Apparatus for communication and sensing

An apparatus configured to control a transmitter, the apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

• provide for generation of a data frame for transmission by the transmitter at a selected one of a plurality of predetermined carrier frequencies, the data frames having a fixed predetermined frame length, wherein each data frame comprises fixed predetermined number of sub-frames, and each sub-frame comprises a predetermined number of slots based on which of the plurality of predetermined carrier frequencies is selected, and wherein each slot includes a fixed number of symbol time periods;
• receive a data stream for transmission;
• define, for the predetermined number of slots of each sub-frame, at least one communication-slot for transmitting of data-symbols that represent the data stream and at least one sense-slot for transmitting a predetermined sense-symbol for use in sensing an environment proximal the transmitter;
• wherein the generation of the data frame further includes
• the generation of the data-symbols that represent the data stream, in the respective symbol time periods of the at least one communication-slot, according to a predetermined encoding protocol, and
• the generation of the predetermined sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the respective at least one sense-slot.

A method for an apparatus comprising a processor that is configured to control a transmitter, the method comprising:

• providing for generation of a data frame for transmission by the transmitter at a selected one of a plurality of predetermined carrier frequencies, the data frames having a fixed predetermined frame length, wherein each data frame comprises fixed predetermined number of sub-frames, and each sub-frame comprises a predetermined number of slots based on which of the plurality of predetermined carrier frequencies is selected, and wherein each slot includes a fixed number of symbol time periods;
• receiving a data stream for transmission;
• defining, for the predetermined number of slots of each sub-frame, at least one communication-slot for transmitting of data-symbols that represent the data stream and at least one sense-slot for transmitting a predetermined sense-symbol for use in sensing an environment proximal the transmitter;
• and
• wherein the providing for generation of the data frame further includes
• generating the data-symbols that represent the data stream, in the respective symbol time periods of the at least one communication-slot, according to a predetermined encoding protocol, and
• generating the predetermined sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the respective at least one sense-slot.