Synchronizing method for impulse radio network

• US 20060093077A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Original Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Inventors: Le Boudec, Jean-Yves, El Fawal, Alaeddine
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/343
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation

Abstract

A method to synchronize impulse radio signal in a receiver based on a cross-correlation between an input signal and a template pulse train is described. The method comprises the steps of receiving a radio signal, performing a correlation between the acquired radio signal and a template pulse train, splitting the correlation into at least two elementary correlations over intervals of predefined length and separated by a predetermined time to obtain elementary correlation output, performing an elementary threshold check on each elementary correlation output, summing the elementary threshold check outputs to form a sum result.

Claims

1. Method to synchronize impulse radio signal in a receiver based on a cross-correlation between an input signal and a template pulse train, this method having the steps of:

a. receiving a radio signal,

b. performing a correlation between the acquired radio signal and a template pulse train,

c. splitting the correlation into at least two elementary correlations over intervals of predefined length and separated by a predetermined time to obtain elementary correlation output,

d. performing an elementary threshold check on each elementary correlation output,

e. summing the elementary threshold check outputs to form a sum result.

2. Method of claim 1, wherein the output of the elementary threshold check has three states, i.e. positive, zero and negative.

3. Method of claim 1, wherein the threshold of the elementary threshold check is set according to the minimum accepted signal to noise ratio.

4. Method of claim 1, wherein a main threshold check is performed on the sum result, and in case the sum result passes that threshold check, the receiver locks on the impulse radio signal, otherwise the receiver shifts the template pulse train by a predefined offset and repeat the steps b to e.

5. Method of claim 1, wherein it further comprises the steps of:

shifting the template pulse train by a predefined offset,

performing the steps b to e with the shifted template pulse train to the signal,

determining and storing the sum result,

determining the highest sum result over a given time period.

6. Method of claim 5, wherein it further comprises the step of locking the impulse radio signal at the phase corresponding to the highest sum result.

7. Method of claim 5, wherein it further comprises the steps of:

comparing the highest sum result with a predefined threshold,

locking the impulse radio signal at the phase corresponding to the highest sum result if the highest sum result is above the threshold.