Apparatus for communication and sensing

1 . An apparatus configured to control a transmitter, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to

receive a data stream, and

generate a data frame for transmission by the transmitter, wherein the data frame has a plurality of sub-frames, wherein each sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames includes a plurality of slots, wherein in one or more sub-frames of the plurality of sub-frames, one or more first slots of the plurality of slots are defined as one or more communication slots, and one or more second slots of the plurality of slots, which are different from the first slots, are defined as one or more sense-slots, and wherein each slot of the plurality of slots includes a plurality of symbol time periods, and wherein generating the data frame includes

generating first data-symbols that represent at least a portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a first sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to a predetermined encoding protocol, and

generating a first sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the first sub-frame, wherein the sense-symbol includes a waveform for use in sensing a characteristic of an object in a physical environment proximal the transmitter.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots in each sub-frame comprises at least two slots, and each sense-slot excludes data-symbols that represent the data stream.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the first data-symbols by:

generating the first data-symbols that represent the data stream in the symbol time periods of the communication-slots and in the symbol time periods of the sense-slots that are not occupied by the first sense-symbol.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein generating the data frame further comprises:

generating second data-symbols that represent at least a second portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a second sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to the predetermined encoding protocol,

generating a second sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the second sub-frame,

generating third data-symbols that represent at least a third portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a third sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to the predetermined encoding protocol, and

generating a third sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the third sub-frame,

wherein a time period between the first and second sense-symbols is the same as a time period between the second and third sense-symbols.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured such that a position of the at least one symbol time period in the at least one sense-slot of each sub-frame during which the sense-symbol is generated is selected to provide a constant time period between consecutive sense-symbols.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sense-symbol has a duration that extends over at least two consecutive symbol time periods in the sense-slots.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each sub-frame includes at least one guard interval and a predetermined number of slots.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to define the at least one sense-slot per sub-frame as one of the slots directly subsequent the guard interval, and

wherein the processor is configured to, in the sense-slots that are directly subsequent the guard interval, generate the first sense-symbol such that it extends over the guard interval and a first of the symbol time periods.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein sense-symbols generated by the processor have a duration of at least two symbol time periods and comprise a first symbol time period comprising a symbol time period having a data-symbol therein and at least a second symbol time period directly adjacent the first symbol time period and comprising a copy of the data-symbol in the first symbol time period.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is configured to define the one or more sense-slots per sub-frame as one of the slots directly subsequent the guard interval,

said processor is configured to, in the sense-slots that are directly subsequent the guard interval, generate the sense-symbol such that it extends over the guard interval and a first of the symbol time periods,

the first of the symbol time periods comprises a data-symbol and the guard interval comprises a copy of the data-symbol in the first of the symbol time periods, and

the processor is configured to record sense-symbol-description information that is indicative of a form of the sense-symbols and provide the sense-symbol-description information to a receiver for use in detecting the sense-symbols in a received signal that was transmitted by the transmitter and reflected from the environment.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the waveform includes a chirp.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the object includes one or more characteristics selected from a group that consists of a range to the object and a velocity of the object.

13 . 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 frame having a fixed predetermined frame length, wherein the data frame comprises a fixed predetermined number of sub-frames, and each sub-frame comprises a number of slots, and wherein each slot includes a number of symbol time periods,

receive a data stream for transmission,

define, for the 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 at least one sense-slot; and

a receiver configured to:

receive a signal that was transmitted by the transmitter and reflected from an environment proximal the transmitter and proximal the receiver,

detect the sense-symbols in the received signal, and

determine one or both of a range to or a velocity of an object in the environment based at least on range-Doppler processing of the sense-symbols.

14 . A method comprising:

receiving a data stream by a processor that is configured to control a transmitter, and

generating, by the processor, a data frame for transmission by the transmitter, wherein the data frame has a plurality of sub-frames, wherein each sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames includes a plurality of slots, wherein in one or more sub-frames of the plurality of sub-frames, one or more first slots of the plurality of slots are defined as one or more communication slots, and one or more second slots of the plurality of slots, which are different from the first slots, are defined as one or more sense-slots, and wherein each slot of the plurality of slots includes a plurality of symbol time periods, and wherein generating the data frame includes

generating first data-symbols that represent at least a portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a first sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to a predetermined encoding protocol, and

generating a first sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the first sub-frame, wherein the sense-symbol includes a waveform for use in sensing a characteristic of an object in a physical environment proximal the transmitter.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein generating the data frame further comprises:

generating second data-symbols that represent at least a second portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a second sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to the predetermined encoding protocol;

generating a second sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the second sub-frame;

generating third data-symbols that represent at least a third portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a third sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to the predetermined encoding protocol; and

generating a third sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the third sub-frame, wherein a time period between the first and second sense-symbols is the same as a time period between the second and third sense-symbols.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein generating the first data symbols further comprises:

generating the first data-symbols that represent the data stream in the symbol time periods of the communication-slots and in the symbol time periods of the sense-slots that are not occupied by the first sense-symbol.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of slots in each sub-frame comprises at least two slots, and each sense-slot excludes data-symbols that represent the data stream.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein generating the data frame further comprises:

generating second data-symbols that represent at least a second portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a second sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to the predetermined encoding protocol,

generating a second sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the second sub-frame,

generating third data-symbols that represent at least a third portion of the data stream in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more communication-slots of a third sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, according to the predetermined encoding protocol, and

generating a third sense-symbol in at least one symbol time period of the plurality of symbol time periods of the one or more sense-slots of the third sub-frame,

wherein a time period between the first and second sense-symbols is the same as a time period between the second and third sense-symbols.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first sense-symbol has a duration that extends over at least two consecutive symbol time periods in the sense-slots.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each sub-frame includes at least one guard interval and a predetermined number of slots.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

defining the at least one sense-slot per sub-frame as one of the slots directly subsequent the guard interval; and

in the sense-slots that are directly subsequent the guard interval, generating the first sense-symbol such that it extends over the guard interval and a first of the symbol time periods.

22 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by a receiver, a signal that was transmitted by the transmitter and reflected from the object in the physical environment proximal the transmitter and proximal the receiver;

detecting the first sense-symbol in the received signal; and

determining one or both of a range to or a velocity of the object in the physical environment based at least on range-Doppler processing of the first sense-symbol.