Mapping radio-frequency spectrum in a communication system

• US 7,397,867 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Pulse-Link Incorporated
• Inventors: Santhoff, John, Moore, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US10/932,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20050031059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 375/316, 375/324, 375/340, 375/347, 375/147, 375/349, 342/147
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71632 Signal aspects H04B1/7172 and H04B1/7176 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71637 Receiver aspects H04B1/7183 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7174 Pulse generation in general H04L25/03834
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7176 Data mapping, e.g. modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1816 with retransmission of the same, encoded, message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1829 Arrangements specially adapted for the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/203 Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

Methods and systems for analyzing or mapping portions of the radio frequency spectrum are provided. In one embodiment of the invention, a communication method is provided, with a first step of the method including receiving an electromagnetic energy from a portion of a radio frequency spectrum. The received energy is then sampled in the time domain, and subsequently converted into the frequency domain. The sampled energy, that is now in the frequency domain is analyzed, and at least one communication parameter is selected based on the analysis of the sampled energy. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an electromagnetic energy from a portion of a radio frequency spectrum;

sampling the received energy, the sampling occurring in a time domain;

converting the sampled energy into a frequency domain;

analyzing the sampled energy in the frequency domain; and

selecting at least one communication parameter based on the analysis of the sampled energy, the at least one communication parameter selected from at least one of a group consisting of;

an ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency;

a power of transmission;

an ultra-wideband pulse shape;

a communication frequency band;

a communication channel; and

a modulation method.

2. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the at least one selected communication parameter to at least one communication device.

3. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating using the at least one selected communication parameter.

4. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising first and second communication devices, wherein a peak-to-average power ratio of the first communication device and the peak-to-average power ratio of the second communication device are different.

5. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the step of sampling the received energy in the time domain comprises sampling the received energy at a sampling rate that can range between about 1 picosecond to about 1 microsecond.

6. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising the step of periodically repeating the steps of receiving, sampling and converting.

7. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising a communication device performing the steps of receiving, sampling, converting, analyzing and selecting in response to a received bit-error-rate at the communication device.

8. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising a communication device performing the steps of receiving, sampling, converting analyzing and selecting in response to a received signal strength indication at the communication device.

9. A communication method, comprising:

means for receiving an electromagnetic energy from a portion of a radio frequency spectrum;

means for sampling the received energy, the sampling occurring in a time domain;

means for converting the sampled energy into a frequency domain;

means for analyzing the sampled energy in the frequency domain; and

means for selecting at least one communication parameter based on the analysis of the sampled energy, the at least one communication parameter selected from at least one of a group consisting of;

an ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency;

a power of transmission;

an ultra-wideband pulse shape;

a communication frequency band;

a communication channel; and

a modulation method.

10. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising means for transmitting the at least one selected communication parameter to at least one communication device.

11. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising means for communicating using the at least one selected communication parameter.