Processing of a radio-communication frame in a system comprising at least three radio transmitter/receiver devices

• US 8,193,970 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Miscopein, Benoit, Schwoerer, Jean, Marx, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US11/794,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 342/42, 342/118, 342/125
• US Class Current: 342/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of implementing operations involving the processing a radio-communication frame (CMF) in a system comprising at least three radio transmitter/receiver devices (1-5), consisting in transmitting the frame in response to a first request signal (REQ1) transmitted by a device belonging to the system (1). According to the invention, the frame is processed in the device (1) that transmitted the first request signal (REQ1) as well as in other devices belonging to the system (1, 3-5) which transmitted respective request signals (REQ2-REQ4) within a pre-determined time period.

Claims

1. A method of implementing operations using a radiocommunication frame in a system comprising at least three radio transmitter-receiver devices, said method comprising the following steps:

a—

transmission of a first request radio signal to a first one of the system devices by a second one of the system devices;

b—

transmission of at least one second request radio signal by a third one of the system devices to the first system device;

c—

transmission of said frame by said first device in response to said first request radio signal;

d—

use of said frame in said second system device that sent said first request radio signal; and

use of said frame in said third system device that sent said second request radio signal in a predetermined time slot,

wherein said frame is a channel measurement frame.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, also comprising, in response to said second request radio signal transmitted in the predetermined time slot, no transmission of a frame by said first system device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time slot comprises a first duration greater than a determined guard time between the reception of said first request radio signal by said first system device and the transmission of the frame, and/or a second duration at least equal to a determined listening time after the transmission of the frame.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is transmitted at an instant that is determined by a multiple-access controller.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second request radio signals are transmitted by one and the same of the system devices.

6. A method of measuring distances between a first device of a system and at least two other system devices, using a method of implementing operations using a radiocommunication frame, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a—

in response to each detected request radio signal, a transmission of an acknowledgement signal by said first system device, intended for said other system device that transmitted said request radio signal; and

b—

a measurement of a radio signal exchange time from an instant of transmission of each request radio signal and an instant of reception of the acknowledgment radio signal transmitted in response to said request radio signal.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined time slot comprises a first duration greater than a determined guard time between the reception of said first request radio signal by said first system device and the transmission of the frame, and/or a second duration at least equal to a determined listening time after the transmission of the frame, and further comprising:

a determination of the respective separation distance between said first system device and each of the other system devices based on the exchange time; and

an analysis of the received radio signals corresponding to said frame.

8. A radio transmitter-receiver device suitable for implementing the steps carried out in the first one and/or one other of the system devices, of a method of implementing operations using a radiocommunication frame as claimed in claim 1, or a method of measuring distances as claimed in claim 6.