Ultra-wideband wireless backplane

• US 7,373,107 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Equipment Technologies Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wesolowski, Jan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dean; Raymond S.
• Application Number:
  US10/318,585
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552, 455/73, 455/422, 455/462, 455/553, 455/575, 455 411- 413, 370/362, 370/364, 370/365, 370/366, 370/278, 370/329, 370/430, 375/220, 375/221, 375/222, 361/785, 361/788, 361/790
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0008 Synchronisation information channels, e.g. clock distribution lines

Abstract

A backplane for an electronic data communication system is disclosed. The backplane comprises at least one ultra-wideband transmitter configured to transmit data in the form of a plurality of pulses in a wireless manner and at least one ultra-wideband receiver configured to receive the plurality of pulses and decode the plurality of pulses to retrieve the data. The data is to be transmitted wirelessly from a first module comprising the at least one ultra-wideband transmitter to a second module comprising the ultra-wideband receiver within the electronic communication system, the first and second modules residing in the system housing.

Claims

1. A backplane for an electronic communication system, the backplane residing in a system housing, comprising:

at least one ultra-wideband transmitter configured to transmit data in the form of a plurality of pulses in a wireless manner;

at least one ultra-wideband receiver configured to receive the plurality of pulses and decode the plurality of pulses to retrieve the data; and

a sequence sync generator configured to synchronize the ultra-wideband transmitter and the ultra-wideband receiver;

wherein the data is to be transmitted wirelessly from a first module comprising the at least one ultra-wideband transmitter to a second module comprising the at least one ultra-wideband receiver within the electronic communication system, the first and second modules residing in the system housing;

wherein the sequence sync generator provides a synchronization signal to both the ultra-wideband transmitter and the ultra-wideband receiver via a point-to-point electrical connection through the backplane, thereby allowing the plurality of pulses transmitted by the ultra-wideband transmitter to be received and identified by the ultra-wideband receiver.

2. The backplane of claim 1 wherein the ultra-wideband transmitter further comprises:

a timing control circuit configured to generate a pseudo-random sequence; and

a pulse generator configured to generate the plurality of pulses according to the pseudo-random sequence, the plurality of pulses sharing at least one characteristic; and

wherein the ultra-wideband receiver further comprises;

a pseudo-random sequence generator configured to generate the pseudo-random sequence; and

a filter configured to identify the plurality of pulses using the at least one characteristic and the pseudo-random sequence generated by the pseudo-random sequence generator.

3. A network switch or router incorporating the backplane as recited in claim 1.

4. A backplane for an electronic communication system, the backplane coupled to a first module and a second module and residing in a system housing, the backplane comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of pulses using ultra-wideband technology, the transmitter comprising;

a first pseudo-random sequence generator configured to generate a pseudo-random sequence;

a pulse generator configured to generate the plurality of pulses according to the pseudo-random sequence, the plurality of pulses sharing at least one characteristic and representing data to be transmitted from the first module to the second module, wherein the first and second module reside in the system housing; and

a transmitting circuit configured to transmit the plurality of pulses; and

a plurality of receivers each configured to receive and identify the plurality of pulses using ultra-wideband technology, each receiver comprising;

a second pseudo-random sequence generator configured to generate the pseudo-random sequence; and

a filter configured to identify the plurality of pulses using the at least one characteristic and the pseudo-random sequence generated by the second pseudo-random sequence generator; and

a sequence sync generator configured synchronize the transmitter and the plurality of receivers;

wherein the sequence sync generator provides a synchronization signal to both the transmitter and the plurality of receivers, thereby allowing the plurality of pulses transmitted by the transmitter to be received and identified by the plurality of receivers;

wherein the sequence sync generator provides a synchronization signal to both the transmitter and the plurality of receivers via a point-to-point electrical connection through the backplane.

5. A network switch or router incorporating the backplane as recited in claim 4.

6. A backplane for an electronic communication system having a first and a second module, the first and second modules residing in the same housing, the backplane comprising:

a plurality of transmitters, each transmitter configured to transmit data in the form of a plurality of pulses using ultra-wideband technology and the plurality of pulses uniquely corresponding to that transmitter; and

a plurality of receivers, each receiver being associated with one of the plurality of transmitters and configured to receive the corresponding plurality of pulses from the associated transmitter and decode the corresponding plurality of pulses to retrieve the corresponding data;

a sequence sync generator configured to synchronize each of the plurality of transmitters with its associated one or more receivers; and

wherein each of the plurality of transmitter is associated with one or more of the plurality of receivers;

wherein the first module wirelessly transmits data to the second module using one of the plurality of transmitters and its associated one or more receiver(s), wherein the first and second module reside in the same housing; and

wherein the sequence sync generator provides a synchronization signal to both the transmitter and its associated one or more receivers via a point-to-point electrical connection through the backplane.

7. The backplane of claim 6 wherein each transmitter further comprises:

a timing control circuit configured to generate a pseudo-random sequence, the pseudo-random sequence being uniquely associated with that transmitter; and

a pulse generator configured to generate the plurality of pulses according to the pseudo-random sequence, the plurality of pulses sharing at least one characteristic, the at least one characteristic being unique to the plurality of pulses generated by that pulse generator; and

wherein each receiver further comprises;

a pseudo-random sequence generator configured to generate the pseudo-random sequence uniquely associated with a corresponding transmitter; and

a filter configured to identify the plurality of pulses from the corresponding transmitter using the at least one characteristic and the pseudo-random sequence that are both uniquely associated with the corresponding transmitter.

8. A network switch or router incorporating the backplane as recited in claim 6.

9. A method for transmitting data in a backplane of an electronic communication system, the backplane residing within a housing, comprising:

encoding data to be transmitted into a plurality of pulses;

generating the plurality of pulses based on a unique pseudo-random sequence, the plurality of the pulses sharing at least one characteristic;

transmitting the plurality of pulses via a transmitter;

receiving the plurality of pulses via one or more receivers;

synchronizing the one or more receivers to the transmitter, wherein synchronizing the one or more receivers to the transmitter includes providing a synchronization signal to both the transmitter and the one or more receivers via a point-to-point electrical connection through the backplane;

identifying the received plurality of pulses using the at least one characteristic and the unique pseudo-random sequence; and

decoding the data from the identified plurality of pulses;

wherein the method is implemented using ultra-wideband technology; and

wherein the data is wirelessly transmitted between a first module and a second module residing in the housing.

10. A network switch or router utilizing the method as recited in claim 9.

11. A method for transmitting data in a backplane of an electronic communication system, the backplane residing within a housing, comprising:

directing a timing control circuit to generate a unique pseudo-random sequence;

directing a pulse generator to generate a plurality of pulses based on the unique pseudo-random sequence, the plurality of pulses sharing at least one characteristic and representing data to be transmitted;

transmitting the plurality of pulses via a transmitter;

receiving the plurality of pulses via one or more receivers;

directing a pseudo-random sequence generator to generate the unique pseudo-random sequence;

synchronizing the one or more receivers to the transmitter, wherein synchronizing the plurality of the one or more receivers includes providing a synchronization signal to both the transmitter and the one or more receivers via a point-to-point electrical connection through the backplane;

directing a filter to identify the received plurality of pulses using the unique pseudo-random sequence generated by the pseudo-random sequence generator and the at least one characteristic; and

decoding the identified plurality of pulses to retrieve the data;

wherein the method is implemented using ultra-wideband technology; and

wherein the data is wirelessly transmitted between a first module and a second module, the first and second modules residing in the same housing as the backplane.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

synchronizing the respective generation of the unique pseudo-random sequence by the timing control circuit and the pseudo-random sequence generator.

13. A network switch or router utilizing the method as recited in claim 11.