Transpositional modulation communications between devices

• US 9,473,983 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2016
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TM IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: TM IP Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Hodges, Daniel L., McIntosh, Quinn Colin, Gerdes, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khanh C
• Application Number:
  US15/139,213
• Time in Patent Office: 175 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/32 Carrier systems characterised by combinations of two or more of the types covered by groups H04L27/02, H04L27/10, H04L27/18 or H04L27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining, by a first device, that a second device is within range for direct communications and that the second device is capable of performing transpositional modulation (TM) communications. Determining to use transpositional modulation to send data to the second device. Sending the data to the second device using a TM signal.

Claims

1. A method for communications between transpositional modulation (TM) capable devices, the method comprising:

determining, by a first device, that a second device is within range for direct communications and that the second device is capable of performing TM communications;

determining, by the first device, to use transpositional modulation to send data to the second device; and

sending the data to the second device using a TM signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on an amount of network traffic using non-TM signals, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device based on an amount of the data to be sent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on a type of the data, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on the data being a direct current (DC) signal, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively sending data to the second device using TM signals to manage data flow to within a network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the second device is within range for direct communications comprises determining that a quality of a signal received from the second device is above a threshold value for direct communications.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the second device is capable of performing TM communications by:

transmitting a transmission signal including a carrier signal modulated with a first TM signal to the second device;

receiving a response signal from the second device in response to the transmission signal; and

determining whether the response signal includes a second TM signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the data to the second device using a TM signal comprises:

receiving a signal including a carrier signal modulated with a non-TM modulation signal;

detecting a frequency of the carrier signal by performing a carrier extraction (CAREX) process on the signal;

adding the TM signal to the carrier signal of the received signal to produce a combined signal; and

transmitting the combined signal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to use a non-TM modulation to send second data to the second device; and

sending the second data to the second device using a non-TM signal.

11. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a data store coupled to the one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising

determining that a second device is within range for direct communications, the device and that the second device is capable of performing TM communications;

determining to use transpositional modulation to send data to the second device; and

sending the data to the second device using a TM signal.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on an amount of network traffic using non-TM signals, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device based on an amount of the data to be sent.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on a type of the data, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on the data being a direct current (DC) signal, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise selectively sending data to the second device using TM signals to manage data flow to within a network.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein determining that the second device is within range for direct communications comprises determining that a quality of a signal received from the second device is above a threshold value for direct communications.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the second device is capable of performing TM communications by:

transmitting a transmission signal including a carrier signal modulated with a first TM signal to the second device;

receiving a response signal from the second device in response to the transmission signal; and

determining whether the response signal includes a second TM signal.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein sending the data to the second device using a TM signal comprises:

receiving a signal including a carrier signal modulated with a non-TM modulation signal;

detecting a frequency of the carrier signal by performing a carrier extraction (CAREX) process on the signal;

adding the TM signal to the carrier signal of the received signal to produce a combined signal; and

transmitting the combined signal.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining to use a non-TM modulation to send second data to the second device; and

sending the second data to the second device using a non-TM signal.

21. A non-transient computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, by a first device, that a second device is within range for direct communications and that the first device and that the second device is capable of performing TM communications;

determining, by the first device, to use transpositional modulation to send data to the second device; and

sending the data to the second device using a TM signal.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on an amount of network traffic using non-TM signals, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device based on an amount of the data to be sent.

24. The medium of claim 21, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on a type of the data, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

25. The medium of claim 21, wherein determining to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device comprises determining, based on the data being a direct current (DC) signal, to use transpositional modulation to send the data to the second device.

26. The medium of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise selectively sending data to the second device using TM signals to manage data flow to within a network.

27. The medium of claim 21, wherein determining that the second device is within range for direct communications comprises determining that a quality of a signal received from the second device is above a threshold value for direct communications.

28. The medium of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the second device is capable of performing TM communications by:

transmitting a transmission signal including a carrier signal modulated with a first TM signal to the second device;

receiving a response signal from the second device in response to the transmission signal; and

determining whether the response signal includes a second TM signal.

29. The medium of claim 21, wherein sending the data to the second device using a TM signal comprises:

receiving a signal including a carrier signal modulated with a non-TM modulation signal;

detecting a frequency of the carrier signal by performing a carrier extraction (CAREX) process on the signal;

adding the TM signal to the carrier signal of the received signal to produce a combined signal; and

transmitting the combined signal.

30. The medium of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining to use a non-TM modulation to send second data to the second device; and

sending the second data to the second device using a non-TM signal.