# US 12,117,959 B2 · Communication apparatus and communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,117,959 B2 - Document ID: US12117959B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/776,055 - Filed: 2020-12-04 - Published: 2022-12-08 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-12 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Yuichi Mizutani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12117959B2 ## CPC - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F 13/4291: {using a clocked protocol} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A communication apparatus includes an I2C logic circuit, an I3C logic circuit, an external terminal, and a switch circuit. The I2C logic circuit controls communication via a control data bus in accordance with an I2C (Inter?Integrated Circuit) communication standard. The I3C logic circuit controls the communication via the control data bus in accordance with an I3C (Improved Inter Integrated Circuit) communication standard. The external terminal is coupled to the control data bus. The switch circuit controls coupling between one of the I2C logic circuit and the I3C logic circuit, and the external terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication apparatus comprising: an I2C logic circuit that controls communication via a control data bus in accordance with an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication standard; an I3C logic circuit that controls the communication via the control data bus in accordance with an I3C (Improved Inter Integrated Circuit) communication standard; an external terminal coupled to the control data bus; a switch circuit that controls coupling between one of the I2C logic circuit and the I3C logic circuit, and the external terminal, wherein the switch circuit controls the coupling on a basis of a state value obtained from a register or a memory, controls the coupling to be to the I2C logic circuit when the state value is a first value, and controls the coupling to be the I3C logic circuit when the state value is a second value; and a power source control circuit that controls electric power supplied to the I2C logic circuit and the I3C logic circuit on a basis of the state value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit controls the coupling when an ACK from a master is confirmed upon an I2C sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the switch circuit controls the coupling when a Stop condition from the master is confirmed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the I3C logic circuit employs an open-drain configuration upon an I2C sequence and employs a push-pull configuration upon an I3C sequence. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a noise filter between the external terminal and the I3C logic circuit, wherein the noise filter is set to ON upon an I2C sequence and is set to OFF upon an I3C sequence. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source control circuit turns off power supply to the I3C logic circuit upon an I2C sequence and turns off power supply to the I2C logic circuit upon an I3C sequence. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a data-system switching circuit that switches, in accordance with switching between the I2C logic circuit and the I3C logic circuit, a system of image data outputted from a logic circuit after the switching. ### Claim 8 A communication system comprising: a control data bus; and a transmission apparatus and a reception apparatus that perform communication via the control data bus, the transmission apparatus including an I2C logic circuit that controls communication with the reception apparatus via the control data bus in accordance with an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication standard, an I3C logic circuit that controls the communication with the reception apparatus via the control data bus in accordance with an I3C (Improved Inter Integrated Circuit) communication standard, an external terminal coupled to the control data bus, a switch circuit that controls coupling between one of the I2C logic circuit and the I3C logic circuit, and the external terminal, wherein the switch circuit controls the coupling on a basis of a state value obtained from a register or a memory, controls the coupling to be to the I2C logic circuit when the state value is a first value, and controls the coupling to be the I3C logic circuit when the state value is a second value; and a power source control circuit that controls electric power supplied to the I2C logic circuit and the I3C logic circuit on a basis of the state value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the switch circuit controls the coupling when an ACK from a master is confirmed upon an I2C sequence. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The communication system according to claim 9, wherein the switch circuit controls the coupling when a Stop condition from the master is confirmed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the I3C logic circuit employs an open-drain configuration upon an I2C sequence and employs a push-pull configuration upon an I3C sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the transmission apparatus further comprises a noise filter between the external terminal and the I3C logic circuit, wherein the noise filter is set to ON upon an I2C sequence and is set to OFF upon an I3C sequence. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the power source control circuit turns off power supply to the I3C logic circuit upon an I2C sequence and turns off power supply to the I2C logic circuit upon an I3C sequence. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the transmission apparatus further comprises a data-system switching circuit that switches, in accordance with switching between the I2C logic circuit and the I3C logic circuit, a system of image data outputted from a logic circuit after the switching.