Granted Patent B2

US 9,184,944 · App. 13/146,516 · Granted Nov 10, 2015

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicate information to a further apparatus by driving, on a first occasion, a first transition of an electrical parameter on a wired electrical data communications interface;

determination circuitry configured to determine feedback information from the first transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface by measuring the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface; and

control circuitry configured to use the determined feedback information to control the power output of the communication circuitry, when a time period of the first transition of the electrical parameter on a wired electrical data communications interface is not within a threshold time period, to achieve, on at least a second occasion, a time period of a second transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface within the threshold time period, wherein the second occasion is the next time after the first occasion that the communication circuitry drives a transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrical parameter is current or voltage.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feedback information is dependent upon a property of the further apparatus.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feedback information relates to a change of a voltage on the wired electrical data communications interface.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the change in voltage occurs during the first transition.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the change of the voltage is estimated to be linear.

7. A method, comprising:

using communication circuitry to communicate information from an apparatus to a further apparatus by driving, on a first occasion, a first transition of an electrical parameter on a wired electrical data communications interface;

determining feedback information from the first transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface by measuring the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface; and

controlling, when a time period of the first transition of the electrical parameter on a wired electrical data communications interface is not within a threshold time period, a power output of the communication circuitry, using control circuitry and the determined feedback information, to achieve, on at least a second occasion, a time period of a second transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface within the threshold time period, wherein the second occasion is the next time after the first occasion that the communication circuitry drives a transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause at least the following to be performed:

using communication circuitry to communicate information from an apparatus to a further apparatus by driving, on a first occasion, a first transition of an electrical parameter on a wired electrical data communications interface; and

controlling, when a time period of the first transition of the electrical parameter on a wired electrical data communications interface is not within a threshold time period, a power output of the communication circuitry, using control circuitry and feedback information determined from the first transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface by measuring the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface, to achieve, on at least a second occasion, a time period of a second transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface within the threshold time period, wherein the second occasion is the next time after the first occasion that the communication circuitry drives a transition of the electrical parameter on the wired electrical data communications interface.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to reduce the power output of the communication circuitry, relative to the first occasion, when performing the second transition.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second transition of the electrical parameter occurs more slowly than the first transition of the electrical parameter.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the power output of the communication circuitry is reduced, relative to the first occasion, when performing the second transition.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the second transition of the electrical parameter occurs more slowly than the first transition of the electrical parameter.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the power output of the communication circuitry is reduced, relative to the first occasion, when performing the second transition.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the second transition of the electrical parameter occurs more slowly than the first transition of the electrical parameter.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wired electrical data communications interface comprises one or more electrical lines, and the transitions on the first and second occasions are made on at least one of the one or more electrical lines.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a housing configured to house the communication circuitry, the determination circuitry, and the control circuitry.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power output of the apparatus depends on a threshold time period and the time period between a first value of the electrical parameter being reached and [a second value of the electrical parameter being reached.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determined feedback information is a time period between a first value of the electrical parameter being reached and a second value of the electrical parameter being reached.

Assignments (9)