US 10,541,763 B1 · Apparatus and method for digitally characterizing communication channel noise and interference

Abstract

A wireless receiver and method of wireless communication determines levels of noise, including interference, in communication channels without need of calibration. A digital test signal is digitally added to digitized noise, and a signal-to-noise-and-interference (SNIR) value is determined from a resulting bit error rate and/or message error rate. The level of noise is then determined from the SNIR. The amplitude of the digital test signal is adjusted to cause the SNIR to be sensitive to the noise level, which can require an SNIR between 1 dB and 10 dB. The system can include a digital test signal generator, or the digital test signal can be stored in a memory. The system can further include a channelizer, demodulator, data correlator, decryptor, and message assembler. Noise and interference level determinations can be used to select an optimal communication channel, and to adjust a transmission power and/or rate to suitable values.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wireless receiver configured to receive a transmitted message, the receiver comprising:

an analog input;
a digitizer configured to digitize analog energy that enters the receiver via the analog input, said digitized analog energy being digitized noise and interference when a signal of interest is not included in the analog energy;
a digital test signal source, configured to provide a digital test signal having a known amplitude and message content;
a digital signal gain controller, configured to adjust the digital test signal amplitude to a test input amplitude;
a signal combiner, configured to combine the adjusted digital test signal with the digitized noise and interference so as to create digital input data;
a data correlator configured to extract transmitted message bits from the digital input data;
and
a correlation statistics generator configured to determine a bit error rate of the symbols extracted by the data correlator by comparing the bits extracted by the data correlator with the known message content of the digital test signal.

5 more elements

A method for communicating over a wireless communication channel in which noise and interference are present, the method comprising:

a) selecting an available communication channel;
b) during a time period when no signal of interest is present in the selected communication channel, receiving analog noise and interference as an analog input;
c) digitizing the analog input to create a digitized noise and interference;
d) combining the digitized noise and interference with a digital test signal to form digital input data, the digital test signal being adjusted to a specified amplitude and having a known message content encoded as known message bits;
e) extracting message information from the digital input data;
f) determining a signal to noise and interference ratio (SNIR) of the digital input data by comparing the extracted message information with the known message content of the digital test message;
g) determining a noise and interference level of the selected channel from the determined SNIR;
h) if the determined SNIR does not meet a specified SNIR criterion, changing the specified amplitude of the digital test signal and repeating steps a) through g) until the SNIR meets the SNIR criterion;
and
i) at least one of:
i.) if there are a plurality of available communication channels, repeating steps a) through g) until a channel selection criterion is satisfied, selecting a one of the plurality of available communication channels according to the determined noise and interference levels, and transmitting a message over the selected communication channel;
and
ii) transmitting a message at a transmission power and/or a transmission rate that is/are selected according to the determined noise and interference level of the selected communication channel.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for digitally characterizing communication channel noise and interference

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for digitally characterizing communication channel noise and interference

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20