Granted Patent B2

US 7,167,523 · App. 10/171,095 · Granted Jan 23, 2007

Abstract

Claims (93)

1. A method of transmitting n signals over transmission lines to a receiver, wherein n is an integer greater than one and wherein the n signals include signals IN( 0 ) through IN(n−1), the method comprising:

providing a first and a second reference voltage; and

encoding the n signals into n+1 encoded signals comprising signals enc( 0 ) through enc(n), wherein encoding comprises:

determining the difference between the first reference voltage and signal TN( 0 ) and generating a signal enc( 0 ) as a function of the difference between the first reference voltage and signal IN( 0 );

for I from 1 to (n−1) determining the difference between signal IN(I−1) and signal IN(I) and generating a signal enc(I) as a function of the difference between signal IN(I−1) and signal IN(I);

determining the difference between the second reference voltage and signal lN(n−1) and generating a signal enc(n) as a function of the difference between the second reference voltage and signal IN(n−1); and

concurrently driving n+1 encoded signals enc( 0 ) through enc(n) on separate output transmission lines to the receiver; and

decoding the n+1 encoded signals enc( 0 ) through enc(n) received at the receiver into n output signals that correspond to signals IN( 0 ) through IN(n−1).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein encoding further comprises encoding the n signals using time domain encoding.

3. A method of decoding encoded signals, wherein the encoded signals include signals enc( 0 ) through enc(m−1), wherein m is an integer greater than two, the method of decoding comprising:

receiving the encoded signals;

decoding the encoded signals into (m−1) output signals, wherein the output signals include signals Output( 0 ) through Output(m−2) and wherein decoding includes, for an integer I from 0 to m−2:

providing a first voltage as a function of signals enc( 0 ) through enc(I), wherein providing a first voltage includes summing signals enc( 0 ) through enc(I);

providing a second voltage as a function of signals enc(I+1) through enc(m−1), wherein providing a second voltage includes summing signals enc(I+1) through enc(m−1);

determining a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage; and

transmitting the difference as signal Output(I).

4. A system comprising:

an encoder to receive n input signals and concurrently transmit n+1 encoded signals on n+1 transmission lines, and a receiver to receive the encoded signals from the transmission lines and decode the n+1 encoded signals into n output signals corresponding to the n input signals, the encoder including:

a first reference signal;

a plurality of input data signals, including a first, a second and a third input data signal; and

a first, a second, a third and a fourth differential amplifier;

wherein the first differential amplifier is connected to the first reference signal and the first input data signal and transmits a signal on a first transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the reference signal and the first input data signal;

wherein the second differential amplifier is connected to the first and second input data signals and transmits a signal on a second transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the first and second input data signals; and

wherein the third differential amplifier is connected to the second and third input data signals and transmits a signal on a third transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the second and third input data signals; and

wherein the fourth differential amplifier is connected to the third input data signal and a second reference signal and transmits a signal on a fourth transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the third input data signal and the second reference signal.

5. A system comprising:

an encoder to receive n input signals and concurrently transmit n+1 encoded signals on n+1 transmission lines, and a receiver to receive the encoded signals from the transmission lines and decode the n+1 encoded signals into n output signals corresponding to the n input signals, the encoder including:

a first and a second reference signal;

a plurality of input data signals, including a first, a second, a third and a fourth input data signal; and

a first, a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth differential amplifier;

wherein the first differential amplifier is connected to the first reference signal and the first input data signal and transmits a signal on a first transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the first reference signal and the first input data signal;

wherein the second differential amplifier is connected to the first and second input data signal and transmits a signal on a second transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the first and second input data signals;

wherein the third differential amplifier is connected to the second and third input data signal and transmits a signal on a third transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the second and third input data signals;

wherein the fourth differential amplifier is connected to the third and fourth input data signal and transmits a signal on a fourth transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the third and fourth input data signals; and

wherein the fifth differential amplifier is connected to the fourth input data signal and the second reference signal and transmits a signal on a fifth transmission line to the receiver as function of the difference between the second reference signal and the fourth input data signal.

6. A system comprising:

an encoder to receive n input signals and concurrently transmit n+1 encoded signals on n+1 transmission lines, and a receiver to receive the encoded signals from the transmission lines and decode the n+1 encoded signals into n output signals corresponding to the n input signals, the encoder including:

a first reference signal;

a plurality of input data signals, including a first, a second and a third input data signal; and

a plurality of differential amplifiers, including a first, a second, a third and a fourth differential amplifier;

wherein the first differential amplifier is connected to the first reference signal and the first input data signal and transmits a signal on a first transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the reference signal and the first input data signal;

wherein the second differential amplifier is connected to the first and second input data signal and transmits a signal on a second transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the first and second input data signals;

wherein the third differential amplifier is connected to the second and third input data signal and transmits a signal on a third transmission line to the receiver as a function of the difference between the second and third input data signals; and

wherein the fourth differential amplifier is connected to the third input data signal.

7. The spacial derivative encoder of claim 6 , wherein the fourth differential amplifier is further connected to a second reference signal and wherein the fourth differential amplifier transmits a signal on a fourth transmission line as a function of the difference between the third input data signal and the second reference signal.

8. The spacial derivative encoder of claim 6 , wherein the spacial derivative encoder further comprises a fourth and a fifth input data signal and a fifth and sixth differential amplifier;

wherein the fourth differential amplifier is further connected to the fourth input data signal and transmits a signal on a fourth transmission line as a function of the difference between the third and fourth input data signals;

wherein the fifth differential amplifier is connected to the fourth and fifth input data signals and transmits a signal on a fifth transmission line as function of the difference between the fourth and fifth input data signals; and

wherein the sixth differential amplifier is connected to a second reference signal and the fifth input signal and transmits a signal on a sixth transmission line as a function of the difference between the second reference signal and the fifth input data signal.

9. A method to transmit n input signals over a set of n+1 transmission lines, wherein n is an integer greater than one, the method comprising:

encoding the n input signals using a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage into n+1 encoded signals, including comparing the first reference voltage and one of the input signals and comparing the second reference voltage and one of the input signals;

concurrently transmitting the n+1 encoded signals over the set of n+1 transmission lines, each of the encoded signals being transmitted over a separate one of the n+1 transmission lines; and

receiving the n+1 encoded signals; and

decoding the n+1 encoded signals into n decoded signals corresponding to the n input signals.

10. A method to transmit n input signals over a set of n+1 transmission lines, wherein n is an integer greater than one, the method comprising:

encoding the n input signals using a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage into n+1 encoded signals;

concurrently transmitting the n+1 encoded signals over the set of n+1 transmission lines, each of the encoded signals being transmitted over a separate one of the n+1 transmission lines; and

receiving the n+1 encoded signals; and

decoding the n+1 encoded signals into n decoded signals corresponding to the n input signals, wherein:

the n input signals include a first input signal, and an n th input signal; and

encoding the n input signals includes:

comparing a difference between the first reference voltage and the first input signal to generate one of the n+1 output signals;

comparing a difference between two of the n input signals to generate one of the n+1 output signals; and

comparing a difference between the n th input signal and the second reference voltage to generate one of the n+1 output signals.

11. A data transmission system, comprising:

an encoder, including:

a set of data encoder inputs to couple to n data signals, to couple to a first reference signal to compare to a first one of the n data signals, and to couple to a second reference signal to compare to an nth one of the n data signals, wherein n is an integer greater than one; and

a set of n+1 encoder outputs to couple to a set of n+1 transmission lines; and a decoder including:

a set of n+1 decoder inputs to couple to the set of n+1 transmission lines; and

a set of n decoder outputs corresponding to the set of n encoder inputs.

12. A data transmission system, comprising:

an encoder, including:

a set of n encoder inputs to couple to n data signals, wherein n is an integer greater than one;

a first reference input to couple to a first reference signal;

a second reference input to couple to a second reference signal; and

a set of n+1 encoder outputs to couple to a set of n+1 transmission lines; and a decoder including:

a set of n+1 decoder inputs to couple to the set of n+1 transmission lines; and a set of n decoder outputs corresponding to the set of n encoder inputs, wherein the encoder includes n+1 comparators, including:

a first comparator to compare a difference between the first reference signal and a first data signal; and

a second comparator to compare a difference between the nth data signal and the second reference signal,

each of the remaining n−1 encoders to compare a difference between two data signals on two of the n encoder inputs, each of the n encoder inputs being coupled to two comparators.

13. A data transmission system, comprising:

an encoder, including:

a set of n encoder inputs to couple to n data signals, wherein n is an integer greater than one;

a first reference input to couple to a first reference signal;

a second reference input to couple to a second reference signal; and

a set of n+1 encoder outputs to couple to a set of n+1 transmission lines; and a decoder including:

a set of n+1 decoder inputs to couple to the set of n+1 transmission lines; and

a set of n decoder outputs corresponding to the set of n encoder inputs,

wherein the decoder includes:

a resistive network including:

a set of n+1 network inputs corresponding to and to couple with the set of n+1 transmission lines;

a set of 2n network outputs; and

a set of n comparators, each comparator having a first and a second input, each input being coupled to a corresponding one of the 2n network outputs, each comparator having an output to function as one of the set of n decoder outputs.

Assignments (11)