Apparatus and method of detecting pilot carriers received on a fading channel

• US 20060211395A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Waltho, Alan
• Application Number:
  US11/079,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20060211395A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/277.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0822 according to predefined selection scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection

Abstract

Briefly, a method, apparatus and cognitive radio system to detect a pilot carrier and/or a pilot tone in fading channel conditions by diverting a phase center of an antenna from a first point in space to a second point in space.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an antenna switch to divert a phase center of an antenna from a first point in space to a second point in space at a switching rate that enables detection of a pilot carrier received on a fading channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a receiver to detect occupancy of a broadcasting channel by detecting a signal that includes the pilot carrier; and

a narrow band detector to detect the pilot carrier.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the broadcasting channel includes a television broadcasting channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 associated with a cognitive radio device and comprising:

first and second antennas coupled to the antenna switch, the first antenna having a first phase center, the second antenna having a second phase center,

wherein the antenna switch is able to switch between the first and second antennas.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 associated with a cognitive radio device and comprising:

a diversity antenna coupled to the antenna switch,

wherein the antenna switch is able to divert a phase center of the diversity antenna from a first point in space to a second point in space at a switching rate.

17. The method of claim 1S, comprising:

shifting the phase center of the antenna a predetermined distance.

6. A cognitive radio system comprising:

a diversity antenna to receive a pilot carrier which includes a pilot tone to indicate an occupancy of a broadcasting channel; and

an antenna switch to divert a phase center of the diversity antenna from a first point in space to a second point in space at a switching rate to enable detection of the pilot tone in a fading channel conditions.

7. The cognitive radio system of claim 6, comprising:

a receiver to receive the pilot signal; and

a narrow band detector to detect the pilot tone.

8. The cognitive radio system of claim 6, wherein the broadcasting channel is a television broadcasting channel.

9. A cognitive radio system comprising:

first and second omni-directional antennas, wherein the first antenna includes a first phase center and the second antenna includes a second phase center; and

an antenna switch to switch between the first and second antennas to detect a pilot carrier received on a fading channel.

10. The cognitive radio system of claim 9, wherein the first and second phase centers of the first and second antennas are shifted in space a predetermined distance.

11. The cognitive radio system of claim 9, comprising:

a receiver to receive a signal that includes the pilot carrier; and

a narrow band detector to detect the pilot carrier.

12. The cognitive radio system of claim 11, wherein the pilot carrier includes a pilot tone and wherein the narrow band detector is able to detect the pilot tone.

13. The cognitive radio system of claim 9, wherein the system is able to detect occupancy of a broadcasting channel by detecting a pilot tone of said pilot carrier.

14. The cognitive radio system of claim 13, wherein the broadcasting channel is a television broadcasting channel.

15. A method comprising:

detecting a pilot carrier in fading channel conditions by diverting a phase center of an antenna from a first point in space to a second point in space at a switching rate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting comprises:

detecting a signal within said pilot carrier indicating occupancy of a broadcasting channel.

18. A method comprising:

detecting a pilot carrier in fading channel conditions by switching between a first antenna having a first phase center and a second antenna having a second phase center.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein detecting comprises:

detecting a signal within said pilot carrier indicating occupancy of a broadcasting channel.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising:

shifting the phase center of the antenna a predetermined distance.