System and method for identifying the path or devices on the path of a communication signal
View Patent ↗A system and method of applying a known modification in the form of a distortion to a signal to enable a determination if a signal received by a first node is received directly from a second node or indirectly through a repeater. The repeater receives a primary signal and creates a secondary signal as a function of the primary signal and a known distortion, wherein the known distortion identifies the repeater. The primary signal is transmitted and injected with the secondary signal as the first signal to the primary receiver.
1. A communication system comprising:
a repeater comprising:
circuitry for applying a secondary signal to the primary signal passing therethrough, wherein the secondary signal is a function of the primary signal and a known distortion, and wherein the known distortion identifies said repeater;
a transmitter for transmitting a combined signal, wherein the combined signal includes the primary signal and the secondary signal;
a primary receiver comprising:
a receiver for receiving the combined signal; and
circuitry for extracting the primary signal from the combined signal;
a secondary receiver comprising:
a receiver for receiving the combined signal;
circuitry for receiving the primary signal from said primary receiver;
circuitry for applying an inverse function to the combined signal and the primary signal to retrieve the known distortion; and
circuitry for determining whether the combined signal was received from said repeater by a comparison of the known distortion and one of a set of known distortions.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication system is a wireless communication system.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the primary receiver is a network analysis system.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second node is a mobile unit.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the primary signal is an uplink signal.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the primary signal is a downlink signal.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the primary signal is amplified such that the ratio of the primary signal to the secondary signal is greater than unity.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the secondary signal is transmitted 9 db or less than the primary signal.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the known distortion is adaptive noise.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the known distortion is an interfering signal.