Granted Patent B2

US 9,992,748 · App. 14/736,592 · Granted Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor, at least one of the processor or the communication interface configured to:

receive a ranging instruction signal from another communication device that includes an initial power, at least one power step, and information that specifies at least one of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) sub-carriers or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) sub-carriers to be used by the communication device in accordance with initial ranging (IR) with the another communication device;

process the ranging instruction signal to determine the initial power, the at least one power step, and the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers;

generate a first ranging signal based on the initial power;

transmit the first ranging signal to the another communication device via the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers;

determine, when a ranging response to the first ranging signal is received from the another communication device, that the communication device is successfully initially ranged to the another communication device to determine at least one of another initial power or a timing adjustment for communications between the communication device and the another communication device; and

generate, when no ranging response to the first ranging signal is received from the another communication device, a second ranging signal based on the initial power and the at least one power step and transmit the second ranging signal to the another communication device via the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers; and

after the communication device is successfully initially ranged to the another communication device, execute a fine ranging process with the another communication device to determine at least one of another power or another timing adjustment for the communications between the communication device and the another communication device.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

generate, when no ranging response to the second ranging signal is received from the another communication device, a third ranging signal based on the initial power and the at least one power step and transmit the third ranging signal to the another communication device, wherein the third ranging signal has a power that is greater than the second ranging signal by the at least one power step.

3. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

receive the ranging instruction signal from the another communication device, wherein the ranging instruction signal also includes at least one of a receive level set point, a constellation size, a guardband width, or a receive window size;

process the ranging instruction signal to determine the at least one of the receive level set point, the constellation size, the guardband width, or the receive window size; and

generate the first ranging signal based on the at least one of the receive level set point, the constellation size, the guardband width, or the receive window size.

4. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the initial power is selected by the another communication device based on at least one characteristic of at least one communication between the another communication device and at least one other communication device so that at least one additional communication between the another communication device and the at least one other communication device is unaffected by the first ranging signal.

5. The communication device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one characteristic corresponds to at least one of inter-code interference (ICI), inter-symbol interference (ISI), a minimum signal to noise ratio (SNR) used for data, an attenuation level, an OFDM sub-carrier assignment, or an OFDMA sub-carrier assignment.

6. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

transmit the first ranging signal to the another communication device using a first at least one OFDM sub-carrier or at least one OFDMA sub-carrier when at least one other communication device transmits at least one other signal to the another communication device using a second at least one OFDM sub-carrier or the at least one OFDMA sub-carrier.

7. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a cable modem, wherein the another communication device includes a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

8. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

support communications within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, a fiber-optic communication system, or a mobile communication system.

9. A communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor configured to:

receive at least one communication from at least one first other communication device;

process the at least one communication to determine at least one characteristic of the at least one communication;

determine, based on the at least one characteristic of the at least one communication, an initial power, at least one power step, and at least one of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) sub-carriers or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) sub-carriers to be used in accordance with initial ranging (IR) by a second other communication device when performing ranging with the communication device;

transmit a ranging instruction signal to the second other communication device that includes the initial power, the at least one power step, and the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers;

receive a ranging signal from the second other communication device via the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers that is based on at least one of the initial power or the at least one power step;

generate, in response to the ranging signal, a ranging response and transmit the ranging response to the second other communication device indicating that the second other communication device is successfully initially ranged to the communication device to determine at least one of another initial power or a timing adjustment for communications between the communication device and the second other communication device; and

after the communication device is successfully initially ranged to the second other communication device, execute a fine ranging process with the second other communication device to determine at least one of another power or another timing adjustment for the communications between the communication device and the second other communication device.

10. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the ranging instruction signal also includes at least one of a receive level set point, a constellation size, a guardband width, or a receive window size.

11. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the at least one communication corresponds to at least one of inter-code interference (ICI), inter-symbol interference (ISI), a minimum signal to noise ratio (SNR) used for data, an attenuation level, an OFDM sub-carrier assignment, or an OFDMA sub-carrier assignment.

12. The communication device of claim 9 further comprising:

a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS), and wherein the second other communication device includes a cable modem.

13. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

support communications within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, a fiber-optic communication system, or a mobile communication system.

14. A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving, via a communication interface of the communication device, a ranging instruction signal from another communication device that includes an initial power, at least one power step, and information that specifies at least one of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) sub-carriers or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) sub-carriers to be used by the communication device in accordance with initial ranging (IR) with the another communication device;

processing the ranging instruction signal to determine the initial power, the at least one power step, and the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers;

generating a first ranging signal based on the initial power;

transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the first ranging signal to the another communication device via the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers;

determining, when a ranging response to the first ranging signal is received from the another communication device, that the communication device is successfully initially ranged to the another communication device to determine at least one of another initial power or a timing adjustment for communications between the communication device and the another communication device; and

generating, when no ranging response to the first ranging signal is received from the another communication device, a second ranging signal based on the initial power and the at least one power step and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the second ranging signal to the another communication device via the at least one of the OFDM sub-carriers or the OFDMA sub-carriers; and

after the communication device is successfully initially ranged to the another communication device, executing a fine ranging process with the another communication device to determine at least one of another power or another timing adjustment for the communications between the communication device and the another communication device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating, when no ranging response to the second ranging signal is received from the another communication device, a third ranging signal based on the initial power and the at least one power step and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the third ranging signal to the another communication device, wherein the third ranging signal has a power that is greater than the second ranging signal by the at least one power step.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, via the communication interface of the communication device, the ranging instruction signal from the another communication device, wherein the ranging instruction signal also includes at least one of a receive level set point, a constellation size, a guardband width, or a receive window size;

processing the ranging instruction signal to determine the at least one of the receive level set point, the constellation size, the guardband width, or the receive window size; and

generating the first ranging signal based on the at least one of the receive level set point, the constellation size, the guardband width, or the receive window size.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the initial power is selected by the another communication device based on at least one characteristic of at least one communication between the another communication device and at least one other communication device so that at least one additional communication between the another communication device and the at least one other communication device is unaffected by the first ranging signal; and

the at least one characteristic corresponds to at least one of inter-code interference (ICI), inter-symbol interference (ISI), a minimum signal to noise ratio (SNR) used for data, an attenuation level, an OFDM sub-carrier assignment, or an OFDMA sub-carrier assignment.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the first ranging signal to the another communication device using a first at least one OFDM sub-carrier or at least one OFDMA sub-carrier when at least one other communication device transmits at least one other signal to the another communication device using a second at least one OFDM sub-carrier or the at least one OFDMA sub-carrier.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the communication device includes a cable modem, wherein the another communication device includes a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

operating the communication interface of the communication device to support communications within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, a fiber-optic communication system, or a mobile communication system.

Assignments (6)