System for Transmission of signals in a domestic environment

• US 9,042,821 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Robert, Jean-Luc, Louzir, Ali, Lo Hine Tong, Dominique, Pintos, Jean-Franois
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soltanzadeh, Maryam
• Application Number:
  US13/343,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/63.4, 455/25
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0604 with predefined switching scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wireless transmission system for signals intended more specifically for a domestic environment. It includes a central terminal comprising at least m transmission channels and n directive transmission antennas intended to transmit first signals at least one client terminal having at least one reception channel connected to a reception antenna in order to receive the first signals said central terminal and said client terminal communicating in a transmission channel having a predetermined frequency band, and an estimation device able to generate an item of information representative of the reception quality of first signals in at least one point of a predetermined geographic zone associated with the client terminal and a return channel in order to transmit said at least one item of information to the control means of the central terminal.

Claims

1. A system for transmission of signals, the system comprising:

a central terminal comprising at least m signal transmission channels and at least n transmission antennas for transmitting a plurality of first signals, with n>

m>

1, a switching device for associating each of the signal transmission channels with a first antenna from among the n transmission antennas according to a switching schema selected by a control device,

at least one client terminal comprising at least one reception channel connected to a reception antenna in order to receive a first signal transmitted via the central terminal, said central terminal and said client terminal being able to communicate in a transmission channel having a predetermined frequency band,

wherein, the transmission antennas are directive antennas and each of the transmission antennas are configured to transmit the first signals in a predetermined angular sector,

the system further comprising;

an estimation device comprising a transmission circuit for transmitting a second signal to at least one point of a predetermined geographic zone associated with the client terminal;

in said geographic zone, a measurement circuit comprising an RFID sensor associated with an RFID reader for measuring said second signal and to generate, from the measurement of said second signal, an item of information representative of a reception quality of the first signals; and

a return channel for transmission of said at least one item of information from the measurement circuit to the control device of the central terminal, said control device selecting a switching schema for the transmission antenna according to said at least one item of information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission circuit of the estimation device is configured to transmit, via at least one of the directive antennas selected for said client terminal, the second signal in a frequency band identical to the predetermined frequency band, and

the measurement circuit is configured to measure the power of the second signal in the geographic zone associated with the client terminal.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein,

said at least one RFID sensor is configured to receive the second signal, to code the second signal according to a coding related to the identifier of said RFID sensor and to transmit the coded signal to said RFID reader, and

said RFID reader is configured to generate, from said coded signal, the item of information representative of the quality of reception of the first signal in the geographic zone associated with the client terminal.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the measurement circuit comprises an RFID sensor located on the client terminal.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the measurement circuit comprises a plurality of RFID sensors distributed over a plurality of fixed points of the zone associated with the client terminal.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the RFID reader is located at a first fixed point of the zone, the first fixed point of the zone being associated with the client terminal.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein each RFID reader is configured to measure the received power of the coded signals transmitted by the RFID sensors of the zone and comprises a processing circuit to decode the received signals, to determine for each signal received the identifier of the sensor having transmitted said signal and to generate a signal comprising, for each coded signal received, the received power and the identifier.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission circuit transmits periodically the second signal to the measurement circuit of the zone during a specific temporal interval.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission circuit transmits for each of said geographic zones the second signal to the RFID sensor(s) of said geographic zone during a specific temporal interval.

10. The system according to claim 3, wherein each RFID sensor is a surface acoustic wave passive sensor.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the second signal is a pulse train.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to select the switching schema from among a plurality of predetermined switching schemas of a switching matrix according to said at least one item of information transmitted via said return channel.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the return channel is a wireless transmission channel operating according to a ZigBee or Zwave standard.

14. A central terminal comprising:

a plurality of transmission channels and a plurality of transmission antennas for transmission of a first signal to a client terminal via a transmission channel having a predetermined frequency band, the plurality of transmission antennas being greater than the plurality of transmission channels, the transmission antennas are directive antennas, wherein each of the transmission antenna are configured to transmit the first signals in a predetermined angular sector;

a switching device for associating each of the plurality of signal transmission channels with one transmission antenna from among the plurality of transmission antennas according to a switching schema selected by a control device;

an estimation device comprising a transmission circuit for transmitting a second signal to a measurement device in a geographical zone associated with the client terminal;

a measurement circuit, in said geographic zone, comprising an RFID sensor and an RFID reader for measuring said second signal to determine at least one item of information on the reception quality of the first signals;

a return channel for receiving, from the measurement circuit, the at least one item of information on the reception quality of the first signals; and

a control device for selecting a switching schema for the transmission antenna according to said at least one item of information.

16. The central terminal according to claim 14, wherein

the transmission circuit of the estimation device is configured to transmit, via at least one of the directive antennas selected for said client terminal, the second signal in a frequency band identical to the predetermined frequency band and

the measurement circuit is configured to measure the power of the second signal in the geographic zone associated with the client terminal.

17. The central terminal according to claim 16, wherein

said at least one RFID sensor is configured to receive the second signal, to code the second signal according to a coding relating to the identifier of said RFID sensor and to transmit the coded signal to said RFID reader, and

said RFID reader is configured to generate, from said coded signal, the item of information representative of the quality of reception of the first signal in the geographic zone associated with the client terminal.

18. The central terminal according to claim 17, wherein the measurement circuit comprises a plurality of RFID sensors distributed over a plurality of fixed points of the zone associated with the client terminal.

19. The central terminal according to claim 18, wherein the RFID reader is located at a first fixed point of the zone, the first fixed point of the zone being associated with the client terminal.

20. The central terminal according to claim 19, wherein each RFID reader is configured to measure the received power of the coded signals transmitted by the RFID sensors of the zone and a processing circuit to decode the received signals, to determine for each signal received the identifier of the sensor having transmitted said signal and to generate a signal comprising, for each coded signal received, the received power and the identifier.

21. The central terminal according to claim 16, wherein the transmission circuit transmits periodically the second signal to the measurement circuit of the zone during a specific temporal interval.

22. The central terminal according to claim 16, wherein the transmission circuit transmits for each of said geographic zones the second signal to the RFID sensor(s) of said geographic zone during a specific temporal interval.

23. The central terminal according to claim 17, wherein each RFID sensor is a surface acoustic wave passive sensor.

24. The central terminal according to claim 16, wherein the second signal is a pulse train.

25. The central terminal according to claim 14, wherein the control device is configured to select the switching schema from among a plurality of predetermined switching schemas of a switching matrix according to said at least one item of information transmitted via said return channel.

15. A client terminal comprising:

at least one reception channel connected to a reception antenna receiving a first signal transmitted from a central terminal, at a predetermined frequency band;

a measurement circuit comprising an RFID sensor and an RFID reader for measuring a second signal transmitted from the central terminal and generating, from the measurement of said second signal, an item of information on the reception quality of the first signal; and

a return channel for transmitting said at least one item of information from the measurement circuit to the central terminal.

26. The client terminal according to claim 15, wherein the measurement circuit comprises an RFID sensor located on the client terminal.

27. The client terminal according to claim 15, wherein the return channel is a wireless transmission channel operating according to a ZigBee or Zwave standard.

28. A method of transmission, the method comprising:

associating each of a plurality of signal transmission channels with one transmission antenna from among a plurality of transmission antennas according to a switching schema selected by a control device;

the plurality of transmission antennas being greater than the plurality of transmission channels

transmitting a first signal to a client terminal via one of the transmission channels having a predetermined frequency band and one of the transmission antennas configured to transmit the first signal in a predetermined angular sector;

transmitting a second signal to a measurement device in a geographical zone associated with the client terminal;

measuring in said geographic zone, using a measurement circuit comprising an RFID sensor and an RFID reader, said second signal to determine at least one item of information on the reception quality of the first signals;

receiving via a return channel from the measurement circuit, the at least one item of information on the reception quality of the first signals; and

selecting a switching schema for the transmission antenna according to said at least one item of information.

30. The method according to claim 28 comprising

transmitting, via at least one of the directive antennas selected for said client terminal, the second signal in a frequency band identical to the predetermined frequency band and measuring the power of the second signal in the geographic zone associated with the client terminal.

31. The method according to claim 30, comprising

at the RFID sensor, receiving the second signal, coding the second signal according to a coding related to the identifier of said RFID sensor and transmitting the coded signal to said RFID reader, and

at the RFID reader, generating, from said coded signal, the item of information representative of the quality of reception of the first signal in the geographic zone associated with the client terminal.

32. The method according to claim 31, comprising at the RFID reader

measuring the received power of the coded signals transmitted by the RFID sensors of the zone

decoding the received signals, to determine for each signal received the identifier of the sensor having transmitted said signal and

generating a signal comprising, for each coded signal received, the received power and the identifier.

33. The method according to claim 28, comprising periodically transmitting the second signal to the measurement circuit of the zone during a specific temporal interval.

34. The method according to claim 28, wherein the transmission circuit transmits for each of said geographic zones the second signal to the RFID sensor(s) of said geographic zone during a specific temporal interval.

35. The method according to claim 28, wherein the second signal is a pulse train.

36. The method according to claim 28 comprising selecting the switching schema from among a plurality of predetermined switching schemas of a switching matrix according to said at least one item of information transmitted via said return channel.

29. A method of reception, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal transmitted from a central terminal, at a predetermined frequency band;

measuring, using a measurement circuit comprising an RFID sensor and an RFID reader, a second signal transmitted from the central terminal and

generating, from the measurement of said second signal, an item of information on the reception quality of the first signal; and

transmitting, via a return channel, said at least one item of information from the measurement circuit to the central terminal.