Radio station and radio system

• US 20030060175A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Rosenfeld, Josi
• Granted Patent: US 6,999,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0273 using multipath or indirect path propagation signals in position determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/391 Modelling the propagation channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A radio system (10) and radio system (1, 2) in which the value of parameters for a model of a received multipath signal transmitted by a remote station (20) are estimated. A sounding signal transmitted and received by the radio station is used to derive data about the reflecting environment and this data is incorporated into the model after scaling it to represent the multipath signal received from a remote station. Optionally or alternatively the remote station may transmit a sounding signal and derive data about its reflecting environment and transmit this data to the radio station, The model may incorporate both sets of derived data, particularly if they are uncorrelated. The values of the resulting parameters are exploited in applications such as ranging, location or equalisation.

Claims

1. A radio system comprising a first and a second radio station, the first radio station comprising means for transmitting a first radio signal and the second radio station comprising means for receiving the first radio signal propagated via a direct path and via at least one reflected path, at least one of the first and second radio stations comprising means for transmitting respectively a first and second sounding radio signal, the at least one of the first and second radio stations further comprising means for receiving reflections of respectively the first and second sounding radio signal, means for deriving respectively first and second sounding data from the received reflections of the respective sounding radio signals, the first radio station further comprising means for transmitting any such first sounding data to the second radio station, and the second radio station further comprising means for using at least one of the first and second sounding data to generate a model of the received first radio signal wherein the model comprises at least one parameter, means for estimating the value of the or each parameter and means for exploiting at least one such estimated parameter value.

2. A radio system as claimed in claim 1, the second radio station further comprising means for comparing the first and second sounding data and means for using both of the first and second sounding data to generate the model of the received first radio signal if the first and second sounding data are dissimilar according to a predetermined criterion and otherwise using one of the first and second sounding data to generate the model.

8. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1 or 2, or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the model comprises a parameter representative of a distance travelled by the first radio signal received via the direct path.

9. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1 or 2, or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the model comprises a parameter representative of a received amplitude of the first radio signal received via the direct path.

10. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1 or 2, or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the model comprises a parameter representative of an angle of arrival of the first radio signal received via the direct path.

11. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1, 2, 8, 9 or 10 or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein one such exploited parameter value is representative of the distance travelled by the first radio signal received via the direct path.

12. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1, 2, 8, 9 or 10 or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein one such exploited parameter value is representative of the received amplitude of the first radio signal received via the direct path.

13. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1, 2, 8, 9 or 10 or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein one such exploited parameter value is representative of the angle of arrival of the first radio signal received via the direct path.

14. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1, 2, or 8 to 13 or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein the exploiting comprises ascertaining a location of a radio station.

15. A radio system as claimed in any one of claim 1, 2, or 8 to 13 or a radio station as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein the exploiting comprises range determination.

16. A radio system an claimed in any one of claim 1, 2, or 8 to 13 or a radio station as claimed in any of claims 3 to 13, wherein the exploiting comprises equalisation of a received radio signal.

3. A radio station comprising means for receiving a first radio signal via a direct path and via at least one reflected path, means for using sounding data derived from a sounding radio signal to generate a model of the received first radio signal wherein the model comprises at least one parameter, means for estimating the value of the or each parameter and means for exploiting at least one such estimated parameter value.

4. A radio station as claimed in claim 3, comprising means for receiving the sounding data from the source of the first radio signal.

5. A radio station as claimed in claim 3, comprising means for transmitting the sounding radio signal, means for receiving reflections of the sounding radio signal, and means for deriving the sounding data from the received reflections of the sounding radio signal.

6. A radio station as claimed in claim 3, comprising means for receiving first sounding data from the source of the first radio signal, means for transmitting a second sounding radio signal, means for receiving reflections of the second sounding radio signal, means for deriving second sounding data from the received reflections of the second sounding radio signal, and means for using at least one of the first and second sounding data to generate the model of the received first radio signal.

7. A radio station as claimed in claim 6, further comprising means for comparing the first and second sounding data and means for using both of the first and second sounding data to generate the model of the received first radio signal if the first and second sounding data are dissimilar according to a predetermined criterion and otherwise using one of the first and second sounding data to generate the model.