Ultra-wideband communication system and method

• US 8,711,898 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 73 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Santhoff, John, Moore, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): ODOM, CURTIS B
• Application Number:
  US13/621,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20130022081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 375/130, 375/259, 375/260, 375/267, 455/226.3
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71632 Signal aspects H04B1/7172 and H04B1/7176 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0638 Clock or time synchronisation among nodes; Internode synchronisation synchronization for ring networks H04L12/422; data switching networks with synchronous transmission H04L12/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/203 Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for communication between ultra-wideband (UWB) devices. In general, the UWB device may characterize the attenuation, and other characteristics of the communication environment. Using these characteristics the UWB device can adapt various communication parameters to improve the communication quality. The UWB device may use these characteristics to establish zones and sectors for communication with other UWB devices. Based on this zone and sector assignment the UWB device may select communication parameters for communication with other UWB devices. 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 method of selecting at least one communication parameter in an ultra-wideband communication system based on a bit-error-rate, the method comprising:

transmitting a bit-error-rate message from a first ultra-wideband device to a second ultra-wideband device;

receiving a bit-error-rate response message from the second ultra-wideband device, wherein the bit-error-rate response message contains the bit-error-rate; and

selecting at least one communication parameter based on the bit-error-rate, wherein the at least one communication parameter includes an ultra-wideband pulse shape.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted bit-error-rate message comprises a known number of bits.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bit-error-rate is based on a number of bits received by the second ultra-wideband device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication parameter is selected from a group consisting of:

an ultra-wideband pulse modulation technique, a method of error detection, a method of error correction, a method of error control, a ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency, a data rate, a power of transmission, a configuration of a receiver, an ultra-wideband pulse width, a frame length, and a rate of time synchronization.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bit-error-rate is calculated by comparing a received sequence of bits with a predetermined sequence of bits.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received bit-error-rate message from the second ultra-wideband device includes a probable bit-error-rate between the first ultra-wideband device and a third ultra-wideband device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the probable bit-error-rate is based on a distance between the first ultra-wideband device and the third ultra-wideband device.

8. A system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a bit-error-rate message from a first ultra-wideband device to a second ultra-wideband device;

a receiver configured to receive a bit-error-rate response message from the second ultra-wideband device, wherein the bit-error-rate response message contains a bit-error-rate; and

a processor configured to select at least one communication parameter based on the bit-error-rate, wherein the at least one communication parameter includes an ultra-wideband pulse shape.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitted bit-error-rate message comprises a known number of bits.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the bit-error-rate is based on a number of bits received by the second ultra-wideband device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one communication parameter is selected from a group consisting of:

an ultra-wideband pulse modulation technique, a method of error detection, a method of error correction, a method of error control, a ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency, a data rate, a power of transmission, a configuration of a receiver, an ultra-wideband pulse width, a frame length, and a rate of time synchronization.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the bit-error-rate is calculated by comparing a received sequence of bits with a predetermined sequence of bits.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the received bit-error-rate message from the second ultra-wideband device includes a probable bit-error-rate between the first ultra-wideband device and a third ultra-wideband device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the probable bit-error-rate is based on a distance between the first ultra-wideband device and the third ultra-wideband device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for selecting at least one communication parameter in an ultra-wideband communication system based on a bit-error-rate, the instructions comprising:

instructions for transmitting a bit-error-rate message from a first ultra-wideband device to a second ultra-wideband device;

instructions for receiving a bit-error-rate response message from the second ultra-wideband device, wherein the bit-error-rate response message contains the bit-error-rate; and

instructions for selecting at least one communication parameter based on the bit-error-rate, wherein the at least one communication parameter includes an ultra-wideband pulse shape.

16. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 15, wherein the transmitted bit-error-rate message comprises a known number of bits.

17. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 15, wherein the bit-error-rate is based on a number of bits received by the second ultra-wideband device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one communication parameter is selected from a group consisting of:

an ultra-wideband pulse modulation technique, a method of error detection, a method of error correction, a method of error control, a ultra-wideband pulse recurrence frequency, a data rate, a power of transmission, a configuration of a receiver, an ultra-wideband pulse width, a frame length, and a rate of time synchronization.

19. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 15, wherein the bit-error-rate is calculated by comparing a received sequence of bits with a predetermined sequence of bits.

20. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 15, wherein the received bit-error-rate message from the second ultra-wideband device includes a probable bit-error-rate between the first ultra-wideband device and a third ultra-wideband device.