Method for improved line of sight signal detection using time/frequency analysis

A method comprising:

• receiving an incoming signal comprising at least one multipath component of a signal transmitted by a wireless terminal through an RF environment;
• decomposing the incoming signal into a set of decomposed signals, which when superposed constitute the incoming signal;
• comparing the set of decomposed signals to a set of expected decomposed signals at instants in time;
• and
• identifying a time-of-arrival of a line-of-sight component of the incoming signal from the comparison, wherein the identifying step includes
• determining a first instant in time at which the set of decomposed signals substantially match the set of expected decomposed signals, the first instant in time being the time-of-arrival of the line-of-sight component of the incoming signal,
• wherein the set of decomposed signals substantially match the set of expected decomposed signals when a number of matching corresponding decomposed signals from the two sets meets or exceeds a threshold.

A method comprising:

• receiving an incoming signal comprising at least one multipath component of a signal transmitted by a wireless terminal in an RF environment;
• performing a time/frequency analysis on the incoming signal, including comparing a set of frequency components of the incoming signal to a set of expected frequency components of the transmitted signal, to identify a time-of-arrival of a line-of-sight component of the incoming signal;
• and
• identifying a first instant in time at which said set of frequency components of the incoming signal substantially match said set of frequency components of the signal transmitted by the wireless terminal, said first identified instant in time thereby being the time-of-arrival of the line-of-sight component of the incoming signal,
• wherein said set of frequency components of the incoming signal substantially matches said set of frequency components of the signal transmitted by the wireless terminal when a number of matching corresponding frequency components from the two sets meets or exceeds a threshold.