Time of arrival estimation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022091278-A1
Application number	US-202017603540-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2020
Priority date	Apr 16, 2019
Publication date	Mar 24, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is disclosed for determining a signal's time of arrival at a receiver device, the signal being transmitted by a transmitter device to the receiver device. The method comprises correlating the signal as transmitted by the transmitter device and the signal as received by the receiver device with each other. The signal comprises in its frequency spectrum a first signal component spanning a first frequency range, a second signal component spanning a second frequency range and a third signal 5 component spanning a third frequency range. The first frequency range and second frequency range are separated by a first intermediate frequency range that does not contain a signal component of the signal. The second frequency range and third frequency range are separated by a second intermediate frequency range that does not contain a signal component of the signal. The method further comprises, based on the performed correlation, determining said time of arrival.

First claim

1 . Method for determining a signal's time of arrival at a receiver device, the signal being transmitted by a transmitter device to the receiver device, the method comprising:
correlating the signal as transmitted by the transmitter device and the signal as received by the receiver device with each other, wherein the signal comprises in its frequency spectrum: a first signal component spanning a first frequency range, and, a second signal component spanning a second frequency range, and a third signal component spanning a third frequency range, wherein the first frequency range and second frequency range are separated by an intermediate frequency range that does not contain a signal component of the signal, and the second frequency range and third frequency range are separated by a second intermediate frequency range that does not contain a signal component of the signal, and the method comprising determining said time of arrival based on the performed correlation.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
based on the determined time of arrival, determining a distance between the transmitter device and the receiver device.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
an autocorrelation function of the signal as transmitted comprises a central peak of a first height at zero time displacement and one or more side peaks at nonzero time displacements, wherein all side peaks of the autocorrelation function are lower than 0.9 times the first height, preferably lower than 0.8 times the first height, more preferably lower than 0.7 times the first height, most preferably lower than 0.6 times the first height.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the signal as transmitted comprises a plurality of signal components, wherein the signal components span respective frequency ranges, wherein
the plurality of signal components comprises a lowest frequency signal component comprising the lowest frequency present in the signal and a highest frequency signal component comprising the highest frequency present in the signal, wherein the lowest frequency and highest frequency are separated by a frequency range of at least 50 MHz wide, preferably at least 100 MHz wide, more preferably at least 250 MHz wide, even more preferably at least 500 MHz wide.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first frequency range has a center frequency f c 1 and the second frequency range has a center frequency f c 2 and the third frequency range has a center frequency f c 3 , and wherein correlating the signal as transmitted and the signal as received with each other comprises: obtaining a down-converted first signal component as received obtainable by down-converting the first signal component as received over a first frequency shift range, the down-converted first signal component as received having a center frequency f c 1, ↓ , and obtaining a down-converted second signal component as received obtainable by down-converting the second signal component as received over a second frequency shift range, the down-converted second signal component as received having a center frequency f c 2, ↓ , and obtaining a down-converted third signal component as received obtainable by down-converting the third signal component as received over a third frequency shift range, the down-converted third signal component as received having a center frequency f c 3 ,↓ , and correlating the down-converted first signal component as received and a down-converted first signal component as transmitted with each other in order to determine a first correlation signal, wherein the down-converted first signal component as transmitted is obtainable by down-converting the first signal component as transmitted over the first frequency shift range, and the first correlation signal has a center frequency f c 1 ,corr , and correlating the down-converted second signal component as received and a down-converted second signal component as transmitted with each other in order to determine a second correlation signal, wherein the down-converted second signal component as transmitted is obtainable by down-converting the second signal component as transmitted over the second frequency shift range, and the second correlation signal has a center frequency f c 2 ,corr , and correlating the down-converted third signal component as received and a down-converted third signal component as transmitted with each other in order to determine a third correlation signal, wherein the down-converted third signal component as transmitted is obtainable by down-converting the third signal component as transmitted over the third frequency shift range, and the third correlation signal has a center frequency f c 3 ,corr , and frequency shifting the first correlation signal, the frequency shifted first correlation signal having a center frequency f c 1 ,corr,shifted , and frequency shifting the second correlation signal, the frequency shifted second correlation signal having a center frequency f c 2 ,corr,shifted , and frequency shifting the third correlation signal, the frequency shifted third correlation signal having a center frequency f c 3 ,corr,shifted , such that

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Assignees

• Univ Delft Tech
• Stichting Technische Wetenschappen

Inventors

• Tiberius Christiaan Christoffel Johan
• Janssen Gerardus Johannes Maria
• Koelemij Jeroen

Classifications

• G01S11/08 Primary

  using synchronised clocks · CPC title

• G01S19/32 Primary

  Multimode operation in a single same satellite system, e.g. GPS L1/L2 · CPC title

• G01S19/24

  Acquisition or tracking {or demodulation} of signals transmitted by the system {(synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073)} · CPC title

• H04W56/0055

  determining timing error of reception due to propagation delay · CPC title