OFDM transmission and reception for non-OFDM signals

• US 9,755,879 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer A., Huitema, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): HA, DAC V
• Application Number:
  US15/156,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26524 Fast Fourier transform [FFT] or discrete Fourier transform [DFT] demodulators in combination with other circuits for demodulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication of non-OFDM radio signals are disclosed. The non-OFDM radio signals are force-modulated into OFDM signals. In one example, a non-OFDM signal is received and is processed into an OFDM signal to produce a created OFDM signal. An actual OFDM signal is also received and is processed together with the created OFDM signal.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device that includes a radio receiver, the method comprising:

receiving, via the radio receiver over a plurality of subchannels, a radio signal comprising a first modulated portion comprising a first plurality of parallel streams of first data and a second modulated portion comprising a second plurality of parallel streams of second data;

demodulating, by the computing device, the first modulated portion and the second modulated portion resulting in the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data;

converting, by the computing device, the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data to a serial version of the first data; and

converting, by the computing device, the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data to a serial version of the second data.

2. The method of claim 1 where the first modulated portion of the received radio signal comprises an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (“

OFDM”

) signal and where the second modulated portion of the received radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

3. The method of claim 2 where the plurality of subchannels comprises fifty-five subchannels.

4. The method of claim 3 where the first modulated portion of the received signal is received over fifty-two of the plurality of subchannels.

5. The method of claim 3 where the second modulated portion of the received signal is received over three of the plurality of subchannels.

6. The method of claim 3 where the first modulated portion of the received signal comprises the OFDM signal.

7. The method of claim 3 where the second modulated portion of the received signal comprises the Bluetooth signal.

8. A computing device comprising:

a radio receiver via which the computing device receives a radio signal comprising a first modulated portion comprising a first plurality of parallel streams of first data and a second modulated portion comprising a second plurality of parallel streams of second data;

a demodulator via which the computing device demodulates the first modulated portion and the second modulated portion second resulting in the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data; and

at least one processor via which the computing device converts the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data to a serial version of the first data and also converts the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data to a serial version of the second data.

9. The computing device of claim 8 where the first modulated portion of the received radio signal comprises an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (“

OFDM”

) signal and where the second modulated portion of the received radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

10. The computing device of claim 9 where the plurality of subchannels comprises fifty-five subchannels.

11. The computing device of claim 10 where the first modulated portion of the received signal is received over fifty-two of the plurality of subchannels.

12. The computing device of claim 10 where the second modulated portion of the received signal is received over three of the plurality of subchannels.

13. The computing device of claim 10 where the first modulated portion of the received signal comprises the OFDM signal.

14. The computing device of claim 10 where the second modulated portion of the received signal comprises the Bluetooth signal.

15. At least one memory that comprises computer-readable instructions that, based on execution by a computing device that includes at least one processor, memory, a demodulator, and a radio receiver, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising:

receiving, via the radio receiver over a plurality of subchannels, a radio signal comprising a first modulated portion comprising a first plurality of parallel streams of first data and a second modulated portion comprising a second plurality of parallel streams of second data;

demodulating, by the demodulator, the first modulated portion and the second modulated portion resulting in the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data and the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data;

converting, by the at least one processor, the first plurality of parallel streams of the first data to a serial version of the first data; and

converting, by the at least one processor, the second plurality of parallel streams of the second data to a serial version of the second data.

16. The at least one memory of claim 15 where the first modulated portion of the received radio signal comprises an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (“

OFDM”

) signal and where the second modulated portion of the received radio signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

17. The at least one memory of claim 16 where the plurality of subchannels comprises fifty-five subchannels.

18. The at least one memory of claim 17 where the first modulated portion of the received signal is received over fifty-two of the plurality of subchannels.

19. The at least one memory of claim 17 where the second modulated portion of the received signal is received over three of the plurality of subchannels.

20. The at least one memory of claim 17 where the first modulated portion of the received signal comprises the OFDM signal, or where the second modulated portion of the received signal comprises the Bluetooth signal.