Ultra-wideband communication system and method

• US 20050135491A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 73 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 73 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Santhoff, John, Moore, Steven A.
• Application Number:
  US11/037,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135491A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71632 Signal aspects H04B1/7172 and H04B1/7176 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0638 Clock or time synchronisation among nodes; Internode synchronisation synchronization for ring networks H04L12/422; data switching networks with synchronous transmission H04L12/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/203 Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for communication between ultra-wideband (UWB) devices. In general, the UWB device may characterize the attenuation, and other characteristics of the communication environment. Using these characteristics the UWB device can adapt various communication parameters to improve the communication quality. The UWB device may use these characteristics to establish zones and sectors for communication with other UWB devices. Based on this zone and sector assignment the UWB device may select communication parameters for communication with other UWB devices. 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 selecting at least one communication parameter in an ultra-wideband communication system based on a geographical area, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an ultra-wideband device;

establishing a plurality of geographical areas, with the ultra-wideband device located substantially at a center of one of the geographical areas; and

assigning at least one communication parameter to each geographical area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a similar communication parameter is assigned to each geographical area, but a characteristic of the similar communication parameter varies based on each geographical area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the similar communication parameter is selected from at least one of a group consisting of:

an ultra-wideband pulse modulation technique, a method of error detection, a method of error correction, a method of error control, a ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency, an ultra-wideband pulse shape, a frame length, and a rate of time synchronization.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic of the similar communication parameter communication parameter is selected from at least one of a group consisting of:

a data rate, a power of transmission, a configuration of a receiver, and an ultra-wideband pulse width.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical areas are established by a distance between the ultra-wideband device and another ultra-wideband device.

6. A method of selecting at least one communication parameter in an ultra-wideband communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first ultra-wideband device and a second ultra-wideband device;

determining a distance between the first ultra-wideband device and the second ultra-wideband device;

establishing a plurality of geographical areas, with at least one of the ultra-wideband devices located substantially at a center of one of the geographical areas;

partitioning each of the geographical areas into at least two sectors; and

assigning at least one communication parameter to each geographical area and to each sector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication parameter is selected from at least one of a group consisting of:

an ultra-wideband pulse modulation technique, a method of error detection, a method of error correction, a method of error control, a ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency, a data rate, a power of transmission, an ultra-wideband pulse shape, a configuration of a receiver, an ultra-wideband pulse width, a frame length, and a rate of time synchronization.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second ultra-wideband device transmits the distance, geographic area and sector to the first ultra-wideband device.

9. A method of providing spatial diversity in an ultra-wideband communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first ultra-wideband device and a second ultra-wideband device;

establishing a plurality of geographical areas, with at least one of the ultra-wideband devices located in a first geographical area, and the second ultra-wideband device located in a second geographical area;

using a group of ultra-wideband time periods to communicate between the first ultra-wideband device and the second ultra-wideband device; and

assigning specific time periods to each of the geographical areas.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of assigning specific time periods to each of the geographical areas comprises the steps of:

selecting a repetition interval for the group of ultra-wideband time periods;

assigning to each geographic area at least one time period; and

eliminating repetitive time periods from each geographic area.

11. A method of selecting at least one communication parameter in an ultra-wideband communication system based on a distance, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first ultra-wideband device;

transmitting a geographical location request message from the first ultra-wideband device to at least two ultra-wideband devices having known geographical locations;

receiving a response message from the at least two ultra-wideband devices, the response message including the geographical location of each of the at least two ultra-wideband devices;

calculating the distance between the first ultra-wideband device and the at least two ultra-wideband devices; and

selecting at least one communication parameter based on the calculated distance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one communication parameter is selected from at least one of a group consisting of:

an ultra-wideband pulse modulation technique, a method of error detection, a method of error correction, a method of error control, a ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency, an ultra-wideband pulse shape, a frame length, a rate of time synchronization, a data rate, a power of transmission, a configuration of a receiver, and an ultra-wideband pulse width.