JP2012231409A - Optical communication system and connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical communication system and a connection device capable of increasing the number of electronic devices capable of communication and suppressing high-quality communication while suppressing the influence of electrical delay.
A communication system in which a plurality of optical communication devices can perform arbitration processing by a CAN protocol using an active optical signal repeater, a plurality of passive optical combiners, and an optical distributor. Configure. Specifically, a tree-structure optical communication system in which the signal relay device 1 is a root node, each pair of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 is a branch node, and each optical communication device 2 is a leaf node. At this time, a tree structure is formed by the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 so that the numbers of the optical combiners 3 and the optical distributors 4 interposed between the optical signal repeater 1 and the optical communication apparatuses 2 are equal. It is preferable.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical communication system in which a plurality of electronic devices transmit and receive information via an optical signal, and a connection device such as a junction box that can be used in this system.

  Conventionally, a communication protocol of CAN (Controller Area Network) has been widely adopted for communication between a plurality of electronic devices mounted on a vehicle (see Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the CAN communication protocol, a plurality of electronic devices are connected to a common CAN bus. Therefore, when a collision occurs due to a plurality of electronic devices performing transmission processing simultaneously, arbitration processing (arbitration) is performed in each electronic device. ) And communication with high priority is executed. In order to perform arbitration, each electronic device outputs a transmission signal to the CAN bus and at the same time detects the signal level of the CAN bus, and the signal level of the detected signal with respect to the transmission signal output by itself is detected. When it changes from recessive (inferior value) to dominant (dominant value), it judges that communication collision has occurred and stops the transmission process. The dominant signal is dominant over the recessive signal on the CAN bus. Therefore, even if a communication collision occurs, the electronic device that outputs the dominant signal can continue the transmission process.

  On the other hand, in recent years, vehicles such as EVs (Electric Vehicles) or HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) have begun to spread, and these vehicles are equipped with more electronic devices than conventional vehicles. Therefore, more electronic devices need to communicate. However, in order to perform communication using the CAN protocol with many electronic devices, it is necessary to provide many branch portions on the CAN bus configured by UTP (Unshielded Twist Pair cable), etc., and impedance mismatch at this branch portion There is a problem in that signal reflection is repeated due to factors such as ringing on the signal transmission path. When the number of electronic devices connected to the CAN bus reaches the limit due to the influence of ringing, it is necessary to connect a plurality of CAN buses via the gateway. For this reason, in order for as many electronic devices as possible to communicate with one CAN bus to communicate, it is necessary to mount a gateway in the vehicle, which increases the number of parts of the vehicle and increases costs. Become.

  Further, in EV or HEV, a high voltage cable is arranged in the vehicle, and a communication cable such as a CAN bus needs to be shielded in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic noise from the high voltage cable. However, the shield treatment increases the size and weight of the communication cable, which hinders the weight reduction of the vehicle and increases the cost.

ISO 11898-1: 2003 Road vehicles--Controller area network (CAN)-Part1: Data link layer and physical signaling ISO 11519-1: 1994 Road vehicles--Low-speed serial data communication--Part1: General and definitions

  In order to solve the problem of ringing caused by providing a branching portion in the communication cable and the problem that the size and weight of the communication cable increase due to the shielding process, the present inventor has made a plurality of A configuration is proposed in which a plurality of electronic devices are connected using an optical cable such as an optical fiber, and a plurality of electronic devices perform optical communication according to the CAN protocol. By connecting the electronic devices with optical cables, the optical cables do not generate electromagnetic noise including ringing and are not affected by noise sources including high-voltage cables. be able to.

  The configuration proposed by the inventor of the present application uses, for example, N input / output passive optical star couplers as CAN buses in order that N electronic devices perform optical communication using the CAN protocol, In this configuration, the input and output of the optical star coupler are connected by optical cables. With this configuration, each electronic device can determine whether or not the CAN bus signal has changed with respect to the signal transmitted by itself, that is, whether or not a communication collision has occurred. Communication is possible. However, in this configuration, since the optical signal is distributed by the optical star coupler, the power of the optical signal may be reduced and the communication quality may be reduced when the number of electronic devices to be connected is large.

  Further, another configuration proposed by the present inventor is a configuration in which an active optical signal relay device including a plurality of optical transceivers is used, and each electronic device and the optical signal relay device are connected by optical cables. . In this configuration, since the optical transceiver included in each electronic device and the transceiver included in the optical signal repeater are connected on a one-to-one basis, it is necessary to mount many optical transceivers in the optical signal repeater. A lot of electric power is required to operate. In this configuration, it is possible to connect a large number of electronic devices by connecting a plurality of optical signal repeaters at other stages. However, in the optical signal repeater, electrical signals are transmitted between a plurality of optical transceivers. Since transfer is performed, there is a risk of electrical delay.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to increase the number of electronic devices capable of communication and to suppress the influence of electrical delay and achieve high quality. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical communication system capable of performing communication and a connection device used in this system.

  The optical communication system according to the present invention has a connection portion to which a pair of optical communication lines for transmission and reception are connected, and a dominant value and an inferior value via the optical communication line connected to the connection portion. A plurality of optical communication devices each having a transmission / reception unit for transmitting and receiving an optical signal represented by a binary value, a plurality of connection units to which a set of optical communication lines are connected, provided for each connection unit, A transmission / reception unit that performs transmission / reception of an optical signal via a connected optical communication line, converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal, outputs the electrical signal, converts the input electrical signal into an optical signal, and transmits the optical signal; When an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the dominant value of the optical signal is output from any of the transmission / reception units, the signal distribution unit inputs the electrical signal to a plurality of transmission / reception units. Optical signal repeater that transmits received optical signals from multiple transceivers A plurality of light combiners that have a plurality of light input units and at least one light output unit, synthesize optical signals input from the plurality of light input units, and output from the light output unit, and at least one light input unit And a plurality of optical distributors that distribute and output optical signals input from the optical input unit to the plurality of optical output units, and each connection unit of the optical signal relay device includes: The optical output unit of the optical combiner and the optical input unit of the optical distributor, or the connection unit of the optical communication device, respectively, via a set of optical communication lines, and the optical input unit of the optical combiner and The optical output unit of the optical distributor is connected to the optical communication device, or the optical output unit of the other optical combiner and the optical input unit of the other optical distributor via a set of optical communication lines. It is characterized by being connected to.

  The optical communication system according to the present invention is characterized in that the number of the optical combiners and the optical distributors interposed between the optical signal repeater and each optical communication device is equal.

  In the optical communication system according to the present invention, each optical combiner includes two optical input units and one optical output unit, and each optical distributor includes one optical input unit and two optical output units. And each of them.

  The optical communication system according to the present invention further includes an infrared wireless communication device having an infrared transmission / reception unit that transmits and receives infrared wireless signals, and the optical signal relay device transmits and receives infrared wireless signals, and receives the received infrared light. An infrared transmission / reception unit that converts a wireless signal into an electrical signal and outputs it, and converts the input electrical signal into a wireless signal using infrared rays and transmits the signal, and the signal distribution unit of the optical signal relay device has a dominant value. When an electrical signal having a corresponding signal level is output from one of the transmission / reception units or the infrared transmission / reception unit, the electrical signal is input to the plurality of transmission / reception units and the infrared transmission / reception unit.

  The connection device according to the present invention is a connection device including a plurality of external connection units to which external devices are connected via a pair of transmission and reception optical communication lines, and the set of optical communication lines includes A plurality of connected parts, provided for each of the connected parts, transmit / receive optical signals via an optical communication line connected to the connected parts, convert the received optical signals into electrical signals, and output them A transmission / reception unit that converts an input electrical signal into an optical signal and transmits the signal; and an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the dominant value of the optical signal is output from any of the transmission / reception units. An optical signal repeater having a signal distribution unit for inputting to a plurality of transmission / reception units, and transmitting an optical signal received by one transmission / reception unit from the plurality of transmission / reception units, a plurality of optical input units, and at least one optical output unit And combine optical signals input from multiple optical input units. A plurality of optical combiners that output from the optical output unit, and at least one optical input unit and a plurality of optical output units, and distribute and output optical signals input from the optical input unit to the multiple optical output units A plurality of optical distributors, and each connection unit of the optical signal relay device is connected to a light output unit of the optical combiner and an optical input unit of the optical distributor via a set of optical communication lines, or The optical input unit of the optical combiner and the optical output unit of the optical distributor are respectively connected to the external connection unit, and the external connection unit or another optical combiner of the optical combiner via a set of optical communication lines. It is connected to an optical output unit and an optical input unit of another optical distributor.

  The connection device according to the present invention is characterized in that the number of the optical combiners and the optical distributors interposed between the optical signal relay device and each external connection unit is equal.

  In the connection device according to the present invention, each optical combiner includes two optical input units and one optical output unit, and each optical distributor includes one optical input unit, two optical output units, and Respectively.

  In the connection device according to the present invention, the optical signal relay device transmits and receives a wireless signal using infrared rays, converts the received wireless signal using infrared rays into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal. An infrared transmission / reception unit that converts to a wireless signal and transmits the signal, and the signal distribution unit of the optical signal relay device outputs an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the dominant value from any of the transmission / reception units or the infrared transmission / reception unit. In this case, the electrical signal is input to a plurality of transmission / reception units and an infrared transmission / reception unit, and a wireless signal using infrared rays is transmitted / received to / from an external device.

In the present invention, it has a plurality of transmission / reception units that convert optical signals and electrical signals, converts an optical signal received by one transmission / reception unit into an electrical signal, distributes it to the plurality of transmission / reception units, and converts the optical signal into an optical signal. An active optical signal repeater that converts and outputs, a passive optical combiner that combines and outputs a plurality of input optical signals, and a passive optical distributor that distributes an input optical signal into a plurality of Are used to connect a plurality of optical communication devices to form an optical communication system.
A set of optical combiners and an optical distributor are connected to each connection portion of the optical signal repeater via a set of optical communication lines. As a result, a set number of optical combiners and optical distributors corresponding to the number of connections are connected to the optical signal repeater. An optical communication device or another set of optical combiner and optical distributor is connected to the optical input unit of the optical combiner and the optical output unit of the optical distributor via a set of optical communication lines. That is, an optical communication device may be connected to the optical combiner and the optical distributor, and other optical combiners and optical distributors may be connected in multiple stages. When connecting one set of light combiner and light distributor to one set of light combiner and light distributor, the light input unit of one set of light combiner and the light output unit of the other set of light combiner Are connected by one of a pair of optical communication lines, and the optical output section of one set of optical distributors and the optical input section of the other set of optical distributors are connected by the other of the pair of optical communication lines. To do.
That is, this configuration is a tree-structured connection in which the optical signal repeater is a root node, each pair of optical combiners and optical distributors is a branch node, and each optical communication device is a leaf node.

With the above configuration, a plurality of optical communication devices are connected to the optical signal relay device via one-stage or multi-stage optical combiners and optical distributors. The optical signal transmitted by the optical communication device is combined by one or a plurality of optical combiners and input to the optical signal repeater. The optical signal repeater distributes this optical signal to all the optical distributors, and each distributor Distributes optical signals to all optical communication devices. Therefore, each optical communication apparatus can receive an optical signal obtained by combining an optical signal transmitted by itself and an optical signal transmitted by another optical communication apparatus. Thereby, the arbitration process similar to the CAN protocol can be performed by transmitting / receiving an optical signal in which presence / absence of light is associated with a dominant value (dominant) / recessive value (recessive).
Since the optical combiner and the optical distributor can be connected in multiple stages between the optical signal repeater and the plurality of optical communication devices, it is possible to easily connect a large number of optical communication devices to form a communication system. . Since a plurality of passive optical combiners and optical distributors are connected to an active optical signal repeater, a reduction in optical signal power can be suppressed even when many optical communication devices are connected. Since the delay of the electrical signal can be suppressed only to the optical signal repeater, high quality communication can be performed.

  In the present invention, connections are made so that the number of optical combiners and optical distributors interposed between the optical signal repeater and each optical communication device is equal. As a result, the distances of the optical signal communication paths transmitted and received between the optical communication devices are substantially equal, and each optical communication device can transmit and receive optical signals at substantially the same timing, thereby realizing high-quality communication. it can.

  In the present invention, a two-input one-output optical combiner and a one-input two-output optical distributor are used as a set to connect between the optical signal repeater and the plurality of optical communication apparatuses. The configuration of two inputs and one output or one input and two outputs is the simplest configuration and is low cost, and the optical communication device can be connected in a binary tree structure, so that easy and efficient connection can be realized.

In addition, in a vehicle, it may be difficult to dispose a communication cable (particularly an optical communication line) because the communication cable must be bent significantly.
Therefore, in the present invention, the optical signal relay device is provided with a function of transmitting and receiving a wireless signal using infrared rays, and the optical signal relay device can perform wireless communication via infrared rays with the infrared wireless communication device. To do. The optical signal relay device distributes the signal received via infrared rays together with the signal received via the optical communication line. Thereby, it is possible to realize an optical communication system in which a wired network via an optical communication line and a wireless network via an infrared ray are mixed. Therefore, infrared communication using infrared rays can be applied to places where it is difficult to arrange optical communication lines, and the degree of freedom of arrangement of communication devices in vehicles and the like can be increased. An optical element for guiding infrared rays, such as a mirror or a prism, may be disposed between the infrared wireless communication device and the optical signal relay device.

  In the present invention, the optical signal relay device, the optical combiner, and the optical distributor are accommodated in a single housing or the like to form a connection device such as a junction box. A plurality of external connection units provided in the connection device are connected to an external device (the above-mentioned optical communication device, or another connection device, an optical signal relay device, an optical combiner, or an optical distributor) via a set of optical communication lines. Or the like, and the connection device relays optical communication between the plurality of connected external devices. By providing the optical signal relay device, the optical combiner, and the optical distributor as one connection device, it is possible to facilitate the connection of a plurality of external devices.

In the case of the present invention, a set of an optical combiner and an optical distributor is connected to a plurality of connection portions of the optical signal repeater via optical communication properties (in one stage or in multiple stages), respectively, By configuring a tree-structured optical communication system in which an optical communication device is connected to each distributor, the optical signals transmitted from each optical communication system are combined by an optical combiner and input to the optical signal repeater. The light is distributed to the optical distributor by the relay device, and is distributed to all the optical communication devices by each optical distributor. Each optical communication device can receive an optical signal synthesized by an optical signal transmitted by itself and an optical signal transmitted by another optical communication device, and can perform arbitration processing similar to the CAN protocol. It is possible to realize optical communication of a communication system based on the CAN protocol, and it is possible to perform high-quality communication without being affected by ringing and external noise.
In this configuration, a set of optical combiners and optical distributors can be connected in multiple stages between the optical signal repeater and the plurality of optical communication devices, so that an optical communication system can be configured by easily connecting a large number of optical communication devices. The number of optical communication devices in the optical communication system can be easily increased. In addition, the active optical signal repeater is configured to connect multiple passive optical combiners and optical distributors, so even if a large number of optical communication devices are connected, the reduction in optical signal power is suppressed. In addition, since the delay of the electrical signal can be suppressed only to the optical signal repeater, the occurrence of the signal delay can be suppressed to the maximum and high-quality communication can be performed.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the optical communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an optical communication apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an optical signal relay apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of an optical combiner and an optical distributor. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other structural example of the optical communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other structural example of the optical communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the optical communication system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an infrared wireless communication apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an optical signal relay apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other structural example of the optical communication system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an optical communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 99 shown by a one-dot chain line is a vehicle, and the optical communication system according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of optical communication devices 2 mounted on the vehicle 99, one optical signal relay device 1, and a plurality of optical combiners 3. And the optical distributor 4 and the optical communication line. In FIG. 1, an optical communication line is indicated by an arrow, which indicates a direction in which an optical signal is transmitted. In FIG. 1, the optical distributor 4 and the optical communication line connected to the optical distributor 4 are indicated by broken lines.

  The optical communication system of the illustrated example includes one optical signal relay device 1, 16 optical communication devices 2, twelve optical combiners 3, twelve optical distributors 4, and these components. And a plurality of optical communication lines to be connected. In this optical communication system, each of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 is used as one set, and two optical communication lines having opposite optical signal transmission directions are used as one set.

  The optical signal repeater 1 is connected to four sets of optical communication lines, and an optical combiner 3 and an optical distributor 4 are connected to each set of optical communication lines (the optical signal repeater 1 includes 4 sets of optical combiner 3 and optical distributor 4 are connected via 4 sets of optical communication lines). That is, four optical communication lines for reception (solid arrow) and four optical communication lines for transmission (broken arrows) can be connected to the optical signal repeater 1 and photosynthesis is performed via the reception optical communication line. Each of the optical devices 3 is connected, and each of the optical distributors 4 is connected via an optical communication line for transmission. The optical signal relay device 1 performs a process of combining optical signals received via four receiving optical communication lines and transmitting the combined optical signal via four transmitting optical communication lines. In the following, the four sets of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 connected to the optical signal repeater 1 through the optical communication line are referred to as the first-stage optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4.

  The optical combiner 3 is a two-input one-output optical component that combines two input optical signals into one optical signal and outputs it. The optical distributor 4 is a 1-input 2-output optical component that distributes two input signals into two and outputs them. Two sets of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 are used as one set, and the output of the optical combiner 3 and the input of the optical distributor 4 are the same for each set of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4. Are connected to each other through one set of optical communication lines, and one input of the optical combiner 3 and one output of the optical distributor 4 are respectively connected to the same device or apparatus via one set of optical communication lines, The other input of the optical combiner 3 and the other output of the optical distributor 4 are respectively connected to the same device or apparatus via a set of optical communication lines.

  The optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 have one set of optical communication lines connected to one side (the side where the output of the optical combiner 3 and the input of the optical distributor 4 are provided) and the other side (the input of the optical combiner 3). And two sets of optical communication lines are connected to the output side of the optical distributor 4). The first-stage optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 connected to the optical signal repeater 1 via the optical communication line on one side are combined into two sets of optical combinations via the two optical communication lines on the other side. Are connected to the four sets of first-stage light combiners 3 and 4 through eight sets of optical communication lines. Device 4 is connected). That is, the optical signal repeater 1 is connected to the output of the first-stage optical combiner 3 via an optical communication line, and the other two optical combiners are connected to the two inputs of the first-stage optical combiner 3. The outputs of the devices 3 are connected via optical communication lines. Similarly, the optical signal repeater 1 is connected to the input of the first-stage optical distributor 4 via an optical communication line, and the two outputs of the first-stage optical distributor 4 are connected to the other outputs. Inputs of the two optical distributors 4 are connected via optical communication lines. In the following description, the eight sets of the optical combiners 3 and 4 connected to the first-stage optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 are referred to as the second-stage optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4.

  The second-stage light combiner 3 and the light distributor 4 connected to the first-stage light combiner 3 and the light distributor 4 on one side are connected to the other side via two sets of optical communication lines. Optical communication device 2 is connected (16 optical communication devices 2 are connected to 8 sets of second-stage optical combiner 3 and optical splitter 4 via 16 sets of optical communication lines. ). That is, the input of the first-stage light combiner 3 is connected to the output of the second-stage light combiner 3 via the optical communication line, and the two inputs of the second-stage light combiner 3 are connected to the optical input. Each communication device 2 is connected via an optical communication line. Similarly, the output of the first-stage optical distributor 4 is connected to the input of the second-stage optical distributor 4 via an optical communication line, and two outputs of the second-stage optical distributor 4 are connected. Are respectively connected to the optical communication devices 2 via optical communication lines. A set of optical communication lines is connected to the optical communication apparatus 2 for transmitting and receiving optical signals, respectively.

  The optical signal transmitted by the optical communication device 2 is input to the second-stage optical combiner 3 through the optical communication line. The second-stage optical combiner 3 combines the two optical signals input from the optical communication device 2 and outputs the combined optical signal to the first-stage optical combiner 3. The first-stage optical combiner 3 combines the two optical signals input from the second-stage optical combiner 3 and outputs the combined optical signal to the optical signal relay device 1. The optical signal repeater 1 combines the four optical signals input from the four first-stage optical combiners 3 and outputs the combined optical signals to the four first-stage optical distributors 4. The first-stage optical distributor 4 distributes the optical signal input from the optical signal repeater 1 to the two second-stage optical distributors 4. The second-stage optical distributor 4 distributes the optical signal input from the first-stage optical distributor 4 to the two optical communication devices 2. As a result, the optical signal transmitted from the optical communication device 2 is transmitted to the second-stage optical combiner 3, the first-stage optical combiner 3, the optical signal repeater 1, the first-stage optical distributor 4, and the second-stage optical combiner 3. It is received by all the optical communication devices 2 in the optical communication system via the optical distributor 4. Therefore, the optical communication device 2 that is the transmission source of the optical signal can receive the optical signal transmitted by itself, and therefore, by determining whether or not a change has occurred in the signal value of the optical signal, it is possible to comply with the CAN protocol. Arbitration can be performed accordingly.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the optical communication device 2. The optical communication device 2 according to the present embodiment is a device in which an optical communication function is mounted on an electronic device such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted on a vehicle 99. The optical communication device 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a CAN controller 22, a connection unit 23, an optical transmission / reception module 24, and the like. The CPU 21 of the optical communication apparatus 2 executes various programs necessary for operation control and control of each unit in the apparatus by executing a program stored in advance in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like. . If the CPU 21 determines that information exchange with another optical communication apparatus 2 is necessary in these processes, the CPU 21 communicates with the other optical communication apparatus 2 by giving a communication instruction to the CAN controller 22. be able to. When transmitting data to another optical communication device 2, the CPU 21 gives this data to the CAN controller 22. In addition, when receiving data from another optical communication device 2, the CAN controller 22 gives this data to the CPU 21.

  When data is given from the CPU 21, the CAN controller 22 converts the data into data for transmission according to the data format of the CAN protocol, and gives the data to the transmission unit 25 of the optical transmission / reception module 24. Data transmitted / received by the CAN protocol is composed of a plurality of fields such as an arbitration field, a control field, a data field, a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) field, and an ACK (ACKnowledgement) field, and the data given from the CPU 21 is Stored in the data field. The arbitration field is data for arbitrating communication collisions. A value corresponding to the priority of transmission data is stored, and data “0 (dominant)” has a higher priority than data “1 (recessive)”. high.

  The CAN controller 22 is given data received by the receiving unit 26 of the optical transceiver module 24. Since this received data is in the CAN protocol data format, the CAN controller 22 extracts necessary data from the data field of the received data and gives it to the CPU 21. Thereby, the CPU 21 can perform processing according to the received data from the other optical communication device 2.

  The optical transmission / reception module 24 includes a transmission unit 25 and a reception unit 26, and mutual conversion between an electrical signal exchanged with the CAN controller 22 and an optical signal exchanged with another optical communication device 2. Is to do. The transmission unit 25 of the optical transmission / reception module 24 includes a light source such as a light emitting diode and a drive circuit for turning on / off the light source, and transmits transmission data given as an electrical signal from the CAN controller 22 as an optical signal. The optical signal is output to an optical communication line for transmission.

  The receiving unit 26 of the optical transmission / reception module 24 includes a light receiving element such as a photodiode, for example, and detects light emitted from the receiving optical communication line. The receiving unit 26 can output an electrical signal corresponding to the light detected by the light receiving element, thereby receiving the optical signal transmitted by the other optical communication device 2 and converting it into an electrical signal, and the CAN controller 22. Can be given to.

  The connection unit 23 is for connecting a pair of transmission optical communication lines and reception optical communication lines to the optical communication apparatus 2 by a method such as fitting. When the optical communication line is connected to the connection unit 23, the end of the optical communication line for transmission faces the light emitting element of the transmission unit 25 of the optical transmission / reception module 24, and the end of the optical communication line for reception is light. It faces the light receiving element of the receiving unit 26 of the transmission / reception module 24. As a result, the optical transceiver module 24 can transmit and receive optical signals using the light emitting element and the light receiving element.

  In the present embodiment, the state in which the light emitting diode of the transmission unit 25 emits light and the optical signal is conducted in the optical communication line is associated with the dominant (dominant value) of the CAN protocol, and light is transmitted in the optical communication line. Assume that the state where the signal is not conducted is associated with recessive (inferior value), and each optical communication device 2 performs optical communication according to the CAN protocol.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the optical signal relay device 1. The optical signal relay device 1 includes four connection units 11, four optical transmission / reception modules 12, and one OR element 15. Each connection unit 11 of the optical signal relay device 1 connects a pair of transmission optical communication lines and reception optical communication lines by a method such as fitting, similarly to the connection unit 23 of the optical communication device 2. Is to do. Since the optical signal relay device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the four connection units 11, four sets of optical communication lines can be connected.

  Each optical transmission / reception module 12 of the optical signal relay device 1 includes a transmission unit 13 and a reception unit 14, similarly to the optical transmission / reception module 24 of the optical communication device 2, and performs mutual conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal, respectively. Is. The four optical transmission / reception modules 12 are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the four connection portions 11, and perform transmission / reception of optical signals with the optical communication lines connected to the corresponding connection portions 11, Mutual conversion between optical signals and electrical signals for transmission and reception is performed.

  Each optical transceiver module 12 has an input terminal 13a and an output terminal 14a for inputting and outputting electrical signals. However, in the optical signal repeater 1, the dominant of the optical signal is associated with the high level of the electrical signal, and the transmitter 13 of the optical transceiver module 12 receives the high-level electrical signal to the input terminal 13a. A dominant optical signal is transmitted to the input terminal 13a, and a recessive optical signal is transmitted when a low-level electrical signal is input to the input terminal 13a. Similarly, the receiving unit 14 of the optical transceiver module 12 outputs a high-level electrical signal from the output terminal 14a when a dominant optical signal is received, and outputs a low-level electrical signal when a recessive optical signal is received. Output from terminal 14a.

  The output terminals 14a of the four optical transmission / reception modules 12 of the optical signal repeater 1 are respectively connected to the inputs of the OR element 15 having four inputs and one output. The output of the OR element 15 is connected to the input terminals 13 a of the four optical transceiver modules 12. The OR element 15 outputs a high-level electrical signal when a high-level electrical signal is input to any of the four inputs, and the low-level electrical signal is input when a low-level electrical signal is input to all inputs. It is a logic gate circuit that outputs an electrical signal. Therefore, the OR element 15 receives a high-level electrical signal corresponding to the dominant optical signal when any of the receiving units 14 receives the dominant optical signal and outputs a high-level signal from the output terminal 14a. To all the transmission units 13.

  Accordingly, the optical signal relay device 1 transmits the optical signal received by the receiving unit 14 via the optical communication line connected to one connection unit 11 to the optical communication lines connected to all the connection units 11. It can be transmitted from the unit 13. In addition, when the optical signal relay apparatus 1 receives optical signals simultaneously with the plurality of receiving units 14, the signal combining is performed by the OR element 15 with the electric signal corresponding to the dominant being dominant, and all the transmitting units 13 can be transmitted.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4, (A) shows the configuration of the optical combiner 3, and (B) shows the configuration of the optical distributor 4. The optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 are optical components in a mode in which two optical fibers are coupled (or one optical fiber is branched into two), and are so-called passive optical couplers. The illustrated optical coupler has a configuration in which one input / output end is provided on one side and two input / output ends are provided on the other side. In the present embodiment, the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 can be realized using optical couplers having the same configuration, and only the input / output directions of optical signals are different.

  The optical combiner 3 uses two input / output terminals on the other side of the optical coupler as an optical signal input terminal 31 and one input / output terminal on one side as an optical signal output terminal 32. In this configuration, since light is output from the output end 32 when light is input from at least one of the input ends 31, an optical signal in which presence / absence of light is associated with dominant / recessive is input to two inputs. With the configuration in which the signal is input from the end 31, the optical combiner 3 can combine the optical signals input from the two input ends 31 and output from the output end 32.

  In the optical distributor 4, one input / output terminal on one side of the optical coupler is used as an optical signal input terminal 41, and the other two input / output terminals are used as an optical signal output terminal 42. In this configuration, when light is input from the input end 41, the light is output from the two output ends 42. Therefore, the optical distributor 4 distributes the optical signal input from the input end 41 to 2 It is possible to output from two output terminals 42.

  In the optical communication system having the above configuration, one signal repeater 1 is a root node, each pair of optical combiner 3 and optical distributor 4 is a branch node, and each optical communication device 2 is a leaf node. It is a network connection with a tree structure. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 1, 16 optical fibers are formed by forming a two-stage tree structure between the signal repeater 1 and the optical communication device 2 using 12 sets of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4. The communication device 2 can perform optical communication using the CAN protocol. In this configuration, the number of optical communication devices 2 connected to the network can be easily increased / decreased by adding / removing the set of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4.

  For example, when nine to fifteen optical communication apparatuses 2 are connected to a network, the set of the second-stage optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 is appropriately deleted from the configuration example shown in FIG. What is necessary is just to set it as the structure which connects the optical communication apparatus 2 to some optical combiners 3 and optical dividers 4 of eyes. When eight optical communication apparatuses 2 are connected to the network, the connection may be made using only the first-stage optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4. Further, when seven or less optical communication devices 2 are connected to a network, a configuration may be adopted in which several optical communication devices 2 are directly connected to the optical signal relay device 1. Further, for example, when 17 or more optical communication apparatuses 2 are connected to the network, a set of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 is appropriately added to configure the third stage, and the third stage optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor are configured. The optical communication device 2 may be connected to the device 4.

  However, a binary tree structure including the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 is configured so that the number of the optical combiners 3 and the optical distributors 4 interposed between the optical signal repeater 1 and the optical communication apparatuses 2 is equal. Is preferred. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 1, two (two sets) of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 are interposed between the optical signal relay device 1 and each communication device 2. In addition, when the number of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 cannot be made equal for all the optical communication devices 2 such as the number of optical communication devices 2, the difference in the number of intervention is 1 or less. It is preferable to configure a binary tree structure of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 so that

  Further, a 2-input 1-output optical combiner 3 and a 1-input 2-output optical distributor 4 (that is, a passive optical coupler having one input / output end on one side and two input / output ends on the other side) are used. Therefore, since this configuration is the simplest configuration, the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 can be realized at low cost, and a plurality of sets of the optical combiners 3 and the optical distributor 4 can be connected in a binary tree structure. The communication device 2 can be easily and efficiently connected.

  Further, in the optical communication system according to the present embodiment, not only the passive optical coupler (the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4) but also a plurality of optical communication apparatuses 2 are optically connected via the active optical signal repeater 1. This is a configuration for transmitting and receiving signals. With this configuration, even when a large number of optical signal repeaters 1 are connected via a large number of optical combiners and optical distributors 4 as compared to an optical network composed of only passive optical couplers, A decrease in signal power can be suppressed. Further, as compared with the case where an optical network is configured by connecting a plurality of active optical signal repeaters 1, the optical communication system according to the present embodiment is configured to transmit electrical signals generated in the optical signal repeater 1. Delay can be minimized. Therefore, in the optical communication system according to the present embodiment, more optical communication apparatuses 2 can perform optical communication according to the CAN protocol and can perform high-quality optical communication.

  In the present embodiment, the optical communication system of the present invention is applied to communication with an ECU or the like mounted on the vehicle 99. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same configuration is applied to a communication system other than the vehicle. May be applied. In particular, the optical communication system of the present invention is suitable for optical communication of a communication system that performs communication using the CAN protocol.

  In FIG. 1, the 16 optical communication devices 2 are connected using the optical signal repeater 1, the optical combiner 3, and the optical distributor 4. However, this is only an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The configuration may be such that 15 or less or 17 or more optical communication apparatuses 2 perform optical communication. Moreover, although the optical signal relay apparatus 1 was set as the structure provided with the four connection parts 11 and the optical transmission / reception module 12, it is not restricted to this, Three or less or five or more connection parts 11 and the optical transmission / reception module 12 are provided. It is good also as a structure provided. In addition, although the configuration using the 2-input 1-output optical combiner 3 and the 1-input 2-output optical distributor 4 is not limited thereto, for example, a 3-input 1-output optical combiner and a 1-input 3-output optical distribution are used. Other configurations such as a light combiner and a light distributor such as a four-input one-output light combiner and a one-input four-output light distributor may be used.

  In the optical signal repeater 1, the dominant of the optical signal is associated with the high level of the electric signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured to associate the dominant of the optical signal with the low level of the electric signal. In this case, an AND element that performs an AND operation may be used instead of the OR element 15 that performs an OR operation.

  5 and 6 are schematic views showing another configuration example of the optical communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The optical communication system shown in FIG. 5 has a configuration in which a plurality of optical communication devices 2 are connected to one junction box (connection device) 5. The junction box 5 is provided with a plurality of external connection portions 51, and each optical communication device 2 is connected to the external connection portion 51 of the junction box 5 via a set of optical communication lines.

  The junction box 5 is one in which one optical signal repeater 1 and 12 sets of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 are accommodated in a housing. The casing of the junction box 5 is provided with 16 external connection portions 51, and a set of optical communication lines for transmission and reception can be connected to each external connection portion 51. The optical communication device 2 or other devices (for example, other devices such as the junction box 5, the optical combiner 3, the optical distributor 4, or the GW) can be connected via the optical communication line.

  The connection of one optical signal repeater 1 in the junction box 5, 12 sets of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. Four sets of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 are connected to the four connection portions 11 of the optical signal repeater 1 as the first stage. Two sets of other optical combiners 3 and 4 are connected to each set of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 (that is, four sets of optical combiners 3 in the first stage). And the optical distributor 4 is connected to the eight sets of the optical combiner 3 and the optical distributor 4 in the second stage). Each pair of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 in the second stage is connected to two external connections 51 (that is, eight sets of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 in the second stage are It is connected to 16 external connection parts 51).

  In this way, by mounting one optical signal repeater 1, 12 sets of optical combiner 3 and optical distributor 4 in one housing to form a junction box 5, it is possible to facilitate mounting in the vehicle 99. Can do.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an optical communication system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the optical communication system according to the second embodiment, the optical signal relay device 201 has a function of wireless communication using infrared rays, and infrared rays (indicated by two-dot chain arrows in FIG. 7) are transmitted to the infrared wireless communication device 202. Communication can be performed. The optical signal relay device 201 and the infrared wireless communication device 202 do not need to be connected via a cable such as an optical communication line, and are disposed in the vehicle 1 with a space with few obstacles to the extent that infrared signals can be transmitted and received. The At this time, the optical signal relay device 201 and the infrared wireless communication device 202 do not necessarily have to be arranged to face each other, and the optical signal relay device 201 and the infrared wireless communication device 202 exchange infrared rays reflected by an obstacle or the like. The structure may be sufficient and the structure which distribute | arranges light guide members, such as a mirror or a prism, between the optical signal relay apparatus 201 and the infrared wireless communication apparatus 202 may be sufficient.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the infrared wireless communication apparatus 202. The infrared wireless communication device 202 is a device in which an electronic device such as an ECU mounted on the vehicle 99 has a function of wireless communication via infrared light. The infrared wireless communication device 202 includes a CPU 21 and a CAN controller 22 similar to those of the optical communication device 2, and includes an infrared transmission / reception module 224 instead of the connection unit 23 and the optical transmission / reception module 24 of the optical communication device 2.

  The infrared transmission / reception module 224 includes a transmission unit 225 and a reception unit 226, and performs mutual conversion between an infrared signal and an electrical signal exchanged between the CAN controller 22. The transmission unit 225 of the infrared transmission / reception module 224 includes, for example, a light source such as a light emitting diode that emits infrared rays, a drive circuit that turns on / off the light source, and the like, and transmission data that is given as an electrical signal from the CAN controller 22 Is converted into an infrared signal, and this infrared signal is output.

  The receiving unit 226 of the infrared transmission / reception module 224 is configured to include a light receiving element such as a photodiode that detects infrared rays, and detects infrared rays. The receiving unit 226 can output an electrical signal corresponding to the infrared light detected by the light receiving element, thereby receiving the infrared signal transmitted from the infrared wireless communication device 202 and converting it to an electrical signal, and sending it to the CAN controller 22. Can be given.

  In the present embodiment, the state where the light receiving element of the receiving unit 226 detects infrared rays is associated with the dominant (dominant value) of the CAN protocol, and the state where the light receiving element does not detect infrared rays is recessive (inferior value). ), The infrared wireless communication apparatus 202 performs optical communication in accordance with the CAN protocol.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the optical signal relay device 201. The optical signal relay device 201 according to the second embodiment includes three connection units 11, three optical transmission / reception modules 12, one OR element 15, and one infrared transmission / reception module 212. That is, the optical signal relay device 201 according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which one connection unit 11 and the optical transmission / reception module 12 of the optical signal relay device 1 according to the first embodiment are replaced with one infrared transmission / reception module 212. is there.

  Similar to the optical transmission / reception module 224 of the infrared wireless communication device 202, the infrared transmission / reception module 212 includes a transmission unit 213 and a reception unit 214, and performs mutual conversion between an infrared signal and an electrical signal. The infrared transmission / reception module 212 has an input terminal 213a and an output terminal 214a for inputting / outputting electric signals. However, in the optical signal relay device 201, the dominant of the optical signal is associated with the high level of the electrical signal, and the transmission unit 213 of the infrared transmission / reception module 212 receives the high-level electrical signal to the input terminal 213a. A dominant infrared signal is transmitted to the input terminal 213, and a recessive infrared signal is transmitted when a low-level electrical signal is input to the input terminal 213a. Similarly, the reception unit 214 of the infrared transmission / reception module 212 outputs a high-level electrical signal from the output terminal 214a when a dominant infrared signal is received, and outputs a low-level electrical signal when a recessive infrared signal is received. Output from terminal 214a.

  The output terminals 14a of the three optical transmission / reception modules 12 of the optical signal relay device 201 and the output terminal 214a of the infrared transmission / reception module 212 are respectively connected to the inputs of the OR element 15 having four inputs and one output. The output of the OR element 15 is connected to the input terminals 13 a of the three optical transmission / reception modules 12 and the input terminal 213 a of the infrared transmission / reception module 212. Therefore, the OR element 15 converts a dominant optical signal into a dominant optical signal when a dominant optical signal is received by either the receiving unit 14 or the receiving unit 214 and a high level signal is output from the output terminal 14a or the output terminal 214a. A corresponding high-level electric signal is supplied to all the transmission units 13 and the transmission units 213.

  Thus, the optical signal relay device 201 is connected not only to the optical signal received via the optical communication line connected to the connection unit 11 but also to the infrared signal received by the infrared transmission / reception module 212 to all the connection units 11. In addition to transmitting to the optical communication line, it can be transmitted from the infrared transmission / reception module 212 to the infrared wireless communication apparatus 202. In addition, when the optical signal relay device 201 receives signals simultaneously by a plurality of the optical transmission / reception module 12 and the infrared transmission / reception module 212, the optical signal relay device 201 performs signal synthesis using the OR element 15 with the electrical signal corresponding to the dominant being dominant. All the optical transmission / reception modules 12 and infrared transmission / reception modules 212 can transmit.

  The optical communication system according to Embodiment 2 having the above-described configuration includes an optical signal relay device 201 with an infrared communication function by the infrared transmission / reception module 212, and an optical signal received by the optical signal relay device 201 via an optical communication line. By adopting a configuration for combining and distributing signals received by infrared rays, a system in which optical communication via optical communication lines and wireless communication via infrared rays are mixed can be realized. As a result, the degree of freedom of the arrangement of the communication device, the communication line, and the like can be increased, for example, by applying wireless communication using infrared rays to a location in the vehicle 99 where it is difficult to arrange the optical communication line.

  In this embodiment, one optical transmission / reception module 212 is provided in the optical signal relay device 201. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more infrared transmission / reception modules 212 may be provided.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another configuration example of the optical communication system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the optical communication system shown in FIG. 10, one optical signal repeater 201 and nine sets of optical combiner 3 and optical distributor 4 are accommodated in one housing to form a junction box 205, and twelve external parts of junction box 205 are provided. In this configuration, devices such as the optical communication device 2 are connected to the connection unit 51 via a pair of optical communication lines.

  The connection of one optical signal repeater 201 in the junction box 205, nine sets of optical combiner 3 and optical distributor 4 is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. Three sets of optical combiners 3 and optical distributors 4 are connected to the three connection portions 11 of the optical signal relay device 201 as the first stage. The first-stage three sets of optical combiners 3 and the optical distributor 4 are connected to the second-stage six sets of optical combiners 3 and 4, and the second-stage six sets of optical combiners 3 and the optical distributor 4 are connected. The distributor 4 is connected to 12 external connection parts 51.

  The casing of the junction box 205 is provided with a transparent window 252 that transmits infrared light. An infrared signal transmitted and received by the infrared transmission / reception module 212 of the optical signal relay device 201 is externally transmitted through the transparent window 252 of the junction box 205. It is possible to transmit / receive to / from the infrared wireless communication apparatus 202.

  In addition, since the other structure of the optical communication system which concerns on Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the structure of the optical communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same location and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. To do.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical signal relay apparatus 2 Optical communication apparatus 3 Optical combiner 4 Optical distributor 5 Junction box (connection apparatus)
11 Connection unit 12 Optical transceiver module (transceiver unit)
13 Transmitter 13a Input Terminal 14 Receiver 14a Output Terminal 15 OR Element 21 CPU
22 CAN controller 23 Connection unit 24 Optical transmission / reception module (transmission / reception unit)
25 Transmitter 26 Receiver 31 Input Terminal (Optical Input Unit)
32 Output terminal (light output part)
41 Input terminal (light input unit)
42 Output end (light output section)
51 External Connection 99 Vehicle 201 Optical Signal Relay Device 202 Infrared Wireless Communication Device 205 Junction Box (Connection Device)
212 Infrared transceiver module (infrared transceiver)
213 Transmission unit 213a Input terminal 214 Reception unit 214a Output terminal 224 Infrared transmission / reception module (infrared transmission / reception unit)
225 Transmitter 226 Receiver 252 Translucent window

Claims (8)

A connection portion to which a pair of optical communication lines for transmission and reception are connected, and an optical signal represented by a binary value of a dominant value and an inferior value via an optical communication line connected to the connection portion. A plurality of optical communication devices each having a transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving;
A plurality of connecting portions to which a set of optical communication lines are connected, provided for each connecting portion, transmitting and receiving optical signals via the optical communication lines connected to the connecting portions, and receiving the received optical signals as electrical signals A transmission / reception unit that converts an input electric signal into an optical signal and transmits the signal, and an electric signal having a signal level corresponding to the dominant value of the optical signal is output from any of the transmission / reception units. A signal distribution unit that inputs the electrical signal to a plurality of transmission / reception units, and an optical signal relay device that transmits an optical signal received by one transmission / reception unit from the plurality of transmission / reception units;
A plurality of light combiners that have a plurality of light input units and at least one light output unit, synthesize optical signals input from the plurality of light input units, and output from the light output unit;
A plurality of optical distributors having at least one optical input unit and a plurality of optical output units, and distributing and outputting optical signals input from the optical input unit to the plurality of optical output units,
Each connection part of the optical signal repeater is connected to an optical output part of the optical combiner and an optical input part of the optical distributor or a connection part of the optical communication apparatus via a pair of optical communication lines. And
The optical input unit of the optical combiner and the optical output unit of the optical distributor are connected to the optical communication device via one set of optical communication lines, or the optical output unit of the other optical combiner and the other An optical communication system, wherein the optical communication system is connected to an optical input unit of the optical distributor. The optical communication system according to claim 1, wherein the number of the optical combiners and the optical distributors interposed between the optical signal repeater and each optical communication device is equal. Each optical combiner has two optical input units and one optical output unit,
The optical communication system according to claim 1, wherein each optical distributor has one optical input unit and two optical output units. An infrared wireless communication device having an infrared transmission / reception unit for transmitting and receiving infrared wireless signals;
The optical signal relay device transmits and receives infrared radio signals, converts the received infrared radio signals into electrical signals and outputs them, and converts the input electrical signals into infrared radio signals and transmits them. Part
The signal distribution unit of the optical signal relay device, when an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the dominant value is output from any of the transmission / reception units or the infrared transmission / reception unit, the electrical signal is transmitted to the plurality of transmission / reception units and the infrared transmission / reception unit. The optical communication system according to claim 1, wherein the optical communication system is configured to input to the optical communication system. A connection device including a plurality of external connection units to which external devices are connected via a pair of optical communication lines for transmission and reception,
A plurality of connecting portions to which a set of optical communication lines are connected, provided for each connecting portion, transmitting and receiving optical signals via the optical communication lines connected to the connecting portions, and receiving the received optical signals as electrical signals A transmission / reception unit that converts an input electric signal into an optical signal and transmits the signal, and an electric signal having a signal level corresponding to the dominant value of the optical signal is output from any of the transmission / reception units. A signal distribution unit that inputs the electrical signal to a plurality of transmission / reception units, and an optical signal relay device that transmits an optical signal received by one transmission / reception unit from the plurality of transmission / reception units;
A plurality of light combiners that have a plurality of light input units and at least one light output unit, synthesize optical signals input from the plurality of light input units, and output from the light output unit;
A plurality of optical distributors having at least one optical input unit and a plurality of optical output units, and distributing and outputting optical signals input from the optical input unit to the plurality of optical output units,
Each connection part of the optical signal relay device is connected to a light output part of the light combiner and a light input part of the light distributor, or the external connection part via a set of optical communication lines, respectively.
The optical input unit of the optical combiner and the optical output unit of the optical distributor are connected to the external connection unit or another optical output unit of the other optical combiner and the other optical distribution unit via a pair of optical communication lines. A connection device, characterized in that it is connected to the optical input section of the vessel. The connection device according to claim 5, wherein the number of the optical combiner and the optical distributor interposed between the optical signal relay device and each external connection unit is equal. Each optical combiner has two optical input units and one optical output unit,
7. The connection device according to claim 5, wherein each of the optical distributors has one optical input unit and two optical output units. The optical signal relay device transmits and receives infrared radio signals, converts the received infrared radio signals into electrical signals and outputs them, and converts the input electrical signals into infrared radio signals and transmits them. Part
The signal distribution unit of the optical signal relay device, when an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the dominant value is output from any of the transmission / reception units or the infrared transmission / reception unit, the electrical signal is transmitted to the plurality of transmission / reception units and the infrared transmission / reception unit. To enter
The connection device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein an infrared signal is transmitted to and received from an external device.

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