a signal processing unit 43, and a transmission device 10A. The image sensor 40 is also connected to the application processor 50 via a transmission line.

[0246] The imaging unit 41 has an imaging area in which multiple pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and generates an image signal by converting light from the subject into photoelectric light.

[0247] The A / D conversion unit 42 converts the analog image signal output from the imaging unit 41 into a digital signal.

[0248] The signal processing unit 43 performs various signal processing operations (for example, white balance adjustment, gamma correction, noise reduction, etc.) on the digital signal output from the A / D conversion unit 42.

[0249] The transmitting device 10A transmits image data output from the signal processing unit 43 to the application processor 50 via a transmission line. The transmitting device 10A includes an oscillator 112, a control unit 111, and a storage unit 15, and controls the oscillator 112 using control signals stored in the storage unit 15 when returning from standby to normal operation.

[0250] The application processor 50 is an example of a receiving device in this embodiment, and receives image data transmitted from the image sensor 40 via the transmission line, and performs image processing, display processing, etc.

[0251] In this embodiment, the transmitting device 10A may be integrated inside the image sensor 40, or it may be configured as a separate chip from the image sensor 40 and connected to the image sensor 40. The application processor 50 is, for example, a processor mounted in a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0252] The image sensor 40 generates a massive amount of image data from the imaging unit 41, and high-speed transmission is required. In particular, with the increasing resolution and frame rates in recent years, speeding up data transmission has become a crucial issue.

[0253] By applying the transmitter 10A according to this embodiment to the image sensor 40, rapid recovery from low-power modes, including standby and power-off states, becomes possible, contributing to lower power consumption of intermittently operating image sensors. For example, power consumption can be reduced by putting the transmitter 10A into low-power mode during the period between image captures. Furthermore, high-speed data transmission becomes possible, enabling support for higher resolution and higher frame rates. In addition, highly reliable data transmission is achieved by accurately compensating for frequency fluctuations due to temperature changes and power supply fluctuations, contributing to improved image quality.

[0254] In this embodiment, a CMOS image sensor was used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to other types of image sensors, such as CCD image sensors.

[0255] According to the image sensor of this embodiment, by using the transmitting device 10A, high-speed and highly reliable data transmission can be achieved, contributing to improved image quality and reduced power consumption.

[0256] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the twelfth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0257] [13. Thirteenth Embodiment of the Technology (Application Example 2 of the Transmitting and Receiving System)] The transmitting device 10A of the Technology is applied to a SPAD sensor. This will be explained with reference to Figure 16. Figure 16 is a block diagram showing an application example of the transmitting device 10A according to one embodiment of the Technology. This figure is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the SPAD sensor 60, laser driver 70, laser 80, and application processor 50, which is an example of a receiving device, according to the Technology.

[0258] The SPAD sensor 60 comprises a SPAD element 61, a TDC (Time to Digital Converter) 62, and a transmitting device 10A. The control unit 111 of the transmitting device 10A is connected to the laser driver 70 via a transmission line and controls the emission timing of the laser 80.

[0259] The SPAD element 61 is a photodiode or the like that detects photons, detects the avalanche multiplication generated by the incident photon, and outputs a pulse signal.

[0260] TDC63 converts the generation time of the pulse signal output from SPAD element61 into digital data.

[0261] The transmitting device 10A transmits the digital data output from the TDC 63 to the application processor 50. The application processor 50 may be a processor that performs processing such as distance measurement, photon counting, and image reconstruction using the data output from the SPAD sensor 60, or a recording device that records the data, and corresponds to the receiving device in this embodiment.

[0262] The transmitting device 10A comprises an oscillator (not shown), a control unit (not shown), and a memory unit (not shown). When returning from standby to normal operation, it controls the oscillator using control signals stored in the memory unit. The control unit also controls the laser driver 70 and outputs a signal to control the timing of laser emission of the laser 80.

[0263] The laser driver 70 drives the laser 80 and emits laser light based on a control signal from the control unit 111 of the transmitting device 10A.

[0264] The laser 80 is driven by the laser driver 70 and emits laser light towards an external object (for example, an object to be measured or a device to which communication is being made).

[0265] In this embodiment, the transmitting device 10A, the laser driver 70, and the laser 80 may be integrated inside the SPAD sensor 60, or they may be configured as separate chips from the SPAD sensor 60 and connected to the SPAD sensor 60.

[0266] In this configuration, for example, when constructing a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system, the control unit controls the laser driver 70 to emit pulsed laser light from the laser 80, and the reflected light is detected by the SPAD element 61. The TDC 63 then measures the time difference between the laser light emission timing and the reflected light detection timing, and the transmitting device 10A transmits this time difference data to the application processor 50. The application processor 50 calculates the distance to the target object based on the received time difference data.

[0267] Furthermore, when constructing an optical communication system, the control unit 111 controls the laser driver 70 to emit laser light from the laser 80 in a pattern corresponding to the data to be transmitted. The light-receiving element (e.g., a photodiode) of the communication partner device then detects the laser light and demodulates the data. In this case, the SPAD sensor 60 is expected to be used for establishing synchronization with the communication partner device and for evaluating transmission quality.

[0268] The SPAD sensor 60 is a highly sensitive optical sensor capable of detecting photons one by one, and is used, for example, in LiDAR and medical imaging devices. Because the SPAD sensor 60 requires high-precision measurement of the photon detection time, increasing the speed and accuracy of data transmission are crucial challenges.

[0269] By applying the transmitter 10A according to this embodiment to the SPAD sensor 60, rapid recovery from low-power modes, including standby and power-off states, becomes possible, contributing to lower power consumption of the intermittently operating SPAD sensor. For example, power consumption can be reduced by putting the transmitter 10A into standby mode during the period between photon detections. Furthermore, high-speed data transmission becomes possible, improving the time resolution of photon detection.

[0270] Furthermore, by accurately compensating for frequency fluctuations caused by temperature changes and power supply fluctuations, highly reliable data transmission is achieved, contributing to improved distance measurement accuracy and image quality.

[0271] In this embodiment, a SPAD sensor 60 equipped with one SPAD element 61 was described as an example, but this technology is not limited to this and can also be applied to SPAD image sensors in which multiple SPAD elements are arranged in an array. According to the SPAD sensor of this embodiment, by using the transmitting device 10A, high-speed and highly reliable data transmission can be achieved, contributing to improved performance (for example, high accuracy and high sensitivity) and low power consumption.

[0272] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the twelfth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0273] [14. Fourteenth Embodiment of the Technology (Application Example 3 of the Transmitting and Receiving System)] The technology can be applied to various products. For example, the technology may be applied to a system for acquiring in-vivo information of a patient using a capsule endoscope.

[0274] Figure 17 shows an example of a schematic configuration of an internal body information acquisition system 5400 to which the technology relating to this disclosure may be applied. Referring to Figure 17, the internal body information acquisition system 5400 consists of a capsule endoscope 5401 and an external control device 5423 that comprehensively controls the operation of the internal body information acquisition system 5400. During the examination, the capsule endoscope 5401 is swallowed by the patient. The capsule endoscope 5401 has an imaging function and a wireless communication function, and while moving inside organs such as the stomach and intestines by peristaltic movement until it is naturally expelled from the patient, it sequentially captures images of the inside of the organs (hereinafter also referred to as internal images) at predetermined intervals, and sequentially transmits information about the internal images wirelessly to the external control device 5423 outside the body. Based on the information about the received internal images, the external control device 5423 generates image data for displaying the internal images on a display device (not shown). In this way, the internal body information acquisition system 5400 can continuously obtain images of the patient's internal condition from the time the capsule endoscope 5401 is swallowed until it is expelled.

[0275] The configuration and functions of the capsule endoscope 5401 and the external control device 5423 will be described in more detail. As shown in the figure, the capsule endoscope 5401 is configured by mounting the functions of a light source unit 5405, an imaging unit 5407, an image processing unit 5409, a wireless communication unit 5411, a power supply unit 5415, a power supply unit 5417, a state detection unit 5419, and a control unit 5421 within a capsule-shaped housing 5403.

[0276] The light source unit 5405 is composed of a light source such as an LED (light-emitting diode) and illuminates the imaging field of view of the imaging unit 5407 with light.

[0277] The imaging unit 5407 is composed of an image sensor and an optical system consisting of a plurality of lenses provided in front of the image sensor. The reflected light (hereinafter referred to as observation light) irradiated onto the body tissue to be observed is focused by the optical system and incident on the image sensor. The image sensor receives the observation light and performs photoelectric conversion to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the observation light, i.e., an image signal corresponding to the observed image. The image signal generated by the imaging unit 5407 is provided to the image processing unit 5409. Various known image sensors, such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, may be used as the image sensor of the imaging unit 5407.

[0278] The image processing unit 5409 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and performs various signal processing on the image signal generated by the imaging unit 5407. This signal processing may be the minimum processing necessary to transmit the image signal to the external control device 5423 (for example, image data compression, frame rate conversion, data rate conversion, and / or format conversion). By configuring the image processing unit 5409 to perform only the minimum necessary processing, the image processing unit 5409 can be realized in a smaller size and with lower power consumption, making it suitable for the capsule endoscope 5401. However, if there is sufficient space and power consumption within the housing 5403, further signal processing (for example, noise reduction processing or other image quality enhancement processing) may be performed in the image processing unit 5409. The image processing unit 5409 provides the signal-processed image signal to the wireless communication unit 5411 as RAW data. Furthermore, if the state detection unit 5419 has acquired information about the state of the capsule endoscope 5401 (such as movement or posture), the image processing unit 5409 may provide the image signal to the wireless communication unit 5411 in association with that information. This makes it possible to associate the captured image with the position within the body where the image was taken and the direction in which the image was taken.

[0279] The wireless communication unit 5411 is comprised of a communication device capable of sending and receiving various types of information with the external control device 5423. This communication device consists of an antenna 5413 and processing circuits that perform modulation processing and other operations for signal transmission and reception. The wireless communication unit 5411 performs predetermined processing, such as modulation processing, on the image signal processed by the image processing unit 5409, and transmits the image signal to the external control device 5423 via the antenna 5413. The wireless communication unit 5411 also receives control signals related to the drive control of the capsule endoscope 5401 from the external control device 5423 via the antenna 5413. The wireless communication unit 5411 provides the received control signals to the control unit 5421.

[0280] The power supply unit 5415 consists of an antenna coil for receiving power, a power regeneration circuit that regenerates power from the current generated in the antenna coil, and a boost circuit, etc. Power is generated in the power supply unit 5415 using the principle of so-called contactless charging. Specifically, when a magnetic field (electromagnetic wave) of a predetermined frequency is applied to the antenna coil of the power supply unit 5415 from an external source, an induced electromotive force is generated in the antenna coil. This electromagnetic wave may be, for example, a carrier wave transmitted from an external control device 5423 via the antenna 5425. Power is regenerated from this induced electromotive force by the power regeneration circuit, and its potential is appropriately adjusted in the boost circuit to generate power for storage. The power generated by the power supply unit 5415 is stored in the power supply unit 5417.

[0281] The power supply unit 5417 is composed of a secondary battery and stores the power generated by the power supply unit 5415. In Figure 17, to avoid making the diagram complicated, arrows and other symbols indicating the destinations of the power supply from the power supply unit 5417 are omitted, but the power stored in the power supply unit 5417 can be supplied to the light source unit 5405, the imaging unit 5407, the image processing unit 5409, the wireless communication unit 5411, the state detection unit 5419, and the control unit 5421, and used to drive them.

[0282] The state detection unit 5419 is composed of sensors for detecting the state of the capsule endoscope 5401, such as an acceleration sensor and / or a gyroscope. The state detection unit 5419 can acquire information about the state of the capsule endoscope 5401 from the detection results of the sensors. The state detection unit 5419 provides the acquired information about the state of the capsule endoscope 5401 to the image processing unit 5409. In the image processing unit 5409, as described above, the information about the state of the capsule endoscope 5401 can be associated with an image signal.

[0283] The control unit 5421 is composed of a processor such as a CPU and comprehensively controls the operation of the capsule endoscope 5401 by operating according to a predetermined program. The control unit 5421 realizes the functions of each part described above by appropriately controlling the drive of the light source unit 5405, imaging unit 5407, image processing unit 5409, wireless communication unit 5411, power supply unit 5415, power supply unit 5417, and state detection unit 5419 according to control signals transmitted from the external control device 5423.

[0284] The external control device 5423 may be a processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a microcontroller or control board that combines a processor and memory elements such as memory. The external control device 5423 has an antenna 5425 and is configured to send and receive various types of information to and from the capsule endoscope 5401 via the antenna 5425. Specifically, the external control device 5423 controls the operation of the capsule endoscope 5401 by transmitting control signals to the control unit 5421 of the capsule endoscope 5401. For example, the control signals from the external control device 5423 may change the light irradiation conditions for the object being observed in the light source unit 5405. Also, the control signals from the external control device 5423 may change the imaging conditions (e.g., frame rate, exposure value, etc. in the imaging unit 5407). Furthermore, the control signals from the external control device 5423 may change the processing content in the image processing unit 5409 or the conditions under which the wireless communication unit 5411 transmits image signals (e.g., transmission interval, number of transmitted images, etc.).

[0285] Furthermore, the external control device 5423 applies various image processing to the image signal transmitted from the capsule endoscope 5401 to generate image data for displaying the captured in-body image on a display device. Such image processing may include various known signal processing methods, such as development (demosaic processing), image enhancement (bandwidth enhancement, super-resolution processing, NR (Noise reduction) processing, and / or image stabilization processing), and / or magnification (electronic zoom processing). The external control device 5423 controls the drive of a display device (not shown) to display the captured in-body image based on the generated image data. Alternatively, the external control device 5423 may record the generated image data in a recording device (not shown) or print it out using a printing device (not shown).

[0286] The above describes an example of an internal body information acquisition system 5400 to which this technology may be applied. The technology relating to this disclosure can be used in the interface between the imaging unit 10112 and the image processing unit 10113 in the configuration described above.

[0287] The above description of the transmission / reception system according to the thirteenth embodiment of this technology can be applied to other embodiments of this technology, unless there are any particular technical inconsistencies.

[0288] Furthermore, the embodiments relating to this technology are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of this technology. The specific numerical values, shapes, materials (including composition), etc. described in each embodiment are examples only and are not limited thereto.

[0289] Furthermore, this technology can also take the following configurations: [1] A transmitting device comprising: an oscillator that oscillates a clock signal; a rewritable non-volatile memory unit that stores control signals for the oscillator; and a control unit that controls the oscillator using the control signals stored in the memory unit when returning to normal operation. [2] The transmitting device according to [1], wherein the memory unit stores a moving average of several past control signals, and the control unit controls the frequency of the oscillator using the moving average. [3] The transmitting device according to [1] or [2], wherein the control unit does not write or read the control signals to the memory unit if the time until it returns to normal operation is less than a predetermined time. [4] The transmitting device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the control unit corrects the frequency of the oscillator based on at least one of temperature changes around the oscillator and power supply fluctuations. [5] The transmitting device according to [4], wherein the control unit calculates the frequency dependence based on the temperature change and corrects the frequency based on the calculation result. [6] The transmitting device according to [4], wherein the control unit calculates the frequency dependence based on the power supply fluctuation and corrects the frequency based on the calculation result. [7] The transmitting device according to any one of [4] to [6], wherein the control unit is equipped with a machine learning model that takes at least one of the temperature change and the power supply fluctuation as input and outputs a frequency correction value based on the input, and the control unit corrects the frequency using the machine learning model. [8] The transmitting device according to any one of [1] to [7], further comprising a data transmission unit that transmits a data signal synchronized using the clock signal to an external device, wherein the data transmission unit transmits the data signal with the clock signal embedded to the external device. [9] The transmitting device according to [8], further comprising a control signal receiving unit that receives a control signal for controlling the clock signal transmitted from an external device.

[10] The transmitting device according to [9], wherein the data signal and the control signal are transmitted and received via different communication channels.

[11] The transmitting device according to [9], wherein the data signal and the control signal are transmitted and received via the same communication channel.

[12] The transmitting device according to [9], wherein the data signal is transmitted to the external device via a plurality of communication paths.

[13] The transmitting device according to any one of [1] to

[12] , wherein the storage unit is arranged on the same semiconductor substrate as the oscillator.

[14] The transmitting device according to any one of [1] to

[13] , applicable to an image sensor.

[15] The transmitting device according to any one of [1] to

[14] , applicable to a SPAD sensor.

[16] The receiving device comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a clock signal; a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing control signals of an oscillator that oscillates the clock signal; and a signal transmitting unit for transmitting the control signals stored in the storage unit to an external device when returning to normal operation.

[17] A transmitting and receiving system comprising: a transmitting device that transmits a predetermined signal; and a receiving device that receives the predetermined signal, wherein the transmitting device comprises: an oscillator that oscillates a clock signal which is one of the predetermined signals; and a control unit that controls the oscillator using a control signal when returning to normal operation; wherein the receiving device comprises: a receiving unit that receives the clock signal; and a signal transmitting unit that transmits the control signal generated based on the clock signal to the transmitting device; and a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing the control signal is provided in at least one of the transmitting device and the receiving device.

[18] The transmitting and receiving system according to

[17] , further comprising: an error detection unit for evaluating transmission quality, wherein the control unit resets the system including the transmitting device and the receiving device when an error of a certain level or more is detected.

[19] The transmitting and receiving system according to

[17] , wherein the transmitting device transmits a clock signal together with a data signal; and the receiving device employs a source-synchronous method in which it operates in synchronization with the clock signal transmitted from the transmitting device.

[0290] 1 Transmitting and Receiving System 10A Transmitting Device 10B Receiving Device 11 Transmitting Unit 111 Control Unit 112 Oscillator 113 Register 114 Register Signal Receiving Unit (Example of Control Signal Receiving Unit) 115, 115A-N Data Transmission Unit 116 Clock Signal Transmission Unit 12 Data Source 13 Receiving Unit 131 Control Unit 132 Clock Signal Receiving Unit 133, 133A-N Data Receiving Unit 134 Signal Generation Unit 135 Register Signal Transmission Unit 14 Data Processing Unit 15 Storage Unit 16 Temperature Sensor 17 Power Sensor 18 Machine Learning Model 19 Detection Unit 20 Semiconductor Substrate 40 Image Sensor 50 Application Processor 60 SPAD Sensor 70 Laser Driver 80 Laser

Claims

1. A transmitting device comprising: an oscillator that generates a clock signal; a rewritable non-volatile memory unit that stores control signals for the oscillator; and a control unit that controls the oscillator using the control signals stored in the memory unit when returning to normal operation.

2. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores a moving average of the control signals from multiple past instances, and the control unit controls the frequency of the oscillator using the moving average.

3. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein if the time until the control unit returns to normal operation is less than a predetermined time, the control unit does not write or read the control signal to the storage unit.

4. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit corrects the frequency of the oscillator based on at least one of a temperature change around the oscillator and a power supply fluctuation.

5. The transmitting device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit calculates the dependence of the frequency on the temperature change and corrects the frequency based on the calculation result.

6. The transmitting device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit calculates the dependence of the frequency on the power supply fluctuation and corrects the frequency based on the calculation result.

7. The transmitting device according to claim 4, comprising a machine learning model that takes at least one of the temperature change and the power supply fluctuation as input and outputs a frequency correction value based on the input, wherein the control unit corrects the frequency using the machine learning model.

8. The transmitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a data transmission unit that transmits a data signal synchronized using the clock signal to an external device, wherein the data transmission unit transmits the data signal with the clock signal embedded to the external device.

9. The transmitting device according to claim 8, further comprising a control signal receiving unit that receives a control signal for controlling the clock signal transmitted from an external device.

10. The transmitting device according to claim 9, wherein the data signal and the control signal are transmitted and received via different communication paths.

11. The transmitting device according to claim 9, wherein the data signal and the control signal are transmitted and received via the same communication channel.

12. The transmitting device according to claim 9, wherein the data signal is transmitted to the external device via a plurality of communication channels.

13. The transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is arranged on the same semiconductor substrate as the oscillator.

14. The transmitting device according to claim 1, applicable to an image sensor.

15. The transmitting device according to claim 1, applicable to a SPAD sensor.

16. A receiving device comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a clock signal; a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing control signals of an oscillator that generates the clock signal; and a signal transmitting unit for transmitting the control signals stored in the storage unit to an external device when returning to normal operation.

17. A transmitting and receiving system comprising: a transmitting device that transmits a predetermined signal; and a receiving device that receives the predetermined signal, wherein the transmitting device has an oscillator that oscillates a clock signal which is one of the predetermined signals; and a control unit that controls the oscillator using a control signal when returning to normal operation; wherein the receiving device has a receiving unit that receives the clock signal; and a signal transmitting unit that transmits the control signal generated based on the clock signal to the transmitting device; and a rewritable non-volatile storage unit for storing the control signal is provided in at least one of the transmitting device and the receiving device.

18. The transmission and reception system according to claim 17, further comprising an error detection unit for evaluating transmission quality, wherein the control unit resets the system including the transmitting device and the receiving device when an error exceeding a certain level is detected.

19. The transmitting and receiving system according to claim 17, wherein the transmitting device transmits a clock signal together with a data signal, and the receiving device employs a source-synchronous method in which it operates in synchronization with the clock signal transmitted from the transmitting device.

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