Claims
- 1. A method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system using radio frequency (RF) burst communications comprising the steps of:
generating at a base station a transmitted-reference (TR) pilot signal transmission; transmitting by the base station a transmitted-reference, delay-hopped (TR/DH) pilot signal to a plurality of mobile devices in the radio telemetry system; using the TR/DH pilot signal and a TR/DH receiver and time-of-arrival estimator in each of the plurality of mobile devices to acquire synchronization with the base station; generating and buffering telemetry data at each of the plurality of mobile devices; and transmitting by each of the mobile devices telemetry data at a predetermined time after synchronization with the base station.
- 2. The method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system recited in claim 1, wherein the RF burst transmission is a burst of time modulated ultra-wideband (UWB) communications transmission.
- 3. The method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system recited in claim 1, wherein the TR/DH pilot signal comprises a code word consisting of Nc chips, transmitted sequentially, having a fixed duration, Tc, each chip being composed of Np pulse pairs.
- 4. The method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system recited in claim 1, wherein the TR/DH pilot signal comprises two noise signals transmitted for a time period of duration Tc.
- 5. The method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system recited in claim 1, wherein the transmissions from the mobile devices to the base station are a narrowband modulation.
- 6. The method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system recited in claim 5, wherein the narrowband modulation is Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK).
- 7. The method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system recited in claim 1, wherein the telemetry system uses a time division, multiple access (TDMA) scheme for transmitting telemetry data.
- 8. The method for synchronizing a radio telemetry system recited in claim 1, wherein the telemetry system uses a time slotted transmission scheme for transmitting telemetry data.
- 9. A radio telemetry system using radio frequency (RF) burst communications comprising a base station and a plurality of mobile devices, apparatus for synchronizing the radio telemetry system comprising:
a pilot signal generator at the base station for generating a transmitted-reference pilot signal, the base station broadcasting a transmitted-reference, delay-hopped (TR/DH) pilot signal to the mobile devices; a TR/DH receiver and time-of-arrival estimator at each of the mobile devices for detecting the TR/DH pilot signal to acquire synchronization with the transmitter; a data buffer for temporarily storing telemetry data at each of the mobile devices; and a transmitter at each of the mobile devices for transmitting buffered telemetry data at a predetermined time after synchronization with the base station.
- 10. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 9, wherein the RF burst transmission is a burst of time modulated ultra-wideband (UWB) burst transmission.
- 11. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 9, wherein the TR/DH pilot signal comprises a code word consisting of Nc chips, transmitted sequentially, having a fixed duration, Tc, each chip being composed of Np pulse pairs.
- 12. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 9, wherein the TR/DH pilot signal comprises two noise signals transmitted for a time period of duration Tc.
- 13. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 9, wherein the transmissions from the mobile devices to the base station are a narrowband modulation.
- 14. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 13, wherein the narrowband modulation is Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK).
- 15. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 9, wherein the telemetry system uses a time division, multiple access (TDMA) scheme for transmitting telemetry data.
- 16. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 9, wherein the telemetry system uses a time slotted transmission scheme for transmitting telemetry data.
- 17. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 9, wherein the TR/DH pilot signal comprises a code word consisting of Nc chips, transmitted sequentially, having a fixed duration, Tc, each chip being composed of Np pulse pairs, the TR/DH receiver further comprising:
a bank of pulse pair correlators receiving the TR/DH pilot signal and generating outputs; a bank of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) digitizing the outputs of the bank of pulse pair correlators; a DH code word correlator receiving the digitized outputs from the bank of ADCs and generating a correlation output; and time estimation logic receiving the correlation output of the DH code word correlator and generating timing information for generating a numerical time-of-arrival (TOA) estimate.
- 18. A telemetry system as recited in claim 17, wherein the DH code word correlator is implemented as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
- 19. A telemetry system as recited in claim 17, wherein the DH code word correlator is implemented as a programmable logic device (PLD).
- 20. A telemetry system as recited in claim 17, wherein time estimation logic detects the TR/DH pilot signal by estimating a TOA of a burst of RF composed of a TR/DH code word using a model.
- 21. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 17, wherein the time estimation logic is implemented using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
- 22. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 17, wherein the time estimation logic is implemented using programmable logic device (PLD).
- 23. A radio telemetry system as recited in claim 17, wherein the time estimation logic includes a programmable digital signal processor (DSP) to convert a numerical TOA estimate to a clock edge for controlling a start of transmission of telemetry data.
- 24. A mobile device for a radio telemetry system including apparatus for initial synchronization with a central transmitter comprising:
a receiver for detecting a transmitted-reference, delay-hopped (TR/DH) pilot signal to acquire synchronization with the central transmitter; a buffer for temporarily storing telemetry data; and a transmitter for transmitting buffered telemetry data at a predetermined time after synchronization with the central transmitter.
- 25. A mobile device for a radio telemetry system as recited in claim 24, wherein the TR/DH pilot signal comprises a code word consisting of Nc chips, transmitted sequentially, having a fixed duration, Tc, each chip being composed of Np pulse pairs.
- 26. A mobile device for a radio telemetry system as recited in claim 24, wherein the TR/DH pilot signal comprises two noise signals transmitted for a time period of duration Tc.
- 27. A mobile device for a radio telemetry system as recited in claim 24, wherein the transmissions from the mobile devices to the base station are a narrowband modulation.
- 28. A mobile device for a radio telemetry system as recited in claim 27, wherein the narrowband modulation is Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK).
- 29. A mobile device for a radio telemetry system as recited in claim 24, wherein transmission of buffered telemetry data is based on a time division, multiple access (TDMA) scheme.
- 30. A mobile device for radio telemetry system as recited in claim 24, wherein transmission of buffered telemetry data is based on a time slotted transmission txtv scheme.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The subject matter of this application is related to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/753,443 filed Jan. 3, 2001, by H. W. Tomlinson, Jr., J. E. Hershey, R. T. Hoctor, and K. B. Welles, II, for “Ultra-Wideband Communication System” (GE Docket RD-27,754), copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/974,032 filed Oct. 10, 2001, by R. T. Hoctor, D. M. Davenport, A. M. Dentinger, N. A. Van Stralen, H. W. Tomlinson, Jr., K. B. Welles, II, and J. E. Hershey for “Ultra-Wideband Communication System and Method Using a Delay-Hopped, Continuous Noise Transmitted Reference” (GE Docket RD-28,759), copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/973,140 filed Oct. 9, 2001, by R. T. Hoctor, J. E. Hershey and H. W. Tomlinson, Jr., for “Transmitter Location for Ultra-Wideband, Transmitted-Reference, CDMA Communication System” (GE Docket RD-27,855), and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ filed , ______, 2002, by R. T. Hoctor and S. Hladik for “Synchronization of Ultra-wideband Communications Using a Transmitted-reference Preamble” (GE Docket RD-28,133) all of which are assigned to the assignee of this application. The disclosures of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/753,443, 09/974,032, 09/973,140, and Ser. No. ______ (GE Docket RD-28,133) are incorporated herein by reference.