WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK RECEIVER AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

• US 20070230424A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wherenet Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wisherd, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless local area network (WLAN) includes a server and receiver, which includes a radio frequency (RF) front-end circuit that receives wireless signals from the mobile nodes within the WLAN and detects baseband signals. A signal waveform detector edge detects a signal waveform and generates a trigger signal indicative of the modulation type, data format and time-of-arrival (TOA) information of a desired signal to be captured. A baseband processor receives the trigger signal from the signal waveform detector and captures the desired signal. A system controller is connected to the baseband processor and configures the baseband processor for processing the desired signal and obtaining message data and signal metrics that are transferred to the system controller to be communicated outbound from the receiver as a client to the server.

Claims

1. A wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:

a server;

a receiver in communication with said server as a network client, and comprising,

a radio frequency (RE) front-end circuit that receives wireless signals from mobile nodes within the WLAN and detects baseband signals;

a signal waveform detector connected to the RF front-end circuit for edge detecting a signal waveform and generating a trigger signal indicative of the modulation type, data format and time-of-arrival (TOA) information of a desired signal to be captured;

a baseband processor connected to the RF front-end circuit and the signal waveform detector that receives the trigger signal from the signal waveform detector and captures the desired signal; and

a system controller connected to the baseband processor that configures the baseband processor for processing the desired signal and obtaining message data and signal metrics that are transferred to the system controller to be communicated outbound from the receiver to the server.

2. The WLAN according to claim 1, and further comprising a media access control (MAC) device connected between said system controller and said server.

3. The WLAN according to claim 1, and further comprising a TOA processor connected to said baseband processor that receives the TOA information and generates a time stamp for the desired signal.

4. The WLAN according to claim 3, wherein said TOA processor is operative for processing TOA information when said receiver is part of a geometric array of networked nodes and determining first-to-arrive signals based on a common network timing signal and conducting differentiation of the first-to-arrive signals to locate a desired wireless node.

5. The WLAN according to claim 1, and further comprising a wireless network connection between said server and said receiver.

6. The WLAN according to claim 1, and further comprising a wired network connection between said server and said receiver.

7. The WLAN according to claim 1, and further comprising diversity antennas connected to the RF front-end circuit and providing spatial diversity.

8. The WLAN according to claim 7, wherein said system controller is operative for controlling signal selection and RF signal based selection of dual RF channels connected to said diversity antenna.

9. The WLAN according to claim 1, and further comprising a wireless access point connected to said receiver.

10. The WLAN according to claim 9, and further comprising a multiplexer switch connected between said receiver and said wireless access point for selectively switching signals between said receiver and said wireless access point.

11. A receiver operative as a client in a wireless local area network (WLAN) r comprising:

a radio frequency (RE) front-end circuit that receives wireless signals from mobile nodes within the WLAN and detects baseband signals;

a signal waveform detector connected to the RE front-end circuit for edge detecting a signal waveform and generating a trigger signal indicative of the modulation type, data format and time-of-arrival (TOA) information of a desired signal to be captured;

a baseband processor connected to the RF front-end circuit and the signal waveform detector that receives the trigger signal from the signal waveform detector and captures the desired signal; and

a system controller connected to the baseband processor that configures the baseband processor for processing the desired signal and obtaining message data and signal metrics that are transferred to the system controller to be communicated outbound from the receiver to the server.

12. The receiver according to claim 11, and further comprising a media access control (MAC) device connected between said system controller and said server.

13. The receiver according to claim 11, and further comprising a TOA processor connected to said baseband processor that receives the TOA information and generates a time stamp for the desired signal.

14. The receiver according to claim 11, wherein said TOA processor is operative for processing TOA information when said receiver is part of a geometric array of networked nodes and determining first-to-arrive signals based on a common network timing signal and conducting differentiation of the first-to-arrive signals to locate a desired wireless node.

15. The receiver according to claim 11, and further comprising a wireless network connection between said server and said receiver.

16. The receiver according to claim 11, and further comprising a wired network connection between said server and said receiver.

17. The receiver according to claim 11, and further comprising diversity antennas connected to the RF front-end circuit and providing spatial diversity.

18. The receiver according to claim 17, wherein said system controller is operative for controlling signal selection and RF signal based selection of dual REF channels.

19. The receiver according to claim 11, and further comprising a wireless access point connected to said receiver.

20. The receiver according to claim 19, and further comprising a multiplexer switch connected between said receiver and said wireless access point for selectively switching signals between said receiver and wireless access point.

21. A method of communicating within a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising,

receiving at a receiver wireless signals transmitted from mobile nodes within the WLAN;

detecting baseband signals within the receiver;

generating a trigger signal indicative of a modulation type, data format and time-of-arrival (TOA) information of a desired signal to be captured;

receiving the trigger signal and in response, capturing the desired signal;

processing the desired signal to obtain message data and signal metrics; and

transmitting the message data and signal metrics to a WLAN server.

22. The method according to claim 21, which further comprises transmitting the message data and signal metrics through a media access control (MAC) device connected between the receiver and a WLAN server.

23. The method according to claim 21, which further comprises receiving TOA information and generating a time stamp for the desired signal.

24. The method according to claim 23, which further comprises processing TOA information and determining a first-to-arrive signal based on a common timing signal and conducting differentiation of the first-to-arrive signals to locate a desired wireless node.

25. The method according to claim 21, which further comprises controlling signal selection into dual RF channels based on RE signal detection.

26. The method according to claim 21, which further comprises transmitting the message data and signal metrics through a wireless access point operative with the receiver.