Method and system for characterizing a radio channel of a wireless network using variability of synchronization

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal over a wireless communications channel;

making a plurality of frequency offset measurements in respect of the signal;

determining a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

determining at least one of a channel quality parameter and a speed parameter as a function of the measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

wherein determining a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements comprises:

estimating a PDF of the frequency offset measurements;

determining the measure of variation from the PDF.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the measure of variation from the PDF comprises determining a width of the PDF.

3. A method comprising:

receiving a signal over a wireless communications channel;

making a plurality of frequency offset measurements in respect of the signal;

determining a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

determining at least one of a channel quality parameter and a speed parameter as a function of the measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

wherein determining a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements comprises:

determining differences between consecutive frequency offset measurements;

determining the measure of variation based on the differences.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the measure of variation based on the differences comprises determining a maximum difference over an observation period.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining a speed parameter comprises:

speed= K ×(measure of variation of frequency offset measurements)

where K is a constant.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transmitting an indication of at least one of the channel quality parameter and the speed parameter.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a signal over a wireless communications channel;

making a plurality of frequency offset measurements in respect of the signal;

determining a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

determining at least one of a channel quality parameter and a speed parameter as a function of the measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

wherein determining the speed parameter comprises:

defining a plurality of speed ranges;

associating each range of a plurality of speed ranges with a corresponding range in the variation of the frequency offset measurements;

determining a particular range of the plurality of ranges variation of the frequency offset measurements within which a current variation of the frequency offset measurements falls.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of speed ranges comprise:

at least one range associated with pedestrian speeds;

at least one range associated with higher than pedestrian speeds.

9. A mobile device comprising:

at least one antenna for receiving a signal;

a local frequency source;

a frequency offset determiner configured to determine frequency offset measurements between a frequency of the local frequency source and a frequency of the signal;

a parameter determiner configured to determine a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements and to determine at least one of a channel quality parameter and a speed parameter as a function of the measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

wherein the parameter determiner is configured to determine a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements by determining a variance of the plurality of frequency offset measurements;

wherein the parameter determiner is configured to determine a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements by:

estimating a PDF of the frequency offset measurements;

determining the measure of variation from the PDF.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the frequency offset determiner comprises an automatic frequency controller configured to make adjustments to the frequency of the local frequency source to synchronize with a remote frequency source, wherein the adjustments to the frequency are used as said frequency offset measurements.

11. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the parameter determiner is configured to determine the measure of variation from the PDF by determining a width of the PDF.

12. A mobile device comprising:

at least one antenna for receiving a signal;

a local frequency source;

a frequency offset determiner configured to determine frequency offset measurements between a frequency of the local frequency source and a frequency of the signal;

a parameter determiner configured to determine a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements and to determine at least one of a channel quality parameter and a speed parameter as a function of the measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

wherein the parameter determiner is configured to determine a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements by:

determining differences between consecutive frequency offset measurements;

determining the measure of variation based on the differences.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the parameter determiner is configured to determine the measure of variation based on the differences by determining a maximum difference over an observation period.

14. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the parameter determiner is configured to determine the speed parameter by:

speed= K ×(measure of variation of frequency offset measurements)

where K is a constant.

15. The mobile device of claim 12 further configured to transmit an indication of at least one of the channel characterization parameter and the speed parameter.

16. A mobile device comprising:

at least one antenna for receiving a signal;

a local frequency source;

a frequency offset determiner configured to determine frequency offset measurements between a frequency of the local frequency source and a frequency of the signal;

a parameter determiner configured to determine a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements and to determine at least one of a channel quality parameter and a speed parameter as a function of the measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

wherein the parameter determiner is configured to determine the speed parameter by:

defining a plurality of speed ranges;

associating each range of a plurality of speed ranges with a corresponding range in the variation in the frequency offset measurements;

determining a particular range of the plurality of ranges variation in the timing offset measurements or frequency offset measurements within which a current variation in the frequency offset measurements falls.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein the plurality of speed ranges comprise:

at least one range associated with pedestrian speeds;

at least one range associated with higher than pedestrian speeds.

18. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a mobile device, that when executed, cause the mobile device to execute a method comprising, in respect of a signal received over a wireless communications channel:

making a plurality of frequency offset measurements in respect of the signal;

determining a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

determining at least one of a channel quality parameter and a speed parameter as a function of the measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements;

wherein determining a measure of variation of the frequency offset measurements comprises:

determining differences between consecutive frequency offset measurements;

determining the measure of variation based on the differences.