Systems and methods for detecting motion based on channel correlation in wireless communication signals

1. A system for detecting motion, the system comprising:

a receiver at a first wireless communication device capable of wirelessly communicating with a second wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device configured to:

receive from the second wireless communication device via two or more subcarriers a first packet and a channel correlation for the first packet across the two or more subcarriers; and

control circuitry configured to:

estimate a channel energy difference for the receiver based on the channel correlation for the first packet; and

make a motion detection decision based on the estimated channel energy difference.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine a channel correlation for a reference packet across the two or more subcarriers;

estimate the channel energy difference for the receiver by computing a difference between the channel correlation for the reference packet and the channel correlation for the first packet across the two or more subcarriers; and

make the motion detection decision based on the estimated channel energy difference.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to compare the estimated channel energy difference to a threshold, and detect a presence of motion or an absence of motion based on comparison of the estimated channel energy difference to the threshold.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine an average estimated channel energy difference based on a plurality of packets received by the receiver over a period of time; and

compare the estimated channel energy difference to the average estimated channel energy difference,

wherein the motion detection decision is made based on a result of the comparing the estimated channel energy difference to the average estimated channel energy difference computed over the period of time.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the receiver is further configured to wirelessly receive, from the second wireless communication device, a feedback packet including an average estimated channel energy difference based on a plurality of packets communicated between the first and second wireless communication devices over a period of time, and

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

compare the estimated channel energy difference to the average estimated channel energy difference, and

make the motion detection decision based on a result of the comparing the determined channel correlation to the average estimated channel energy difference.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the receiver is further configured to periodically receive, from the second wireless communication device, a plurality of sounding packets, including a first sounding packet and a second sounding packet, wherein the reference packet includes at least one of the first sounding packet or the second sounding packet, and wherein the first packet is received between receipt of the first sounding packet and the second sounding packet.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

compare the estimated channel energy difference to a threshold; and

in response to determining that the estimated channel energy difference is below the threshold, determine that motion has been detected.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

compare the estimated channel energy difference to a threshold; and

in response to determining that the estimated channel energy difference is above the threshold, determine that an absence of motion has been detected.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the channel correlation for the first packet across the two or more subcarriers is determined by determining correlations of the first packet among adjacent subcarriers.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first packet is received over a first channel of the first wireless communication device, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to make the motion detection decision based on statistical channel-correlation-based energy channel differences determined for the first channel of the first wireless communication device.

11. A method for detecting motion, the method comprising:

receiving, at a receiver of a first wireless communication device capable of wirelessly communicating with a second wireless communication device, a first packet from the second wireless communication device via two or more subcarriers;

receiving, at the receiver of the first wireless communication device, a channel correlation determined at the second wireless communication device for the first packet across the two or more subcarriers;

estimating a channel energy difference for the receiver based on the channel correlation for the first packet; and

making a motion detection decision based on the estimated channel energy difference.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a channel correlation for a reference packet across the two or more subcarriers;

estimating the channel energy difference for the receiver by computing a difference between the channel correlation for the reference packet and the channel correlation for the first packet; and

making the motion detection decision based on the estimated channel energy difference.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising comparing the estimated channel energy difference to a threshold, and detecting a presence of motion based on comparison of the estimated channel energy difference to the threshold.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining an average estimated channel energy difference based on a plurality of packets received by the receiver over a period of time; and

comparing the estimated channel energy difference to the average estimated channel energy difference,

wherein the motion detection decision is made based on a result of the comparing the estimated channel energy difference to the average estimated channel energy difference computed over the period of time.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

wirelessly receiving, from the second wireless communication device, a feedback packet including an average estimated channel energy difference based on a plurality of packets communicated between the first and second wireless communication devices over a period of time;

comparing the estimated channel energy difference to the average estimated channel energy difference; and

making the motion detection decision based on a result of the comparing the determined channel correlation to the average estimated channel energy difference.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising periodically receiving, from the second wireless communication device, a plurality of sounding packets, including a first sounding packet and a second sounding packet, wherein the reference packet includes at least one of the first sounding packet or the second sounding packet, and wherein the first packet is received between receipt of the first sounding packet and the second sounding packet.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

comparing the estimated channel energy difference to a threshold; and

in response to determining that the estimated channel energy difference is below the threshold, determining that motion has been detected.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

comparing the estimated channel energy difference to a threshold; and

in response to determining that the estimated channel energy difference is above the threshold, determining that an absence of motion has been detected.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the channel correlation for the first packet across the two or more subcarriers is determined by determining correlations of the first packet among adjacent subcarriers.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first packet is received over a first channel of the first wireless communication device, and wherein the motion detection decision is made based on statistical channel-correlation-based energy channel differences determined for the first channel of the first wireless communication device.