System, Method, and Circuit for Distance Measurement Between Two Nodes of a Radio Network

• US 20140248841A1
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kluge, Wolfram, Sachse, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/84 for distance determination by phase measurement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

A system and method for distance measurement between two nodes of a radio network is provided. A first unmodulated carrier signal is transmitted by the first node and received by the second node. A second unmodulated carrier signal is transmitted by the second node and received by the first node. A first value and a second value of a first phase are measured by the first node, whereby the first value of the first phase is assigned to a first frequency of the received second carrier signal and the second value the first phase is assigned to a second frequency of the received second carrier signal, whereby the first frequency and the second frequency have a frequency difference. A third value and a fourth value of a second phase are measured by the second node, whereby the third value of the second phase is assigned to a third frequency of the received first carrier signal and the fourth value of the second phase to a fourth frequency of the received first carrier signal, whereby the third frequency and the fourth frequency have the frequency difference. The distance is determined from the frequency difference from the first value and the second value of the first phase and from the third value and fourth value of the second phase.

Claims

1. A method for distance measurement between two nodes of a radio network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first unmodulated carrier signal by the first node and received by the second node;

transmitting a second unmodulated carrier signal by the second node and received by the first node;

measuring a first value and a second value of a first phase by the first node, the first value of the first phase being assigned to a first frequency of the received second carrier signal and the second value of the first phase being assigned to a second frequency of the received second carrier signal, the first frequency and the second frequency having a frequency difference;

measuring a third value and a fourth value of a second phase by the second node, the third value of the second phase being assigned to a third frequency of the received first carrier signal and the fourth value of the second phase being assigned to a fourth frequency of the received first carrier signal, the third frequency and the fourth frequency having the frequency difference; and

determining the distance from the frequency difference from the first value and the second value of the first phase and from the third value and fourth value of the second phase.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a time synchronization of the measurements of the values is performed so that measurement times of the measurements of the values have a predefined temporal relationship to one another.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first time interval and a second time interval are the same, whereby the first time interval between a first measurement time of the first value of the first phase and a second measurement time of the second value of the first phase is defined, and wherein the second time interval between a third measurement time of the third value of the second phase and a fourth measurement time of the fourth value of the second phase is defined.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, to determine the distance, a phase difference is calculated from the first value and the second value of the first phase and from the third value and fourth value of the second phase according to the formula:

Δ

φ

=(φ

_A2−

φ

_B2)−

(φ

_A1−

φ

_B1)

or its algebraic transformations, whereby φ

A1 is the first value and φ

A2 the second value of the first phase and whereby φ

B1 is the third value and φ

B2 the fourth value of the second phase.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first unmodulated carrier signal is generated by a first oscillator signal by a first reference clock generator and a first phase-locked loop of the first node, wherein the second unmodulated carrier signal is generated by a second oscillator signal by a second reference clock generator and a second phase-locked loop of a second node, wherein the first value and the second value of the first phase of the received second carrier signal of the second node are measured relative to a first reference signal of the first reference clock generator by a phase measurement unit of the first node, and wherein the third value and the fourth value of the second phase of the received first carrier signal of the first node are measured relative to a second reference signal of the second reference clock generator by a phase measurement unit of the second node.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a phase error caused by a generated first reference frequency of the first reference signal and a generated second reference frequency of the second reference signal is compensated, and wherein the phase error is compensated by subtraction of the second value from the first value of the first phase and the fourth value from the third value of the second phase.

7. A system for distance measurement between two nodes of a radio network, the system comprising:

a first node configured to transmit a first unmodulated carrier signal and configured to receive a second unmodulated carrier signal;

a second node configured to transmit the second unmodulated carrier signal and configured to receive the first unmodulated carrier signal,

wherein the first node has a first phase measurement unit configured to measure a first value and a second value of a first phase of the received second carrier signal, the first value of the first phase being assigned to a first frequency of the received second carrier signal and the second value of the first phase being assigned to a second frequency of the received second carrier signal, the first frequency and the second frequency having a frequency difference,

wherein the second node has a second phase measurement unit configured to measure a third value and a fourth value of a second phase of the received first carrier signal, the third value of the second phase being assigned to a third frequency of the received first carrier signal and the fourth value of the second phase being assigned to a fourth frequency of the received first carrier signal, the third frequency and the fourth frequency having the frequency difference, and

wherein the first node and/or the second node and/or another node are configured to determine the distance from the frequency difference from the first value and the second value of the first phase and from the third value and the fourth value of the second phase.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first node has a first control circuit and the second node has a second control circuit for time synchronization of the measurements, wherein the first control circuit is configured to control a first measurement time of the first value of the first phase and a second measurement time of the second value of the first phase, wherein the second control circuit is configured to control a third measurement time of the third value of the second phase and a fourth measurement time of the fourth value of the second phase, and wherein a first time interval between the first measurement time and the second measurement time and a second time interval between the third measurement time and the fourth measurement time are the same.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first node has a first reference clock generator for a first phase-locked loop for generating a first oscillator signal for the first carrier signal, wherein the second node has a second reference clock generator for a second phase-locked loop for generating a second oscillator signal for the second carrier signal, wherein the first node is configured to measure a first phase of the received second carrier signal relative to a first reference signal of the first reference clock generator, and wherein the second node is configured to measure a second phase of the received first carrier signal relative to a second reference signal of the second reference clock generator.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first node is configured to change the first carrier frequency of the first carrier signal and the second node is configured to change a carrier frequency of the second carrier signal, wherein the first node is set up to change by the same value a first multiplier factor of the first phase-locked loop for multiplying the first reference frequency of the first reference clock generator and the second node is configured to change a second multiplier factor for multiplying the second reference frequency of the second reference clock generator of the second phase-locked loop.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the second node is configured for measured data transmission of the measured values of the second phase to the first node and/or the first node is configured for measured data transmission of the measured values of the first phase to the second node.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first node and/or the second node are configured for transmitting a frame for time synchronization of measurement times.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first node and/or the second node have a control circuit that is configured to control the measurement times based on the frame for synchronization by a timer.

14. A circuit for distance measurement for a node of a radio network, the circuit comprising:

a transmitter/receiver circuit configured to transmit a first unmodulated carrier signal with different frequencies and configured to receive a second unmodulated carrier signal;

a reference clock generator for a phase-locked loop configured to generate a local oscillator signal for downmixing a received second carrier signal to an intermediate frequency signal by the transmitter/receiver circuit;

a frequency divider connectable to the reference clock generator to generate a comparison signal;

a phase measurement circuit configured to evaluate a phase between the intermediate frequency signal and the comparison signal, the phase measurement circuit being connectable to the transmitter/receiver circuit and the frequency divider; and

a control circuit connectable to the phase measurement unit, wherein to control measurement times synchronized in time, the control circuit is configured to measure a first value and a second value of the phase, the first value being assigned to a first frequency of the received second carrier signal and the second value being assigned to a second frequency of the received second carrier signal, the first frequency and the second frequency having a frequency difference.