Wireless ultra wideband network having interference mitigation and related methods

• US 7,653,020 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lionra Technologies Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US10/962,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20050163042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 370/319, 370/208, 370/203, 370/344, 370/318, 370/329, 370/332, 455/67.13, 455/522, 455/423, 375/267, 375/299, 375/260, 375/349, 375/146
• US Class Current: 370/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects

Abstract

A ultra wideband (UWB) wireless network may include a plurality of UWB wireless devices communicating over a plurality of UWB frequency bins extending over a UWB frequency range. At least one of the UWB wireless devices may be for determining a respective actual signal level associated with each UWB frequency bin, and generating a do-not-use UWB frequency bin list by comparing each actual signal level with at least one interference threshold. Thus, the UWB wireless devices can avoid using frequency bins experiencing excessive interference to thereby provide more reliable UWB communications.

Claims

1. A ultra wideband (UWB) wireless network comprising:

a plurality of UWB wireless devices communicating over a plurality of UWB frequency bins extending over a UWB frequency range;

at least one of said UWB wireless devices for determining a respective actual signal level associated with each UWB frequency bin,

generating a do-not-use UWB frequency bin list by comparing each actual signal level with at least one interference threshold, The at least one interference threshold comprising a first interference threshold for when a frequency bin is not in use, and a second interference threshold higher than the first interference threshold for when a frequency bin is in use, and

communicating the do-not-use UWB frequency bin list to at least one other UWB wireless device;

said at least one UWB wireless device comprising a Fourier transform module for determining the actual signal levels.

2. The UWB wireless network of claim 1 wherein said Fourier transform module comprises a fast Fourier transform (FFT) module.

3. The UWB wireless network of claim 1 wherein said Fourier transform module comprises a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) module.

4. The UWB wireless network of claim 1 wherein said at least one UWB wireless device determines the actual signal levels when it is not communicating with another UWB wireless device.

5. The UWB wireless network of claim 1 wherein the at least one interference threshold comprises at least one expected average signal level.

6. The UWB wireless network of claim 1 wherein the frequency bins comprise orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) frequency bins.

7. The UWB wireless network of claim 1 wherein said at least one UWB wireless device performs frequency hopping.

8. A ultra wideband (UWB) wireless network comprising:

a plurality of UWB wireless devices communicating over a plurality of UWB frequency bins extending over a UWB frequency range;

at least one of said UWB wireless devices for

determining a respective actual signal level associated with each UWB frequency bin,

generating a do-not-use UWB frequency bin list by comparing each actual signal level with a first interference threshold when the respective frequency bin is not in use, and a second interference threshold higher than the first interference threshold when the respective frequency bin is in use, and

communicating the do-not-use UWB frequency bin list to at least one other UWB wireless device;

said at least one UWB wireless device comprising a Fourier transform module for determining the actual signal levels.

9. The UWB wireless network of claim 8 wherein said wireless device Fourier transform module comprises a fast Fourier transform (FFT) module.

10. The UWB wireless network of claim 8 wherein said wireless device Fourier transform module comprises a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) module.

11. The UWB wireless network of claim 8 wherein said at least one UWB wireless device determines the actual signal levels when it is not communicating with another UWB wireless device.

12. The UWB wireless network of claim 8 wherein at least one of the first and second interference thresholds comprises and expected average signal level.

13. The UWB wireless network of claim 8 wherein the frequency bins comprise orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) frequency bins.

14. The UWB wireless network of claim 10 wherein said at least one UWB wireless device performs frequency hopping.

15. A ultra wideband (UWB) wireless device comprising:

a UWB transceiver for communicating with at least one other UWB wireless device over a plurality of UWB frequency bins extending over a UWB frequency range; and

a controller coupled to said UWB transceiver for

determining a respective actual signal level associated with each UWB frequency bin,

generating a do-not-use UWB frequency bin list by comparing each actual signal level with at least one interference threshold, the at least one interference threshold comprising a first interference threshold for when a frequency bin is not in use, and a second interference threshold higher than the first interference threshold for when a frequency bin is in use, and

communicating the do-not-use UWB frequency bin list to at least one other UWB wireless device;

said controller comprising a Fourier transform module for determining the actual signal levels.

16. The UWB wireless device of claim 15 wherein said controller cooperates with said UWB transceiver to send the list to the at least one other UWB wireless device.

17. The UWB wireless device of claim 15 wherein said Fourier transform module comprises a fast Fourier transform (FFT) module.

18. The UWB wireless device of claim 17 wherein said Fourier transform module comprises a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) module.

19. The UWB wireless device of claim 15 wherein said controller determines the actual signal levels when it is not communicating with the at least one other UWB wireless device.

20. The UWB wireless device of claim 15 wherein the at least one interference threshold comprises at least one expected average signal level.

21. The UWB wireless device of claim 15 wherein the frequency bins comprise orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) frequency bins.

22. The UWB wireless device of claim 15 wherein said controller performs frequency hopping.

23. A ultra wideband (UWB) wireless communications method comprising:

using a plurality of UWB wireless devices to communicate over a plurality of UWB frequency bins extending over a UWB frequency range;

determining a respective actual signal level associated with each UWB frequency bin using a Fourier transform;

generating a do-not-use UWB frequency bin list by comparing each actual signal level with at least one interference threshold, the at least one interference threshold comprising a first interference threshold for when a frequency bin is not in use, and a second interference threshold higher than the first interference threshold for when a frequency bin is in use; and

communicating the do-not-use UWB frequency bin list to at least one other UWB wireless device.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the respective actual signal levels are determined using a fast Fourier transform (FFT).

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the respective actual signal levels are determined using a discrete Fourier transform (DFT).

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one interference threshold comprises at least one expected average signal level.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the frequency bins comprise orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) frequency bins.