Frequency hopping spread spectrum system with high sensitivity tracking and synchronization for frequency unstable signals

• US 6,934,316 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Cornwall, Mark K., Haas, Harry Price
• Primary Examiner(s): Bocure, Tesfaldet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Application Number:
  US09/920,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375132-137, 375/324, 375/316, 375/260, 375364-368, 375/222, 375/343, 370/241, 370/310
• US Class Current: 375/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/709 Correlator structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7156 Arrangements for sequence synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A wireless spread spectrum communication system for transmitting data includes a plurality of end point transmitters and at least one receiver. The end point transmitters transmit data via a frequency hopped spread spectrum signal where the transmitting signal is sent without the benefit of frequency stabilization. The receiver is responsive to the frequency hopping spread spectrum signals and includes a correlator and a signal processor. The correlator samples at least a first portion of a preamble of the signal and correlates the portion of the preamble with a known preamble pattern to determine a probability of correlation. The signal processor applies a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm to the signal in response to the probability of correlation to track a narrowband frequency of the signal based on at least a second portion of the preamble and to decode data encoded within the signal subsequent to the preamble.

Claims

1. A wireless spread spectrum communication system for transmitting data comprising:

a plurality of end point transmitters transmitting data via a frequency hopped spread spectrum signal, the transmitting signal being sent without the benefit of frequency stabilization; and

at least one receiver responsive to the frequency hopping spread spectrum signals, each receiver including;

a correlator that samples at least a first portion of a preamble of the signal and correlates the portion of the preamble with a known preamble pattern to determine a probability of correlation; and

a signal processor that applies an algorithm to the signal in response to the probability of correlation to track a narrowband frequency of the signal based on at least a second portion of the preamble and to decode data encoded within the signal subsequent to the preamble.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processor is a digital signal processor (DSP).

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the algorithm used to identify the narrowband frequency of the signal and to decode the data within the signal is a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the FFT algorithm operates on sampled data to produce multiple bins, each bin corresponding to a different narrowband frequency within the signal.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the FFT algorithm sums a plurality of chip values in each bin against expected chip values to determine a bin having a highest value as the narrowband frequency containing the encoded data signal.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein a strength of the signal supplied to the correlator is evaluated and if the strength of the signal supplied to the correlator is strong enough to perform a decode of the data encoded within the signal subsequent to the preamble, the signal processor does not use the FFT algorithm to decode the data encoded within the signal subsequent to the preamble.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the correlator samples data using a 12 bit analog-to-digital converter connected to a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

a mixer that receives the signal and mixes the signal with a base signal to produce an intermediate frequency that is supplied as the signal to the correlator and the signal processor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the correlator samples over at least sixty-six percent (66%) of a wideband frequency for the signal.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the correlator is implemented using the digital signal processor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the digital signal processor is supplied with two sampled inputs, a first sampled input from an analog-to-digital converter operating at a first speed and a second sampled input from an analog-to-digital converter operating at a second speed, where the second speed is slower than the first speed.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) detector circuit operably connected to an input to the second analog-to-digital converter.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver further comprises:

a switchable front-end amplifier that operably receives the signals and selectively attenuates the signals based on signal strength; and

a linear detector operably coupled to an output of the front-end amplifier and to an input of the correlator.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal is sampled during the decoding of the encoded data at a rate less than twice a data rate of the encoded data.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal is sampled during the decoding of the encoded data at unequal intervals.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal is sampled during the decoding of the encoded data in a middle portion of a bit period without sampling at edge portions of the bit period.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the middle portion represents seventy five percent (75%) or less of the bit period.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the correlator operate to establish both a bit synchronization and a frame synchronization for the encoded data in the signal.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processor initiates the algorithm only when the probability of correlation is greater than a threshold value.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the threshold value is established based on an average of a predetermined number of raw input bits.