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AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorsRamon Van Der Winkel, Tobias Lindqvist
Estimating the term…
A communications interface device (4) has circuitry for receiving digital signals in the form of characters according to a protocol defining that a communications link is initialized by a series of start characters, each having a specified duration. The receiving circuitry can assume a first state in which characters can be detected, and a second state in which detection of characters is not possible. Power consumption is higher in the first state than in the second state. The device can alternate the receiving circuitry periodically between the first state and the second state with a period shorter than the duration of the series of start characters. In each period the receiving circuitry assumes the first state for a time longer than the duration of a start character. A communications link is established if a character is detected. The power consumption can be reduced considerably without causing unnecessary inconvenience and time consumption for the user.
A method of establishing a communications link for exchanging digital signals in the form of characters between a transmitter (5;
A communications interface device (4) having receiving circuitry for receiving digital signals in the form of characters from an external transmitter (5) according to a protocol defining that a communications link is to be initialized by transmitting a series of at least a prescribed number of start characters (XBOF), each start character having a specified duration, said receiving circuitry being able to assume a first state in which characters can be detected, and a second state in which detection of characters is not possible, and said receiving circuitry having a power consumption which is higher in the first state than in the second state, characterized in that the device comprises control means (6) adapted to alternate the receiving circuitry periodically between the first state and the second state with a period (TP) shorter than the duration (TX) of the series of start characters, such that in each period (TP) the receiving circuitry assumes the first state for a time (Te) which is longer than the duration of a start character (XBOF);
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.