Method of specifying non-allowable pulse characteristics

• US 6,636,567 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2000
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Richards, James L., Fullerton, Larry W., Roberts, Mark D., Pendergrass, Marcus H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu, Phoung
• Application Number:
  US09/592,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 375/138, 375/238, 375/239, 375/242, 375/247
• US Class Current: 375/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7174 Pulse generation in general H04L25/03834
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7176 Data mapping, e.g. modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/71638 Spectrum issues

Abstract

A code specifies characteristics of pulses transmitted and received by an impulse transmission system. The invention provides methods for defining non-allowable regions within pulse characteristic value range layouts enabling non-allowable regions to be considered when generating a code. Various approaches are used to define non-allowable regions based either on the pulse characteristic value range layout or on characteristic values of one or more other pulses. Various permutations accommodate differences between temporal and non-temporal pulse characteristics. Approaches address characteristic value layouts specifying fixed values and characteristic value layouts specifying non-fixed values.

When generating codes to describe pulses, defined non-allowable regions within pulse characteristic value layouts are considered so that code element values do not map to non-allowable pulse characteristic values.

Claims

1. A method for generating codes indicating characteristics of pulses within a pulse train used by an impulse transmission system, comprising:

defining a non-allowable region within a pulse characteristic value range layout; and

generating a code which does not permit code element values to map to pulse characteristic values residing in said non-allowable region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of a pulse corresponds to a pulse position in time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of a pulse corresponds to a pulse width characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of a pulse corresponds to a pulse amplitude characteristic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic value layout is subdivided into two or more components of the same size or of different sizes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a component is subdivided into two or more subcomponents of the same size or of different sizes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a subcomponent is further subdivided into two or more smaller components of the same size or of different sizes, and wherein said smaller components can be further subdivided.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-allowable region fully or partially include any one of:

one or more components;

one or more subcomponents; and

one or more smaller components.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on any one of:

minimum values; and

maximum values, of any one of;

a component;

a subcomponent; and

any smaller component, within said characteristic value range layout.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on minimum and maximum values within said characteristic value range layout.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on said characteristic values of at least one pulse.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one pulse is a preceding pulse.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one pulse is a succeeding pulse.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said non-allowable region establishes any one of:

a minimum value difference; and

a maximum value difference.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on any one of:

a minimum value;

a maximum value;

an average value;

a variance; and

any other statistical quantity value, said value being calculated from the characteristic values of at least two pulses.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said non-allowable region is bounded by a minimum and maximum value difference.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulse characteristic value range layout specifies any one of:

fixed characteristic values; and

non-fixed characteristic values.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a pulse is conditionally prohibited from being placed in a non-allowable region.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a pulse is prohibited from being placed in a non-allowable region based on a subset of said code elements within said code.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a pulse is prohibited from being placed in a non-allowable region after some subset of said code element values map to characteristic values within said non-allowable region.

21. An impulse transmission system comprising:

a Time Modulated Ultra Wideband Transmitter;

a Time Modulated Ultra Wideband Receiver; and

said Time Modulated Ultra Wideband Transmitter and said Time Modulated Ultra Wideband Receiver employ a code indicating allowable characteristics of pulses within a pulse train, wherein a non-allowable region within a pulse characteristic value range layout is defined, and code element values of said code are not permitted to map to pulse characteristic values residing in said non-allowable region.

22. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein the characteristic of a pulse corresponds to a pulse position in time.

23. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein the characteristic of a pulse corresponds to a pulse width characteristic.

24. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein the characteristic of a pulse corresponds to a pulse amplitude characteristic.

25. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein said characteristic value layout is subdivided into two or more components of the same size or of different sizes.

26. The impulse transmission system of claim 25, wherein a component is subdivided into two or more subcomponents of the same size or of different sizes.

27. The impulse transmission system of claim 26, wherein a subcomponent is further subdivided into two or more smaller components of the same size or of different sizes, and wherein said smaller components can be further subdivided.

28. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein said non-allowable region fully or partially include any one of:

one or more components;

one or more subcomponents; and

one or more smaller components.

29. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on any one of:

minimum values; and

maximum values, of any one of;

a component;

a subcomponent; and

any smaller component, within said characteristic value range layout.

30. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on minimum and maximum values within said characteristic value range layout.

31. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on said characteristic values of at least one pulse.

32. The impulse transmission system of claim 31, wherein said pulse is a preceding pulse.

33. The impulse transmission system of claim 31, wherein said pulse is a succeeding pulse.

34. The impulse transmission system of claim 30, wherein said non-allowable region establishes any one of:

a minimum value difference; and

a maximum value difference.

35. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein said non-allowable region is defined based on any one of:

a minimum value;

a maximum value;

an average value;

a variance; and

any other statistical quantity value, said value being calculated from the characteristic values of at least two pulses.

36. The impulse transmission system of claim 30, wherein said non-allowable region is bounded by a minimum and maximum value difference.

37. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein said pulse characteristic value range layout specifies any one of:

fixed characteristic values; and

non-fixed characteristic values.

38. The impulse transmission system of claim 21, wherein a pulse is conditionally prohibited from being placed in a non-allowable region.

39. The impulse transmission system of claim 38, wherein a pulse is prohibited from being placed in a non-allowable region based on a subset of said code elements within said code.

40. The impulse transmission system of claim 38, wherein a pulse is prohibited from being placed in a non-allowable region after a subset of said code element values map to characteristic values within said non-allowable region.