Method for using a shared frequency resource, method for manufacturing terminals, terminals and telecommunication system

• US 9,049,732 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UnaBiz Pte Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sigfox, Inc. (UnaBiz Pte Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fourtet, Christophe, Bailleul, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US13/702,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20130142191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 708/309, 708/404
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/14 Fourier, Walsh or analogous domain transformations , e.g. Laplace, Hilbert, Karhunen-Loeve, transforms for correlation function computation G06F17/156; spectrum analysers G01R23/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/32 Reducing cross-talk, e.g. by compensating
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/44 Arrangements for feeding power to a repeater along the transmission line
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/12 Arrangements for reducing cross-talk between channels in line transmission systems H04B3/32; in cables or lines H04B3/26 - H04B3/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A terminal (10) includes elements for transmitting data towards a station (20) in the form of radio signals, the radio signals being transmitted using a frequency resource (MC) shared between a plurality of terminals (10), characterized in that the terminal is configured to emit radio signals, the instantaneous frequency spectrum of which has a bandwidth (TOB) that is significantly lower than a frequency drift of a frequency synthesis unit of the terminal. Also disclosed are a method for using a frequency resource, a method for manufacturing terminals (10) and a telecommunication system (1).

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

frequency synthesis circuit configured to generator signals based at least on data to be transmitted to a station and on an operating central frequency predefined in the frequency synthesis circuit, the operating central frequency being a typical operating frequency (TTOF), each generated signal having

a predefined bandwidth, the predefined bandwidth being an instantaneous spectral bandwidth (TOB) that is lower than a bandwidth of a frequency resource (MC) shared between a plurality of terminals, and

a central frequency, the central frequency being a real operating frequency (TROF) that is substantially equal to the typical operating frequency (TTOF) to which a frequency drift of the frequency synthesis circuit is added, the frequency drift being significantly greater than the instantaneous spectral bandwidth (TOB); and

an emitter configured to emit the generated signals in the form of radio signals having substantially the same central frequency and the same bandwidth of the generated signals.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein all of the radio signals are configured to be emitted:

(i) in a same and single predefined frequency subband (TNOFR) of said frequency resource (MC), or

(ii) according to a same and single predefined sequence of frequency subbands (TNOFR) of said frequency resource (MC).

3. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a determination processor configured to determine, in an autonomous manner, when to emit radio signals in a frequency subband of the shared frequency resource (MC).

4. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a determination processor configured to determine, in an autonomous manner, what power to use to emit radio signals in a frequency subband of the shared frequency resource (MC).

5. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an application processor configured to apply a single predefined spreading code or a predefined sequence of spreading codes to the signals before transmission of the signals.

6. A telecommunication system comprising:

the plurality of terminals according to claim 1; and

at least one station comprising a detector configured to detect and decode radio signals emitted simultaneously in different frequency subbands of the shared frequency resource (MC).

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the station comprises

a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) circuit to determine a frequency spectrum in the shared frequency resource (MC), and

a detector circuit to search for at least one energy peak in said determined frequency spectrum corresponding to one of the radio signals emitted by one of the terminals.

8. A method for transmitting data, by a terminal to at least one station, in the form of radio signals in a frequency resource (MC) shared between a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:

generating, by a frequency synthesis circuit, signals based at least on the data to be transmitted and on a predefined operating central frequency, the predefined central frequency being a typical operating frequency (TTOF), each generated signal having

a predefined bandwidth, the predefined bandwidth being an instantaneous spectral bandwidth (TOB) that is lower than a bandwidth of the frequency resource (MC), and

a central frequency, the central frequency being a real operating frequency (TROF) that is substantially equal to the typical operating frequency (TTOF) to which a frequency drift of the frequency synthesis circuit is added, the frequency drift being significantly greater than the instantaneous spectral bandwidth (TOB); and

emitting, by an emitter, the generated signals in the form of radio signals having substantially the same central frequency and the same bandwidth of the generated signals.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein all of the radio signals are configured to be emitted by the terminal

(i) in a same and single predefined frequency subband (TNOFR) of the frequency resource (MC), or

according to a same and single predefined sequence of frequency subbands (TNOFR) of said frequency resource (MC).

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising determining, by each terminal, in an autonomous manner, when to emit radio signals in a frequency subband of the shared frequency resource (MC).

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising determining by each terminal, in an autonomous manner, what power to use to emit radio signals in a frequency subband of the shared frequency resource (MC).

12. A method for manufacturing telecommunication terminals designed to transmit radio signals in a shared frequency resource (MC), comprising, for the manufacture of each terminal:

generating at least one random number or pseudo-random number according to a substantially uniform distribution;

determining a frequency subband of the frequency resource (MC) or a sequence of frequency subbands of said frequency resource (MC) according to the at least one random or pseudo-random number, the determining the frequency subband of the frequency resource (MC) or the sequence of frequency subbands of said frequency resource (MC) to be assigned to the terminal comprising at least one of;

selecting a fractional division value for a fractional frequency synthesizer,

selecting a control voltage value to be applied to a voltage-controlled oscillator;

selecting a group of components configured for installation within the terminal to modify the oscillation frequency of an oscillator, and

selecting a physical patch configured to modify the oscillation frequency of an oscillator; and

equipping said terminal with a frequency synthesis circuit configured to generate radio signals in said determined frequency subband only, or according to said predefined sequence of frequency subbands only.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, wherein for each terminal that is equipped with the frequency synthesis circuit, the frequency synthesis circuit has a frequency drift which is significantly greater than a predefined bandwidth (TOB) of an instantaneous frequency spectrum of the radio signals emitted by said terminal.