Communication Device Error Detection for Bus Signal Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Communication failures occur when devices fail to detect errors in signal transmission, leading to incorrect interpretation of communication start and stop conditions, resulting in unreliable communication.

Innovation Solution

A communication device and method that includes error detection units to monitor signal lines for errors, using specific error detection methods for frame headers and data transmission, and adaptive countermeasures to prevent misinterpretation of transmission schemes, ensuring reliable communication by detecting and correcting errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If error detection units are added to detect errors in signal transmission, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the error detection unit check for errors in the first word of the frame header before the communication device processes the communication signal. This early detection prevents erroneous processing of subsequent data, improving communication reliability without requiring complex error handling mechanisms throughout the entire communication stack.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The error detection unit acts as an intermediary component between the signal reception unit and the communication processing unit. It intercepts the first word of the frame header, performs error checking, and only allows valid signals to proceed to subsequent processing stages, thereby preventing error propagation while maintaining a relatively simple overall device architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the first word of the frame header is used for error detection, then error detection capability is improved, but the amount of data available for communication is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror detection capabilityVSAvoidcommunication data quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by performing error detection on only the first word of the frame header rather than checking every word in the communication signal. This selective approach provides sufficient error detection capability for the critical header portion while preserving the majority of the data bandwidth for actual communication, thus balancing reliability improvement with data quantity preservation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3361382B1Communication device, communication method, program, and communication system
Publication Date: 2023.03.01 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP3361382B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3361382B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3361382B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is provided a communication device that performs communication through a bus, including: a transmitting and receiving unit configured to transmit and receive a signal to and from at least one other communication device; and an error detection unit configured to, when the transmitting and receiving unit transmits and receives the signal, detect whether an error has occurred in the signal using a specific error detection method according to transmission and reception of the signal. The signal is transmitted and received between a first communication device, which is the communication device having a communication initiative through the bus, and a second communication device, which is the communication device configured to perform communication under control of the first communication device.