ORTHOGONAL FREQUENCY HOPPING USING SKIP ZONES

• US 20010050945A1
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: LINDSEY, MARK J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,434,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing orthogonal frequency hopping for users in a communication system. The users have user bandwidths allocated on a frequency band. A jitter space is provided with a jitter bandwidth on the allocated frequency band. If at least one of the user bandwidths is larger than the jitter space, a skip zone is determined for at least one of the user bandwidths. The skip zone is unoccupied by a starting hop of the user bandwidths when the user bandwidths are shifted in a frequency hopping.

Claims

1. A method to provide orthogonal frequency hopping for users in a communication system, the users having user bandwidths allocated on a frequency band, the method comprising:

providing a jitter space with a jitter bandwidth on the allocated frequency band; and

determining a skip zone for the at least one of the user bandwidths when at least one of the user bandwidths is larger than the jitter space, the skip zone being unoccupied by a starting hop of the user bandwidths when the user bandwidths are shifted in a frequency hopping.

2. The method of

claim 1

further comprising:

allocating the user bandwidths such that a difference between adjacent carrier powers is less than a predetermined power level.

3. The method of

claim 1

further comprising:

providing a forbidden zone between adjacent frequency bands used by corresponding transponders, the forbidden zone being unoccupied by the user bandwidths.

4. The method of

claim 3

further comprising:

determining valid zones in the frequency band wherein when the starting hop of the user bandwidths is located in the valid zones, the entire user bandwidths fit within the frequency band.

5. A method for planning user bandwidths in a frequency band, the method comprising:

determining a user bandwidth; and

updating the user bandwidth a first time when the user bandwidth crosses an invalid zone, and

updating the user bandwidth at wrap-around when the once updated user bandwidth wraps around the frequency band.

6. The method of

claim 5

wherein the invalid zone includes a skip zone and a forbidden zone.

7. The method of

claim 6

wherein the skip zone is unoccupied by a starting hop of the user bandwidths when the user bandwidths are shifted in a frequency hopping.

8. The method of

claim 6

wherein the forbidden zone is between adjacent frequency bands used by corresponding transponders, the forbidden zone being unoccupied by the user bandwidths.

9. The method of

claim 5

wherein determining a user bandwidth comprises:

calculating an offset; and

calculating an initial start bin and an initial stop bin based on the offset, the initial start and stop bins corresponding to the user bandwidth.

10. The method of

claim 5

further comprising:

if the updated user bandwidth crosses the invalid zone, updating the user bandwidth a second time.

11. An apparatus for providing an operational frequency in a frequency band, the frequency band being allocated to user frequencies, the apparatus comprising:

a random generator to provide a random index when a frequency hopping occurs;

a network implementation plan (NIP) parameter storage to provide orthogonal frequency hopping (OFH) parameters; and

a frequency generator coupled to the random generator to generate the operational frequency based on the random index, the operational frequency being orthogonal to other user frequencies in the frequency band.

12. The apparatus of

claim 11

wherein the OFH parameters include a valid zone list, a skip zone list, and a forbidden zone list.

13. The apparatus of

claim 12

wherein the valid zone list includes valid zones, the valid zones providing frequency region for a starting hop of user bandwidths when the frequency hopping occurs.

14. The apparatus of

claim 13

wherein the skip zone and forbidden zone lists include skip zones and forbidden zones, respectively, the skip and forbidden zones providing frequency regions that are not available for a starting hop of user bandwidths when the frequency hopping occurs.

15. A system comprising:

at least a transponder operating at a frequency band; and

a communication unit for providing an operational frequency in the frequency band, the frequency band being allocated to user frequencies, the communication unit comprising;

a random generator to provide a random index when a frequency hopping occurs,

a network implementation plan (NIP) parameter storage to provide orthogonal frequency hopping (OFH) parameters, and

a frequency generator coupled to the random generator to generate the operational frequency based on the random index, the operational frequency being orthogonal to other user frequencies in the frequency band.

16. The system of

claim 15

wherein the OFH parameters include a valid zone list, a skip zone list, and a forbidden zone list.

17. The system of

claim 16

wherein the valid zone list includes valid zones, the valid zones providing frequency region for a starting hop of user bandwidths when the frequency hopping occurs.

18. The system of

claim 17

wherein the skip zone and forbidden zone lists include skip zones and forbidden zones, respectively, the skip and forbidden zones providing frequency regions that are not available for a starting hop of user bandwidths when the frequency hopping occurs.

19. A method for orthogonal frequency hopping, the method comprising:

operating at least a transponder at a frequency band; and

providing an operational frequency in the frequency band for a communication unit, the frequency band being allocated to user frequencies, providing an operational frequency comprising;

providing a random index by a random generator when a frequency hopping occurs,

providing orthogonal frequency hopping (OFH) parameters by a network implementation plan (NIP) parameter storage, and

generating the operational frequency by a frequency generator based on the random index, the operational frequency being orthogonal to other user frequencies in the frequency band.

20. The method of

claim 19

wherein the OFH parameters include a valid zone list, a skip zone list, and a forbidden zone list.

21. The method of

claim 20

wherein the valid zone list includes valid zones, the valid zones providing frequency region for a starting hop of user bandwidths when the frequency hopping occurs.

22. The method of

claim 21

wherein the skip zone and forbidden zone lists include skip zones and forbidden zones, respectively, the skip and forbidden zones providing frequency regions that are not available for a starting hop of user bandwidths when the frequency hopping occurs.