Ultra-wideband communication systems and methods

• US 20050078736A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pulse-Link Incorporated
• Inventors: Lakkis, Ismail
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71632 Signal aspects H04B1/7172 and H04B1/7176 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0062 Avoidance of ingress interference, e.g. ham radio channels

Abstract

Systems and methods of ultra-wideband communication are provided. In one ultra-wideband communication system, a portion of a plurality of non-overlapping communication sub-channels are assigned to a first ultra-wideband communication device by a base station. Communication interference information is obtained by the first device, and then transmitted to and received by the base station. The base station then reduces the portion of non-overlapping sub-channels assigned to the first ultra-wideband communication device in response to the interference information, thereby creating a group of available non-overlapping sub-channels, which are assigned to a second ultra-wideband communication device. 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. A method of ultra-wideband communication, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a portion of a plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels to a first ultra-wideband communication device;

receiving interference information from the first ultra-wideband communication device;

reducing the portion of non-overlapping sub-channels assigned to the ultra-wideband communication device in response to the interference information, thereby creating a group of available non-overlapping sub-channels; and

assigning the group of available non-overlapping sub-channels to a second ultra-wideband communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ultra-wideband communication device communicates with a first base station, and the second ultra-wideband communication device communicates with a second base station.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

encoding data for the second ultra-wideband communication device, wherein the encoding provides a spatial diversity and at least one of;

a time diversity, a frequency diversity, a delay diversity and a polarization diversity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of available non-overlapping sub-channels is used by at least one of a plurality of other ultra-wideband communication devices located in a plurality of adjacent communication cells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference information comprises a signal-to-interference ratio.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband communication device transmits a plurality of discrete electromagnetic pulses over at least one of the non-overlapping sub-channels, with each pulse having a duration that can range between about 10 picoseconds to about 1 microsecond.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the discrete electromagnetic pulses has a power that can range between about +30 dBm to about −

60 dBm, as measured at a single frequency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultra-wideband communication device transmits a plurality of discrete electromagnetic pulses over at least one of the non-overlapping sub-channels, with each pulse occupying more than 500 megahertz of a radio frequency spectrum.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels occupies a discrete portion of a radio frequency band.

10. A method of ultra-wideband communication, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an ultra-wideband communication device;

receiving a first communication signal from a first base station over at least two of a plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels;

receiving a second communication signal from a second base station over at least two of a plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels; and

decoding the first and second communication signals.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving the first and second communication signals over the same plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving a plurality of communication signals from a plurality of base stations over the plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels.

13. An ultra-wideband communication system, comprising:

an ultra-wideband communication channel comprising a radio frequency band segmented into a plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels;

a first communication cell including a first base station, the first base station configured to communicate with a first ultra-wideband communication device in the first communication cell over the ultra-wideband communication channel; and

a second communication cell that is adjacent to the first communication cell and includes a second base station, the second base station configured to also communicate with the first ultra-wideband communication device over the ultra-wideband communication channel.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second base station is further configured to:

communicate with a second ultra-wideband communication device in the second communication cell over the ultra-wideband communication channel;

assign a group of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-channels to the second ultra-wideband communication device in the second communication cell;

receive a channel interference indication from the second ultra-wideband communication device in the second communication cell;

reduce the number of non-overlapping sub-channels assigned to the second ultra-wideband communication device in the second communication cell in response to the channel interference indication, thereby creating a group of available non-overlapping sub-channels; and

assign the available non-overlapping sub-channels to the first ultra-wideband communication device in the first communication cell.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second base station is further configured to communicate with the first ultra-wideband communication device in the first communication cell over the assigned available non-overlapping sub-channels.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first base station also communicates with the first ultra-wideband communication device in the first communication cell over the assigned available non-overlapping sub-channels.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second base stations are configured to encode data so that the encoded data provides a spatial diversity and at least one of:

a time diversity, a frequency diversity, and a polarization diversity.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the channel interference indication comprises a signal-to-interference ratio.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the first ultra-wideband communication device and the first and second base stations each transmit a plurality of discrete electromagnetic pulses over at least one of the non-overlapping sub-channels, with each pulse having a duration that can range between about 10 picoseconds to about 1 microsecond.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the discrete electromagnetic pulses has a power that can range between about +30 dBm to about −

60 dBm, as measured at a single frequency.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the first ultra-wideband communication device transmits a plurality of discrete electromagnetic pulses over at least one of the non-overlapping sub-channels, with each pulse occupying more than 500 megahertz of a radio frequency spectrum.