Patent ID: 8520563
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An interface device that is used in a communications system including at least a first transmission channel and a second transmission channel for transmitting and receiving a command and data using the two transmission channels, the interface device comprising: a first channel input/output terminal that is connected to the first transmission channel and is set to at least two statuses including an input status for receiving a command and/or data and an output status for transmitting a command and/or data; a second channel input/output terminal that is connected to the second transmission channel and is set to at least two statuses including an input status for receiving a command and/or data and an output status for transmitting a command and/or data; a mode-switching-condition detection unit that sets a first condition and a second condition and determines whether the set first condition or the set second condition is satisfied, the first condition being a condition under which a communication mode of the communications system is to be switched from a full-duplex communication mode in which the communications system performs full-duplex communication to a half-duplex communication mode in which the communications system performs half-duplex communication, the second condition being a condition under which the communication mode is to be switched from the half-duplex communication mode to the full-duplex communication mode; and a transmission-channel-switching control unit that switches the communication mode from the full-duplex communication mode to the half-duplex communication mode by setting both the first channel input/output terminal and the second channel input/output terminal to an input status or to an output status when the mode-switching-condition detection unit determines that the first condition is satisfied, and switches the communication mode from the half-duplex communication mode to the full-duplex communication mode by setting one of the first channel input/output terminal and the second channel input/output terminal to an output status and setting the other one of the first channel input/output terminal and the second channel input/output terminal to an input status when the mode-switching-condition detection unit determines that the second condition is satisfied, wherein the mode-switching-condition detection unit sets the second condition during initial setting of the interface device, the second condition being satisfied when N packets out of a series of packets of data to be transferred have been transferred using the two transmission channels in the half-duplex communication mode, where N is a natural number, and when the second condition is satisfied, the transfer of the data is interrupted and the transmission-channel-switching control unit switches the communication mode from the half-duplex communication mode to the full-duplex communication mode, and then, when the first condition is satisfied, the transmission-channel-switching control unit switches the communication mode from the full-duplex communication mode back to the half-duplex communication mode and the interrupted transfer of the data is resumed in the half-duplex communication mode.