Ultra-wideband correlating receiver

• US 20050069059A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pulse-Link Incorporated
• Inventors: Krivokapic, Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 6,980,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/340
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71637 Receiver aspects H04B1/7183 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation

Abstract

A receiver for ultra-wideband communications is provided. One feature of the receiver architecture is that includes only a single correlator. The receiver may be used in wireless and wire communication mediums. The single correlator may be used to update a locally generated signal based on an incoming signal and detect data. Another embodiment receiver may be used in a multi-path environment. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultra-wideband pulse receiver comprising:

a template generator structured to generate a local signal similar to an incoming ultra-wideband pulse;

a single correlator structured to correlate the incoming ultra-wideband pulse with the local signal;

a ultra-wideband pulse amplifier structured to amplify the signal received from the single correlator; and

an ultra-wideband pulse sequence energy estimator structured to estimate an energy of the signal received from the ultra-wideband pulse amplifier.

2. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, wherein the template generator comprises:

a timing signal generator that generates a periodic signal;

a gate that gates the periodic signal to produce the local signal; and

an amplifier in communication with the gate.

3. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, further including a digital signal processor structured to generate an output signal to the template generator.

4. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, wherein the local signal is a pulse of electromagnetic energy.

5. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 4, wherein the pulse of electromagnetic energy has a duration ranging from about 10 picoseconds to about 1 millisecond.

6. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, wherein the incoming signal comprises a plurality of pulses of electromagnetic energy.

7. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 6, wherein the plurality of pulses of electromagnetic energy comprise a plurality of ultra-wideband pulses.

8. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of ultra-wideband pulses has a duration ranging from about 10 picoseconds to about 1 millisecond.

9. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, wherein the incoming signal is modulated by at least one technique selected from a group consisting of:

ternary modulation, binary phase shift keying, pulse amplitude modulation, and pulse position modulation.

10. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, wherein the single correlator comprises:

a mixer; and

a matched filter.

11. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 10, wherein the single correlator mixes the local signal with the incoming ultra-wideband pulse, and passes the mixed signal through the matched filter.

12. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband pulse sequence energy estimator provides a reference related to an amount of correlation between the local signal and the incoming ultra-wideband pulse.

13. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 10, wherein the mixer is a multiplier configured to multiply the local signal with the incoming signal.

14. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 10, further comprising an amplifier that comprises an automatic gain control amplifier.

15. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 1, wherein the pulse sequence energy estimator comprises:

an absolute value detector; and

an integrator.

16. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 15, wherein the absolute value detector is a square law detector.

17. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 15, wherein the integrator is configured to integrate the signal over a predetermined time period.

18. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 17, wherein the predetermined time period ranges from about 100 nanoseconds to about 1 millisecond.

19. An ultra-wideband pulse receiver, comprising:

a template generator structured to generate a local signal similar to an incoming ultra-wideband pulse;

a single correlator structured to correlate the incoming ultra-wideband pulse with the local signal;

a ultra-wideband pulse amplifier structured to amplify the signal received from the single correlator;

an ultra-wideband pulse sequence energy estimator structured to estimate an energy of the signal received from the ultra-wideband pulse amplifier; and

an ultra-wideband pulse level quantizer.

20. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 19, wherein the ultra-wideband pulse level quantizer is structured to quantize the signal and forward the quantized signal to a digital signal processor.

21. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 20, wherein the digital signal processor may perform a function selected from a group consisting of:

decoding the quantized signal, error correcting the quantized signal, and formatting the quantized signal.

22. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 19, wherein the template generator comprises:

a timing signal generator that generates a periodic signal;

a gate that gates the periodic signal to produce the local signal; and

an amplifier in communication with the gate.

23. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 19, wherein the incoming signal is modulated by at least one technique selected from a group consisting of:

ternary modulation, binary phase shift keying, pulse amplitude modulation, and pulse position modulation.

24. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 19, wherein the single correlator comprises:

a mixer; and

a matched filter.

25. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 19, wherein the single correlator mixes the local signal with the incoming ultra-wideband pulse, and passes the mixed signal through the matched filter.

26. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 19, wherein the ultra-wideband pulse sequence energy estimator provides a reference related to an amount of correlation between the local signal and the incoming ultra-wideband pulse.

27. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 19, wherein the pulse sequence energy estimator comprises:

an absolute value detector; and

an integrator.

28. An ultra-wideband pulse receiver, comprising:

two receivers structured to receive an incoming ultra-wideband pulse;

a selector switch structured to selectively receive a signal from either of the two receivers;

a pulse level quantizer structured to receive a signal from the selector switch; and

a digital signal processor structured to receive the signal from the pulse level quantizer.

29. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 28, wherein the digital signal processor compares a signal level received by each of the two receivers, and selects a highest signal level for forwarding to the pulse level quantizer.

30. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 28, wherein each of the two receivers comprises a corellator, a template generator, a pulse amplifier, and a pulse sequence energy estimator.

31. An ultra-wideband pulse receiver, comprising:

means for receiving an incoming ultra-wideband pulse through at least two receivers;

means for selectively selecting a signal from either of the two receivers;

means for quantizing the signal; and

means for processing the signal.

32. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 31, wherein the means for selectively selecting the signal from either of the two receivers comprises a selector switch structured to selectively receive a signal from either of the two receivers.

33. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 31, wherein the means for quantizing the signal comprises a pulse level quantizer structured to receive a signal.

34. The ultra-wideband pulse receiver of claim 31, wherein the means for processing the signal comprises a digital signal processor structured to receive the signal.