Back to results
US 2020/0049790 A1Published application
Methods and Systems for Selecting the Shortest Path in a Multi-path Environment
AssigneeWiser Systems, Inc.
InventorSeth Edward-Austin Hollar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are described for determining the shortest RF path in a multi-path environment. In an aspect a signal is transmitted by a transmitter. Multiple copies of the signal are received by a multi-directional receiver based on antenna elements that have a unique antenna pattern for each copy of the signal and where the copies are phase correlated and time synchronized. The copies are deconstructed into components of the reflected and line-of-sight waves of the transmitted signal. The shortest path is selected from among the reflected and line-of-sight waves using the deconstruction.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a multi-directional receiver unit (MDRU) comprising two or more separate receivers, each of the two or more separate receivers having a corresponding antenna, a first of the corresponding antennas having a first antenna pattern and a second of the corresponding antennas having a second antenna pattern, different from the first antenna pattern, the MDRU being configured to receive radio frequency (RF) signals from a wireless transmitter,
- wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to emit an RF wave uniformly in all directions, impending waves onto the MDRU constitute first and second RF waves, wherein the first RF wave is a first reflected RF wave and the second RF wave is a second non-reflected direct line of sight (DLOS) RF wave;
- wherein the first RF wave has a first impending direction, amplitude and phase onto the first antenna of the MDRU and wherein the second RF wave has a second impending direction, amplitude and phase, different from the first impending direction, amplitude and phase, onto the second antenna of the MDRU;
- wherein the first and second antennas are approximately co-located on the MDRU;
- wherein the two or more separate receivers include a first receiver receiving both the reflected RF wave and non-reflected DLOS RF wave and recording a stream of phase and magnitude data of a first composite wave and a second receiver receiving both the reflected RF wave and the non-reflected DLOS RF wave and recording the stream of phase and magnitude data of a second composite wave;
- and
- a processing unit to process the stream of phase and magnitude data of the first composite wave and the stream of phase and magnitude data of the second composite wave to deconstruct phase and magnitude data of the first reflected RF wave from the phase and magnitude data of the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave based on the first and second antenna patterns and superposition of the first and second composite waves and determine a shortest propagation path of the first reflected RF wave and the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave based on a comparison of a known phase and magnitude of the first reflected RF wave and the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave, respectively, wherein a shortest propagation path correlates to a smallest phase difference,
- wherein the first receiver unit is configured to dynamically reconfigure the first antenna pattern.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- a multi-directional receiver unit (MDRU) comprising two or more separate receivers, each of the two or more separate receivers having a corresponding antenna, a first of the corresponding antennas having a first antenna pattern and a second of the corresponding antennas having a second antenna pattern, different from the first antenna pattern, the MDRU being configured to receive radio frequency (RF) signals from a wireless transmitter,
- wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to emit an RF wave uniformly in all directions, impending waves onto the MDRU constitute first and second RF waves, wherein the first RF wave is a first reflected RF wave and the second RF wave is a second non-reflected direct line of sight (DLOS) RF wave;
- wherein the first RF wave has a first impending direction, amplitude and phase onto the first antenna of the MDRU and wherein the second RF wave has a second impending direction, amplitude and phase, different from the first impending direction, amplitude and phase, onto the second antenna of the MDRU;
- wherein the first and second antennas are approximately co-located on the MDRU;
- wherein the two or more separate receivers include a first receiver receiving both the reflected RF wave and non-reflected DLOS RF wave and recording a stream of phase and magnitude data of a first composite wave and a second receiver receiving both the reflected RF wave and the non-reflected DLOS RF wave and recording the stream of phase and magnitude data of a second composite wave;
- a processing unit to process the stream of phase and magnitude data of the first composite wave and the stream of phase and magnitude data of the second composite wave to deconstruct phase and magnitude data of the first reflected RF wave from the phase and magnitude data of the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave based on the first and second antenna patterns and superposition of the first and second composite waves and determine a shortest propagation path of the first reflected RF wave and the second nor-reflected DLOS RF wave based on a comparison of a known phase and magnitude of the first reflected RF wave and the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave, respectively, wherein a shortest propagation path correlates to a smallest phase difference;
- and an atomic clock configured to maintain clock synchronization.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- a multi-directional receiver unit (MDRU) comprising two or more separate receivers, each of the two or more separate receivers having a corresponding antenna, a first of the corresponding antennas having a first antenna pattern and a second of the corresponding antennas having a second antenna pattern, different from the first antenna pattern, the MDRU being configured to receive radio frequency (RF) signals from a wireless transmitter,
- wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to emit an RF wave uniformly in all directions, impending waves onto the MDRU constitute first and second RF waves, wherein the first RF wave is a first reflected RF wave and the second RF wave is a second non-reflected direct line of sight (DLOS) RF wave;
- wherein the first RF wave has a first impending direction, amplitude and phase onto the first antenna of the MDRU and wherein the second RF wave has a second impending direction, amplitude and phase, different from the first impending direction, amplitude and phase, onto the second antenna of the MDRU;
- wherein the first and second antennas are approximately co-located on the MDRU;
- wherein the two or more separate receivers include a first receiver receiving both the reflected RF wave and non-reflected DLOS RF wave and recording a stream of phase and magnitude data of a first composite wave and a second receiver receiving both the reflected RF wave and the non-reflected DLOS RF wave and recording the stream of phase and magnitude data of a second composite wave;
- and
- a processing unit to process the stream of phase and magnitude data of the first composite wave and the stream of phase and magnitude data of the second composite wave to deconstruct phase and magnitude data of the first reflected RF wave from the phase and magnitude data of the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave based on the first and second antenna patterns and superposition of the first and second composite waves and determine a shortest propagation path of the first reflected RF wave and the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave based on a comparison of a known phase and magnitude of the first reflected RF wave and the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave, respectively, wherein a shortest propagation path correlates to a smallest phase difference,
- wherein the processing unit is further configured to calculate a difference in a length of travel of the first reflected RF wave relative to the second non-reflected DLOS RF wave to determine points of reflection.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.