# US 12,114,274 B2 · Method for coordinating participants in sensor networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,274 B2 - Document ID: US12114274B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/411,301 - Filed: 2021-08-25 - Published: 2021-12-09 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-28 - Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.; Diehl Metering GmbH - Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.; Diehl Metering GmbH - Inventors: Gerd Kilian; Josef Bernhard; Thomas Kauppert; Hristo Petkov; Klaus Gottschalk; Johannes Wechsler; Jakob Kneißl; Dominik Soller; Stefan Ereth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114274B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services - H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes} - H04B 1/692: Hybrid techniques using combinations of two or more spread spectrum techniques - H04B 1/7073: Synchronisation aspects - H04B 1/713: using frequency hopping - H04B 1/7156: Arrangements for sequence synchronisation - H04W 56/00: Synchronisation arrangements - H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others} - H04W 56/0055: {determining timing error of reception due to propagation delay} - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04B 2001/6908: {using time hopping} - H04B 2001/71563: {Acquisition} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Embodiments of the present invention provide a participant of a communication system, wherein the communication system communicates wirelessly in a frequency used by a plurality of communication systems, wherein the participant is configured to transmit data uncoordinatedly with respect to other participants and/or a base station of the communication system, wherein the participant is configured to receive a synchronization data packet of a point-to-multipoint data transfer of the base station of the communication system, wherein the synchronization data packet is transferred in a frequency range of the frequency band of the communication system that is specified or known to the participant, wherein the participant is configured to receive, on the basis of the synchronization data packet, a payload data packet of the point-to-multipoint data transfer that is referenced in time and/or frequency to the synchronization data packet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A participant of a communication system, comprising: a transmitter, and a receiver, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit data asynchronously with respect to other participants and/or a base station of the communication system, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a synchronization data packet of a multicast data transfer of the base station of the communication system, wherein the synchronization data packet is transferred in a frequency range of the frequency band of the communication system that is known to the participant, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, on the basis of the synchronization data packet, a payload data packet of the multicast data transfer that is referenced in time and/or frequency to the synchronization data packet, wherein the synchronization data packet of the multicast data transfer is transferred divided onto a plurality of partial synchronization data packets, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets each comprise a part of the synchronization data packet, and wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred distributed in time and/or frequency according to a time and frequency hopping pattern known to the participant, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the plurality of partial synchronization data packets on the basis of the time and frequency hopping pattern known to the participant, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred within the frequency range known to the participant, wherein the frequency range known to the participant at most corresponds to a reception bandwidth of a receiver of the participant, wherein the frequency band used by the communication system comprises a bandwidth that is larger than the reception bandwidth of the receiver of the participant at least by the factor 5, or wherein the receiver of the participant comprises a reception bandwidth of 250 kHz or less, or wherein the receiver of the participant comprises a reception bandwidth that corresponds to a bandwidth of two to ten immediately adjacent frequency channels into which the frequency band is subdivided. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The participant according to claim 1, wherein the payload data packet of the multicast data transfer is transferred divided onto a plurality of partial payload data packets, wherein the plurality of partial payload data packets each comprise a part of the payload data packet, and wherein the plurality of partial payload data packets are transferred distributed in time and/or frequency according to a time and/or frequency hopping pattern, wherein the synchronization data packet comprises information about the time and/or frequency hopping pattern, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the plurality of partial payload data packets on the basis of the information about the time and/or frequency hopping pattern. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The participant according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit an uplink data transfer to the base station of the communication system and to receive, temporally synchronized to the transmitted uplink data transfer, a downlink data transfer from the base station, wherein the downlink data transfer comprises signaling information, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the synchronization data packet of the multicast data transfer on the basis of the signaling information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The participant according to claim 3, wherein the signaling information comprises information about a point in time of the transfer of the synchronization data packet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The participant according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization data packet is emitted multiple times, wherein a first emission of the synchronization data packet and a second emission of the synchronization data packet are versions of each other that are shifted in time and/or frequency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The participant according to claim 3, wherein the downlink data transfer comprises information about the time and/or frequency hopping pattern of the synchronization data packet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The participant according to claim 1, wherein the partial synchronization data packets are channel-encoded so that only a subset of the plurality of partial synchronization data packets is required to successfully decode the synchronization data packet, wherein the receiver is configured to receive and to decode at least a part of the plurality of partial synchronization data packets so as to acquire the synchronization data packet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The participant according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization data packet and the payload data packet of the multicast data transfer are encoded with the same error protection code. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The participant according to claim 1, wherein the participant is a sensor node or actuator node, wherein the participant is battery-operated, and/or wherein the participant comprises an energy harvesting element for generating electric energy. ### Claim 10 A base station of a communication system, wherein the base station is configured to transmit a multicast data transfer to asynchronously transmitting participants of the communication system, wherein the multicast data transfer comprises a synchronization data packet and a payload data packet referenced in time and/or frequency to the synchronization data packet, wherein the synchronization data packet is transferred in a frequency range of the frequency band of the communication system that is known to the participants, wherein the base station is configured to is transfer the synchronization data packet of the multicast data transfer divided onto a plurality of partial synchronization data packets, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets each comprise a part of the synchronization data packet, and wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred distributed in time and/or frequency according to a time and frequency hopping pattern known to a participant, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred according to the time and frequency hopping pattern of the synchronization data packet within the frequency range known to the participants, wherein the frequency range known to the participants at most corresponds to a reception bandwidth of a receiver of the participants, wherein the frequency band used by the communication system comprises a bandwidth that is larger than the reception bandwidth of the receivers of the participants at least by the factor 5, or wherein receivers of the participants comprise a reception bandwidth of 250 kHz or less, or wherein receivers of the participants comprise a reception bandwidth that corresponds to a bandwidth of two to ten immediately adjacent frequency channels into which the frequency band is subdivided. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The base station according to claim 10, wherein the base station is configured to transfer the payload data packet of the multicast data transfer divided onto a plurality of partial payload data packets, wherein the plurality of partial payload data packets each comprise a part of the payload data packet, and wherein the plurality of partial payload data packets are transferred distributed in time and/or frequency according to a time and/or frequency hopping pattern, wherein the base station is configured to provide the synchronization data packet with information about the time and/or frequency hopping pattern. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The base station according to claim 10, wherein the base station is configured to receive an uplink data transfer from one of the participants and to transmit, temporally synchronized to the uplink data transfer, a downlink data transfer to the participant, wherein the downlink data transfer comprises signaling information, wherein the signaling information signals the synchronization data packet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The base station according to claim 12, wherein the signaling information comprises information about a point in time of the transfer of the synchronization data packet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The base station according to claim 13, wherein the base station is configured to determine a clock deviation of a clock generator of the participant on the basis of the uplink data transfer, wherein the information about the point in time or the frequency of the multicast data transfer which the signalization information comprises considers the clock deviation of the clock of the participant. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The base station according to claim 10, wherein the base station is configured to emit the synchronization data packet multiple times, wherein a first emission of the synchronization data packet and a second emission of the synchronization data packet are versions of each other that are shifted in time and/or frequency. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The base station according to claim 12, wherein the base station is configured to provide the downlink data transfer with information about the time and/or frequency hopping pattern of the synchronization data packet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The base station according to claim 10, wherein the base station is configured to channel-encode the partial synchronization data packets so that only a subset of the plurality of partial synchronization data packets is required to successfully decode the synchronization data packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The base station according to claim 10, wherein the synchronization data packets and the payload data packet of the multicast data transfer are encoded with the same error protection code. ### Claim 19 A method for operating an asynchronously transmitting participant of a communication system, the method comprising: receiving a synchronization data packet of a multicast data transfer of the base station of the communication system, wherein the synchronization data packet is transferred in a frequency range of the frequency band of the communication system that is known to the participant, receiving, on the basis of the synchronization data packet, a payload data packet of the multicast data transfer that is referenced in time and/or frequency to the synchronization data packet, wherein the synchronization data packet of the multicast data transfer is transferred divided onto a plurality of partial synchronization data packets, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets each comprise a part of the synchronization data packet, and wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred distributed in time and/or frequency according to a time and frequency hopping pattern known to the participant, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are received on the basis of the time and frequency hopping pattern known to the participant, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred within the frequency range known to the participant, wherein the frequency range known to the participant at most corresponds to a reception bandwidth of a receiver of the participant, wherein the frequency band used by the communication system comprises a bandwidth that is larger than the reception bandwidth of the receiver of the participant at least by the factor 5, or wherein the receiver of the participant comprises a reception bandwidth of 250 kHz or less, or wherein the receiver of the participant comprises a reception bandwidth that corresponds to a bandwidth of two to ten immediately adjacent frequency channels into which the frequency band is subdivided. ### Claim 20 A method for operating a base station of a communication system, the method comprising: transmitting a multicast data transfer to a plurality of asynchronously transmitting participants of the communication system, wherein the multicast data transfer comprises a synchronization data packet and a payload data packet referenced in time and/or frequency to the synchronization data packet, wherein the synchronization data packet is transferred in a frequency range of the frequency band of the communication system that is known to the participants, wherein the synchronization data packet of the multicast data transfer is transferred divided onto a plurality of partial synchronization data packets, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets each comprise a part of the synchronization data packet, and wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred distributed in time and/or frequency according to a time and frequency hopping pattern known to the participant, wherein the plurality of partial synchronization data packets are transferred according to the time and frequency hopping pattern of the synchronization data packet within the frequency range known to the participants, wherein the frequency range known to the participants at most corresponds to a reception bandwidth of a receiver of the participants, wherein the frequency band used by the communication system comprises a bandwidth that is larger than the reception bandwidth of the receivers of the participants at least by the factor 5, or wherein receivers of the participants comprise a reception bandwidth of 250 kHz or less, or wherein receivers of the participants comprise a reception bandwidth that corresponds to a bandwidth of two to ten immediately adjacent frequency channels into which the frequency band is subdivided.