OFDM transmission and reception for non-OFDM signals

• US 10,177,953 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer A., Huitema, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha, Dac
• Application Number:
  US15/683,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20170373897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26524 Fast Fourier transform [FFT] or discrete Fourier transform [DFT] demodulators in combination with other circuits for demodulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication of non-OFDM radio signals are disclosed. The non-OFDM radio signals are force-modulated into OFDM signals. In one example, a non-OFDM signal is received and is processed into an OFDM signal to produce a created OFDM signal. An actual OFDM signal is also received and is processed together with the created OFDM signal.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device that includes radio hardware, the method comprising:

dividing, by the computing device, a channel into a plurality of subchannels;

converting, by the computing device, first data from serial to a first plurality of parallel streams of the first data, where the first data comprises an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) signal;

converting, by the computing device, second data from serial to a second plurality of parallel streams of the second data, where the second data comprises a non-OFDM signal;

selecting a first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels into which the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data is split;

selecting a second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels into which the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data is split;

modulating, by the computing device, the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data onto the plurality of subchannels of the channel, where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the first data is split into the selected first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels, and where the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the second data is split into the selected second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels; and

transmitting, by the radio hardware over the channel, a radio signal comprising the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the second data.

2. The method of claim 1 where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a WiFi signal as the OFDM signal and where the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal as the non-OFDM signal.

3. The method of claim 1 where the channel comprises fifty-five subchannels.

4. The method of claim 1 where the first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels contains fifty-two of the plurality of subchannels.

5. The method of claim 1 where the second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels contains three of the plurality of subchannels.

6. The method of claim 1 where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (“

OFDM”

) signal.

7. The method of claim 1 where the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

8. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

memory that is couple to the at least one processor and that includes computer-readable instructions that, based on execution by the at least one processor, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising;

dividing, by the computing device, a channel into a plurality of subchannels;

converting, by the computing device, first data from serial to a first plurality of parallel streams of the first data, where the first data comprises an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) signal;

converting, by the computing device, second data from serial to a second plurality of parallel streams of the second data, where the second data comprises a non-OFDM signal;

selecting a first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels into which the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data is split;

selecting a second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels into which the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data is split;

modulating, by the computing device, the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data onto the plurality of subchannels of the channel, where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the first data is split into the selected first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels, and where the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the second data is split into the selected second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels; and

transmitting, by the radio hardware over the channel, a radio signal comprising the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the second data.

9. The computing device of claim 8 where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a Wifi signal as the OFDM signal and where the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal as the non-OFDM signal.

10. The computing device of claim 8 where the channel comprises fifty-five subchannels.

11. The computing device of claim 8 where the first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels contains fifty-two of the plurality of subchannels.

12. The computing device of claim 8 where the second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels contains three of the plurality of subchannels.

13. The computing device of claim 8 where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (“

OFDM”

) signal.

14. The computing device of claim 8 where the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

15. At least one memory that comprises computer-readable instructions that, based on execution by a computing device, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising:

converting, by the computing device, first data from serial to a first plurality of parallel streams of the first data, where the first data comprises an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) signal;

converting, by the computing device, second data from serial to a second plurality of parallel streams of the second data, where the second data comprises a non-OFDM signal;

selecting a first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels into which the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data is split;

selecting a second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels into which the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data is split;

modulating, by the computing device, the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data onto the plurality of subchannels of the channel, where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the first data is split into the selected first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels, and where the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data is split into the selected second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels; and

transmitting, by the radio hardware over the channel, a radio signal comprising the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the second data.

16. The at least one memory of claim 15 where the channel comprises fifty-five subchannels.

17. The at least one memory of claim 15 where the first distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels contains fifty-two of the plurality of subchannels.

18. The at least one memory of claim 15 where the second distinct subset of the plurality of subchannels contains three of the plurality of subchannels.

19. The at least one memory of claim 15 where the modulated first plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a WiFi signal as the OFDM signal.

20. The at least one memory of claim 15 where the modulated second plurality of parallel streams of the transmitted radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal as the non-OFDM signal.