First-arriving-pulse detection apparatus and associated methods

• US 6,762,712 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jonnathan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, ISAM A
• Application Number:
  US09/915,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20030025631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 342/90-93, 342/125, 342/135, 342/145, 342/189, 342/194, 342/198, 342/378-384
• US Class Current: 342/135
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0218 Multipath in signal reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0221 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/709 Correlator structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71637 Receiver aspects H04B1/7183 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

First-arriving-pulse detector (FAP) circuitry includes a correlator circuitry and a threshold circuitry. The correlator circuitry correlates a received signal with a template signal to provide an output signal. The threshold circuitry provides a first-arriving-pulse signal depending on the relative values of the output signal of the correlator circuitry and a threshold signal.

Claims

1. A first-arriving pulse detector circuitry, comprising:

a correlator circuitry configured to correlate a received signal with a template signal to provide an output signal, in which the received signal comprises an ultra-wideband signal, wherein the received signal comprises a plurality of pulses that result from a transmission of a radio-frequency pulse into a multipath propagation medium, and wherein the plurality of pulses of the received signal comprises the first-arriving pulse, in which the correlator circuitry further comprises;

a multiplier circuitry configured to provide an output signal that comprises the product of the template signal and the received signal; and

an integrator circuitry configured to integrate the output signal of the multiplier circuitry to provide the output signal of the correlator circuitry; and

a threshold circuitry configured to, in response to the first-arriving signal in the received signal, provide a first-arriving-pulse signal depending on the relative values of the output signal of the correlator circuitry and a threshold signal derived from a noise floor, in which the threshold circuitry further comprises a comparator circuitry configured to compare the output signal of the correlator circuitry with the threshold signal to provide the first-arriving-pulse signal, in which the first-arriving-pulse signal tends to indicate a time position of the first-arriving pulse in the received signal, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.

2. The circuitry of claim 1, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size template signal.

3. The circuitry of claim 1, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.

4. A radio-frequency (RF) apparatus, comprising:

a radio-frequency circuitry configured to operate on a received signal, wherein the received signal comprises a plurality of pulses that result from a transmission of a radio-frequency pulse in a multipath propagation medium, in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal, and wherein the plurality of pulses of the received signal comprises a first-arriving pulse; and

a detector circuitry configured to discriminate from a noise floor the first-arriving pulse of the received signal, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a correlator circuitry configured to correlate the received signal with a template signal to provide an output signal, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a threshold circuitry configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal by comparing the output signal of the correlator circuitry to a threshold signal, wherein the first-arriving-pulse signal tends to indicate a time position of the first-arriving pulse in the received signal, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.

5. The circuitry of claim 4, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size template signal.

6. The circuitry of claim 4, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.

7. A communication system, comprising:

a transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a radio-frequency pulse into a multipath propagation medium, in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal;

a receiver circuitry configured to operate on a received signal, wherein the received signal comprises a plurality of pulses that result from the transmission of the pulse into the multipath propagation medium, and wherein the plurality of pulses of the received signal comprises a first-arriving pulse, in which the receiver circuitry comprises a scanning receiver circuitry; and

a detector circuitry configured to discriminate from a noise floor the first-arriving pulse of the received signal, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a correlator circuitry configured to correlate the received signal with a template signal to provide an output signal, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a threshold circuitry configured to provide the first-arriving-pulse signal by comparing the output signal of the correlator circuitry to a threshold signal, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first-arriving-pulse signal tends to indicate a time position of the first-arriving pulse in the received signal.

9. The system of claim 8, in which the transmitter circuitry, the receiver circuitry, and the detector circuitry reside within a radar circuitry.

10. The system of claim 9, in which the receiver circuitry couples to a processor circuitry.

11. The system of claim 10, in which the detector circuitry resides within the processor circuitry.

12. The system of claim 9, in which the detector circuitry resides within the receiver circuitry.

13. The system of claim 8, in which the detector circuitry resides within a processor coupled to the receiver circuitry.

14. The system of claim 8, in which the detector circuitry resides within the receiver circuitry.

15. The system of claim 14, in which the receiver circuitry couples to a processor circuitry.

16. The system of claim 8, in which the detector circuitry resides within a first transceiver circuitry.

17. The system of claim 16, in which the receiver circuitry resides within the first transceiver circuitry.

18. The system of claim 17, in which the detector circuitry resides within the first transceiver circuitry.

19. The system of claim 18, in which the transmitter circuitry resides within a second transceiver circuitry.

20. The system of claim 19, in which the receiver circuitry couples to a processor circuitry.

21. The system of claim 20, in which the detector circuitry resides within the processor circuitry.

22. The system of claim 21, in which the detector circuitry resides within the receiver circuitry.

23. A method of detecting a first-arriving pulse, comprising:

correlating a received signal with a template signal to provide a correlation output signal, in which the received signal comprises an ultra-wideband signal, in which correlating the received signal and the template signal further comprises;

multiplying the template signal and the received signal to provide a product signal; and

integrating the product output signal to provide the correlation output signal,

wherein the received signal comprises a plurality of pulses that result from a transmission of a radio-frequency pulse into a multipath propagation medium, and

wherein the plurality of pulses of the received signal comprises a first-arriving pulse; and

comparing the correlation output signal and a threshold signal to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal, wherein the threshold signal is derived from a noise floor, in which comparing the correlation output signal and a threshold signal further comprises using a comparator circuitry configured to compare the correlation output signal and the threshold signal to provide the first-arriving-pulse signal, in which the first-arriving-pulse signal tends to indicate a time position of the first-arriving pulse in the received signal in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.

24. The method of claim 23, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size signal.

25. The method of claim 23, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.

26. A method of detecting a first-arriving pulse of a received signal comprising:

transmitting a radio-frequency pulse in a multipath propagation medium, in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal;

receiving, by using a radio-frequency circuitry, the received signal, wherein the received signal comprises a plurality of pulses that result from the transmission of the radio-frequency pulse into the multipath propagation medium, and wherein the plurality of pulses of the received signal comprises a first-arriving pulse; and

discriminating from a noise floor the first-arriving pulse of the received signal by using a detector circuitry, in which using the detector circuitry further comprises correlating the received signal with a template signal to provide a correlation output signal, which further comprises including within the detector circuitry a threshold circuitry configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal by comparing the correlation output signal to a threshold signal, which further comprises using the detector circuitry to provide the first-arriving-pulse signal, wherein the first-arriving pulse signal tends to indicate a time position of the first-arriving pulse of the received signal, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.

27. The method of claim 26, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size signal.

28. The method of claim 26, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.