Radio frequency (rf)-based ranging and imaging in a wireless communications circuit, particularly for a wireless communications system (wcs)

A method for performing radio frequency (RF)-based ranging and imaging in a wireless communications circuit, comprising:

• radiating an RF probing signal in a plurality of radiation directions in a wireless communications cell;
• absorbing a plurality of RF reflection signals corresponding to the RF probing signal radiated in the plurality of radiation directions;
• converting the plurality of RF reflection signals into a plurality of digital reflection signals, respectively;
• processing the plurality of digital reflection signals based on timing and directionality information related to the RF probing signal to detect one or more obstacles in the wireless communications cell;
• and
• generating a surrounding image of the wireless communications cell comprising the one or more detected obstacles.

A wireless communications system (WCS), comprising:

• a central unit;
• and
• a plurality of remote units coupled to the central unit via a plurality of communications mediums, wherein at least one remote unit among the plurality of remote units comprises a wireless communications circuit, the wireless communications circuit comprising:
• an antenna circuit configured to:
• radiate a radio frequency (RF) probing signal in a plurality of radiation directions in a wireless communications cell;
• and
• absorb a plurality of RF reflection signals corresponding to the RF probing signal radiated in the plurality of radiation directions;
• an RF front-end circuit configured to convert the plurality of RF reflection signals into a plurality of digital reflection signals, respectively;
• and
• a radar signal processing (RSP) circuit configured to:
• process the plurality of digital reflection signals based on timing and directionality information related to the RF probing signal to detect one or more obstacles in the wireless communications cell;
• and
• generate a surrounding image of the wireless communications cell comprising the one or more detected obstacles.