Combined OOK-FSK/PPM modulation and communication protocol scheme providing low cost, low power consumption short range radio link

• US 6,434,194 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wherenet Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Hang, Huong M., Bowman, Douglas C., Eisenberg, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Heechul
• Application Number:
  US09/185,467
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 375/238, 375/237, 375/150, 375/300, 455/127, 342/418, 341/53
• US Class Current: 375/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A communication system provides robust, short range radio communications between battery operated devices by using ON-OFF-KEYED (OOK) modulation and either frequency shift keyed (FSK) modulation or pulse position/width modulation (PPM/PWM), in combination with a prescribed communications protocol. The system transmitter requires no local oscillator and is only active during actual communication, so that its current drain is not a significant factor in total battery life. Also, the receiver is active for only a small fraction of time. The need for large, complex and expensive filters is minimized by using a single IF band-pass filter in active form or passively in the form of a low cost ceramic filter such as those used in inexpensive transistor radios. The digital transmitter and receiver portions of the system are implemented by low cost, and ultra low power CMOS logic.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a transmitter exclusive of an up-conversion local oscillator that is operative to transmit an RF signal modulated with a baseband signal as on-off keyed (OOK) modulation and one of frequency shift keyed (FSK) and pulse position/width modulation (PPM/PWM), and a receiver that is operative to receive and demodulate said RF signal and recover information contained therein.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said RF signal comprises an OOK RF signal modulated with FSK modulation representative of said information.

3. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said RF signal comprises an OOK RF signal modulated with PPM/PWM modulation representative of said information.

4. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said information comprises a data signal that is differentially encoded prior to modulation with said OOK modulation and said one of FSK and PPM/PWM modulation.

5. A communication system according to claim 2, wherein said transmitter is operative to encode first and second logical states of an information signal as first and second OOK pulse waveforms having respectively different frequencies, one above and one below an IF center frequency.

6. A communication system according to claim 5, wherein said transmitter comprises a digital signal processing circuit that is operative to access data stored in a system random access memory (RAM) and convert the accessed data into OOK-FSK modulation pulses representative of differentially encoded serial data.

7. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said receiver includes signal detection circuitry that is operative to demodulate both OOK-FSK and OOK-PPM/PWM transmissions.

8. A communication system according to claim 7, wherein said receiver includes a narrow band antenna, the output of which is coupled to an AM detector, that derives a pulse train transmitted by said transmitter, said AM detector being filtered by way of a band-pass filter having a center frequency matched to the OOK rate of said transmitter, said band-pass filter being coupled to a received signal strength indicator circuit, the output of which is compared with a prescribed signal level threshold, to controllably gate a received signal waveform, to prevent potentially false data from being coupled to digital processing circuitry, which recovers said information.

9. A communication system according to claim 8, wherein said receiver comprises an FSK receiver having an FM discriminator circuit and a digital tone detector that is operative to validate received OOK data, and digital FSK processing circuitry that is operative to integrate the received data validated by said received signal strength indicator and threshold comparator circuit and digital tone detector circuit, and to store validated recovered data to system memory.

10. A communication system according to claim 3, wherein said transmitter is operative to encode first and second logical states of an information signal as first and second OOK PPM/PWM waveforms of the same IF center frequency, and shifted in phase by respectively different first and second phase shift amounts.

11. A communication system according to claim 10, wherein said transmitter comprises a digital signal processing section that is operative to access data stored in a system random access memory (RAM) and convert the accessed data into OOK modulation pulses representative of differentially encoded serial data.

12. A communication system according to claim 7, wherein said receiver comprises a PPM/PWM receiver that includes a narrow band antenna, the output of which is coupled to an AM detector, that derives a pulse train transmitted by said transmitter, said AM detector being filtered by way of a band-pass filter having a center frequency matched to the OOK rate of said transmitter, said band-pass filter being coupled to a received signal strength indicator circuit, the output of which is compared with a prescribed signal level threshold, to controllably gate a received signal waveform, to prevent potentially false data from being coupled to PPM/PWM digital processing circuitry, which recovers phase information in the received encoded data stream.

13. A communication system according to claim 12, wherein said PPM/PWM digital processing circuitry comprises an up/down counter controlled circuit that operates at a sample clock rate that is at a prescribed fraction of the time between incoming OOK pulses.

14. A method of conveying information between first and second devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) encoding an information signal as one of a baseband frequency shift keyed (FSK) modulated signal and a pulse position/width modulation (PPM/PWM) signal; and

(b) transmitting from said first device an on-off keyed (OOK) modulated RF signal that is modulated with said one of said baseband frequency shift keyed (FSK) and pulse position/width modulation (PPM/PWM) signals representative of information encoded in step (a).

15. A method according to claim 14, further including the step of:

(c) at said second device, receiving and demodulating said OOK modulated RF signal that has been modulated with said one of frequency shift keyed (FSK) and pulse position/width modulation (PPM/PWM), and recovering said information.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein said OOK RF signal is modulated with FSK modulation representative of said information.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein said OOK RF signal is modulated with PPM/PWM modulation representative of said information.

18. A method according to claim 14, wherein step (b) comprises transmitting first and second OOK pulse waveforms having respectively different frequencies, one above and one below an IF center frequency.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein step (c) comprises receiving said OOK modulated RF signal by way of a narrow band antenna, coupling the output of said narrow band antenna to an AM detector, filtering a pulse train derived by said AM detector through a band-pass filter having a center frequency matched to the OOK transmission rate, coupling said band-pass filter being to a received signal strength indicator circuit, the output of which is compared with a prescribed signal level threshold, to controllably gate a received signal waveform, to prevent potentially false data from being coupled to digital processing circuitry, and recover said information.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein step (c) further comprises coupling a received signal to an FSK receiver having an FM discriminator circuit and a digital tone detector that is operative to validate received OOK data, and digital FSK processing circuitry that is operative to integrate the received data validated by said received signal strength indicator circuit and digital tone detector circuit, and to store validated recovered data to system memory.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein step (b) comprises transmitting transmitter first and second OOK PPM/PWM waveforms of the same IF center frequency, and shifted in phase by respectively different first and second phase shift amounts, encoded in step (a) in accordance with first and second logical states of said information.

22. A method according to claim 21, further including the step (c) of, at said second device, receiving and demodulating, by PPM/PWM digital processing circuitry, said OOK modulated RF signal that has been modulated with said one of frequency shift keyed (FSK) and pulse position/width modulation (PPM/PWM), and recovering said information.