JP2006202260A - Adapter device, memory device, and connector device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply execute transfer of data stored in a memory device without operation of a host machine having the memory device. <P>SOLUTION: The memory device is composed by a memory card and an adapter device into which the memory card is inserted, and equipped with a wireless communication function in the adapter device. On request via wireless channel from an external device such as a PC, TV, or printer, the content of the memory in the memory card can be read under control of a communication controller in the adapter device so that the host machine like a digital camera incorporating the memory device does not need to load a driver software for communication control. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an adapter device for a memory card that is detachably mounted on an information device, a memory device including a memory card and an adapter that detachably receives the memory card, and a memory card that is received by the information device body. In particular, a connector device for a memory card that has a wireless communication function and transmits data stored in a memory via wireless communication, and a memory card that supports the wireless communication function. The present invention relates to a connector device.

  More specifically, the present invention relates to a memory card adapter device, a memory device, and a connector device that can easily transfer data stored in a memory device without operation on a host device equipped with the memory device. In particular, the present invention relates to a memory card adapter device, a memory device, and a connector device that perform wireless transmission of stored data without introducing driver software for communication control into a host device equipped with the memory device.

  Along with recent technological innovations, various types of computer files consisting of various media such as text, images, and audio, such as personal computers (PCs), PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), digital cameras, and portable media players. Information equipment has been developed and marketed. Many of the main information devices have interfaces such as a card slot and a connector for detachably mounting a cartridge type memory device such as a memory card or a USB memory. Here, the memory card has a plurality of standards such as “MEMORYSTICK (registered trademark)” and “SD (Secure Digital) card”, but in the following, the removable memory device is generally referred to as “memory card”. I will call it.

  For example, in a digital camera, a captured image is encoded into a predetermined file format such as JPEG (Joint Picture Experts Group) or MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), and then stored in a memory card. In such a case, a large number of images that cannot be stored in a relatively small-capacity device built-in memory can be stored. Also, when the memory card is full of stored data, a new storage capacity for storing the captured image can be easily obtained by replacing the memory card with another memory card.

  In addition, image files captured on a digital camera are moved to other information devices such as a personal computer (PC), and image processing such as image quality adjustment and re-encoding is performed. Management. Alternatively, the image can be enjoyed as a photograph by transferring it to a television receiver and displaying the captured image in a large size, or by transferring the image file to a printer and printing it out.

  Here, as a method of moving an image or other data on a memory card between devices, it is common to take out the memory card and attach it to a destination device. Alternatively, data transmission can be performed via a wired or wireless transmission path between a device equipped with a memory card and a data transfer destination device using a wired interface or a wireless interface. In particular, when the latter wireless communication is used, there is no need to change the connector and route the cable every time data is transmitted, which is highly convenient.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of wireless image data transmission from a mobile device equipped with a memory card to an information device. In the figure, a digital camera is assumed as a mobile device. The digital camera stores captured images as image data in an internal memory or an external memory card. When wireless transmission is performed, target image data is read from the built-in memory or an external memory card, and transferred to an image reproduction device such as a PC, a television, or a printer via a wireless interface. Of course, a wireless interface module is also provided as an adapter on the receiving device side such as a PC, television, or printer. After the image data is transferred through the wireless transmission path, the image data is displayed and stored on the PC, displayed on the screen on the television, and printed out on the printer.

  In order to perform wireless data transmission as shown in the figure, a wireless interface module must be provided on the digital camera side which is a data transmission source. In addition, when the transmission source is a device that does not have a built-in wireless interface, it is necessary to equip a wireless interface including, for example, an external adapter. In addition, as a wireless communication function used for data transmission, Bluetooth communication and wireless LAN such as IEEE802.11 are assumed.

  For example, proposals have been made for external memory media with a built-in wireless communication function (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The external memory / medium includes a wired communication means for transmitting / receiving data to / from a mounted host device via a physical connection means, and an external communication network and data via a short-range wireless communication network such as Bluetooth communication. Short-range wireless communication means for transmitting and receiving. Therefore, a host device such as a digital camera that is a data transmission source does not have a wireless interface, but is equipped with such an external memory medium, and a short-distance wireless communication means in the memory medium is installed. Data can be sent to and received from the communication network by driving.

  FIG. 10 shows a configuration example of a memory card with a wireless communication function. In the figure, reference numeral 100 is a memory card with a wireless communication function, reference numeral 101 is a host device such as a digital camera, reference numeral 102 is a data transfer destination printer, or an external device such as a data output destination TV monitor. It is.

  The memory card 101 with a wireless communication function is equipped with a flash memory 106, a memory control unit 107, and an interface unit 108 with the host device 101, which are basic components as a memory card. For example, a wireless unit 104 such as Bluetooth communication and a communication control unit 105 are added to the memory card 101. The communication control unit 105 controls a communication protocol for wireless communication. The antenna is mounted as a reference number 103 on the memory card 100 side with a wireless communication function and as a reference number 109 on the external device 102 side.

  The host device 101 normally performs an access operation for writing and reading data to and from the flash memory 106 via the interface unit 108 and the memory control unit 107. When sending an image in the flash memory 106 to the external device 102, the host device 101 reads out target data from the flash memory 106 via the interface unit 108 and the memory control unit 107. Next, wireless transmission is performed to the external device 102 that is a data transfer destination via the interface unit 108, the communication control unit 105, the wireless unit 104, and the antenna 103.

  Here, in order to realize wireless communication, it is necessary to control a wireless communication function according to a predetermined communication protocol such as Bluetooth communication or IEEE802.11. In the example shown in FIG. 10, on the host device side where the wireless interface module is mounted, driver software for operating the wireless communication function in the interface module according to the protocol (that is, controlling the communication control unit 105) is installed. It is troublesome for the user because it needs to be installed on the host device.

  In addition, in some cases, such as a digital camera, other portable devices, and embedded devices, the driver software installation operation itself may not be possible. In this case, even when an external memory medium equipped with a wireless communication function as described above is used, the wireless communication function cannot be used, and eventually the data stored in the memory card is not stored. To move, traditional methods such as memory card replacement and wired connection must be used.

  In addition, operations related to communication processing such as selection of a file to be transferred must be performed on the user interface of the attached digital camera, and the operation is complicated.

  In addition, when considering as a memory card for commercial transactions, manufacturers need to prepare several types of product lineups, such as flash memory with different memory sizes and whether or not there is a copyright protection function. When a memory card with a wireless communication function is put on the market, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of product groups having different memory sizes and copyright protection functions, and the lineup is doubled. However, the increase in the product lineup is complicated for the manufacturer, and the burden of managing the product becomes excessive.

  Also, when a user purchases multiple memory cards, if the wireless communication module is integrated with the card, the same wireless communication module is purchased in layers, even though only the memory capacity is actually required. Will give a sense of value.

  Of course, instead of integrating the memory card and the wireless communication module, a design in which a wireless communication function is mounted on the host device side (for example, a digital camera or a mobile phone) on which the memory card is mounted is also conceivable ( For example, see Non-Patent Document 1.)

  FIG. 11 shows a configuration example of an image transmission system in which a digital camera with a built-in wireless communication function module wirelessly transmits image data to an output device.

  In the figure, a digital camera 150 includes an image processing block 151, a CPU 152, a memory 153 for storing a program of the CPU 152, an external memory card 154, a connector 155 for connecting the memory card, and a wireless module. 156 and an antenna 157. The memory card 154 is, for example, a MEMORYSTICK (registered trademark), a memory stick Duo, an SD (Secure Digital) card, a mini SD card, or the like.

  Images taken by the digital camera 150 are stored in the memory card 154. When transferring this data to the output device 108 side, the CPU 152 in the image processing block 101 reads the data in the memory card 154 via the memory card connector 155, and sends the data to the wireless module 156. hand over. The wireless module 156 transmits the data via the antenna 159. An output device 158 such as a television or a printer receives the data through the antenna 159 and outputs an image.

  As shown in FIG. 11, providing the host device with a wireless communication function leads to an improvement in convenience for the user. However, when adopting a device configuration incorporating a wireless communication function in the host device, there are the following problems.

(1) A host device such as a digital camera requires a space for mounting and wiring a wireless module.
(2) The host device must be provided with an interface for connecting to the wireless module.
(3) It is necessary to install special driver software for the wireless module in the host device.
(4) The host device needs a user interface for selecting data to be transmitted.

Incorporating a wireless communication function in the host device improves convenience for the user. However, in developing the host device, the degree of difficulty increases, such as an increase in development man-hours, an increase in mounting area, and an increase in verification man-hours. Direction.
JP 2001-77878 A http: // pcweb. mycom. co. jp / news / 2002/09/03/10. html

  An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent adapter device for a memory card and a memory device that have a wireless communication function and can suitably transmit data stored in a memory via wireless communication.

  It is a further object of the present invention to provide an excellent connector device for a memory card that accepts a memory card in the main body of information equipment and supports a wireless communication function.

  A further object of the present invention is an adapter for a memory card having a wireless communication function and capable of easily transferring data stored in a memory device without operation on a host device equipped with the memory device. An apparatus and a memory device are provided.

  A further object of the present invention is to provide a memory card connector which has a wireless communication function and can easily transfer data stored in a memory device without operation on a host device equipped with the memory device. To provide an apparatus.

  A further object of the present invention is for a memory card having a wireless communication function and capable of wirelessly transmitting stored data without having to install driver software for communication control in a host device equipped with a memory device. An adapter device and a memory device are provided.

  A further object of the present invention is for a memory card having a wireless communication function and capable of wirelessly transmitting stored data without having to install driver software for communication control in a host device equipped with a memory device. It is providing the connector apparatus of this.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and a first aspect of the present invention is an adapter device for receiving a memory card,
An insertion section for detachably inserting a memory card;
A wired communication unit detachably connected to the host device;
A wireless communication unit that communicates with an external device via a wireless transmission path;
A communication control unit for controlling a communication operation by the wireless communication unit;
A card interface unit that performs an access operation to the memory card being inserted into the insertion unit from the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit;
An adapter device for a memory card.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a memory device comprising a memory card and an adapter device that receives the memory card in a replaceable manner.
The memory card is
A memory unit for storing data;
A memory control unit for controlling an access operation to the memory unit;
An adapter interface unit connected to the adapter device;
The adapter device is
An insertion section for detachably inserting the memory card;
A wired communication unit detachably connected to the host device;
A wireless communication unit that communicates with an external device via a wireless transmission path;
A communication control unit for controlling communication operation by the wireless communication unit;
A host device connected to the wired communication unit and a card interface unit that performs an access operation to the memory card from the communication control unit;
This is a memory device.

  Here, the wireless communication unit of the adapter device is connected to the wired communication unit for a communication operation of transmitting data read from the memory card being inserted into the insertion unit to an external device via a wireless transmission path. This can be done independently of the host device.

  Many information devices have interfaces such as a card slot and a connector for detachably mounting a cartridge type memory device such as a memory card or a USB memory. Since this type of memory card is provided with short-range wireless communication means, it is not necessary to change the connector and route the cable every time data is transmitted, and is highly convenient. However, it is troublesome because it is necessary to install driver software for operating the wireless communication function in the module according to the protocol in the information device.

  In addition, it is necessary to prepare several types of memory cards with different memory sizes as the product lineup. For memory cards with wireless communication functions, multiple product groups are prepared for each memory size. And the burden on the manufacturer is excessive. In addition, when purchasing a plurality of memory cards, the user also purchases the same wireless communication module in an overlapping manner, giving a sense of value.

  On the other hand, the memory device according to the present invention is composed of a memory card and an adapter device into which the memory card is inserted, and the wireless communication function is not provided with the memory card, but is mounted in the adapter device. . The wireless communication function can perform a wireless transmission operation of data read from the memory card being inserted into the adapter device independently of the host device connected to the wired communication unit.

  In response to a data request from an external device such as a PC, television, or printer via a wireless transmission path, the contents of the memory in the memory card are read out under the control of the communication control unit in the adapter device. In such a case, it is not necessary to install driver software for communication control on the host device side where a memory device such as a digital camera is mounted. In other words, the present invention can be applied to an existing digital camera.

  Further, since the memory card does not coexist with the wireless communication function, it is configured as a smaller memory card. For example, the memory device with the memory card inserted into the adapter device can have the same size as a conventional memory card (with a wireless communication function) and can maintain card slot compatibility with a conventional product.

  Specific examples of such a small memory card that is used by being inserted into the adapter device include “MEMORY STICK DUO (registered trademark)” and “mini SD card”. That is, in the case of a memory stick, a wireless communication function is built in a memory stick size adapter, and a memory stick Duo is used as a memory card. Then, data in the memory card is read out inside the adapter device independently of the host device, and wireless transmission is performed.

  According to the present invention, the product lineup as a memory device is determined by the memory size (and additional functions such as copyright protection) in the memory card portion, and the adapter device portion including the wireless communication portion is in each lineup. Since it is common, the burden on the manufacturer is reduced.

  In addition, the user can additionally purchase only a memory card as necessary and can use the wireless communication function with any memory card as long as he / she has one adapter device with the wireless communication function. The burden is reduced.

  Further, as a wireless transmission system that the adapter device performs with an external device, a reflected wave transmission method that modulates a reflected wave with respect to a received radio wave can be employed. That is, the wireless communication unit in the adapter device performs backscatter transmission of a reflected wave signal obtained by modulating the received radio wave from the external device based on transmission data. According to the reflected wave transmission system, the reflected wave can be modulated only by a switching operation such as changing the load impedance of the antenna or giving a phase difference to the reflected wave signal path. In comparison, it is possible to realize a data transmission path with overwhelmingly low power consumption. In addition, the module of the wireless communication unit can be made small.

  The card interface unit controls an access operation to the memory card according to a connection state of the wireless communication unit. That is, the card interface unit selects an access operation to the memory card from a host device connected to the wired communication unit or an external device via the communication control unit in order to avoid an access conflict. To do. Specifically, the card interface unit prohibits access from a host device connected to the wired communication unit while the communication control unit is accessing the memory card. To. This avoids malfunctions due to contention for access to the memory card from both the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit, and facilitates memory access requests via wireless communication. Can be guaranteed to do. Of course, during the period in which the data transfer operation from the host device to the memory card is performed, the access operation from the communication control unit to the memory card is prohibited.

  On the other hand, unlike the communication operation via wired communication, the wireless communication operation has a risk that communication being processed is interrupted. Therefore, in order to prevent the memory from being destroyed, the card interface unit may accept only a read request to the memory from the communication control unit and may not permit the write request.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector device for receiving a memory card in a host device body,
A terminal for detachably connecting the memory card;
A wired communication unit for connecting the terminal unit to the host device;
A wireless communication unit that communicates with an external device via a wireless transmission path;
A communication control unit for controlling a communication operation by the wireless communication unit;
A card interface unit that performs an access operation to the memory card being connected to the terminal unit from the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit;
A connector device for a memory card. As a wireless transmission system that this connector device performs with an external device, a reflected wave transmission system that modulates a reflected wave with respect to a received radio wave can be adopted as in the first and second aspects of the present invention.

  In the first and second aspects of the present invention, a memory card is configured as a combination of a memory card body and an adapter device that receives the memory card, and is received in the adapter device in a memory slot on the host device side. A wireless communication function is installed in the adapter device.

  On the other hand, in the third aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication function is mounted in a connector device for mounting a memory card on the host device side. The wireless communication function can perform a wireless transmission operation of data read from the memory card connected to the terminal unit independently of the host device connected to the wired communication unit. Therefore, in response to a data request from an external device via a wireless transmission path, the contents of the memory in the memory card can be read and wirelessly transmitted under the control of the communication control unit in the connector device. It is not necessary to install driver software for communication control, and it can be applied to an existing digital camera.

  Also in the third aspect of the present invention, the product lineup as a memory device is determined by the memory size in the memory card portion (and additional functions such as copyright protection), and the connector device portion including the wireless communication portion is Since it is common to each lineup, the burden on the manufacturer is reduced.

  In addition, if the user purchases only a memory card as necessary and has a host device equipped with a connector device with a wireless communication function, the user can use the wireless communication function with any memory card. This can reduce the cost burden.

  The card interface unit controls an access operation to the memory card according to a connection state of the wireless communication unit. Specifically, the card interface unit prohibits access from a host device connected to the wired communication unit while the communication control unit is accessing the memory card. Thus, it is possible to avoid malfunctions due to contention of access to the memory card from both the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit, and to smoothly request memory access via wireless communication. Guarantee to do. Of course, during the period in which the data transfer operation from the host device to the memory card is performed, the access operation from the communication control unit to the memory card is prohibited.

  On the other hand, unlike the communication operation via wired communication, the communication operation by wireless has a risk that the communication being processed may be interrupted. Therefore, the card interface unit controls the communication control to prevent the memory from being destroyed. Only the read request to the memory is accepted from the section, and the write request is not permitted.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is equipped with a radio | wireless communication function, The adapter apparatus for memory cards which can transmit suitably the data memorize | stored in the memory via radio | wireless communication, and the memory card and the adapter apparatus equipped with the same A memory device can be provided.

  In addition, according to the present invention, an adapter device for a memory card that can easily transfer data stored in a memory device regardless of an operation on a host device equipped with the memory device, and a memory A memory device including a card and an adapter device on which the card is mounted can be provided.

  In addition, according to the present invention, an adapter device for a memory card that can suitably perform wireless transmission of stored data without having to introduce driver software for communication control into a host device equipped with the memory device. In addition, a memory device including a memory card and an adapter device in which the memory card is mounted can be provided.

  In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the burden on a manufacturer who has a plurality of product lineups when equipped with a wireless communication function, and to eliminate the sense of value of a user who purchases a plurality of such products. It is possible to provide an adapter device for a memory card, and a memory device including a memory card and an adapter device on which the memory card is mounted.

  The memory device according to the present invention includes a memory card and an adapter device into which the memory card is inserted, and has a wireless communication function in the adapter device. In response to a data request from an external device such as a PC, TV, or printer via a wireless transmission path, the contents of the memory in the memory card can be read and wirelessly transmitted under the control of the communication control unit in the adapter device. In addition, it is not necessary to install driver software for communication control on the host device side on which a memory device such as a digital camera is mounted. As a result, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) A mobile device such as a digital camera can achieve wireless transmission of image data written from a digital camera to a memory card without special changes such as driver installation. That is, it can be applied to an existing digital camera.
(2) Mobile device manufacturers do not have to develop a wireless communication function and can increase the development speed.
(3) The product lineup as a memory device is determined by the memory size in the memory card part, and the adapter device part including the wireless communication part is common in the lineup, reducing the burden on the manufacturer. The
(4) Since the user can additionally purchase only a memory card as necessary and possess one adapter device with a wireless communication function, the wireless communication function can be used with any memory card. Cost burden is reduced.

  Also, by adopting a reflected wave transmission method that modulates the reflected wave with respect to the received radio wave for wireless transmission with external devices, the wireless communication unit can be made compact and the power consumption required for communication operation can be greatly reduced. it can.

  Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication function, and data stored in the memory device can be easily transferred regardless of an operation on a host device equipped with the memory device. A connector device can be provided.

  Further, according to the present invention, a memory card having a wireless communication function and capable of wirelessly transmitting stored data without having to install driver software for communication control in a host device equipped with a memory device. A connector device can be provided. As a result, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In the development of a host device, it is possible to implement a function for wirelessly transmitting the contents of a memory card with the same feeling as using a simple memory card connector.
(2) The number of development man-hours and verification man-hours can be reduced compared to newly mounting a wireless communication module.
(3) The mounting area can be made smaller than when a wireless communication module is newly mounted.

  Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from more detailed description based on embodiments of the present invention described later and the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a wireless transmission system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 200 is an adapter device for a memory card and has a wireless communication function. Reference numeral 201 denotes a host device such as a digital camera, and accepts the memory card adapter 200 in an exchangeable manner. Reference numeral 202 is an external device such as a television or printer as a data transfer destination, and reference numeral 212 is an antenna of the external device.

  A memory card adapter 201 with a wireless communication function is provided with a slot (not shown) into which a small memory card 203 can be detachably loaded. Further, the host device 201 is provided with a slot (not shown) into which the memory card adapter 201 with the memory card 203 loaded can be detachably loaded. The memory card adapter 201 has, for example, slot compatibility with a conventional non-small memory card.

  The memory card adapter 201 with a wireless communication function includes a wireless communication function 213, an interface unit 210 that performs data communication with the host device 201, and a connector unit 211 to which the small memory card 203 is connected. For example, the connector portion 211 is disposed at the innermost portion of the slot into which the small memory card 203 is inserted. The wireless communication function 213 includes a wireless unit 208 and a communication control unit 209. In addition, the memory card adapter 201 with the wireless communication function is equipped with an antenna 207 connected to the wireless unit 208. The antenna 207 is a monopole antenna, for example, and has specific directivity and polarization through an exchange port of a slot (not shown) of the host device 201 that receives the memory card adapter 201.

  The wireless unit 208 can use, for example, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth communication, reflected wave transmission, or the like, which is a wireless LAN standard, as a wireless communication interface. The reflected wave transmission referred to here is backscatter communication in which a reflected wave signal obtained by modulating a received radio wave based on transmission data is transmitted. The modulation process of the reflected wave can be performed by switching the antenna load impedance or applying a phase difference in the reflected signal path.

  When the reflected wave transmission is used for the wireless communication, the wireless unit 208 is configured as a reflector, and transmits, for example, data requested in units of pages as a backscatter scattered wave as a modulated reflected wave with respect to the received radio wave. Such a data transmission operation can be realized under the control of the reflected wave reader on the external device 202 side, and does not require control by the host device 201 that receives the memory card 203. In other words, the digital camera 201 side to which the adapter device 200 with the wireless communication function 213 is attached is completely free from problems such as device driver installation and update accompanying a communication protocol version change.

  The small memory card 203 is inserted into the memory card adapter 200 with a wireless communication function and is fitted and connected by the connector portion 211. FIG. 2 shows an external view when the small memory card 203 is attached to the memory card adapter 201 with the wireless communication function. A wireless communication function 213 and an antenna 207 are mounted on the memory card adapter with wireless communication function 200 side.

  The small memory card 203 includes a flash memory 204 that provides a storage space for storing data, a memory control unit 205 that performs an access operation to the storage space, and the received memory card adapter 200 side. And an interface unit 206 for data communication. The flash memory 204 normally has a page as a minimum access unit, and a physical block is composed of a predetermined number of pages. The memory control unit 205 can address desired data by specifying a physical block number and a page number.

  The host device 201 can perform an access operation to the flash memory 204 in the small memory card 203 via the interface unit 201 and the connector unit 211 in the memory card adapter 201 with a wireless communication function. For example, when the host device 201 is a digital camera, the captured image can be written into the flash memory 204 or the image data stored in the flash memory 204 can be read out. The memory card adapter 200 with the wireless communication function is supplied with driving power from the digital camera 201 via the interface unit 210.

  The wireless unit 208 can perform a wireless communication operation under the control of the communication control unit 209, and further, in the flash memory 114 via the interface unit 201 and the connector unit 211 in the memory card adapter 201. The image data can be accessed. For example, a control signal is wirelessly transmitted from the antenna 212 of the external device 202. In response to this, a response signal 104 such as JPEG image data read from the memory card 203 is wirelessly transmitted from the memory card adapter 200 with a wireless communication function attached to the host device 201 such as a digital camera. Sent. The external device 202 can display and output the image data acquired from the digital camera 201 on the television screen or print it out.

  The interface unit 210 handles both access from the host device 201 to the memory card 203 and access from the external device 202 via the wireless unit 208 to the memory card 203. In order to avoid an access conflict, the interface unit 210 controls an access operation to the memory card 203 according to a wireless communication connection state in the wireless unit 208.

  Since the interface unit 210 normally connects the host device 201 and the memory card 203 side through, the wireless communication unit 208 cannot be seen from the host device 201 side. Further, while the access operation from the external device to the memory card 203 is performed via the wireless unit 208, the access from the host device 201 is prohibited to avoid the malfunction caused by the access contention to the memory card 203. In addition, it is ensured that a memory access request via wireless communication is smoothly performed. Of course, during the period when the data transfer operation from the host device 201 to the memory card 203 is performed, the access operation from the communication control unit 209 to the memory card 203 is prohibited.

  Also, unlike the communication operation via wired communication, the communication operation by wireless has a risk that the communication being processed may be interrupted. Therefore, the interface unit 210 is controlled by the communication control unit 209 to prevent the memory from being destroyed. Accepts only read requests to the memory card 203 and does not allow write requests.

  As a wireless communication interface for connecting the memory card adapter 200 with the wireless communication function and the external device 202, for example, IEEE 802.11 which is a wireless LAN standard, Bluetooth communication, reflected wave transmission, or the like can be used.

  However, a wireless LAN is originally designed and developed on the premise of use with a computer, and power consumption becomes a problem when mounted on a mobile device. Many of the IEEE802.11b wireless LAN cards currently on the market have a power consumption of 800 mW or more when transmitting and 600 mW or more when receiving. This power consumption is a heavy burden for battery-powered portable devices. Even if the wireless LAN function is operated in a limited range and the transmission power is reduced, the power consumption cannot be significantly reduced. In particular, since transmission from an image input device such as a digital camera to the image display device is in a communication form in which the transmission ratio occupies the entire communication, wireless transmission means with low power consumption is still required. As for Bluetooth communication, the maximum transmission speed is as low as 720 kbps, and it is time-consuming and inconvenient for the recent high-quality image transmission.

  On the other hand, in the reflected wave communication system in which the reflector transmits the reflected wave signal obtained by modulating the received radio wave by backscatter transmission, particularly in the communication mode in which the transmission ratio from the reflector side occupies most of the communication. , Low power consumption can be realized. The reflected wave transmission system includes a reflector that transmits data using a reflected wave that has been subjected to modulation processing, and a reflected wave reader that reads data from the reflected wave from the reflector. At the time of data transmission, the reflected wave reader transmits an unmodulated carrier. On the other hand, the reflector transmits data by performing a modulation process corresponding to the transmission data on the unmodulated carrier by using a load impedance operation such as on / off of the end of the antenna, for example. On the reflected wave reader side, the reflected data can be received and demodulated / decoded to obtain transmission data. The reflector includes, for example, an antenna that reflects incident continuous wave radio waves, a transmission data generation circuit, and an impedance change circuit that changes the impedance of the antenna in accordance with the transmission data (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 01-2001). No. 1822782).

  In the reflected wave transmission system, the antenna switch for changing the load impedance of the antenna (that is, modulating the reflected wave) is generally composed of a gallium arsenide IC, and its power consumption is several tens of μW or less. The average power when performing data transmission is 10 mW or less in the case of the delivery confirmation method, and data transmission is possible at several tens of μW in the one-way transmission. This is an overwhelming performance difference compared to the average power consumption of a general wireless LAN (see, for example, JP-A-2005-64822). Therefore, even when transferring data stored in a memory card attached to a battery-powered mobile device such as a digital camera, the battery life is greatly extended by reducing power consumption during the transfer operation. be able to.

  When the reflected wave transmission is used for the wireless communication function between the memory card 203 and the external device 202, the wireless unit 208 in the memory card adapter 200 is configured as a reflector, and is reflected from the reflected wave reader in the external device 202. For example, a simple data transmission operation is performed in which data requested in units of pages is returned as a modulated reflected wave with respect to the received radio wave. In this way, the backscatter communication operation in which the reflector modulates the reflected wave with respect to the received radio wave based on the transmission data can be realized under the control from the reflected wave reader side, and the host device that accommodates the memory medium 110 The control of the digital camera 101 is not involved.

  That is, since the wireless communication function 213 in the memory card adapter 200 can read the flash memory 204 in the memory card 203 from the external device 202 independently of the host device 201, the host device 201 side Now, you are completely free from problems such as installing and updating device drivers accompanying communication protocol version changes. Further, the module area constituting the wireless unit 208 can be extremely reduced as compared with the case where a wireless LAN is employed. It is also possible to solve problems such as memory card product lineup and user cost burden.

  Next, the configuration of the wireless unit 208 on the memory card adapter 200 side with the wireless communication function and the wireless unit on the external device 202 side when the reflected wave transmission system is applied will be described in detail.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration of the wireless unit 208 in the memory card adapter 200 with a wireless communication function. As illustrated, the wireless unit 208 includes an antenna 301, an antenna switch 302, an antenna load 303, a band pass filter (BPF) 304, and an ASK detection unit 305. In the present embodiment, a 2.4 GHz band called ISM is used as the frequency of the radio wave.

  For example, when transferring image data stored in the flash memory 204 to the external device 202, the wireless unit 208 uses the image data read from the flash memory 204 by the memory control unit 205 on the memory card 202 side. Upon receipt, the antenna switch 302 connected to the antenna 301 is turned on / off according to the bit image of the data. For example, the antenna switch 302 is turned on when the data is 1, and is turned off when the data is 0.

  As illustrated, when the antenna switch 302 is on, the antenna 301 is terminated with an antenna load 303 of 50Ω, and when the antenna switch 302 is off, the antenna 301 is open. Therefore, for the radio waves coming from the reflected wave reader as the transfer destination, the reflected wave behaves when it is on, and when it is off, the reflected wave reader detects the reflection of the transmitted radio wave. Thus, the image data can be read. That is, the image data is basically transmitted by backscattering as a reflected wave of the received radio wave from the reflected wave reader caused by a change in the antenna load impedance accompanying the on / off operation of the antenna switch 302. Since the antenna switch 302 is generally composed of a gallium arsenide IC and its power consumption is several tens of μW or less, wireless image transmission with ultra-low consumption can be realized. The reflected wave signal from the radio unit 208 as a reflector is equivalent to an ASK modulated wave, but other than that, it is also possible to apply a PSK or FSK modulation method.

  The band pass filter (BPF) 304 and the ASK detection unit 305 are used when receiving an ASK-modulated delivery confirmation signal from the transfer destination, but these two blocks are used for one-way transmission without confirming transmission. If there is, it becomes unnecessary. On the other hand, when delivery confirmation is performed, the control is performed by the communication control unit 209.

  The band pass filter 304 is used for the purpose of passing frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band and attenuating other frequency bands. The power consumption of the ASK detection unit 305 required for delivery confirmation can be realized with 30 mW or less.

  Therefore, the average power when data such as image data is transmitted in the wireless unit 208 shown in FIG. 3 can be 10 mW or less in the case of the delivery confirmation method, and data transmission can be several tens of μW in the unidirectional transmission. This is an overwhelming performance difference compared to the average power consumption of a general wireless LAN. Further, the module area constituting the wireless unit 208 can be extremely reduced as compared with the case where a wireless LAN is employed.

  FIG. 4 shows a hardware configuration of a radio unit on the external device 202 side, that is, a reflected wave reading device, when reflected wave transmission is applied as a wireless communication interface.

  Since the image data from the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function is transmitted as a modulated reflected wave, it is necessary to transmit an unmodulated carrier for generating a reflected wave from the reflected wave reader on the external device 202 side. is there. The reflected wave reading device on the external device 202 side includes a 2.4 GHz band antenna 401, an antenna switch or a circulator 402 in place of the antenna switch, a reception unit 403 including a quadrature detection unit 404 and an AGC amplifier 405, a mixer 408, and power A transmission unit 406 including an amplifier 407 and a frequency synthesizer 409 are provided.

  Transmission of an unmodulated carrier from the transmission unit 406 is realized by applying a certain DC voltage from the communication control unit 410 to the mixer 408. The frequency of the non-modulated carrier to be transmitted is determined by the frequency of the frequency synthesizer 409 controlled by the communication control unit 410. In the present embodiment, a 2.4 GHz band called ISM is used. The unmodulated carrier output from the mixer 408 is amplified to a predetermined level by the power amplifier 407 and transmitted from the antenna 401 via the circulator 402.

  The reflected wave from the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function is the same as the frequency transmitted from the reflected wave reader. This reflected wave is received by the antenna 401 and input to the receiving unit 403 via the circulator 402. That is, since the same local frequency as the transmission is input to the quadrature detection unit 404, the output of the quadrature detection unit 404 is ASK modulated by the radio unit 208 on the memory card adapter 200 side with the radio communication function. A wave will appear. However, since the received signal has a phase different from that of the local signal, a modulation signal corresponding to the phase difference appears in the I-axis signal and the Q-axis signal.

  In the AGC amplifier unit 405, the gain is controlled to an optimum value, and the output signal is passed to the communication control unit 410. The communication control unit 410 demodulates the digital data from the I-axis and Q-axis signals, and correct data is decoded by the JPEG decoder 411. Thereafter, the decoded data is further converted into, for example, an analog video signal (for example, NTSC signal), and is video-outputted to a television (not shown) as an external device via a cable. Alternatively, data obtained by rendering an image is output to a printer (not shown) and printed out on paper.

  When confirming the delivery of data from the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function, the communication control unit 410 returns an acknowledgment ACK (Acknowledgement) if the received packet data is correct, and a negative response if the received packet data is incorrect. NACK (Negative Acknowledgment) digital data is transferred to the mixer 408 and subjected to ASK modulation. Whether the data is correct or not is determined by a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) code added to the image data packet.

  FIG. 5 shows a control sequence for performing wireless transmission between the wireless unit 208 of the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function shown in FIG. 3 and the reflected wave reader of the external device 202 shown in FIG. ing. However, in the illustrated example, it is assumed that delivery confirmation is performed between both devices. Hereinafter, this control sequence will be described.

(Step 1)
The memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function is set from the wired communication mode to the wireless communication mode by receiving a control signal from the reflected wave reader on the external device 202 side or according to other procedures.

(Step 2)
Similarly, the reflected wave reading device on the external device 202 side is set to the data reception waiting mode according to a predetermined procedure.

(Step 3)
Then, the reflected wave reader on the external device 202 side transmits an unmodulated carrier so as to receive the reflected wave signal from the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function.

(Step 4)
The wireless unit 208 of the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function that has received the non-modulated carrier makes a data transmission request to notify that the data transmission operation is to be started using the reflected wave.

(Step 5)
The reflected wave reading device on the external device 202 side that has received the data transmission request transmits a transmission permission by the ASK modulation signal.

(Step 6)
The reflected wave reading device on the external device 202 side transmits a non-modulated carrier in order to receive data requested to be transmitted (for example, image data or transmission data / file list data).

(Step 7)
The wireless unit 208 of the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function that has received the unmodulated carrier transmits packetized data by using the modulation of the reflected wave.

(Step 8)
If the received packet data is correct, the reflected wave reader on the external device 202 side sends an acknowledgment ACK (Acknowledgement) by ASK modulation. If it is wrong, a negative acknowledgment NACK (Negative Acknowledgment) is transmitted. Here, whether the data is correct or incorrect can be determined by a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) code added to the data packet.

  When the reflected wave reader on the external device 202 side transmits an acknowledgment signal for ACK or NACK, a command for the memory card adapter 202 with a wireless communication function can be included in the same signal.

  Thereafter, the reflected wave transmission processing of Step 6 to Step 8 is repeatedly executed until the end of the target data.

  In the communication sequence described above, since it is image transfer, bi-directional communication is used to confirm data delivery. However, when transferring streaming data such as a video camera, transmission in one direction may be performed. In this case, an ASK-modulated delivery confirmation signal is not required from the reflected wave reading device on the external device 202 side, so that the memory card adapter 202 with a wireless communication function is not required to be received, further reducing power consumption. Can be realized.

  FIG. 6 shows an operation example of the reflected wave transmission system employing the TDD (Time Division Multiplexing) method. Since this system uses modulation of reflected waves with respect to radio waves, the reflected wave reading device side of the external device 202 repeats the state of transmitting the unmodulated carrier and receiving the reflected waves, and the state of transmitting data using the modulated waves by itself. On the reflector (in this case, the memory card adapter 202 with wireless communication function) side, data is returned on the reflected wave for the unmodulated carrier, and then the modulated wave is received from the reflected wave reader. Repeat state.

  The reflected wave transmission system is an asymmetric transmission system in which the upward transmission rate from the reflector to the reflected wave reader is higher than the downward transmission rate from the reflected wave reader to the reflector. . Therefore, as described above, in the communication mode in which the transmission ratio from the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function, that is, the reflector occupies most of the communication, the transmission efficiency is increased and the low power consumption data transmission is realized. can do.

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, wireless data transmission between the memory card 203 and the external device 202 will be considered.

  In the conventional configuration (for example, see Patent Document 1 and FIG. 10), there is a problem of introducing a device driver into the host device because the host device with the memory card attached controls the wireless communication operation. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the memory card adapter 200 to which the small memory card 202 is mounted is equipped with the wireless unit 208 as a reflector, so that the small memory is controlled under the control from the external device 202 side. Data can be read from the flash memory 204 in the card 203. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem of introducing the device driver into the host device, the product lineup of the memory card, and the cost burden on the user.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of an operation sequence for reading data from the flash memory 204 in the small memory card 203 under control from the external device 202 side.

  First, the memory card adapter 200 with the small memory card 203 inserted is attached to the digital camera as the host device 201. Then, the host device 201 is used to take a picture (701).

  The captured image data is transferred to the small memory card 203 via the interface 210 of the memory card adapter 200 and stored in the internal flash memory 204 (702, 703).

  Here, it is assumed that a display request for a photographed photographic image is generated from a television monitor (or an information device having a display such as a PC or PDA) as the external device 202 (704).

  In such a case, a data read request is sent from the antenna 212 from the external device 202. On the memory card adapter 200 side, this read request is received by the antenna 207 and sent to the communication control unit 209 via the wireless unit 208 (705).

  The communication control unit 209 uses the interface unit 210 and the connector unit 211 to request data from the small memory card 203. When the small memory card 203 receives this data request via the interface unit 206, the memory control unit 205 reads the target data in the flash memory 204 and sends it to the memory card adapter 200 via the interface unit 206. Return (706).

  Then, the communication control unit 209 transfers the read data to the external device 202 via the wireless unit 208 and the antenna 207 (707). On the external device 202 side, the signal is received by the antenna 212.

  On the external device 202 side, when reading of the target data is completed, the image data is decoded and displayed on the display screen (708).

  Here, the data transmission processing from 704 to 706 is repeated to the end of the file by the file processing on the external device 202 side. This data transmission processing operation includes a transaction including transmission of an unmodulated carrier from the reflected wave reader of the external device 202 and transmission of a modulated reflected wave by the radio unit 208 as a reflector. Since the access operation to the flash memory 204 is performed in units of pages, this transaction is repeated (for example, see FIG. 5) as many times as the number of pages corresponding to the requested image file.

  As described above, by using the memory card adapter 200 with the wireless communication function, the host device 201 does not require the device driver for the wireless communication, and the small-sized memory device can be used without preparing a plurality of memories. This can be handled by the card 203, which improves convenience for manufacturers and users.

Second Embodiment In the first embodiment of the present invention, a memory card is configured as a combination of a memory card main body and an adapter device that receives the memory card, and the memory card on the host device side is received in the adapter device. The wireless communication function is mounted in the adapter device.

  On the other hand, as a second embodiment of the present invention, a design in which a wireless communication function is mounted in a connector device for mounting a memory card on the host device side is also conceivable.

  Similarly, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the product lineup as a memory card is determined by the memory size in the memory card portion (and additional functions such as copyright protection), and the wireless communication unit is Since the connector device portion to be included is common to each lineup, the burden on the manufacturer is reduced. In addition, if the user purchases only a memory card as necessary and possesses a host device equipped with a connector device with a wireless communication function, the user can use the wireless communication function with any memory card. This can reduce the cost burden.

  The wireless communication function built in the connector device for the memory card on the host device side can perform the wireless transmission operation of data read from the memory card independently of the host device. Therefore, in response to a data request from an external device via a wireless transmission path, the contents of the memory in the memory card can be read out by the control of the communication control unit in the connector device. It is not necessary to install driver software, and it can be applied to existing digital cameras.

  FIG. 12 shows the configuration of a host device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a digital camera 250 as a host device includes an image processing block 251 for processing a captured image and a memory card connector 252 to which a memory card 253 is attached.

  The memory card connector 252 includes a terminal unit 256 that is wired to the image processing block 251 in the digital camera 250, a terminal unit 257 that contacts the terminal unit 258 on the memory card 253 side, a wireless communication unit 254, and an antenna. A terminal 255 is provided. As shown in the figure, the memory card connector 252 is a socket-like structure that accommodates the memory card 253 in the depth direction, and a terminal portion 257 is disposed at a substantially innermost portion thereof. Contact is made with the terminal portion 258 on the inserted memory card 253 side.

  FIG. 13 shows the internal configuration of the wireless communication unit 254 mounted on the memory card connector 252 in more detail. As shown in the figure, the wireless communication unit 254 includes a wireless unit 259, an antenna terminal 255, an interface unit 261, and a communication control unit 260.

  The wireless unit 259 is a functional module that performs wireless communication with an external device. The interface unit 261 performs wired communication with the image processing block 251 on the host device side and access operation to the memory card 253. Further, the communication control unit 260 controls communication operations in the wireless unit 259 and the interface unit 261. The wireless communication unit 254 is supplied with driving power from the digital camera 250 as a host device via the interface 261.

  For example, the wireless unit 259 is mounted as an IC chip for the wireless unit, the communication control unit 260 and the interface unit 261 are mounted as a single-chip baseband control LSI, and these are mounted on the wireless communication unit module substrate in the form of a bare chip. Installed. Also, on both ends of the wireless communication unit module board, a terminal unit 256 wired to the image processing block 251 in the digital camera 250 and a terminal unit 257 contacting the terminal unit 258 on the memory card 253 side are arranged. Established.

  The antenna terminal 255 taken out from the wireless unit 259 is further drawn out to the antenna element 212 in the host device 250. Many digital camera products are configured so that the memory card slot is located near the battery slot and both the memory card and battery are sealed inside using a single battery cover. (For example, see JP 2002-354303 A). In the case of such a design, if the antenna element is integrated with the connector for the memory card, the antenna element is buried inside the device with a battery lid, and sufficient sensitivity cannot be obtained. The antenna terminal 255 is pulled out to the antenna element 262.

  The interface unit 261 handles both access from the image processing block 251 of the host device 250 to the memory card 253 and access from the external device via the wireless unit 259 to the memory card 253. In order to avoid an access conflict, the interface unit 261 controls an access operation to the memory card 253 according to a wireless communication connection state in the wireless unit 259.

  Since the interface unit 261 normally connects the image processing block 251 and the memory card 253 side through, the wireless communication unit 254 is invisible from the image processing block 251 side. Further, while the access operation from the external device to the memory card 253 is performed via the wireless unit 259, the access from the image processing block 251 is prohibited, and a malfunction caused by the access conflict to the memory card 253 is prevented. In addition to avoiding this problem, it is ensured that a memory access request via wireless communication is smoothly performed. Of course, during the period in which the data transfer operation from the image processing block 251 to the memory card 253 is performed, the access operation from the communication control unit 260 to the memory card 253 is prohibited.

  In addition, unlike the communication operation via wired communication, the wireless communication operation has a risk that the communication being processed is interrupted. Therefore, the interface unit 261 prevents the memory from being destroyed from the communication control unit 260. Accepts only read requests to the memory card 253 and does not allow write requests.

  Further, the interface unit 261 receives drive power from the host device 250 side and supplies it to the wireless unit 259 and the communication control unit 260 in addition to realizing the interface protocol to the memory card 253.

  In the present embodiment, the wireless communication unit 254 uses reflected wave transmission as a wireless communication interface. In this case, the wireless unit 259 is configured as a reflector, and for example, transmits data requested in units of pages as a modulated reflected wave with respect to the received radio wave. Such a data transmission operation can be realized under the control of the reflected wave reader on the external device 202 side, and does not require control by the host device 201. That is, the digital camera 201 side as a host device to which the memory card 253 is attached is completely free from problems such as device driver installation and update accompanying a communication protocol version change.

  When the wireless communication unit 254 in the memory card connector 252 performs reflected wave transmission with an external device such as a television or a printer as a data transfer destination, the external device is almost the same as the first embodiment of the present invention. A simple configuration is sufficient. Further, the reflector and the reflected wave reader may be the same as those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, and will not be further described here.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of an operation sequence for reading data from the memory card 253 under control from the external device 202 side.

  First, the memory card 253 is attached to a digital camera as the host device 250. Then, the host device 201 is used to take a picture (1401).

  The captured image data is transferred to the memory card 253 via the interface unit 261 of the memory card connector 252 and stored in the internal flash memory (1402, 1403). At this time, the interface unit 261 normally connects the image processing block 251 side and the memory card 253 side through.

  Next, an image display request is generated by a user operation (or remote control operation) on the external device (1404). For example, it is assumed that a display request for a photographed photographic image is generated from a television monitor (or an information device such as a PC or PDA).

  In such a case, a data read request is sent from the external device to the communication control unit 260 via the antenna 252 and the wireless unit 259 (1405).

  The communication control unit 260 reads the target data in the memory card 253 via the interface unit 261 and the terminal unit 257 (1406). At this time, the interface unit 261 prohibits access from the image processing block 201 side.

  Next, the data read by the communication control unit 260 is transferred to the requesting external device via the wireless unit 259 and the antenna 262. (1407). Here, the processing from 1404 to 1406 described above is repeated until the end of the file by the file system processing on the external device side.

  When the reading of the target data is completed, the image data is decoded on the external device side and displayed on, for example, a display screen (1408).

  In this way, by using the connector with the wireless communication function, it is possible to easily provide the wireless function to the host device equipped with the memory card.

Reflected wave data transmission using multi-level modulation Finally, reflected wave data transmission using multi-level modulation will be described. In a reflected wave transmission system, a modulation method having a relatively low bit rate such as ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) is generally employed. However, these modulation methods have a problem in terms of transmission speed. On the other hand, for example, by providing multiple reflection paths with different phase differences and switching the reflection paths according to the transmission data, higher bit rate phase modulation methods such as BPSK, QPSK, and 8-phase PSK modulation are realized. can do.

  FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of a radio unit that realizes the QPSK modulation method on the reflector side. The illustrated radio unit includes an antenna 1001, three phase shifters 1002, 1003, and 1004 connected in series to the antenna 1001, between the antenna 1001 and the phase shifter 1002, between the phase shifters 1002 and 1003, and the phase shifter 1003. And 1004, high-frequency switches 1005, 1006, and 1007, respectively.

The phase shifters 1002, 1003, and 1004 are constituted by lines such as strip lines that are λ / 8 with respect to the wavelength λ of the received radio wave 1008. At this time, the length L of the strip line is determined in consideration of the dielectric constant ε of the substrate and is given by the following equation. Where ε _eff is the effective dielectric constant of the substrate.

The signal transmission speed S on the substrate is expressed by the following equation. However, _C0 is the speed of light.

  The time required for the received radio wave to pass through each phase shifter is as shown in the following equation. Where T is the period of the received radio wave.

  Here, the received radio wave 1008 passes through each of the phase shifters 1002, 1003, and 1004 so that the phase is rotated by 360 / T × T / 8, and a difference of 45 degrees in one way and 90 degrees in a round trip is obtained. Each phase shifter 1002, 1003, 1004 is connected in series from the antenna 1001, and a short-circuit point is provided by a combination of on / off of the high-frequency switches 1005, 1006, 1007. Accordingly, the incoming received radio wave 1008 is reflected at the short-circuit point, but by providing a difference in the signal path that reciprocates according to the ON / OFF state of the switch, four kinds of phase differences are given to the reflected wave.

  When only the high frequency switch 1005 is turned on, reflection of the received radio wave occurs at point a in the figure. When only the high frequency switch 1006 is turned on, reflection of the received radio wave occurs at the point b in the figure, but compared with the phase of the reflected wave at the point a, the phase is 90 because it passes through the phase shifter 12. Will shift. When only the high frequency switch 17 is turned on, reflection occurs at the point c in the figure, but the phase is shifted by 180 degrees because it passes through the phase shifters 1002 and 1003 as compared with the phase of the reflected wave at the point a. Will do. In addition, when all the high frequency switches 1005 to 1007 are turned off, reflection occurs at the point d in the figure, but compared with the phase of the reflected wave at the point a, it passes through the phase shifters 1002, 1003 and 1004. The phase will shift 270 degrees. Therefore, by selectively turning on the high-frequency switches 1005, 1006, and 1007, reflected waves having four phases different from each other by 90 degrees can be created.

  When data transmission is performed, QPSK modulation is realized by dividing transmission data into two bits and assigning a phase corresponding to a combination of 0 and 1 of 2 bits. Specifically, the transmission data is divided into two bits. When 00, only the high frequency switch 15 is turned on. When 01, only the high frequency switch 1006 is turned on. When 11, the high frequency switch 1007 is turned on. When it is 10, it operates to turn off all the high frequency switches 15-17.

  In this way, it is possible to create reflected waves having four phases whose phases are different from each other by 90 degrees according to the value of data 2 bits, and (0,0), (0,1), Since four points (1, 0) and (1, 1) can be arranged, a QPSK-modulated reflected wave can be created.

  For example, WO 2005/36767, already assigned to the present applicant, discloses a backscatter communication system incorporating QPSK modulation processing.

  The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can make modifications and substitutions of the embodiment without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, driver software is installed on the digital camera side for communication control in order to wirelessly transmit data from a memory card storing a photographed image of a digital camera or the like to a device such as a PC, a television, or a printer. You can do it.

  In addition, low power consumption can be realized by using reflected wave transmission as wireless transmission. In particular, low power consumption can be realized in a communication mode in which a transmission ratio occupies most of communication between devices that are relatively limited to a short distance. For example, compared with a wireless LAN, an extremely low-consumption image transmission can be realized with a mobile device. As a result, the battery life of the mobile device can be greatly increased.

  In addition, by using reflected wave transmission as the wireless transmission, the wireless transmission module of the mobile device on the data transmission side can easily realize cost reduction compared to the wireless LAN. In addition, since the wireless transmission module on the mobile side is not subject to a wireless station in the Radio Law, certification work such as conformity certification becomes unnecessary.

  In this specification, the case where a reflector is mounted on a memory card adapter and data communication between the memory card adapter and an external device is realized by a reflected wave transmission method has been mainly described. The gist of the invention is not limited to this. For example, even when a wireless LAN, Bluetooth communication, or the like is used, problems such as introduction of a device driver into a host device, a product lineup of memory cards, and a user's cost burden can be solved.

  In short, the present invention has been disclosed in the form of exemplification, and the description of the present specification should not be interpreted in a limited manner. In order to determine the gist of the present invention, the claims should be taken into consideration.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a wireless transmission system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external view when the small memory card 203 is attached to the memory card adapter 201 with the wireless communication function. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of the wireless unit 208 in the memory card adapter 200 with a wireless communication function. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a wireless unit on the external device 202 side when reflected wave transmission is applied as a wireless communication interface. FIG. 5 shows a control sequence for wireless transmission between the wireless unit 208 of the memory card adapter 202 with the wireless communication function shown in FIG. 3 and the reflected wave reader of the external device 202 shown in FIG. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the reflected wave transmission system employing the TDD (Time Division Multiplexing) method. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence for reading data from the flash memory 204 in the small memory card 203 under control from the external device 202 side. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a radio unit that realizes the QPSK modulation method on the reflector side. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of wireless image transmission. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a memory card with a wireless communication function. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image transmission system in which a digital camera with a built-in wireless communication function module wirelessly transmits image data to an output device. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration of a host device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the wireless communication unit 254 mounted on the memory card connector 252. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence for reading data from the memory card 253 under the control from the external device 202 side.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 200 ... Memory card adapter with wireless communication function 201 ... Host device 202 ... External device 203 ... Small memory card 204 ... Flash memory 205 ... Memory control unit 206 ... Interface unit 207 ... Antenna 208 ... Radio unit 209 ... Communication control Unit 210 ... interface unit 211 ... connector unit 212 ... antenna 250 ... digital camera 251 ... image processing block 252 ... memory card connector 253 ... memory card 254 ... wireless communication unit 255 ... antenna terminal 256, 257, 258 ... terminal Unit 259 ... Wireless unit 260 ... Communication control unit 261 ... Interface unit 262 ... Antenna element

Claims (25)

An adapter device for receiving a memory card,
An insertion section for detachably inserting a memory card;
A wired communication unit detachably connected to the host device;
A wireless communication unit that communicates with an external device via a wireless transmission path;
A communication control unit for controlling a communication operation by the wireless communication unit;
A card interface unit that performs an access operation to the memory card being inserted into the insertion unit from the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit;
An adapter device for a memory card, comprising: The wireless communication unit performs a communication operation for transmitting data read from the memory card being inserted into the insertion unit to an external device via a wireless transmission path, from a host device connected to the wired communication unit. Do it independently of the movement,
The adapter device according to claim 1. The wireless communication unit performs transmission of a reflected wave signal subjected to modulation processing based on transmission data read from the memory card with respect to a received radio wave from the external device.
The adapter device according to claim 1. The wireless communication unit, the communication control unit, and the card interface unit operate with power supplied from a host device connected via the wired communication unit.
The adapter device according to claim 1. The card interface unit controls an access operation to the memory card being inserted into the insertion unit according to a connection state of the wireless communication unit;
The adapter device according to claim 1. The card interface unit selectively performs an access operation to the memory card from the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit.
The adapter device according to claim 5. The card interface unit prohibits access from a host device connected to the wired communication unit while an access operation from the communication control unit to the memory card is performed.
The adapter device according to claim 5. The card interface unit accepts only a read request from the communication control unit to the memory card being inserted into the insertion unit, and does not allow a write request.
The adapter device according to claim 1. A memory device comprising a memory card and an adapter device for removably receiving the memory card,
The memory card is
A memory unit for storing data;
A memory control unit for controlling an access operation to the memory unit;
An adapter interface unit connected to the adapter device;
The adapter device is
An insertion section for detachably inserting the memory card;
A wired communication unit detachably connected to the host device;
A wireless communication unit that communicates with an external device via a wireless transmission path;
A communication control unit for controlling a communication operation by the wireless communication unit;
A host device connected to the wired communication unit and a card interface unit that performs an access operation to the memory card from the communication control unit;
A memory device. The wireless communication unit performs a communication operation of transmitting data read from the memory card to an external device via a wireless transmission path, independently of a host device connected to the wired communication unit.
The memory device according to claim 9. The wireless communication unit performs transmission of a reflected wave signal subjected to modulation processing based on transmission data read from the memory unit with respect to a received radio wave from the external device.
The memory device according to claim 9. The communication control unit and the card interface unit operate by being fed from a host device connected via the wired communication unit.
The memory device according to claim 9. The card interface unit controls an access operation to the memory card according to a connection state of the wireless communication unit;
The memory device according to claim 9. The card interface unit selectively performs an access operation to the memory card from the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit.
The memory device according to claim 13. The card interface unit prohibits access from a host device connected to the wired communication unit while an access operation from the communication control unit to the memory card is performed.
The memory device according to claim 13. The card interface unit accepts only a read request to the memory card from the communication control unit and does not allow a write request.
The memory device according to claim 9. A connector device for receiving a memory card in a host device body,
A terminal for detachably connecting the memory card;
A wired communication unit for connecting the terminal unit to the host device;
A wireless communication unit that communicates with an external device via a wireless transmission path;
A communication control unit for controlling a communication operation by the wireless communication unit;
A card interface unit that performs an access operation to the memory card being connected to the terminal unit from the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit;
A connector device for a memory card, comprising: The wireless communication unit performs a communication operation of transmitting transmission data read from a memory card connected to the terminal unit to an external device via a wireless transmission path from a host device connected to the wired communication unit. Performs independently of communication operation.
18. The connector device for a memory card according to claim 17, wherein the connector device is a memory card. The wireless communication unit transmits a reflected wave signal subjected to a modulation process based on transmission data read from the memory card, with respect to a received radio wave from the external device.
18. The connector device for a memory card according to claim 17, wherein the connector device is a memory card. The wireless communication unit, the communication control unit, and the card interface unit operate with power supplied from a host device connected via the wired communication unit.
18. The connector device for a memory card according to claim 17, wherein the connector device is a memory card. The card interface unit controls an access operation to the memory card connected to the terminal unit according to a connection state of the wireless communication unit;
18. The connector device for a memory card according to claim 17, wherein the connector device is a memory card. The card interface unit selectively performs an access operation to the memory card from the host device connected to the wired communication unit and the communication control unit.
The connector device for a memory card according to claim 21, wherein the connector device is a memory card. The card interface unit prohibits access from a host device connected to the wired communication unit while an access operation from the communication control unit to the memory card is performed.
The connector device for a memory card according to claim 21, wherein the connector device is a memory card. The card interface unit accepts only a read request from the communication control unit to the memory card being inserted into the terminal unit, and does not allow a write request.
18. The connector device for a memory card according to claim 17, wherein the connector device is a memory card. The wireless communication unit includes an antenna terminal,
The antenna terminal is connected to an antenna element inside the host device body.
18. The connector device for a memory card according to claim 17, wherein the connector device is a memory card.

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