Collaborative channel sounding in multi-antenna systems
View Patent ↗The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that performs channel-sounding operations in a multi-antenna wireless communication system. During operation, the system first performs channel-sounding operations between a first client and a second client in a first frequency band. These channel-sounding operations involve transmitting a series of known tones between the first client and the second client and using signals received as a result of the transmissions to finds a strongest path between the first client and the second client. Next, the system uses the identified strongest path to improve channel-sounding operations in a second frequency band.
1. A method for performing channel-sounding operations in a multi-antenna system, comprising:
performing first channel-sounding operations between a first client and a second client in a first frequency band, the first channel-sounding operations to generate a first channel characterizing signal representing a first characterization of a communication channel between the first client and the second client in response to a first test signal;
determining, based on the first channel-sounding operations, a strongest path of the first test signal in the first frequency band communicated between the first client and the second client;
configuring a receiver in the first client or the second client to suppress a component of a second test signal corresponding to the strongest path;
performing second channel-sounding operations between the first client and the second client in a second frequency band, the second channel-sounding operations to generate a second channel characterizing signal representing a second characterization of the communication channel between the first client and the second client in response to the second test signal with the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path suppressed; and
outputting the second channel characterizing signal using the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in a second frequency band.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel sounding operations involve transmitting first test signal comprises a series of known tones between the first client and the second client.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band are used to find determining the strongest path comprises:
determining a plurality of signal strengths associated with each of a plurality of different signal paths of the first test signal between the first client and the second client;
determining Hall the strongest path between the first client and the second client producing a strongest signal strength of the plurality of signal strengths.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the strongest path is a line-of-sight path between the first client and the second client.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in the second frequency band involves configuring the receiver to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path comprises:
placing a null in a direction of the strongest path before performing the channel sounding in the second frequency band.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in the second frequency band involves configuring the receiver to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path comprises:
applying time filtering to suppress the strongest path while performing sounding operations in the second frequency band.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein applying the time filtering to suppress the strongest path comprises:
applying a sliding-window correlator is used to perform the time filtering to suppress the strongest path.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in the second frequency band involves configuring the receiver to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path comprises:
determining coefficients for the strongest signal path in the first frequency band; and using the coefficients for the strongest path in the first frequency band to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path in the second frequency band when a channel inverse matrix is calculated for the second frequency band.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first frequency associated with the first frequency band is more than an order of magnitude higher than a second frequency associated with the second frequency band.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band has a wider bandwidth than the second frequency band.
11. A system for performing channel-sounding operations in a multi-antenna system, comprising:
a receiver to receive a first test signal in a first frequency band during first channel-sounding operations between a first client and a second client and to receive a second test signal in a second frequency band during second channel-sounding operations between the first client and the second client with a component of the second test signal corresponding to a strongest path suppressed;
a calibration mechanism circuit configured to perform channel sounding operations between a first client and a second client in a first frequency band generate a first channel characterizing signal representing a first characterization of a communication channel between the first client and the second client in response to the first test signal to determine, based on the first channel-sounding operations, the strongest path of the first test signal in the first frequency band communicated between the first client and the second client to configure the receiver to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path, and to generate a second channel characterizing signal representing a second characterization of the communication channel between the first client and the second client in response to the second test signal with the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path suppressed; and
an output device to output the second channel characterizing signal wherein the calibration mechanism is configured to use the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in a second frequency band.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the channel sounding operations involve transmitting first test signal comprises a series of known tones between the first client and the second client.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the calibration mechanism-uses-the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to find a determines the strongest path between the first client and the second client at least in part by determining a plurality of signal strengths associated with each of a plurality of different signal paths of the first test signal between the first client and the second client, and determining the strongest path between the first client and the second client producing a strongest signal strength of the plurality of signal strengths.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the strongest path is a line-of-sight path between the first client and the second client.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the calibration mechanism uses the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in the second frequency band by configures the receiver to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path at least in part by placing a null in a direction of the strongest path before performing the channel sounding in the second frequency band.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the calibration mechanism uses the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in the second frequency band configures the receiver to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strong path at least in part by applying time filtering to suppress the strongest path while performing sounding operations in the second frequency band.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the calibration mechanism applies the time filtering at least in part by uses applying a sliding-window correlator to perform the time filtering to suppress the strongest path.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the calibration mechanism uses the channel sounding operations in the first frequency band to improve channel sounding operations in the second frequency band configures the receiver to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path at least in part by determining coefficients for the strongest signal path in the first frequency band, and using the coefficients for the strongest path in the first frequency band to suppress the component of the second test signal corresponding to the strongest path in the second frequency band when a channel inverse matrix is calculated for the second frequency band.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein a first frequency associated with the first frequency band is more than an order of magnitude higher than a second frequency associated with the second frequency band.