Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L5/00—Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
  • H04L5/003—Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
  • H04L5/0048—Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L27/00—Modulated-carrier systems
  • H04L27/26—Systems using multi-frequency codes
  • H04L27/2601—Multicarrier modulation systems
  • H04L27/2602—Signal structure
  • H04L27/261—Details of reference signals
  • H04L27/2613—Structure of the reference signals
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L27/00—Modulated-carrier systems
  • H04L27/26—Systems using multi-frequency codes
  • H04L27/2601—Multicarrier modulation systems
  • H04L27/2602—Signal structure
  • H04L27/261—Details of reference signals
  • H04L27/2613—Structure of the reference signals
  • H04L27/26132—Structure of the reference signals using repetition
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L5/00—Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
  • H04L5/0001—Arrangements for dividing the transmission path
  • H04L5/0003—Two-dimensional division
  • H04L5/0005—Time-frequency
  • H04L5/0007—Time-frequency the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
  • H04W4/80—Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L25/00—Baseband systems
  • H04L25/02—Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines
  • H04L25/0202—Channel estimation
  • H04L25/0204—Channel estimation of multiple channels
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W48/00—Access restriction; Network selection; Access point selection
  • H04W48/08—Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W84/00—Network topologies
  • H04W84/02—Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
  • H04W84/10—Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Definitions

• This relates to wireless communication networks and the like; and, in particular, to systems, methods and apparatus relating to pilot subcarriers in wireless transmissions.
• Wireless personal area networks are used to convey information over relatively short distances. Unlike wireless local area networks (“WLANs”), WPANs need little or no infrastructure, and WPANS allow small, power-efficient, and inexpensive solutions to be implemented for a wide range of problems.
• Smart utility networks may operate either over short ranges, such as in a mesh network where utility meter information is sent from one utility meter to another, or over longer ranges, such as in a star topology where utility meter information is sent to a poletop collection point.
• SUNs Smart utility networks
• An integrated circuit includes logic configured to encode pilot signals in a first set of subcarriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ("OFDM") symbol and in a second set of subcarriers, possibly different from the first set, of a consecutive OFDM symbol.
• the symbol and the consecutive symbol are in the same smart-utility-network packet.
• a method includes encoding pilot signals in a first set of subcarriers of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ("OFDM") symbol.
• the method further includes encoding pilot signals in a second set of subcarriers, different from the first set, of a consecutive OFDM symbol; the symbol and the consecutive symbol being in the same smart-utility-network packet.
• OFDM orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
• a machine-readable storage medium includes executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to encode pilot signals in a first set of subcarriers of an OFDM symbol and in a second set of subcarriers, possibly different from the first set, of a consecutive OFDM symbol.
• the symbol and the consecutive symbol are in the same smart-utility- network packet.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a SUN network in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 2 illustrates a SUN network element in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 3 illustrates repeated and staggered pilot subcarriers in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 4 illustrates staggered pilot subcarriers for configuration option 1 in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 5 illustrates staggered pilot subcarriers for configuration options 2 and 3 in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 6 illustrates staggered pilot subcarriers for configuration option 4 in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 7 illustrates staggered repeated subcarriers in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 8 illustrates a pseudo-noise generator in accordance with at least one illustrated embodiment
• FIG. 9 illustrates a particular machine suitable for implementing one or more embodiments described herein.
• a WPAN or low-rate WPAN is a simple, low-cost communication network that allows wireless connectivity in applications with limited power and relaxed throughput requirements.
• the main objectives of a WPAN are ease of installation, reliable data transfer, short-range operation, extremely low cost, reasonable battery life, and a simple but flexible protocol.
• Some characteristics of a WPAN are: over-the-air data rates of 250 kb/s, lOOkb/s, 40 kb/s, and 20 kb/s; star or peer-to-peer or mesh operation; allocated 16-bit short or 64-bit extended addresses; optional allocation of guaranteed time slots; carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance channel access; fully acknowledged protocol for transfer reliability; low power consumption; energy detection; link quality indication; 16 channels in the 2450 MHz band, 30 channels in the 915 MHz band, and 3 channels in the 868 MHz band. These characteristics are not requirements, and each WPAN may deviate from the characteristics in numerous ways.
• FFD full-function device
• RFD reduced-function device
• the FFD can serve as a personal area network (“PAN”) coordinator or a device.
• PAN personal area network
• a FFD can communication with RFDs or other FFDs while a RFD can communicate only with a FFD. More information can be found at IEEE Std. 802.15.4- 2006 available at http://www.ieee802.org/15/pub/TG4.html and hereby incorporated by reference.
• a utility network or smart utility network (“SUN”) is a low-rate (e.g., 40 kbps to 1
• Mbps low-power WPAN
• WPAN low-power low-power WPAN
• utility meters are installed for each house in a residential neighborhood, and the usage data is sent periodically from each utility meter to a data collection point, which is an element of the WPAN.
• the data collection point is connected by fiber, copper wire, or wireless connection to a central office that collects all the usage data for a region. Usage data is sent either directly from each utility meter to the collection point or from utility meter to utility meter until the collection point is reached in a star or network formation, respectively.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a SUN 100.
• Data is periodically sent to collection point FFD 102 by three devices: FFD 104, RFD 106, and RFD 108.
• the devices 104, 106, 108 can monitor and record any type of information such as utility usage for commercial or residential buildings in at least one embodiment. While RFD 108 sends data to collection point FFD 102 directly, RFD 106 sends data to FFD 104, and FFD 104 sends the data from RFD 106 to collection point FFD 102. FFD 104 also sends its own data to collection point FFD 102.
• the collection point FFD 102 is at or is monitored by the utility provider in at least one embodiment.
• the FFD 104 comprises a transceiver 198, memory 196, and a processor 194.
• the FFD 104 comprises an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC").
• ASIC application specific integrated circuit
• Either the processor or the ASIC can execute or comprise logic to cause execution of any action described herein with regard to an associated network element 104.
• instructions and software can be executed.
• the transceiver transmits and receives communication from the other elements of the network 100.
• the memory stores data and instructions to be manipulated and executed by the processor.
• the SUN 100 preferably uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
• OFDM orthogonal frequency division multiple access
• OFDM is a signal modulation technique in which a number of closely spaced orthogonal subcarriers are used to carry data. The data is divided into several parallel data streams or channels, one for each sub-carrier. Each sub-carrier is modulated with a modulation scheme such as quadrature amplitude modulation (“QAM”) or binary phase-shift keying (“BPSK").
• QAM quadrature amplitude modulation
• BPSK binary phase-shift keying
• pilot signals used for measurement of the channel conditions (i.e., the equalizer gain and phase shift for each sub-carrier), time synchronization (to reduce inter-symbol interference ("ISI”)), and frequency synchronization (to reduce inter-carrier interference (“ICI”) and Doppler shift or spread).
• ISI inter-symbol interference
• ICI inter-carrier interference
• pilot signal pilot value
• the pilot signals are known, test, and/or reference signals. When transmitted, the pilot signals are subject to the same noise as unknown signals. Because the signals are known, the noise can be measured, and the measurement can be applied to compensate for the noise on unknown signals.
• Table 1 lists 4 illustrative configuration options for OFDM transmission in WPAN networks. While these configuration options are preferable, any of the variables can be adjusted as conditions merit.
• FIG. 3 illustrates pilot sets for option 2 with a repetition length of 3.
• the repetition length can be any positive integer.
• the numbers represent the subcarriers occupied by the pilot data for the OFDM symbols 1 to 9. In symbol 1, the pilot set is -20, -6, 6, and 20 because those subcarriers contain pilot data.
• the null tone is 0.
• the same pilot set is repeated for symbols 2 and 3.
• the pilot repetition length is 3.
• the pilot set is -24, -11, 2, and 15. Because the subcarriers containing pilot data have changed, the pilots are considered staggered.
• the pilot set is -15, -2, 11, and 24.
• the subcarriers containing pilot data are distributed within the symbol. For example, the pilot subcarriers are not adjacent to each other. The distribution within the symbol persists even as the pilot set changes from symbol 3 to 4 and from symbol 6 to 7.
• the repetition length, staggering amount, and distribution amount can be adjusted as warranted by network conditions. For example, the repetition length can be changed from 3 to 10 or 1.
• the duration of 10 symbols can be used for systems with low or decreasing Doppler shift or spread, and the duration of 1 symbol can be used for systems with high or increasing Doppler shift or spread.
• pilot sets are used as enumerated in Table 2.
• the subcarriers are numbered from -52 to 52 with the null tone (subcarrier 0) unused.
• Alternate pilot set 1 comprises subcarriers -46, -33, -19, -6, 6, 19, 33, and 46.
• Alternate pilot set 2 comprises subcarriers -50, -37, -24, -11, 2, 15, 28, and 41.
• Alternate pilot set 3 comprises subcarriers -41, - 28, -15, -2, 11, 27, 37, and 50.
• FIG. 4 illustrates a partial SUN packet and how the pilot sets cycle for Option 1.
• the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is used.
• pilot set 2 is used.
• pilot sets 3-13 are used.
• pilot set 13 the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is again used. As illustrated, the repetition length is 1.
• the pilot sets are cyclically extended to fit the number of symbols in the packet.
• Alternate pilot set 1 comprises subcarriers -20, -6, 6, and 20.
• Alternate pilot set 2 comprises subcarriers -24, -11, 2, and 15.
• Alternate pilot set 3 comprises subcarriers -15, -2, 11, and 24.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a partial SUN packet and how the pilot sets cycle for Option 2.
• pilot set 1 is used.
• pilot set 2 is used.
• pilot sets 3-7 are used.
• pilot set 7 the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is again used. As illustrated, the repetition length is 1.
• 7 pilot sets are used as enumerated in Table 4.
• the subcarriers are numbered from -13 to 13 with the null tone (subcarrier 0) unused.
• Alternate pilot set 1 comprises subcarriers -7, and 7.
• Alternate pilot set 2 comprises subcarriers -11 and 2.
• Alternate pilot set 3 comprises subcarriers -2 and 11.
• FIG. 5 also illustrates how the pilot sets cycle for Option 3. After 2 LTF sets, the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is used. For the next symbol, pilot set 2 is used. For consecutive symbols, pilot sets 3-7 are used. After pilot set 7, the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is again used. As illustrated, the repetition length is 1.
• Alternate pilot set 1 comprises subcarriers -6, and -2.
• Alternate pilot set 2 comprises subcarriers 2 and 6.
• FIG. 6 illustrates a partial SUN packet and how the pilot sets cycle for Option 4.
• the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is used. For the next symbol, pilot set 2 is used. For consecutive symbols, pilot sets 3-4 are used. After pilot set 4, the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is again used. As illustrated, the repetition length is 1.
• FIG. 7 illustrate a partial SUN packet and a repetition length of 3.
• the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is used.
• pilot set 1 is used again.
• pilot set 2 is used for three consecutive symbols.
• pilot set 3 is used for three consecutive symbols.
• the vertical line indicates where pilot set 1 is again used.
• the known reference data carried on the selected pilot subcarriers is determined based on a pseudo-noise sequence.
• a pseudo-noise generator performs operations on a seed to generate a sequence of data.
• a pseudo-noise 9 (“PN9") generator uses a 9-bit binary seed such as 111111111 to create a series of output bits. As such, all of the shift registers are initialized to one.
• the first output bit is assigned to the most negative index of a first pilot set. For example, for Option 3, the first output bit from the PN9 sequence is assigned to the pilot subcarrier -7, the second output bit is assigned to the pilot subcarrier 7, and so on.
• FIG. 8 illustrates a PN9 generator. Each "D" represents a delay latch storing a bit.
• the seed input is 111111111 in at least one embodiment.
• Different delay latches are used for inputs into an exclusive or ("XOR") function to determine the next bit loaded into the beginning of the series of delay latches.
• the output is taken from any one location in the sequence. As illustrated, the output is taken from the first bit.
• every similarly configured PN9 will result in a predictable sequence of output.
• the channel estimation procedures described above can be performed.
• the first 20 output bits of the illustrated PN9 generator are 000011110111000010110.
• the output of the PN9 generator is mapped to a BPSK pilot, e.g., 0 maps to -1 and 1 maps to +1.
• the pilot subcarriers allocated are distributed evenly so that the distance from one pilot subcarrier to the next is the same or similar or similar in the case of an odd amount of subcarriers. This distribution is maintained even though the pilot subcarriers are staggered. As such, the implementation of channel estimation is less complex than if the distribution was not maintained. For example, when using a minimum mean squared error ("MMSE") filter, the filter coefficients need not change. Also, any receiver can use a FFT to find the channel impulse response. As such, multiple techniques for channel estimation can be applied. For example, the pilot symbols can be used in a phase locked loop to determine residual frequency offset.
• MMSE minimum mean squared error
• FIG. 9 illustrates a particular machine 580 suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
• the computer system 580 includes one or more processors 582 (which may be referred to as a central processor unit or CPU) that are in communication with a machine-readable medium 587.
• the machine-readable medium 587 may comprise memory devices including secondary storage 584, read only memory (ROM) 586, and random access memory (RAM) 588.
• the processor is further in communication with input/output (I/O) 590 devices and network connectivity devices 592.
• the processor may be implemented as one or more CPU chips.
• the secondary storage 584 is typically comprised of one or more disk drives, tape drives, or optical discs and is used for non- volatile storage of data and as an over-flow data storage device if RAM 588 is not large enough to hold all working data. Secondary storage 584 may be used to store programs and instructions 589 that are loaded into RAM 588 when such programs are selected for execution.
• the ROM 586 is used to store instructions 589 and perhaps data, which are read during program execution. ROM 586 is a non-volatile memory device that typically has a small memory capacity relative to the larger memory capacity of secondary storage.
• the RAM 588 is used to store volatile data and perhaps to store instructions 589. Access to both ROM 586 and RAM 588 is typically faster than to secondary storage 584.
• I/O 590 devices may include printers, video monitors, liquid crystal displays
• the network connectivity devices 592 may take the form of modems, modem banks, ethernet cards, universal serial bus (USB) interface cards, serial interfaces, token ring cards, fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) cards, wireless local area network (WLAN) cards, radio transceiver cards such as code division multiple access (CDMA) and/or global system for mobile communications (GSM) radio transceiver cards, and other well-known network devices.
• These network connectivity 592 devices may enable the processor 582 to communicate with an Internet or one or more intranets.
• the processor 582 may receive information from the network, or may output information to the network in the course of performing the above-described method steps.
• Such information which is often represented as a sequence of instructions 589 to be executed using processor 582, may be received from and output to the network, for example, in the form of a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave
• Such information may be received from and output to the network, for example, in the form of a computer data baseband signal or signal embodied in a carrier wave.
• the baseband signal or signal embodied in the carrier wave generated by the network connectivity 592 devices may propagate in or on the surface of electrical conductors, in coaxial cables, in waveguides, in optical media, for example optical fiber, or in the air or free space.
• the information contained in the baseband signal or signal embedded in the carrier wave may be ordered according to different sequences, as may be desirable for either processing or generating the information or transmitting or receiving the information.
• the baseband signal or signal embedded in the carrier wave, or other types of signals currently used or hereafter developed, referred to herein as the transmission medium may be generated according to several methods well known to one skilled in the art.
• the processor 582 executes instructions 589, codes, computer programs, scripts which it accesses from hard disk, floppy disk, optical disc (these various disk based systems may all be considered secondary storage 584), ROM 586, RAM 588, or the network connectivity devices 592.
• the system may be implemented in an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC") comprising logic configured to perform any action described in this disclosure with corresponding and appropriate inputs and outputs or a digital signal processor (“DSP”) similarly configured.
• ASIC application specific integrated circuit
• DSP digital signal processor
• Such logic is implemented in a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver in various embodiments.
• FIG. 6 illustrates a method 600 beginning at 602 and ending at 608.
• the method 600 comprises any action disclosed above.
• the method comprises encoding pilot signals in a first set of subcarriers of an OFDM symbol at 604.
• pilot signals are encoded in a second set of subcarriers, different from the first set, of a consecutive OFDM symbol.
• the symbol and the consecutive symbol are in the same smart-utility-network packet in at least one embodiment.
• the symbol is the last of a first group of consecutive OFDM symbols, each encoded with pilot signals in the first set of subcarriers in at least one embodiment.
• the consecutive symbol is the first of a second group of consecutive OFDM symbols, each encoded with pilot signals in the second set of subcarriers, the first group containing a same number of symbols as the second group.
• the consecutive symbol is the first of a second group of consecutive OFDM symbols, each encoded with pilot signals in the second set of subcarriers, the first group containing a different number of symbols as the second group, the second group containing more symbols if Doppler spread is decreasing, the second group containing less symbols if Doppler spread is increasing.
• the method 600 further comprises determining the pilot signals based on a pseudo-noise sequence.

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• 2010
  • 2010-12-06 US US12/961,032 patent/US8503553B2/en active Active
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  • 2010-12-10 WO PCT/US2010/059918 patent/WO2011084361A1/en not_active Ceased
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