Mapping radio-frequency noise in an ultra-wideband communication system
View Patent ↗A system and method for mapping, radio-frequency (RF) noise, and estimating channel quality in a multi-channel ultra-wideband communication system is provided. One method includes placing a plurality of time bins within a plurality of time frames and assigning a plurality of UWB communication channels comprising selected time bins. RF noise amplitude data is then sampled from selected time bins. The sampled RF noise amplitude data from the time bins is then averaged, thereby obtaining an average RF noise amplitude in each of the plurality of channels. The RF noise amplitude indicates the amount of RF noise present in a channel. The channels may then be ranked based on the characteristics of the RF noise.
1. A method for estimating channel quality in a multi-channel ultra-wideband communication system, the method comprising the steps of:
pseudo-randomly placing a plurality of time bins within a plurality of time frames, each time bin comprising one or more data bits;
assigning a plurality of channels comprising selected pseudo-randomly placed time bins;
transmitting a multiplicity of data bits through the plurality of channels; monitoring the number of data bits transmitted through each channel; determining a number of data bit errors in the transmissions;
determining a projected bit error rate for at least one transmission; and grading a channel quality using at least the projected bit error rate.
2. The method for estimating channel quality in a multi-channel ultra-wideband communication system of claim 1 , wherein determining a projected bit error rate for at least one transmission is obtained iteratively through the following equation:
PBER
=
-
ln
(
1
-
CL
)
n
+
ln
(
∑
k
=
0
N
(
n
·
PBER
)
k
k
!
)
n
where PBER is a projected value of the bit error rate, n is the number of bits transmitted, CL is a confidence level, N is the total number of bit errors that occur during the transmission, and k refers to a k th bit error.
3. The method for estimating channel quality in a multi-channel ultra-wideband communication system of claim 2 , wherein the confidence level CL is a statistical confidence that the bit error rate will be less than or equal to the projected bit error rate.
4. A method for estimating channel quality in a multi-channel ultra-wideband communication system, comprising:
means for pseudo-randomly placing a plurality of time bins within a plurality of time frames, each time bin comprising one or more data bits;
means for assigning a plurality of channels comprising selected pseudo-randomly placed time bins;
means for transmitting a multiplicity of data bits through the plurality of channels; monitoring the number of data bits transmitted through each channel; determining a number of data bit errors in the transmissions;
means for determining a projected bit error rate for at least one transmission; and grading a channel quality using at least the projected bit error rate.
5. The method for estimating channel quality in a multi-channel ultra-wideband communication system of claim 4 , wherein determining a projected bit error rate for at least one transmission is obtained iteratively through the following equation:
PBER
=
-
ln
(
1
-
CL
)
n
+
ln
(
∑
k
=
0
N
(
n
·
PBER
)
k
k
!
)
n
where PBER is a projected value of the bit error rate, n is the number of bits transmitted, CL is a confidence level, N is the total number of bit errors that occur during the transmission, and k refers to a k th bit error.
6. The method for estimating channel quality in a multi-channel ultra-wideband communication system of claim 5 , wherein the confidence level CL is a statistical confidence that the bit error rate will be less than or equal to the projected bit error rate.