Receiver and method for the reception of a node by a receiver in a wireless network

• US 9,246,605 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ferchland, Tilo, Jaehne, Rolf, Poegel, Frank, Sachse, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khanh C
• Application Number:
  US14/257,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20140315508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 375/316, 375/324, 375/340, 375342-343, 375/355, 375/362
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7073 Synchronisation aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/042 Detectors therefor, e.g. correlators, state machines digital correlators in general G06F17/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal; synchronizing the received RF signal with a preamble to determine a time base; determining a first energy value of the received RF signal by averaging received signal strength indication (RSSI) values of the received RF signal over a first period of time; determining a second energy value of the received RF signal over a second period of time; determining a difference value between the first energy value and the second energy value; comparing the difference value with a predetermined energy threshold value; determining a quality value of the received RF signal; comparing the quality value of the received RF signal with a predetermined quality threshold value; and, if the difference value exceeds the predetermined energy threshold value or the quality value is below the predetermined quality threshold value, then erasing the time base.

Claims

1. A method comprising, at a receiver:

receiving a signal with an antenna;

conducting synchronization of the signal to determine a first time base, the first time base defining a first temporal period for data detection;

determining a particular value associated with the signal in the first temporal period; and

renewing synchronization of the signal based on a comparison between the particular value and a predetermined threshold value to determine a second time base, the second time base defining a second temporal period for data detection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first energy value of the received signal by averaging received signal strength indication (RSSI) values of the received signal over a first period of time;

determining a second energy value of the signal by averaging RSSI values of the received signal over a second period of time;

determining a difference value between the first energy value and the second energy value exceeds a predetermined energy threshold value; and

renewing synchronization to determine the second time base in response to the difference value exceeding the predetermined energy threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the difference value is determined by subtracting the first energy value from the second energy value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy threshold value is determined by using previous values for the first and second energy values of the received signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a quality value of the signal by correlating binary chips in the signal with chips of a sequence;

determining that the quality value of the signal is below a predetermined quality threshold value; and

renewing synchronization to determine the second time base in response to the quality value being below the predetermined quality threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the quality threshold value is determined using previous valued for the quality value of the signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temporal period includes a plurality of periods of time, and

the method further comprising:

for each of the plurality of periods of time, determining a respective value associated with the signal in the period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting synchronization of the signal to determine a first time base comprises:

performing a cross-correlation between the received signal and a preamble on the receiver side; and

determining symbol boundaries and sampling instances of binary chips for the first time base based on a maximum of the cross-correlation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular value comprises a difference value between a first energy value and a second energy value, and the predetermined threshold valued comprises a predetermined energy threshold value, and

wherein renewing synchronization of the signal comprises renewing synchronization of the signal based on a determination of the difference value exceeding the predetermined energy threshold value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular value comprises a quality value, and the predetermined threshold value comprises a predetermined quality threshold value, and

wherein renewing synchronization of the signal comprises renewing synchronization of the signal based on a determination of the quality value being below the predetermined quality threshold value.

11. A device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a signal; and

a receiver coupled to the antenna, the receiver being operable to;

conduct a first synchronization of the signal to determine a first time base, the first time base defining a first temporal period for data detection;

determine a particular value associated with the signal in the first temporal period; and

renew synchronization of the signal based on a comparison between the particular value and a predetermined threshold value to determine a second time base, the second time base defining a second temporal period for data detection.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the receiver is further operable to:

determine a first energy value of the received signal by averaging received signal strength indication (RSSI) values of the received signal over a first period of time;

determine a second energy value of the received second signal by averaging RSSI values of the received signal over a second period of time;

determine a difference value between the first energy value and the second energy value exceeds a predetermined energy threshold value; and

renew synchronization to determine the second time base in response to the difference value exceeding the predetermined energy threshold value.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the difference value is determined by subtracting the first energy value from the second energy value.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the energy threshold value is determined by using previous values for the first and second energy values of the signal.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the receiver is further operable to:

determine a quality of the signal by correlating binary chips in the signal with chips of a sequence;

determine that the quality value of the signal is below a predetermined quality threshold value; and

renew synchronization to determine the second time base in response to the quality value being below the predetermined quality threshold value.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the quality threshold value is determined using previous values for the quality value of the signal.

17. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is configured when executed to:

conduct a first synchronization of the signal to determine a first time base, the first time base defining a first temporal period for data detection;

determine a particular value associated with the signal in the first temporal period; and

renew synchronization of the signal based on a comparison between the particular value and a predetermined threshold value to determine a second time base, the second time base defining a second temporal period for data detection.

18. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 17, further comprising logic configured when executed to:

determine a first energy value of the received signal by averaging received signal strength indication (RSSI) values of the received signal over a first period of time;

determine a second energy value of the received second signal by averaging RSSI values of the received signal over a second period time;

determine a difference value between the first energy value and the second energy value exceeds a predetermined energy threshold value; and

renew synchronization to determine the second time base in response to the difference value exceeding the predetermined energy threshold value.

19. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 18, wherein the difference value is determined by subtracting the first energy value from the second energy value.

20. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 18, wherein the energy threshold value is determined by using previous values for the first and second energy values of the signal.

21. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 17, further comprising logic configured when executed:

determine a quality value of the signal by correlating binary chips in the signal with chips of a sequence;

determine that the quality value of the signal is below a predetermined quality threshold value; and

renew synchronization to determine the second time base in response to the quality value being below the predetermine quality threshold value.

22. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, wherein the quality threshold value is determined using previous values for the quality value of the signal.