Ultra wideband (UWB) link configuration methods and systems

A method comprising:

• providing an ultra-wideband (UWB) circuit comprising at least one of a transmitter circuit for encoding data as signals within a predetermined frequency range and a receiver circuit for decoding other data from other signals within the predetermined frequency range and a controller coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• and
• an antenna sub-system coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• wherein
• the other data received and decoded by the receiver circuit comprises packets of other data;
• the antenna sub-system comprises:
• a first receiver signal chain coupled to a first antenna;
• a second receiver signal chain coupled to a second antenna;
• and
• a switch selectively coupling the UWB circuit to one of the first receiver signal chain and the second receiver signal chain;
• and
• the controller determines whether to power down one of the first receiver signal chain and the second receiver signal chain in dependence upon a preamble of each packet of other data.

A method comprising:

• providing an ultra-wideband (UWB) circuit comprising at least one of a transmitter circuit for encoding data as signals within a predetermined frequency range and a receiver circuit for decoding other data from other signals within the predetermined frequency range and a controller coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• and
• an antenna sub-system coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• wherein
• the other data received and decoded by the receiver circuit comprises packets of other data;
• the antenna sub-system comprises:
• a first receiver signal chain coupled to a first antenna;
• a second receiver signal chain coupled to a second antenna;
• and
• a switch selectively coupling the UWB circuit to one of the first receiver signal chain and the second receiver signal chain;
• the controller determines whether to power down one of the first receiver signal chain and the second receiver signal chain in dependence upon a preamble of each packet of other data;
• and
• at least one of:
• the first antenna and second antenna have spatially diverse directive radiation patterns;
• and
• the first antenna and second antenna are orientated orthogonally to each other to provide polarization diversity.

A method comprising:

• providing an ultra-wideband (UWB) circuit comprising at least one of a transmitter circuit for encoding data as signals within a predetermined frequency range and a receiver circuit for decoding other data from other signals within the predetermined frequency range and a controller coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• and
• an antenna sub-system coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• wherein
• the antenna sub-system comprises:
• an open stub filter coupled to a port of the UWB circuit comprising a pair of open stubs tuned to a center frequency of a second harmonic of a frequency within the predetermined frequency range;
• a defected ground structure (DGS) bandpass filter;
• a balun disposed between the open stub filter and the DGS bandpass filter;
• and
• a monopole antenna incorporating a single frequency notch filter to reject signals within another predetermined frequency range.

A method comprising:

• providing an ultra-wideband (UWB) circuit comprising at least one of a transmitter circuit for encoding data as signals within a predetermined frequency range and a receiver circuit for decoding other data from other signals within the predetermined frequency range and a controller coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• and
• an antenna sub-system coupled to the at least one of the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;
• wherein when the UWB circuit comprises the transmitter circuit the transmitter circuit comprises a radio frequency (RF) signal generator receiving the data to be transmitted and a clock signal characterised by a clock frequency;
• the controller controls the generation of the signals encoding the data such that each bit within the data being transmitted is comprised of a plurality N pulses generated by the RF signal generator wherein each pulse of the N pulses is at a predetermined frequency of a plurality M frequencies, has a predetermined amplitude, and has a predetermined pulse length;
• wherein
• N≥2 and M≥2;
• M and N are integers;
• a pulse repetition rate of the RF signal generator is determined in dependence of the clock frequency;
• the integer N depends upon a duration of a bit of the data signal and the pulse repetition rate of the RF signal generator;
• the plurality N pulses are transmitted within the duration of the bit of the data signal and comprise pulses at the plurality M frequencies;
• and
• the plurality N pulses are within a predetermined frequency band.