Frame structure with diversity
AssigneeVTech Telecommunications Limited
InventorChris J. Goodings
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A time division duplex digital radio frame structure with time and frequency diversity and method for use thereof is presented. Each packet of data is transmitted twice in successive frequency hops, such that the redundant transmission differs in both time and frequency from the primary transmission. A communications system employing the frame structure may be configured to dynamically shift between fully diverse, asynchronous and non-diverse modes of operation. The mode of operation may be selected based upon one or more operating parameters, such as battery power or detected interference. When error correction is implemented and a primary transmission is received without error, system devices may de-power circuitry to reduce power consumption.
Claims17
A time division duplex data frame utilized within a wireless frequency hopping digital communications system, where communications in successive data frames occur on different wireless carrier frequencies, each data frame being comprised of:
- a primary data transmission period during which a first block of digital data is transmitted, where the first block of digital data has not been previously transmitted;
- a redundant data transmission period during which a second block of digital data is transmitted, where the second block of digital data was previously transmitted at a different carrier frequency during the primary data transmission period of the prior data frame;
- a primary data receive period during which a third block of digital data is received, where the third block of digital data has not previously been received;
- a redundant data receive period during which a fourth block of digital data is received, where the fourth block of digital data was previously received at a different carrier frequency during the primary data receive period of the prior data frame.
A time division duplex data frame utilized within a wireless frequency hopping digital communications system, where communications in successive data frames occur on different wireless carrier frequencies, each data frame being comprised of:
- a primary data receive period during which a first block of digital data is received, where the first block of digital data has not been previously received;
- a redundant data receive period during which a second block of digital data is received, where the second block of digital data was previously received at a different carrier frequency during the primary data transmission period of the prior data frame.
A method for communicating data between a first device and a second device via a wireless frequency hopping digital communications link, which method is comprised of the steps of:
- transmitting a first block of data from the first device to the second device during a first data frame period, where the first block of data has not been previously transmitted;
- transmitting a second block of data from the first device to the second device during the first data frame period, where the second block of data was also transmitted by the first device during the data frame period immediately preceeding the first data frame period.
A method for communication data between a first device and a second device via a wireless frequency hopping digital communications link where the communications are divided into a plurality of data frames, which method is comprised of the steps of:
- transmitting at least one data block within each frame from the first device to the second device, where each data block is transmitted one time;
- determining that the quality of the communications link fails to satisfy a predetermined criterion;
- transmitting a first data block and a second data block from the first device to the second device within each frame, the first data block containing data that has not been previously transmitted from the first device to the second device, the second data block containing data that was also transmitted from the first device to the second device during the preceeding frame.
A method for communication data between a first device and a second device via a wireless frequency hopping digital communications link where the communications are divided into a plurality of data frames and the first device is powered by a battery power source, which method is comprised of the steps of:
- transmitting a first data block and a second data block from the first device to the second device within each frame, the first data block containing data that has not been previously transmitted from the first device to the second device, the second data block containing data that was also transmitted from the first device to the second device during the preceeding frame.
- determining that the level of power remaining in the battery power source is below a predetermined threshold level;
- transmitting at least one data block within each frame from the first device to the second device, where each data block is transmitted only one time;
A method for receiving data via a wireless frequency hopping digital communications link via which one data frame is transmitted during each frequency hop, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first data frame containing a first data block and an error detection field associated with the contents of the first data block during a first frequency hop;
- using the contents of the error detection field to determine that the first data block was received with one or more errors;
- receiving a second data frame containing a second data block and an error detection field associated with the contents of the second data block during a second frequency hop immediately following the first frequency hop, where the contents of the second data block are identical to the contents of the first data block;
- using the contents of the error detection field to determine whether the second data block was received with one or more errors;
- storing null data into the buffer if the second data block was received with one or more errors;
- storing the contents of the second data block into a buffer if the second data block was received without error.
A method for receiving data by a wireless device via a frequency hopping digital communications link, the communications link being comprised of a plurality of successive data frames, each data frame comprising a primary data period and a redundant data period, where the contents of the redundant data period are the same as the contents of the primary data period during the preceeding frame, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first data frame, the first data frame also containing an error detection field associated with the contents of at least the first data period of the first data frame;
- using the contents of the error detection field to determine that the contents of the first data period were received without any errors;
- depowering a receiver circuit associated with the wireless device during receipt of at least the second data period during a second data frame immediately following the first data frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.