Synchronized system configuration

• US 8,611,399 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingenu Inc.
• Original Assignee: On-Ramp Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Myers, Theodore J., Boesel, Robert W., Hughes, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Burd, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US13/355,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20120114015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375/140, 375/147, 375/150, 375/316
• US Class Current: 375/150
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/02 Automatic frequency control H03J7/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7103 the interference being multiple access interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0029 Gold
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0685 Clock or time synchronisation in a node; Intranode synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0038 Blind format detection for detection of modulation format H04L27/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0046 Code rate detection or code type detection H04L1/0038 takes precedence; detection of the data rate H04L25/0262; for packet format H04L1/0091
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0065 Frequency error detectors H04L2027/0067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/233 using non-coherent demodulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0004 Initialisation of the receiver H04L7/0075 and H04L7/10 take precedence

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving a timing signal at a first access point, wherein the timing signal is also received at a second access point. A first time is synchronized at the first access point with a second time at the second access point based upon the received timing signal. The first access point is configured with a spreading code and a transmit frequency. The second access point is also configured with the spreading code and the transmit frequency. The spreading code of the first access point is synchronized with the spreading code of the second access point using the timing signal. A message is transmitted from the first access point to the node and from the second access point to the node.

Claims

1. A method of communication, the method comprising:

receiving a timing signal at a first access point, wherein the timing signal is also received at a second access point;

synchronizing a first time at the first access point with a second time at the second access point based upon the received timing signal;

configuring the first access point with a spreading code and a transmit frequency, wherein the second access point is also configured with the spreading code and the transmit frequency;

synchronizing the spreading code of the first access point with the spreading code of the second access point using the timing signal; and

transmitting a plurality of messages from the first access point to a node, wherein the plurality of messages are simultaneously transmitted from the second access point, wherein the first access point and the second access point appear to be a single access point to the node, and wherein the node successfully receives the plurality of messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time is synchronized with a remote timing source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote timing source is a global positioning system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the first access point to function like a second access point such that the first access point and the second access point behave as a single access point.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first access point and the second access point use a common identification.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a time based upon a remote timing source to the node.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first timestamp associated with an event from the node;

receiving a second timestamp associated with the event from a second node, wherein times of the node and the second node are synchronized with the first time of the first access point based upon the timing signal; and

determining a location of the event based upon the first timestamp and the second timestamp.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

instructions to receive a timing signal at a first access point, wherein the timing signal is also received at a second access point;

instructions to synchronize a first time at the first access point with a second time at the second access point based upon the received timing signal;

instructions to configure the first access point with a spreading code and a transmit frequency, wherein the second access point is also configured with the spreading code and the transmit frequency;

instructions to synchronize the spreading code of the first access point with the spreading code of the second access point using the timing signal; and

instructions to transmit a plurality of messages from the first access point to a node, wherein the plurality of messages are simultaneously transmitted from the second access point, wherein the first access point and the second access point appear to be a single access point to the node, and wherein the node successfully receives the plurality of messages.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first time is synchronized with a remote timing source.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the remote timing source is a global positioning system.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions to configure the first access point to function like a second access point such that the first access point and the second access point behave as a single access point.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first access point and the second access point use a common identification.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions to transmit a time based upon a remote timing source to the node.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

instructions to receive a first timestamp associated with an event from the node;

instructions to receive a second timestamp associated with the event from a second node, wherein times of the node and the second node are synchronized with the first time of the first access point based upon the timing signal; and

instructions to determine a location of the event based upon the first timestamp and the second timestamp.

15. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a timing signal at a first access point, wherein the timing signal is also received at a second access point;

synchronize a first time at the first access point with a second time at the second access point based upon the received timing signal;

configure the first access point with a spreading code and a transmit frequency, wherein the second access point is also configured with the spreading code and the transmit frequency;

synchronize the spreading code of the first access point with the spreading code of the second access point using the timing signal; and

transmit a plurality of messages from the first access point to a node, wherein the plurality of messages are simultaneously transmitted from the second access point, wherein the first access point and the second access point appear to be a single access point to the node, and wherein the node successfully receives the plurality of messages.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first time is synchronized with a remote timing source.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote timing source is a global positioning system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to configure the first access point to function like a second access point such that the first access point and the second access point behave as a single access point.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a time based upon a remote timing source to the node.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a first timestamp associated with an event from the node;

receive a second timestamp associated with the event from a second node, wherein times of the node and the second node are synchronized with the first time of the first access point based upon the timing signal; and

determine a location of the event based upon the first timestamp and the second timestamp.