Processing of a radio-communication frame in a system comprising at least three radio transmitter/receiver devices

• US 20090298436A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Schwoerer, Jean, Marx, Francois, Miscopein, Benoit
• Granted Patent: US 8,193,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of implementing operations involving the processing a radio-communication frame (CMF) in a system comprising at least three radio transmitter/receiver devices (1-5), consisting in transmitting the frame in response to a first request signal (REQ1) transmitted by a device belonging to the system (1). According to the invention, the frame is processed in the device (1) that transmitted the first request signal (REQ1) as well as in other devices belonging to the system (1, 3-5) which transmitted respective request signals (REQ2-REQ4) within a pre-determined time period.

Claims

1. A method of implementing operations using a radiocommunication frame (CMF) in a system comprising at least three radio transmitter-receiver devices (1-5), said method comprising the following steps:

a- transmission of a first request radio signal (REQ1) to a first system device (2) by another system device (1);

b- transmission of at least one second request radio signal (REQ2-REQ4) by another system device (1, 3-5) to said first device (2);

c- transmission of a frame (CMF) by said first device (2) in response to said first request radio signal (REQ1);

then

d- use of said frame (CMF) in said other system device (1) that sent said first request radio signal (REQ1),

characterized in that it also comprises the use of said frame (CMF) in said other system devices (1, 3-5) that sent a second request signal (REQ2-REQ4) in a predetermined time slot.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, in response to said second request signal (REQ2-REQ4) transmitted in the predetermined time slot, no transmission of a frame (CMF) by said first device (2).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the predetermined time slot comprises a first duration greater than a determined guard time (T_G) between the reception of said first request signal (REQ1) by said first device (2) and the transmission of the frame (CMF), and/or a second duration at least equal to a determined listening time (T_EC) after the transmission of the frame (CMF).

4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame (CMF) is transmitted at an instant that is determined by a multiple-access controller.

5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame (CMF) is a channel measurement frame.

6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first (REQ1) and second (REQ2-REQ4) request signals are transmitted by one and the same system device.

7. A method of measuring distances between a first device of a system and at least two other system devices, using a method of implementing operations using a radiocommunication frame as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises:

a- in response to each detected request signal (REQ1-REQ4), a transmission of an acknowledgement signal (ACK1-ACK4) by said first device (2), intended for said other device (1, 3-5) that transmitted said request signal; and

b- a measurement of a radio signal exchange time (T_EXCH) from an instant of transmission of each request signal (REQ1-REQ4) and an instant of reception of the acknowledgement signal transmitted in response to said request signal (ACK1-ACK4).

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, together with claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a determination of the respective separation distance between said first device (2) and each of the other devices (1, 3-5) based on the exchange time (T_EXCH) and an analysis of the received radio signals corresponding to said frame (CMF).

9. A radio transmitter-receiver device (2) suitable for, in response to a first received request signal and in case of reception of at least one second request signal in a determined time slot, the two request signals having been transmitted by two other respective devices, transmitting a single frame intended to be used by the other two devices.

10. A radio transmitter-receiver device (3) suitable for, during a determined time slot following the reception of a first request signal (REQ1) by another device, transmitting a second request signal and using a frame transmitted by said other device in response to said first request signal.

11. The radio transmitter-receiver device (4) as claimed in claim 10, suitable for transmitting to said other device (2) the second request signal during a determined time slot between the reception of the first request signal (REQ1) and the transmission of said frame (CMF) by said other device.

12. The radio transmitter-receiver device (4) as claimed in claim 10, suitable for, on detecting said transmitted frame and before the expiry of a determined listening time of said other device, using said frame then transmitting the second request signal to said other device.

13. A system comprising at least three radio transmitter-receiver devices, a first of said devices being in accordance with the device as claimed in claim 9 and at least one second of said devices being in accordance with one of claims 10 to 12.