WIRELESS TRANSCEIVER

• US 20090305650A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Tank Radar AB (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Tank Radar AB (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nordlund, Mats, Wenger, Fabian
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/88
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/756 using a signal generator for modifying the reflectivity of the reflector G01S13/758 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for determining a distance between a wireless transceiver and a wireless receiver arranged to communicate with each other in a wireless communication network, the wireless receiver having an active and an inactive reception state, the method comprising transmitting, with the wireless receiver in the active reception state, a first transmission signal, receiving a first reflection signal, the first reflection signal being a reflection of the first transmission signal and influenced by the active reception state of the wireless receiver, transmitting, with the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state, a second transmission signal, receiving a second reflected signal, the second reflection signal being a reflection of the second transmission signal and influenced by the inactive reception state of the wireless receiver, and determining a distance between the wireless transceiver and the wireless receiver based on the second reflection signal.

The invention thus provides for an improved measure of distance and orientation determination between wireless nodes having only one or a few nodes are equipped with means to determine an accurate distance while most other wireless nodes only need extremely simple synchronization means, providing only at least two reception states (on and off). This allows for exact positioning even if the nodes follow different communication standards in the same band.

Claims

1. A method for determining a distance between a wireless transceiver and a wireless receiver arranged to communicate with each other in a wireless communication network, the wireless receiver having an active and an inactive reception state, the method comprising:

transmitting, with the wireless receiver in the active reception state, a first transmission signal;

receiving a first reflection signal, the first reflection signal being a reflection of the first transmission signal and influenced by the active reception state of the wireless receiver;

transmitting, with the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state, a second transmission signal;

receiving a second reflected signal, the second reflection signal being a reflection of the second transmission signal and influenced by the inactive reception state of the wireless receiver; and

determining a distance between the wireless transceiver and the wireless receiver based on the second reflection signal.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of transmitting the second transmission signal and receiving the second reflection signal are performed before the steps of transmitting the first transmission signal and receiving the first reflection signal.

3. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying the wireless receiver based on a difference between the first and the second reflection signal.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein an impedance of an antenna element of the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state is controlled such that the second transmission signal is reflected, and in the active reception state is controlled such that the antenna element conducts the first transmission signal to the wireless receiver.

5. Method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of controlling the antenna element of the wireless receiver for maximizing backscattering of the second reflection signal in the inactive reception state.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the distance between the wireless transceiver and the wireless receiver further comprises the step of determining a two-way delay between at least one of the first and the second transmission signal and the corresponding reception signal.

7. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of synchronizing the wireless transceiver with the wireless receiver.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second transmission signals are modulated according to an OFDM modulation protocol.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein a sub-carrier of a OFDM modulated transmission signal is adapted to have an increased energy at frequencies where the second reflection signal is high.

10. Method according to claim 8, wherein the OFDM modulated transmission signal is adapted to have a pulse shape corresponding to at least one of an FMCW and an impulse type pulse shape.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network further comprises at least one additional wireless receiver, the at least one additional wireless receiver having an active and an inactive reception state, and the method further comprises:

transmitting a plurality of transmission signals;

receiving a plurality of reflection signals;

determining a plurality of distances between the wireless transceiver and the at least one additional wireless receiver based on the plurality of reflection signals; and

determining the relative position of the wireless transceiver in the wireless network based on the determined distances.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein only one of the wireless receivers changes its reception state prior to the transmission of each of the transmission signals.

13. A wireless transceiver together with a wireless receiver arranged to communicate with each other in a wireless communication network, the wireless receiver having an active and an inactive reception state, the wireless transceiver comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first transmission signal with the wireless receiver in the active reception state and a second transmission signal with the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state;

a receiver for receiving a first and a second reflection signal, the first reflection signal being a reflection of the first transmission signal and influenced by the active reception state of the wireless receiver, and the second reflection signal being a reflection of the second transmission signal and influenced by the inactive reception state of the wireless receiver; and

a control unit adapted to determine a distance between the wireless transceiver and the wireless receiver based on the second reflection signal.

14. Wireless transceiver according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is further adapted to control an impedance of an antenna element of the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state such that the second transmission signal is reflected, and in the active reception state is such that the antenna element conducts the first transmission signal to the wireless receiver.

15. Wireless transceiver according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is further adapted to identifying the wireless receiver based on a difference between the first and the second reflection signal.

16. Wireless transceiver according to claim 13, wherein the first and the second transmission signals are modulated according to an OFDM modulation protocol.

17. Wireless transceiver according to claim 13, wherein the OFDM modulated transmission signal is adapted to have a pulse shape corresponding to at least one of an FMCW and an impulse type pulse shape.

19. Wireless communication network according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is further adapted to control an impedance of an antenna element of the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state such that the second transmission signal is reflected, and in the active reception state is such that the antenna element conducts the first transmission signal to the wireless receiver.

20. Wireless communication network according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is further adapted to identifying the wireless receiver based on a difference between the first and the second reflection signal.

21. Wireless communication network according to claim 16, further comprising at least one additional wireless receiver, the at least one additional wireless receiver each having an active and an inactive reception state, wherein the wireless transceiver is further adapted to:

transmit a plurality of transmission signals;

receive a plurality of reflection signals;

determine a plurality of distances between the wireless transceiver and the at least one additional wireless receiver based on the plurality of reflection signals; and

determine the relative position of the wireless transceiver in the wireless network based on the determined distances.

22. Wireless communication network according to claim 16, wherein the first and the second transmission signals are modulated according to an OFDM modulation protocol.

23. Wireless communication network according to claim 19, wherein the OFDM modulated transmission signal is adapted to have a pulse shape corresponding to at least one of an FMCW and an impulse type pulse shape.

24. Wireless communication network according to claim 16, wherein the wireless network is at last one a short range ad-hoc network and a wireless sensor network.

25. Wireless communication network according to claim 16, wherein the short range ad-hoc network is configured in accordance to at least one of the IEEE 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, the IEEE 802.16 standard or the IEEE 802.20 standard.

18. A wireless communication network comprising a wireless transceiver and a wireless receiver arranged to communicate with each other, the wireless receiver having an active and an inactive reception state, the wireless transceiver comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first transmission signal with the wireless receiver in the active reception state and a second transmission signal with the wireless receiver in the inactive reception state;

a receiver for receiving a first and a second reflection signal, the first reflection signal being a reflection of the first transmission signal and influenced by the active reception state of the wireless receiver, and the second reflection signal being a reflection of the second transmission signal and influenced by the inactive reception state of the wireless receiver being different from the first reception state; and

a control unit adapted to determine a distance between the wireless transceiver and the wireless receiver based on the second reflection signal.

26. A wireless transceiver, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting an outgoing radio-frequency (RF) communication signal to a wireless node;

a receiver for receiving RF communication signals carrying data from the wireless node including an echo signal resulting from reflection of said outgoing RF communication signal at said wireless node; and

a control unit adapted for extracting said data from the received RF communication signal, and further adapted for determining a distance between the wireless transceiver and the wireless node based on said echo signal.

27. Wireless transceiver according to claim 26, wherein the control unit is further adapted for generating a synchronization signal to be transmitted to the wireless node.

28. Wireless transceiver according to claim 26, wherein the control unit is further adapted to identifying the wireless node based on a difference between a first and a second echo signal resulting from reflection of outgoing RF communication signals at said wireless node, wherein the wireless node changes its reception state between an active and an inactive state between the reflection of the first and the second echo signals.

29. Wireless transceiver according to claim 26, wherein the outgoing RF communication signal is modulated according to an OFDM modulation protocol.

30. Wireless transceiver according to claim 26, wherein the OFDM modulated transmission signal is adapted to have a pulse shape corresponding to at least one of an FMCW and an impulse type pulse shape.

101-130. -130. (canceled)