MXPA00000190A - Receiving a spread spectrum signal - Google Patents

Abstract

A receiver (Fig. 6) for use in a spread spectrum communication system includes the following components:an acquisition system configured to detect a transmitted spread spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating multiple search phases of a reference spreading signal against an output from a receiver channel;a demodulation (Figs. 8A-B) system configured to recover data embedded in the spread spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating the spread spectrum signal with multiple possible data phases of the reference spreading signal over consecutive data periods;and a bank of correlating devices configured for use both in the acquisition system and in the demodulation system.

Description

RECEIVING AN EXTENDED SPECTRUM SIGNAL Related Requests This request relates to the following joint pending requests, all filed on the same day and on behalf of the same inventors as this request: "Processing a Spread Spectrum Signal in a Frequency Adjustable System" (Processing of an extended spectrum signal in a adjustable frequency system); "Bandpass Correlation of a Spread Spectrum Signal" (Bandpass Correlation of an Extended Spectrum Signal); "Bandpass Processing of a Spread Spectrum Signal" (bandpass processing of an extended spectrum signal); and "Acquiring a Spread Spectrum Signal" (Acquisition of an extended spectrum signal). Background of the Invention The invention relates to the processing of an extended spectrum signal. In wireless systems, information is typically transmitted by modulating information on carrier waves that have frequencies that are within previously assigned frequency bands. Radio frequency (RF) receivers demodulate the carrier waves to recover the information transmitted. Extended spectrum communication systems extend the transmitted signals over bandwidths much larger than those actually required to transmit the information. Extending a signal over a broad spectrum has several advantages, including reducing the effects of narrow band noise in the signal and, in many situations, providing increased protection against interception by unwanted third parties. In a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) system, the bandwidth of the transmitted signal is increased by modulating the signal on a pseudo noise (PN) signal before modulating on a carrier wave. The pseudo noise signal is typically a digital signal having an approximately equal number of up and down bits (or "chips"), which maximizes the spectrum over which the signal extends. A typical implementation of a direct sequence spread spectrum receiver retrieves the transmitted information by demodulating the carrier wave and then multiplying the resulting signal with a local replica of the pseudo noise signal to eliminate the pseudo noise signal. The direct sequence extended spectrum technique offers increased security because the receiver must know the sequence of pseudo noise used in the transmission to efficiently retrieve the transmitted information. Other extended-spectrum techniques include extended frequency-fed spectrum (FHSS). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the invention provides a receiver for use in an extended spectrum communication system. The receiver includes an acquisition system configured to detect a transmitted spread spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating multiple search phases of a reference extension signal against an output of a receiver channel; a demodulation system configured to recover data immersed in the spread spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating the spread spectrum signal with multiple possible data phases of the reference extension signal over consecutive data periods, and a bank of correlation devices configured for used both in the acquisition system and in the demodulation system. The embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following characteristics. Each of the correlation devices can be configured to compare the spread spectrum signal against a different one of the search phases when it is configured to be used in the acquisition system and against a different phase of the data when it is configured for use in the demodulation system. Each correlation device may include a multiplication element configured to multiply the spread spectrum signal with the reference extension signal to produce a product output., and an accumulation element configured to produce an accumulation output by accumulating the output of the product over each of the data periods. Each correlation device may also include a delay element configured to shift the phase of the accumulation output by 180 degrees. The accumulation element can be configured to subtract from the output of the product the phase version displaced 180 degrees from the accumulation output. The receiver may also include an analog to digital converter configured to sample the spread spectrum signal at a selected sampling rate, and the correlation devices may be configured to process the spread spectrum signal at a center frequency equal to approximately one quarter. of the sampling rate. In another aspect, the invention provides a receiver for use to process an extended spectrum signal containing data that is modulated by code cyclic shift modulation over a pseudo noise (PN) extension sequence. The receiver includes an analog to digital converter configured to sample the spread spectrum signal at a selected sampling rate, multiple correlation devices, and a processing element. Each of the mapping devices includes the following components: a multiplication element configured to multiply the sampled spectrum signal sampled against a copy of the pseudo noise sequence to a selected code phase and to produce a corresponding product output as a Central frequency lower than the sampling rate and greater than zero; and an accumulation element configured to accumulate the output of the product at the center frequency to produce an accumulation output. The processing element is configured to determine which, if any, of the accumulation outputs indicates the alignment between the spread spectrum signal and the copy of the pseudo noise sequence in one of the correlation devices. In still another aspect, the invention features a method for its use to receive signals in an extended spectrum communication system. A transmitted spread spectrum signal is acquired simultaneously by correlating multiple search phases of a reference extension signal against an output of a receiver channel. The data submerged in the spread spectrum signal is then recovered by simultaneously correlating the spread spectrum signal with multiple possible data phases of the reference spread signal over consecutive data periods. A single bank of correlation devices is used both to acquire the extended spectrum signal and recover the data immersed in the extended spectrum signal. The advantages of the invention may include one or more of the following. An efficient implementation correlator structure can be used in an extended spectrum receiver system, which reduces the cost of the system and allows many correlators to be used to acquire and demodulate incoming spread spectrum signals. Increasing the number of correlators in the receiver system allows faster and more efficient signal acquisition. For example, many correlators may be used to search for a DSSS signal at separate search phases by less than one chip of the pseudo noise sequence used to extend the DSSS signal. The invention also reduces the cost of the receiver by using multiple correlators for both signal acquisition and demodulation. Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate the embodiments of the invention and, together with the above general description and the detailed description below, serve to explain the principles and advantages of the invention. Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wireless local area network (LAN). - Figure 2 is a block diagram of a transceiver for use in a wireless network such as that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a waveform illustrating a period of a pseudo noise sequence of 63 chips. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the code phases of a possible 16-CCSK alphabet generated from a pseudo noise sequence of 63 chips. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the component of an information packet transmitted in a spread spectrum communication system using code cyclic shift modulation. Figure 6 is a block diagram of a receiver for use in an extended spectrum communication system. Figures 7A and 7B are flow diagrams of the operation of a receiver of Figure 6 during the search, acquisition, and demodulation of the spread spectrum signals. Figures 8A and 8B are block diagrams of efficient implementation correlators for use to recover data from the spread spectrum signals. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a sign inverter for use in the correlator of Figure 8 to retrieve modulated data on direct sequence spread spectrum signals using code cyclic shift modulation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figure 1, the spread spectrum technology is particularly suitable for use in a wireless network 30 in which many devices (eg, radios) transmit different streams of information within a relatively geographic area. little. The wireless network 30 can be used in remote monitoring applications, for example, by large service companies to remotely monitor the consumption of resources. A network 30 used in this manner typically consists of a large number of endpoint devices 32, such as devices that record the consumption of resources in service meters (eg, electricity meters) located in business and residential structures throughout a metropolitan area. The endpoint devices 32 collect information and, using internal wireless radio transceivers (not shown in the Figure), periodically transmit the information as digital data packets through a hierarchical network to a controller of the system 34. The controller System 34 typically includes a computer with a network server (not shown in the Figure) that can distribute information to clients 36 in a computer network 38. In larger metropolitan areas, endpoint devices 32 in the wireless network 30 can be organized in "cells" 40, which can be divided into "microcells" 42. Typically, microcells 42 cover relatively small geographic areas of similar size or that contain a similar number of endpoint devices 32. Each cell 40 is governed by a master cell 44, which monitors the operation of the end point devices 32 within the cell to 40 and relieves information between the system controller 34 and the endpoint devices 32 in cell 40. Likewise, each microcell 42 is governed by a microcell controller 46, which monitors the operation of all endpoint devices 32 in the microcell 42 and which outputs information between the corresponding master cell 44 and the endpoint devices 32 in the microcell 42. The wireless network 30 should include as few microcell controllers 46 as possible since each controller 46 increases the cost total installation and administration of the network 30. The number of microcell controllers 46 required in a given geographical area depends on the minimum signal strength ("sensitivity") at which each controller 46 can retrieve the information contained in the transmissions of the endpoint devices 32 in the corresponding microcell 42. The cost of the wireless network 30 can be reduced and its Dynamic capabilities can be extended if the wireless radios used in communication devices (for example, the system controller 34, the master cells 44, the microcell controllers 46, and the endpoint devices 32) in the network 30 would include more efficient components than are currently available. The invention is adapted for use in a wireless network such as that shown in Figure 1 and in direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) systems in which code cyclic shift modulation is used to modulate the digital data in the pseudo noise (PN) extension sequence. The cyclic code shift modulation is a modulation technique in which the circular phase shifts of the pseudo noise sequence are used to represent the possible constellation of symbols (or data). For example, a pseudo-noise sequence of 63 chips could support up to 63 different data symbols, each of which would be 63 chipe in length. An M-CCSK constellation (or alphabet) is a group of M-CCSK data symbols, where each represents a unique combination of bits of binary data, where M is an integer greater than one. The extended spectrum communication system using the code cyclic shift modulation and related data modulation techniques are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,707,839, issued to Adren et al., On November 17, 1987, and in U.S. Patent No. 4,730,340, issued to Frazier, Jr., et al., March 8, 1988, both incorporated herein by reference. The invention will be described in the context of a direct sequence spread spectrum system using data modulation cyclic code offset modulation, but the invention is not limited to use in this system. Referring also to Figure 2, each radio in the system controller 34, the master cells 44, the microcell controllers 46, and the endpoint devices 32 of the direct sequence spread spectrum wireless network 30 of FIG. 1 it includes a transmitter 50 and a receiver 52 equipped to send and receive, respectively, spread spectrum signals carrying coded information over a pseudo noise sequence with code cyclic shift modulation. In the transmitter 50, the data to be transmitted is generated by a computing device, such as a microprocessor 54. A digital hardware block 56 receives the data, together with instructions for processing it, from the processor 54 and modulates the data in a predetermined pseudo noise sequence to form an extended spectrum signal. A radio frequency hardware block 58 then modulates the spread spectrum signal on a radio frequency carrier wave (e.g., a wave in the ISM band ranging from 902 megahertz to 928 megahertz), the frequency of which is determined by the frequency generator. 60, and transmits the combined signal over a wireless transmission channel 62. The transmitter 50 may also include a spectral enrichment block 64, which further enhances the extension qualities of the transmitter by modulating a sequence of additional pseudo noise over the pseudo noise sequence primary modulated by cyclic code shift modulation, as discussed below. The transmitted radio frequency signal is received by the receiver 52 and can be converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) by a block of radiofrequency hardware 66 controlled by a local oscillator (LO) 68. The intermediate frequency is selected in accordance with the following equation: IF = Fs • (N ± 1/4), where Fs is the sampling rate of an A / D converter (discussed below) and N is an integer. A digital hardware block 70 in the receiver 52 samples the intermediate frequency signal and converts the samples into digital representation. The digital hardware block 70 then demodulates the extended spectrum signal to recover the encoded digital data. A processor 72 in the receiver controls the operation of the digital hardware block 70 and uses the retrieved data as specified by unchanging instructions and software associated with the processor 72. Within each device in the wireless network 30, a single processor can be used for controlling both the transmitter 50 and the receiver 52. The primary pseudo noise (or "code") sequence used to create the spread spectrum signal consists of a predetermined number of repetitive binary code bits (or "chips") , approximately half of which has a binary value of "1" and the rest of which has a binary value of "-1". Evenly distributing the number of high and low chips in this way maximizes the pseudo noise code extension quality. During a single code period of the pseudo noise sequence, the chips in the sequence are generated once in succession. The digital hardware block of the transmitter 56 modulates the digital data of the processor 54 on the primary pseudo noise code by adjusting the starting point of the pseudo noise sequence at the beginning of each code period, as discussed below. By adjusting the starting point of the pseudo noise code, the digital hardware block 56 creates "code phase changes" in the code, each of which represents a "symbol" of different data identifying a unique combination of data from the processor. The maximum number of data bits identified by each data symbol depends on the length of the pseudo noise code and the size of the code phase changes that separate the data symbols. Since the data symbols typically should be separated by phase changes from at least two chips to allow adequate reception, a pseudo noise code comprising 2 can support an alphabet of 2M_1 symbols encoding M minus one digital data bits. For example, a 64-chip pseudo-noise code (M = 6) can support up to 32 (25) symbols that encode up to 5 bits of binary data. In this way, the cyclic code shift modulation allows the admission of several bits of digital data for each period of the extension sequence, which reduces the duration of the transmitted packets and which, in turn, improves the efficiency of the transmitted data. the devices of the wireless network. Referring to Figure 3, a convenient pseudo noise code can be generated with standard electronic components. One of these codes is the 63-chip code 75 of Figure 3, which represents one of the maximum length sequences that can be generated using a standard 6-bit feedback change register. The sequence of 63 chips 75 is ideally generated at the code frequency of approximately 19.2 kilohertz, so that each code period the sequence has a total duration of approximately 52 microseconds. Therefore, each chip lasts approximately 825 nanoseconds, and the chip speed is approximately 1.2 Mchip / sec. Multiplying the radio frequency carrier wave by its extension sequence converts the carrier spectrum of an impulse into the carrier frequency in the ISM band in a sin (x) / x (sync function) form, where the first nulls of the function sinc are displaced by approximately ± 1.2 megahertz of the carrier frequency. The fine structure of the extended spectrum carrier includes spectral lines at a separation of approximately 19.2 kilohertz. Referring also to Figure 4, four digital data bits can be modulated over the pseudo noise code of 63 chips 75 for each code period. Since four digital bits can take 16 different values, the four bits are represented by 16 different code phases of the pseudo noise code, each one formed by starting the pseudo noise code in the corresponding of the 63 chips (modulation "16-CCSK"). Although any code phase allocation from at least two separation chips can be used to generate an alphabet of sixteen symbols, a simple alphabet includes a first symbol ("symbol 0") that starts with the first chip ("chip 0") of the pseudo-noise code 75 and fifteen other symbols ("symbol 1" to "symbol 15") so that each one starts exactly two chips behind the preceding symbol. Since one symbol is transmitted for each period of the pseudo noise code, the data symbol rate is equal to the code rate (19.2 kilohertz), and the digital data rate is four times the code rate (76.8). kilobits / second). To retrieve the modulated 16-CCSK data, a receiver must determine which of the sixteen pseudo noise code phases was used in the extension process. The receiver 52 of Figure 2 accomplishes this by correlating, in parallel, the received signal against sixteen locally generated copies of the pseudo noise sequence, wherein each copy has a code phase modulation corresponding to one of the sixteen symbol values. At the end of each symbol period, the receiver determines the value of the symbol by determining which copy of the pseudo noise sequence produced a correlation peak. The symbol phases should be separated by at least two chips to minimize errors avoiding correlation overlap, the data recovery process, including the signal correlation, is described in more detail below. As mentioned above, each transmitter can include a spectral enrichment block that also improves the extension qualities of the transmitter. The spectral enrichment overlaps a relatively slow repetition binary sequence, also having logical levels of ± 1, in the upper part of the primary pseudo noise sequence. The enrichment sequence may be, for example, a sequence of fifteen chips having a chip rate equal to half the symbol rate (eg, approximately 9600 kilohertz). Therefore, each chip in the enrichment sequence covers two periods of the primary sequence of pseudo noise, and the sequence changes values only in the symbol boundaries. Modulating the spectral enrichment signal over the modulated pseudo noise sequence can allow the transmitter to operate at higher energy levels without violating FCC power regulations. Spectral enrichment is described in greater detail in U.S. Patent Application No. 08 / 473,091, entitled "Extended Sequence System of Direct Sequence" presented by Forrest F.Fulton on June 6, 1995. Referring now to Figure 5, each packet 80 transmitted between the system controller 34 and one of the endpoint devices 32 in the wireless network 30 of Figure 1 should have a known structure to ensure that it will be recognized and properly decoded by the receiving device proposed. Therefore, each packet 80 will include a preamble 82 consisting of multiple repetitions of the primary pseudo noise sequence. The preamble 82 allows the receiver to recognize that a packet has been sent and synchronize to the phase of the pseudo-noise sequence used to generate the packet (i.e., the "transmission phase"). Increasing the length of the preamble increases the opportunity to accurately detect each packet, but it also increases the total duration of each packet and therefore decreases the overall efficiency of the network. As soon as it is detected, the incoming pseudo noise transmission phase serves as a reference phase for all subsequent data demodulation, as described in more detail later. After the preamble 82 is a synchronization word 2-CCSK ("sync") 84, which consists of multiple known symbols (each carrying a bit of binary data) indicating to the receiver that the data delivery will begin. The synchronization word 84 also allows the receiver to discard most of the erroneous packets that were not otherwise detected. The coding of the synchronization word 84 as 2-CCSK provides a slight gain in sensitivity over the 16-CCSK modulation used to encode the digital data that follows. The synchronization word 84 may consist of a Barker code encoded using the first two code phases ("symbol 0" and "symbol 1") of the sixteen-symbol alphabet described above. After the synchronization word 84 is a header 86 of known length which contains an address field indicating the address of the source of the packet. The address field can also indicate the address of the proposed receiver of the package. The header 86 also includes a length field that indicates the length of the data payload that follows. The header 66 may also contain control bits. After the header is the data payload portion 88 of packet 80, which may include up to 255 modulated data symbols of 16-CCSK per byte in the header length field. Following the data payload portion 88 is the FEC parity information 90 for use to detect and correct packet corruption. Referring now to Figure 6, the receiver 52 includes an antenna 100 coupled to a standard radio frequency tuner 102, which converts the received signal from a radio frequency carrier to the intermediate frequency carrier and adjusts the energy level of the signal, if necessary, to ensure that it falls within a convenient range for analog to digital (A / D) conversion. The converted analog signal is provided to an analog-to-digital converter 104, which samples the signal at a sampling rate (Fs) eight times the chip rate of the pseudo-noise extension sequence. In other words, for the 63-bit pseudo-noise sequence having a chip speed of 1.2 megahertz, the analog-to-digital converter 104 samples the input signal at a rate of approximately 9.6 megahertz, or eight samples per chip ( 8x on sampling). The analog to digital converter 104 performs a "fixed conversion" which allows the analog-digital converter 104 to produce the sampled spectrum signal at a second intermediate carrier frequency smaller than the sampling rate. Ideally, the second intermediate frequency carrier frequency is equal to approximately 1/4 of the sampling frequency (Fs / 4). Converting the digital input signal to Fs / 4 provides several advantages, such as 1) allowing the use of an alternating current 115 filter (or "direct current block") to eliminate direct current displacement introduced by the tuner. radio frequency 102, analog to digital converter 104, and automatic gain control circuit 106; 2) allow the use of bandpass correlators of efficient implementation, as described below; and 3) allow the extraction of in-phase and quadrature components through a deinterleaving process. The digital tuner 102 can convert the digital signal to any other fractional frequency of the sampling frequency, provided that the upper end of the digital signal bandwidth remains below Fs / 2 and the lower end of the digital signal width. The band remains high enough to allow the alternating current coupled filter 115 to remove the unwanted direct current shift. The analog to digital converter 104 provides its digital output to an automatic gain control circuit 106, which maintains the amplitude of the digital signal within a suitable range, and to an energy estimation block 108, which calculates the total energy of the digital signal. the digital signal. The output of the energy estimation block 108 is used by the receiver 52 to evaluate whether a packet has been received, as discussed above, and to provide information to an automatic gain control algorithm performed by the processor. The digital signal, centered on Fs / 4, is provided to a bank of eighty four primary correlators 114, some of which are used in each of the three stages (or "modes") of the receiver operation: search / qualification, acquisition, and demodulation. Each of the primary correlators 114 compares the incoming digital signal against a particular code phase of the pseudo noise sequence, from which a copy is provided to the primary correlator 114 by a pseudo noise sequence generator 116. As described in FIG. In greater detail below, the primary correlator 114 correlates the incoming signal with the copy by multiplying the two signals to form a product signal. If the phases of the code are aligned, the product signal is a direct current signal that has a value of "l". Each primary correlator 114 integrates its product signal over the symbol period to form a correlation output, which will generally have a high magnitude relative to the noise if the signals are aligned and a low magnitude relative to the noise otherwise. An efficient implementation of a bandpass correlator structure is described in detail below. The digital signal, centered on Fs / 4, is also provided to four auxiliary correlators 118, which are used to verify the potential signal detections ("disconnections") produced during search / rating mode, to tune the receiver to the frequency of the input signal during acquisition mode. Each of the auxiliary correlators 118 should be capable of receiving a copy of the pseudo noise sequence in any of the code phases and should be individually tunable over the desired frequency range discussed below. Auxiliary correlators 118 can use the efficient implementation of the bandpass correlator structure described below. A post-correlator processing block 120 continuously monitors the outputs of the primary correlators 114 and identifies correlation peaks, each of which indicates that the code phase of the pseudo-noise sequence in one of the primary correlators 114 may have coincided with the input signal during a symbol period. During the search / rating mode, the processing block 120 produces a disconnect signal which indicates when a correlation output may indicate a signal disconnection. The processing block 120 also includes a series of comparators which, during the demodulation mode, hierarchize the correlation outputs during each symbol period according to the magnitude. This information is used by the processor to demodulate the incoming data. A correlator control logic block 122 controls the operation of the correlators during the three modes of operation. The control logic block 122 includes a state machine that scales through the three operating modes and digital circuits that supply control signals to each of the correlators 114 and 118, in accordance with processor instructions (not shown in FIG. Figure 6). A processor interface 124 allows the post-correlator processing block 120 and the control logic block 122 to provide information to the processor and allows the processor to provide instructions to the control logic block of the correlator 122. During the search mode / In order to qualify, the receiver 52 must detect and recognize potential direct-spread extended-spectrum signals that exist in the wireless network. During the acquisition mode, the receiver 52 must align to the transmission phase and the frequency of the input signal. During demodulation, the receiver 52 must determine whether it is the proposed receiver of the input signal and, if so, to accurately demodulate the digital data contained in the signal. As discussed above, direct sequence spread-spectrum signals transmitted in the wireless network may consist of a carrier wave in the ISM band multiplied by a pseudo-noise sequence of 63 chips. To acquire one of these signals during the search and rating mode, the receiver 52 must correlate the received signal with a local copy of the pseudo-noise sequence that is almost perfectly aligned with the code phase of the original pseudo-noise sequence. However, at minimum detectable signal levels the receiver 52 typically can not recognize that a signal is present until after the alignment of the code phase has occurred. Therefore, the alignment process must proceed by trial and error. Further complicating the search process are potential errors in the carrier frequency generated by the transmitter or by the tuner frequency of the receiver. In a typical wireless network the potential carrier error may be greater than ± 50 kilohertz, so the receiver may need to search over a frequency range greater than 100 kilohertz centered on the nominal carrier frequency. In general, the receiver can detect signals only by looking for an area defined by the length of the pseudo noise sequence and the uncertainty of the carrier by trial and error, and must do so within a time defined by the preamble of the package, leaving enough preamble time to align with the transmission phase of the input signal. Typically, each primary special correlator 114 will respond with a maximum sensitivity loss of four decibels to any signal within ± 3/8 chips and ± 5 kilohertz in its code and frequency phase fixes. The correlator response measurement will be available once per symbol period, as described in more detail below. Therefore, each primary correlator 114 can search for an area of 3/4 chips and 10 kilohertz during a symbol period. To ensure that the entire range of 63 chips is searched during each symbol period and that the entire code / frequency range is searched in a reasonable amount of time, eighty-four primary correlators 114 [(63 chips) H- (3 / 4 chips per correlator) = 84 correlators], each tuned to one of the eighty-four search phases separated by 3/4 chips. The correlator control logic block 122 automates the search process. The control logic 122 initializes each of the primary correlators 114 to the corresponding one of the eighty four search phases of 3/4 possible chips of the pseudo noise sequence and the nominal carrier frequency, as ordered by the processor. Each of the primary correlators 114 includes frequency adjustment elements, as described below. Each primary correlator 114 correlates the corresponding search phase of the pseudo noise sequence against the digital input signal for a symbol period, empties its correlation output, and immediately begins to correlate again against the digital signal over the next period of time. symbol. The search frequency of primary correlator 114 is increased by 10 kilohertz at the end of each symbol period until it reaches the upper end of the carrier uncertainty range and then decreases by 10 kilohertz per symbol period until the lower end of the symbol period is reached. range, and so on, until a signal is acquired. The post-correlator processing block 120 monitors the correlation outputs at the end of each symbol period and generates a disconnect signal if any of the correlation outputs is sufficiently high. The processing block 120 does not generate a disconnection signal unless one of the correlation outputs, normalized to the output of the energy estimating block 108, exceeds a predetermined threshold. This threshold depends on the characteristics of the network in which the receiver 52 is used, and factors such as the minimum detectable signal level and the false disconnection rate must be taken into account. When the correlator control logic block 122 receives a disconnect signal, it instructs one of the auxiliary correlators 118 to qualify the disconnection while the primary correlators 114 continue searching. The control logic 122 sets the auxiliary correlator assigned to the frequency at which the disconnection occurred and instructs the pseudo noise sequence generator to provide the correlator to the auxiliary correlator 118 a copy of the pseudo noise sequence in the associated search phase with the disconnection. To qualify the disconnection, the auxiliary correlator correlates the digital input signal against the pseudo noise sequence to a selected search phase over successive symbol periods. The correlation over a given symbol period is a "success" if the correlation output of the auxiliary correlator 118, normalized to the output of the energy estimating block 108., exceeds a predetermined threshold. The disconnection is scored after three periods of consecutive success symbols. On the other hand, the auxiliary correlator 118 lowers the disconnection and terminates the rating after three consecutive unsuccessful correlation periods or after twelve periods of unqualified symbols have passed. If auxiliary correlators 118 are not available when a disconnect signal is present (i.e., if the four auxiliary correlators 118 are busy qualifying disconnections), the receiver queues the disconnect. When a disconnect signal is qualified, the primary correlators 114 stop searching and the receiver 52 enters the acquisition mode. The acquisition mode consists of two phases: detailed code search and detailed frequency search. During the detailed code search, the receiver 52 sets each primary correlator 114 to the frequency of the qualified disconnection and sets each of the first sixteen primary correlators 114 in sixteen consecutive phases of the pseudo-noise sequence separated by a sample. The eighth correlator correlates against the search phase of the qualified disconnection; the seven preceding correlators are correlated against the seven phases, each separated by a sample, immediately preceding the search phase of the qualified disconnection; and the following eight correlators are correlated against the eight phases, each separated by a sample, immediately following the search phase of the qualified disconnection. The sixteen correlators collect data from a symbol period, correlating each correlator the period compensation of a sample after the correlation period of the preceding correlator. The outputs of the sixteen correlators undergo a special detailed code correlation against an ideal relationship between the code phase error and the correlator response. This special correlation indicates which compensation of the code phase of the qualified disconnect correlates more closely with the ideal response, which is considered over a range of ± 4 samples of the perfect code alignment. A normalized ideal response (R) in each sample compensation is represented by the following equation: Rj = (1 - 64Í / 504) 2, where i is the compensation in samples and -4 = i = 4. The correlation ( C) of each sample compensation against the ideal response is determined by the following equation: Cj = SR¡O¡ + j + 7, where Ok is the output of the kés? Mo correlator (0 = k < 16), in where i and j represent the sample displacement (-4 = i, j = 4). For j = -4 and i = -4, "i + j" is less than zero, so the special correlation value in these displacement values is not considered. The best-fitted code phase is the one with the corresponding correlation value (C,) larger ("zero code phase" or "zero data phase"). The receiver 52 continues to rate any major search disconnection during the detailed code search but terminates the disconnection qualification when the detailed code search step is successful. In the detailed frequency search phase, which begins after the detailed code search is successful, the four auxiliary correlators 118 are used to find the peak of the frequency response to the input signal. Each of the auxiliary correlators 118 is set to code phase 0, as determined in the detailed code search phase, and to one of several frequencies near the qualified disconnection frequency. Each auxiliary correlator 118 then provides an output that represents a point on the frequency response curve, the peak of which represents the signal frequency and can be calculated by the processor. Receiver 52 also incorporates false peak rejection to ensure that it does not lose valid data packets after detecting and rating "false" peaks that may occur in the code phases and / or frequencies other than the actual phases and frequencies of the true signs. The processor will recognize a false peak when the signal to noise ratio (S / N) of the disconnect signal does not improve beyond -13 decibels during the detailed code search and detailed frequency search phases. To reject false peaks and to prevent subsequent disconnections in false peaks of the same signal, the processor lowers any signal for which the S / N ratio has not improved by 12 decibels after the detailed code search and detailed frequency search phases and sets the disconnection threshold 6 decibels higher than normal during the subsequent search process. Increasing the threshold in this manner should allow the receiver 52 to detect the true peak of a strong signal while ignoring the false peaks. When the detailed code and detailed frequency search phases are completed, the receiver 52 begins observing the synchronization word. Because the synchronization word is encoded with 2-CCSK modulation, as described above, the correlator control logic 122 allocates only two primary correlators 114 for monitoring the input signal for the synchronization word. These two correlators assigned are the correlator associated with the zero code phase, as determined in the detailed code search phase, and the correlator that immediately follows it. The two correlators then correlate the input signal against the corresponding code phase over the same correlation period. The correlation output of the two correlators is provided to the processor, which assigns each symbol in the synchronization word a soft value S i according to the equation: Si = (A, - B,) / (A, + B, ), where A, and B, represent the correlation outputs of the two correlators in each symbol period. The processor stores up to thirteen soft values and, after each symbol period, forms a correlation sum (C) according to the equation: C = S S¡ • ß. { , where the sum runs from 1 = 0 to 12 and where ¡represents the real value of the?? or bit of the synchronization word, with logical levels of ± 1. The signal is declared synchronized when the correlation sum is greater than some predetermined threshold. During the demodulation mode, sixteen of the primary correlators 114 correlate the incoming digital signal with sixteen different code phases that define the symbol alphabet of 16-CCSK, the first correlator corresponding to the zero code phase, as determined during the detailed code search phase, and the following correlators successively correspond to the other fifteen code phases. The sixteen correlators use the same correlation period in demodulation mode. At the end of each symbol period, post-correlator processor block 120 determines which correlators have the highest correlation outputs. The processor assigns a symbol value to the symbol period based on which correlator produces the highest correlation output. The processor may be programmed so that it does not assign a symbol value (ie, it outputs an "erasure") if the ratio of the highest correlation output to the second highest correlation output does not exceed a previously determined threshold. During demodulation, the receiver also tracks the code phase of the input signal. The tracking of the code phase ensures that the receiver does not lose alignment with the signal as a result of a clock deviation that may affect the output of the pseudo-noise sequence generator 116. In order to track the code phase, the control logic of correlator 122 allocates thirty-two additional primary correlators 114, half of which provide "forward" correlation values and the other half provide "backward" correlation values. Each "forward" correlator is set to a code phase that is between one and four samples ahead of the code phase associated with one of the major demodulation correlators ("in-phase" correlators) discussed above. Each "backward" correlator is set to a code phase that is between one and four samples behind the code phase associated with one of the in-phase correlators. The receiver 52 uses the correlation outputs of the forward and backward correlators associated with the in-phase correlator that are aligned to the input signal during each symbol period to calculate a code phase error (R), according to the equation : R = (E - L) / O, where E and L are the outputs of the correlators advanced (Early) and delayed (Late) and 0 is the output of the correlator in phase (On-phase). The code phase error can be used to update the timing of the pseudo noise sequence generator 116 when the error, for example, is greater than 1/16 chip. Referring also to Figures 7A and 7B, the receiver begins the operation after startup by initializing the automatic gain control circuit (step 300) The receiver enters the search mode (step 302) and continuously searches for a direct sequence spread spectrum signal, constantly monitoring and adjusting the automatic gain control circuit (step 304), until a disconnection signal is presented (step 306). ). When a disconnect signal is present, the receiver determines if all the auxiliary correlators are busy (step 308). If so, the receiver queues the disconnect signal (step 310) and continues searching (step 302); otherwise, the receiver assigns an auxiliary correlator to qualify the disconnection (step 312). The receiver then monitors the rating process to determine if the disconnect signal is qualified or rejected within the allotted time period (steps 314 and 318). If neither qualification nor rejection is presented in twelve symbol periods, the receiver aborts the qualification process for that disconnection signal (step 316) and continues to search for direct sequence extended spectrum signals (step 302). The receiver also continues to search if the disconnect signal is disqualified (step 318). If, on the other hand, the auxiliary correlator qualifies the disconnect signal, the receiver enters the acquisition mode. In the acquisition mode, the receiver first assigns several primary correlators to perform detailed code search (step 320). The receiver then monitors the assigned correlators to determine if the code phase is successfully acquired (step 322). If not, the receiver returns to the search mode and resumes its search for direct-sequence extended spectrum signals (step 302); otherwise, the receiver instructs the auxiliary correlators to enter the detailed frequency search phase (step 324). The receiver then monitors the four general correlators to determine whether the detailed frequency search leads to the successful acquisition of the frequency offset (step 326). Otherwise, the receiver returns to the search mode and resumes the search (step 302), - otherwise, the receiver prepares detection of the synchronization word (step 328). If the expected synchronization word is not detected within the appropriate time limit, the synchronization word detection process is exhausted (step 330) and aborted (step 316), and the receiver again begins searching for spectrum signals extended direct sequence (step 302). If the synchronization word is detected, the receiver enters the demodulation mode (step 332). In the demodulation mode, the receiver continuously tracks the code phase of the input data signal to avoid displacement in the alignment (step 334). If too many erasures occur during demodulation (step 333), the demodulation process is aborted (step 316) and the receiver again looks for direct sequence spread spectrum signals (step 302). Otherwise, the receiver continues demodulating data until the end of the transmitted packet (step 336). When the end of the packet is reached, the receiver leaves the demodulation mode, re-enters the search mode, and again begins searching for direct-sequence extended spectrum signals (step 302). Referring now to Figure 8A, each bandpass correlator (primary and auxiliary) in the receiver can use an efficient deployment correlator (IE) structure 130. As discussed above, the digital input signal 131 should enter the correlator at a carrier frequency equal to approximately one quarter of the digital sampling rate (Fs / 4). The efficient implementation correlator structure provides approximate quadrature processing and frequency adjustment in a unified block that requires few and inexpensive components. The structure includes a digital multiplier 132 followed by an accumulation cycle 134 having a primary adder 136 and two delay elements 138 and 140, which can be delay records of a single sample. The output 141 of the second delay register 140 returns to the primary adder 136 and is subtracted from the output of the product 135 of the multiplier 132. The output 139 of the first delay register 138 feeds directly into the second delay register 140. The output 139 may also be provided to a frequency setting element 145 which allows the processor to adjust the resonant frequency of the accumulation cycle 134. Within the frequency setting element 145, the output 139 of the first delay register 138 is scaled by a scaling element 144, it is fed back to a secondary adder 142 and added to the output 137 of the primary adder 136. The correlator structure 130 can be implemented in standard, immediate components, but is particularly suitable for implementation in a circuit specially composed of the application (ASIC).

In operation, the incoming digital signal 131 and a local copy of the pseudo-noise sequence 133 are provided as inputs to the multiplier 132. If the two are in code phase alignment, the code product always equals "1" and the output 135 of the multiplier is simply the carrier wave Fs / 4. Because the cycle delay is two samples, the output 141 of the second delay register 140 is approximately 180 ° out of phase with the output of the multiplier 135 and therefore reinforces the output of the multiplier 135 in the primary adder 136 during the operation of subtraction. The input 143 and the output 149 of the first delay record 138 differ for a time from a sample and are therefore approximately 90 ° out of phase, so that they can be taken as components within phase and quadrature, respectively, of the carrier wave of Fs / 4. At the end of the accumulation time (a correlation period), the in-phase and quadrature outputs are taken and the delay records 138 and 140 are set to zero to reinitialize the accumulation cycle 134. The final output 151 is the sum of the squares of the in-phase and quadrature components at the end of each correlation period, as provided by the quadrature circuits of wave 146 and 148 and adder 150. Instead of a record of a single sample, the record 140 may delay the output 139 by multiple samples, so that the phase shift between the output 135 and the output 141 is a multiple of 180 degrees. For example, a delay of three samples in the register 140 leaves the output 141, 360 ° out of phase with the output of the product 135. In this case, the primary adder 136 will add the output 141 to the output of the product 135 to form an accumulation output. The frequency adjustment element 145 includes a scale element 144, the scale factor (K) of which is variable to allow frequency adjustment within the accumulation cycle of the correlator 134. The scale factor K has a value equal to 2. cosine (OQ) where O0 represents 2? R times the ratio of the desired resonant frequency of the accumulation cycle 134 to the sampling rate (Fs) of the analog to digital converter 104 (the absolute value of K will typically be much less than one). The value of the scaling factor can be selected by the processor and stored in a programmable storage element 144b such as a register. A multiplication element 144a applies the scaling factor to the output 139 of the first delay register 138 and the resulting signal is added by a secondary adder 142 to the output 137 of the primary adder 136. When the scaling factor has a value of zero , the secondary adder 142 has no effect on the structure of the correlator. However, when the scaling factor is slightly above or below zero, the effective delay in the accumulation cycle 134 is slightly greater than or less than two samples, so that the cycle response focuses on the frequency slightly. below or slightly above Fs / 4. Since the delay between the output 139 of the delay element 138 and the output 141 of the delay element 140 always remains in a sample, adjusting the scaling factor to a non-zero value introduces a small quadrature error to frequency deviations of Fs / 4. At small frequency deviations, the quadrature error is negligible. Referring to Figure 8B, the quadrature error correction element 160 can be added to the correlator structure 130 to eliminate the quadrature error introduced by the scaling element 144. The correction element 160 includes two multiplication elements 162. and 164, which multiply the output 139 of the accumulation cycle 134 with signals equal to cosine (O0) and sine (Orj). The output 165 of the multiplication element 164 represents the corrected quadrature component of the accumulation output and is provided to the quadrature circuit of the wave 148. The adder 166 produces the phase corrected component of the accumulation output by subtracting the output 163 from the multiplication element 162 of the output 143 of the secondary adder 142. The corrected phase component is provided to the quadrature circuit of the wave 146. Referring also to Figure 9, when a sequence of binary pseudo noise serves as an extension signal, the digital multiplier 132 can be a simple-sign inverter made, for example, as a digital multiplexer 155 that receives the digital input signal 131 and an inverted version 131 'of this signal as inputs and having a local copy of the pseudo noise sequence 133 in its control signal. The non-inverted signal 131 'is selected by the multiplexer 155 when the pseudo-noise sequence 133 is high, and the inverted signal 131' is selected when the pseudo-noise sequence 133 is low. When the input signal 131 and the pseudo noise sequence 133 align, the pseudo noise sequence cancels the extension signal of the input signal 131 and only the carrier wave Fs / 4 leaves the multiplexer 155. Other modes are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (19)

1. A receiver for use in an extended spectrum communication system, the receiver comprising: an acquisition system configured to detect a transmitted spread spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating multiple search phases of a reference extension signal against an output of a channel receiver; a demodulation system configured to recover data immersed in the spread spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating the spread spectrum signal with multiple possible data phases of the reference extension signal over consecutive data periods; and a bank of correlation devices configured to use both the acquisition system and the demodulation system.

The receiver of claim 1, wherein each of the correlation devices is configured to compare the spread spectrum signal against a different one of the search phases when the correlation devices are configured for use in the acquisition system .

The receiver of claim 1, wherein each of the correlation devices is configured to compare the spread spectrum signal against a different one of the data phases when the correlation devices are configured for use in the demodulation system .

The receiver of claim 1, wherein each correlation device includes: a multiplication element configured to multiply the spread spectrum signal with the reference extension signal to produce a product output; and an accumulation element configured to produce an accumulation output by accumulating the output of the product over each of the data periods.

The receiver of claim 4, wherein each correlation device also includes a delay element configured to shift the phase of the accumulation output 180 degrees.

The receiver of claim 5, wherein the accumulation element is configured to subtract from the output of the product the phase version offset 180 degrees from the accumulation output.

The receiver of claim 1, further including an analog to digital converter configured to sample the spread spectrum signal at a selected sampling rate.

The receiver of claim 7, wherein the correlation devices are configured to process the spread spectrum signal at a center frequency equal to about one fourth of the sampling rate.

9. A receiver for use to process an extended spectrum signal containing data that is modulated with code cyclic shift modulation over a pseudo noise (PN) extension sequence, the receiver comprising: an analog to digital converter configured to sample the spread spectrum signal at a selected sampling rate; multiple correlation devices, each of which includes: a multiplication element configured to multiply the sampled spectrum signal sampled against a copy of the pseudo noise sequence to a selected code phase and produce a corresponding product output at a frequency central less than the sampling rate and greater than zero; and an accumulation element configured to accumulate the output of the product at the center frequency to produce an accumulation output; and a processing element configured to determine which, if any, of the accumulation outputs indicates an alignment between the spread spectrum signal and the copy of the pseudo noise sequence in one of the correlation devices.

10. The receiver of claim 9, wherein the center frequency is equal to about one fourth of the sampling rate.

The receiver of claim 9, wherein each accumulation element is configured to produce the accumulation output by subtracting a phase version offset 180 degrees from the accumulation output from the product output.

12. A method for its use to receive signals in an extended spectrum communication system, the method comprising: acquiring a transmitted extended spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating multiple search phases of a reference extension signal against an output of a receiving channel; recovering data immersed in the spread spectrum signal by simultaneously correlating the spread spectrum signal with multiple possible data phases of the reference extension signal over consecutive data periods; and using a single bank of correlation devices both for acquiring the extended spectrum signal and retrieving data immersed in the extended spectrum signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein acquiring the extended spectrum signal includes using each of the correlation devices to compare the spread spectrum signal against a different one of the search phases.

The method of claim 12, wherein recovering the data immersed in the spread spectrum signal includes using each of the correlation devices to compare the spread spectrum signal against a different one of the data phases.

The method of claim 12, further including, within each correlation device: multiplying the spread spectrum signal with the reference extension signal to produce an output of the product, and producing an accumulation output by accumulating the output of the product over each of the data periods.

16. The method of claim 15, further including, within each correlator device, shifting the phase of the accumulation output 180 degrees.

The method of claim 16, further including subtracting from the output of the product the phase version offset 180 degrees from the accumulation output.

18. The method of claim 12, further including sampling the spread spectrum signal at a selected sampling rate. The method of claim 18, further including using the correlation devices to process the spread spectrum signal at a center frequency equal to about one fourth of the sampling rate.