Time-reversal wireless paradigm for internet of things

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9781700-B2
Application number	US-201615200429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A method of connecting devices to a network is provided. The method includes providing base stations connected to a network, and at each of the base stations, receiving probe signals from terminal devices. For each of the terminal devices, the base station calculates a signature waveform based on a time-reversed waveform of a channel response signal derived from the corresponding probe signal. For each of the terminal devices, the base station determines a downlink transmit signal for the terminal device based on the downlink data and the corresponding signature waveform, and transmits the downlink signals to the terminal devices. Several base stations have overlapping broadcast regions, several terminal devices are located within the overlapped broadcast regions, the base stations transmit the downlink signals using a same frequency band, and some downlink signals transmitted by base stations having overlapping broadcast regions also overlap in time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first base station device of a time reversal communication system, comprising:
at least one transceiver with associated electronic circuit connected to a network;
at least one processor;
a memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor;
a set of instructions to be executed by the at least one processor using the memory to:
receive at least one channel probing signal sent from a first terminal device in a first broadcast region through a wireless multipath channel to the first base station device,
wherein the first broadcast region is a region associated with the first base station device in which the first base station device can communicate with any terminal devices wirelessly,

determine a first location-specific signature waveform based on the at least one received channel probing signal from the first terminal device,
wherein the first location-specific signature waveform to be associated with a first location of the first terminal device in the first broadcast region,

generate first transmit data signals based on data intended for the first terminal device and the first location-specific signature waveform,
wherein the first transmit data signals to have frequencies within a first spectral band, and

transmit the first transmit data signals wirelessly from the first base station device to the first terminal device,
wherein a second base station device is associated with a second broadcast region in which the second base station device can communicate with any terminal devices wirelessly,
wherein the second base station device is configured to transmit second wireless signals having frequencies within a second spectral band,
wherein the second broadcast region to at least partially overlap the first broadcast region,
wherein the second spectral band to at least partially overlap with the first spectral band.

2. The first base station device of the time reversal communication system of claim 1 :
wherein the at least one processor to comprise:
a first processor for determining the first location-specific signature, and
a second processor for generating the first transmit data signals.

3. The first base station device of the time reversal communication system of claim 1 :
wherein the at least one processor to introduce a rate back-off factor.

4. The first base station device of the time reversal communication system of claim 1 :
wherein the transceiver is configured to receive at least one channel probing signal sent from a second terminal device in the first broadcast region through the wireless multipath channel; and
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
determine a second location-specific signature waveform based on the at least one received channel probing signal from the second terminal device,
wherein the second location-specific signature waveform to be associated with a second location of the second terminal device in the first broadcast region, and

generate second transmit data signals based on data intended for the second terminal device and the second location-specific signature waveform.

5. The first base station device of the time reversal communication system of claim 4 :
wherein the at least one processor is configured further to:
generate a combined downlink signal that comprises the first transmit data signals and the second transmit data signals, and
transmit the combined downlink signal to the first terminal device and the second terminal device using the at least one transceiver.

6. The first base station device of the time reversal communication system of claim 1 :
wherein a combined downlink signal is generated comprising the first transmit data signals;
wherein the combined downlink signal is transmitted from the first base station device to the first terminal device; and
wherein the first location-specific signature waveform is configured such that portions of the combined downlink signal propagating through the multiple wireless transmission paths of the wireless multipath channel interfere constructively at the first location of the first terminal device so that the signal strength of the first transmit data signals at the first location is stronger than at other locations.

7. The first base station device of the time reversal communication system of claim 6 :
wherein the signal strength of the first transmit data signals at the first location of the respective terminal device is at least 3 dB stronger than at other locations more than a half of a wavelength away.

8. The first base station device of the time reversal communication system of claim 1 :
wherein each base station device to receive at least one channel probing signal from each of a set of terminal devices that intend to communicate with the base station device through multiple wireless transmission paths; and
wherein respective location-specific signature waveform corresponding to respective terminal device is dependent on respective multiple wireless transmission paths.

9. A first terminal device of a time reversal communication system, comprising:
at least one transceiver with associated electronic circuit;
at least one processor;
a memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor;
a set of instructions to be executed by the at least one processor using the memory to:
send at least one channel probing signal from the first terminal device in a first broadcast region to a first base station device of the time reversal communication system through a wireless multipath channel,
wherein the first broadcast region is a region associated with the first base station device in which the first base station device can communicate with any terminal devices wirelessly, and
wherein the first base station device to comprise a transceiver and at least one processor configured to:
determine a first location-specific signature waveform based on the at least one received channel probing signal from the first terminal device,
wherein the first location-specific signature waveform to be associated with a first location of the first terminal device in the first broadcast region,

generate first transmit data signals based on data intended for the first terminal device and the first location-specific signature waveform,
wherein the first transmit data signals to have frequencies within a first spectral band, and

transmit the first transmit data signals wirelessly from the first base station device to the first terminal device,
wherein a second base station device is associated with a second broadcast region in which the second base station device can communicate with any terminal devices wirelessly,
wherein the second base station device is configured to transmit second wireless signals having frequencies within a second spectral band,
wherein the second broadcast region to at least partially overlap the first broadcast region, and
wherein the second spectral band to at least partially overlap with the first spectral band.

10. The first terminal device of the time reversal communication system of claim 9 :
wherein the at least one processor of the first base station device to comprise:
a first processor for determining the first location-specific signature, and
a second processor for generating the first transmit data signals.

11. The first terminal device of the time reversal communication system of claim 9 :
wherein the at least one processor of the first base station device to introduce a rate back-off factor.

12. The first terminal device of the time reversal communication system of claim 9 :
wherein the transceiver of the first base stati

Assignees

• Origin Wireless Inc

Inventors

• Chen Yan
• Ma Hang
• Han Yi
• Lai Hung-Quoc Duc
• Liu K J Ray

Classifications

• H04W72/542

  using measured or perceived quality · CPC title

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W72/30 Primary

  Resource management for broadcast services · CPC title

• H04L25/0204 Primary

  of multiple channels · CPC title

• H04W72/085

  Electricity · mapped topic