Spread spectrum communication system particularly-suited for RF network communication

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

generating at least two different direct sequences each containing a plurality of chips, said chips being selected to approximate a swept frequency waveform in which successive square waves are formed by said chips, in which the durations of the square waves extend over a plurality of said chips, and in which the frequency of said square waves varies across at least a portion of said sequence;

encoding said digital signals by using different ones of said direct sequences to represent different values of said digital signals;

using said direct sequences to generate a direct sequence spread spectrum signal; and

transmitting said spread spectrum signal across said channel.

2. Apparatus for transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising:

means for receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

means for generating at least two different direct sequences each containing a plurality of chips, said chips being selected to approximate a swept frequency waveform in which successive square waves are formed by said chips, in which the duration of each square wave extends over a plurality of said chips, and in which the frequency of said square waves varies progressively across at least a portion of said sequence;

means for encoding said digital signals by using different ones of said direct sequences to represent different values of said digital signals;

means for using said direct sequences to generate a direct sequence spread spectrum signal; and

means for transmitting said spread spectrum signal across said channel.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2 wherein said direct sequences are used to modulate a carrier signal to generate said direct sequence spread spectrum signal.

4. The subject matter of claim 3 wherein said modulated carrier signal has a spectrum, and wherein the energy in said spectrum is primarily in one or more passbands.

5. The subject matter of claim 4 wherein said modulated carrier signal transmitted on said channel has two passbands approximately equidistant above and below said carrier signal, with either passband containing sufficient information from which to decode said signal.

6. The subject matter of claim 3 wherein the carrier signal is biphase modulated with said direct sequences.

7. The subject matter of claim 3 wherein said modulated carrier signal is in the RF frequency range.

8. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2 wherein said direct sequences are transmitted directly without modulation of a carrier signal.

9. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2 wherein said direct sequences differ in the direction of sweep of said approximate swept waveform.

10. The subject matter of claim 9 wherein said digital signal is a sequence of two-level bits, and wherein there are two different direct sequences, one with a forward sweep and another with a reverse sweep, and wherein said forward sweep represents one said level of said bits, and said reverse sweep represents the other said level.

11. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2 wherein said direct sequence has a spectrum, and wherein the energy in said spectrum is primarily in a passband.

12. A method of transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

generating at least two different direct sequences each containing a plurality of chips;

encoding said digital signals by using different ones of said direct sequences to represent different values of said digital signals;

modulating a carrier signal with said direct sequences thereby generating a direct sequence spread spectrum signal, said signal having a spectrum; and

transmitting said spread spectrum signal across said channel,

wherein said direct sequences have a nonpseudorandom pattern of chips selected so that the energy in said spectrum is primarily in a passband.

13. Apparatus for transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising:

means for receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

means for generating at least two different direct sequences each containing a plurality of chips;

means for encoding said digital signals by using different ones of said direct sequences to represent different values of said digital signals;

means for modulating a carrier signal with said direct sequences thereby generating a direct sequence spread spectrum signal, said signal having a spectrum; and

means for transmitting said spread spectrum signal across said channel,

wherein said direct sequences have a nonpseudorandom pattern of chips selected so that the energy in said spectrum is primarily in a passband.

14. The subject matter of claim 12 or 13 wherein the direct sequences each contain a plurality of chips, said chips being selected to approximate a swept frequency waveform in which successive square waves are formed by said chips, in which the duration of each square wave extends over a plurality of said chips, and in which the frequency of said square waves varies progressively across at least a portion of said sequence.

15. A method of transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two different values;

generating first and second spread spectrum signals, said first spread spectrum signal having the form of a frequency-swept spread spectrum signal in which frequency is swept in a first direction over at least a portion of said signal, and said second spread spectrum signal having the form of a frequency-swept spread spectrum signal in which frequency is swept in a second direction opposite the first direction over at least a portion of said signal;

encoding said digital signals by representing one said value of said digital signal using said first spread spectrum signal, and representing another said value of said digital signal using said second spread spectrum signal; and

transmitting said spread spectrum signals across said channel.

16. Apparatus for transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising:

means for receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two different values;

means for generating first and second spread spectrum signals, said first spread spectrum signal having the form of a frequency-swept spread spectrum signal in which frequency is swept in a first direction over at least a portion of said signal, and said second spread spectrum signal having the form of a frequency-swept spread spectrum signal in which frequency is swept in a second direction opposite the first direction over at least a portion of said signal;

means for encoding said digital signals by representing one said value of said digital signal using said first spread spectrum signal, and representing another said value of said digital signal using said second spread spectrum signal; and

means for transmitting said spread spectrum signals across said channel.

17. The subject matter of claim 15 or 16 wherein said first and second spread spectrum signals are used to modulate a carrier signal.

18. The subject matter of claim 17 wherein

said first and second spread spectrum signals are generated by generating first and second direct sequences each containing a plurality of chips, said chips being selected to approximate a swept frequency waveform in which successive square waves are formed by said chips, in which the duration of each square wave extends over a plurality of said chips, and in which the frequency of said square waves varies progressively across at least a portion of said sequence;

said digital signals are encoded by using said first and second direct sequences to represent different values of said digital signals; and

said carrier signal is modulated with said first and second direct sequences to generate a direct sequence spread spectrum signal in which information is represented by the direction of frequency sweep in the spread spectrum signal.

19. The subject matter of claim 18 wherein modulation of said carrier signal with said direct sequence comprises biphase modulation of said carrier signal.

20. The subject matter of claim 17 wherein the spectral energy of said spread spectrum signals is primarily in a passband.

21. The subject matter of claim 20 wherein said carrier signal is further modulated with a phase reversal sequence selected to increase the spreading of energy across said passband.

22. The subject matter of claim 15 or 16 wherein said first and second spread spectrum signals are transmitted directly without modulating a carrier signal.

23. The subject matter of claim 15 or 16 wherein said frequency swept spread spectrum signals are frequency swept chirps.

24. The subject matter of claim 15 or 16, further comprising a receiver with matched filters for detecting said forward and reverse swept signals, and with independent tracking for accommodating differences in the times at which said matched filters indicate receipt of the signals.

25. The subject matter of claim 15 or 16, further comprising a receiver with matched filters for detecting said forward and reverse swept signals, and with independent tracking for accommodating differences in the times at which said matched filters indicate receipt of the signals.

26. A method of receiving and decoding data that has been encoded and transmitted using forward and reverse swept frequency spread spectrum signals, so that the received signal consists of a succession of spread spectrum signals in which information is encoded as the difference in direction of sweep, so that different digital values are represented by different patterns of forward and reverse swept frequency signals, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said stream of frequency swept spread spectrum signals;

passing said signals through a correlator having forward and reverse outputs, the forward output representing the correlation of a received signal to the forward swept spread spectrum signal, and the reverse output representing the correlation of a received signal to the reverse swept spread spectrum signal;

tracking the forward correlator output so that the forward correlator output is sampled at times when a received signal would be received if it was a forward swept signal;

tracking the reverse correlator output independently of the tracking of the forward correlator output so that the reverse correlator output is sampled at times when a received signal would be received if it was a reverse swept signal; and

making decisions as to whether a received signal is a forward or reverse swept signal based on samples of the forward and reverse correlator outputs that are taken generally at different times.

27. Apparatus for receiving and decoding data that has been encoded and transmitted using forward and reverse swept frequency spread spectrum signals, so that the received signal consists a succession of spread spectrum signals in which information is encoded as the difference in direction of sweep, so that different digital values are represented by different patterns of forward and reverse swept frequency signals, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving said stream of frequency swept spread spectrum signals;

means for passing said signals through a correlator having forward and reverse outputs, the forward output representing the correlation of a received signal to the forward swept spread spectrum signal, and the reverse output representing the correlation of a received signal to the reverse swept spread spectrum signal;

means for tracking the forward correlator output so that the forward correlator output is sampled at times when a received signal would be received if it was a forward swept signal;

means for tracking the reverse correlator output independently of the tracking of the forward correlator output so that the reverse correlator output is sampled at times when a received signal would be received if it was a reverse swept signal; and

means for making decisions as to whether a received signal is a forward or reverse swept signal based on samples of the forward and reverse correlator outputs that are taken generally at different times.

28. The subject matter of claim 26 or 27 wherein the receiver includes a local oscillator for generating a signal that is mixed with the received signal to demodulate the received signal, and wherein said local oscillator is not synchronized to the local oscillator used for modulating the signal at the transmitter, and wherein said local oscillator is therefore generally operating at a different frequency and phase from that of the local oscillator used for modulating.

29. The subject matter of claim 26 or 27 wherein the forward and reverse swept signals are generated using forward and reverse swept direct sequences.

30. A method of transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

generating at least two different direct sequences each containing a plurality of chips, the difference between said direct sequences being recognizable independently of the relative phase between the two sequences;

encoding said digital signals by using different ones of said direct sequences to represent different values of said digital signals;

pseudorandomly varying the overall phase of said direct sequences;

using said direct sequences to generate a direct sequence spread spectrum signal, said signal having a spectrum; and

transmitting said spread spectrum signal across said channel.

31. Apparatus for transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising:

means for receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

means for generating at least two different direct sequences each containing a plurality of chips, the difference between said direct sequences being recognizable independently of the relative phase between the two sequences;

means for encoding said digital signals by using different ones of said direct sequences to represent different values of said digital signals;

means for pseudorandomly varying the overall phase of said direct sequences;

means for using said direct sequences to generate a direct sequence spread spectrum signal, said signal having a spectrum; and

means for transmitting said spread spectrum signal across said channel.

32. The subject matter of claim 30 or 31 wherein said direct sequences are used to modulate a carrier to generate said direct sequence spread spectrum signal.

33. The subject matter of claim 31 or 31 wherein said pseudorandom variation of phase is done so that each successive direct sequence has its phase pseudorandomly varied with respect to prior sequences.

34. The subject matter of claim 33 in which the double level coding is used, in which subbits are represented by one or more of said direct sequences, and said subbits are arranged in at least two different subbit patterns, and in which the pseudorandom variation of phase is at the subbit level so that the phase of the direct sequences varies pseudorandomly from subbit to subbit.

35. The subject matter of claim 34 wherein the pseudorandom variation repeats after a time period that is greater than the number of subbits in said subbit patterns, and that is not an integral multiple of the length of said subbit patterns.

36. The subject matter of claim 30 or 31 wherein the pseudorandom variation of phase reduces the peak power in the spectrum of the transmitted signal by comparison to the peak power in the spectrum of the transmitted signal without the pseudorandom variation of phase.

37. A method of receiving and decoding data that has been encoded and transmitted using dual level spread spectrum modulation in which information is conveyed as superbits, and in which superbits are encoded as unique sequences of a plurality of subbits, each represented by a unique spread spectrum signal, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of spread spectrum signals;

passing said signals through a correlator configured to distinguish between said unique spread spectrum signals representing said subbits;

sampling the output of the correlator, and determining therefrom the values of a succession of subbits;

determining a quality indicator from the strength of the sampled correlator output used in determining the value of a subbit;

combining the value and quality indicators for a succession of subbits in decoding the superbits.

38. Apparatus for receiving and decoding data that has been encoded and transmitted using dual level spread spectrum modulation in which information is conveyed as superbits, and in which superbits are encoded as unique sequences of a plurality of subbits, each represented by a unique spread spectrum signal, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a stream of spread spectrum signals;

means for passing said signals through a correlator configured to distinguish between said unique spread spectrum signals representing said subbits;

means for sampling the output of the correlator, and determining therefrom the values of a succession of subbits;

means for determining a quality indicator from the strength of the sampled correlator output used in determining the value of a subbit;

means for combining the value and quality indicators for a succession of subbits in decoding the superbits.

39. The subject matter of claim 37 or 38 wherein each superbit is represented by a fixed number of subbits, and wherein a superbit correlation output is determined at each subbit from the value and quality indicators for a segment of subbits of the same length as said fixed number of subbits making up a superbit.

40. The subject matter of claim 39 wherein the superbit correlation is determined by accumulating a total of a match indicator and the quality indicator for each subbit in said segment of subbits, wherein the match indicator is determined by comparing said unique sequences of subbits to the actual subbit values in said segment.

41. The subject matter of claim 40 wherein the superbit correlation output has a range of values representative of the likelihood that the received pattern of spread spectrum signals is one of the unique sequences of subbits representing a superbit, wherein superbit decoding is performed by initiating a superbit tracker when the superbit correlation output exceeds a threshold, and by sampling the superbit correlation output at intervals spaced by the length of a superbit following detection of the above-threshold correlation output.

42. The subject matter of claim 12, 13, 15, 16, 26, 27, 30, 31, 37, or 38 wherein said spread-spectrum signals are transmitted at RF frequencies.

43. A method of transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

generating a direct sequence containing a plurality of chips;

encoding said digital signals by using said direct sequence and a reverse ordered sequence, identical to said direct sequence except having the reverse order, to represent different values of said digital signals; and

transmitting said direct and reverse ordered sequences across said channel.

44. Apparatus for transmitting data on a communication channel, comprising:

means for receiving a stream of digital signals for transmission on said communication channel, said digital signals having at least two possible values;

means for generating a direct sequence containing a plurality of chips;

means for encoding said digital signals by using said direct sequence and a reverse ordered sequence, identical to said direct sequence except having the reverse order, to represent different values of said digital signals; and

means for transmitting said direct and reverse ordered sequences across said channel.

45. The subject matter of claim 43 or 44 wherein said direct and reverse ordered sequences are used to modulate a carrier signal, and the modulated carrier signal is transmitted across said channel.

46. The subject matter of claim 45 wherein said modulated carrier signal is in the RF frequency range.

47. The subject matter of claim 43 or 44 wherein said direct and reverse ordered sequences approximate swept frequency waveforms, in which successive square waves are formed by said chips, and in which the durations of the square waves extend over a plurality of said chips, and in which the frequency of the square waves varies approximately progressively across at least a portion of said sequence, from a low to a higher frequency in a forward swept sequence, and from a high to a lower frequency in a reverse swept sequence.

48. The subject matter of claim 43 or 44 wherein said direct sequence and reverse ordered sequence each have a spectrum, and wherein the energy in said spectrum is primarily in a passband.

49. The subject matter of claim 43 or 44 wherein said direct sequence and said reverse-ordered sequence are transmitted directly without modulation of a carrier.

50. The subject matter of claim 49 wherein said direct and said reverse-ordered sequence are transmitted over power lines.

51. A method of receiving and decoding data that has been encoded and transmitted using forward and reverse ordered versions of a direct sequence, so that the transmitted signal comprises a sequence of spread spectrum signals corresponding to one of said forward and reverse ordered versions of said direct sequence, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said sequence of spread spectrum signals;

passing said received signals through a correlator configured to provide forward and reverse correlator outputs, the forward output representing the correlation of a said received signal to the forward directed sequence, and the reverse output representing the correlation of a said received signal to the reverse directed sequence; and

using said forward and reverse correlator outputs to decode said received signals to reconstruct the digital data encoded in the transmitter.

52. Apparatus for receiving and decoding data that has been encoded and transmitted using forward and reverse ordered versions of a direct sequence, so that the transmitted signal comprises a sequence of spread spectrum signals corresponding to one of said forward and reverse ordered versions of said direct sequence, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving said sequence of spread spectrum signals;

a correlator for receiving said sequence of signals and configured to provide forward and reverse correlator outputs, the forward output representing the correlation of a said received signal to the forward directed sequence, and the reverse output representing the correlation of a said received signal to the reverse directed sequence; and

a decoder for using said forward and reverse correlator outputs to decode said received signals to reconstruct the digital data encoded in the transmitter.

53. The subject matter of claim 51 or 52 wherein said received signals are demodulated using a locally generated carrier signal prior to being applied to the correlator.

54. The subject matter of claim 51 or 52 wherein

said correlator comprises a forward matched filter configured to recognize said forward ordered direct sequence and a reverse matched filter configured to recognize said reverse ordered direct sequence,

wherein said forward matched filter is the mirror image of said reverse matched filter, and

wherein said forward and reverse matched filters share the same shift register.

55. The subject matter of claim 54 wherein said correlator comprises four matched filter sections, a 0 and 90 degree phase section for each of said forward and reverse ordered sequences.

56. The subject matter of claim 55 wherein approximately half of the taps in said shift register are assigned to 0-degree sections and the remainder of the taps are assigned to 90-degree sections;

wherein for each of the taps assigned to 0-degree sections and for each of the taps assigned to 90-degree there are formed two additional groups of taps, a common group that have the same value for the forward and reverse ordered sequences and a different group that have opposite values for the forward and reverse ordered sequences;

wherein each of the four groups of taps is summed to form four sums, a 0-degree common sum, a 0-degree difference sum, a 90-degree common sum, and a 90-degree difference sum; and

wherein the outputs of each of said four filter sections are formed by combining corresponding common and difference sums.

57. The subject matter of claim 56 wherein said combining of corresponding common and difference sums comprises forming the sum of said common and difference sums for one of said forward and reverse ordered sequences and forming the difference of said common and difference sums for the other of said sequences.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to spread-spectrum communication systems and in particular to spread-spectrum communication systems for use on noisy network media, such as RF channels or AC power lines.

Spread-spectrum communication is a method whereby information is communicated using a bandwidth that greatly exceeds that required by information theory. These methods provide signals over a wide bandwidth, and with proper signal processing the communication is immune to large amounts of noise within that bandwidth. In chirp spread-spectrum methods, a signal burst known as a chirp is transmitted. Each chirp has energy spread across a frequency range. The frequency spread may be achieved by frequency sweeping or by such techniques as direct sequence coding. Chirps may be sent asynchronously, or at synchronous intervals, including as concatenated chirps. Data modulation of the chirp stream can be accomplished by means such as phase reversal modulation of the chirps or reversal of the frequency sequence of the chirp. A transversal filter in the receiver is matched to the chirp(s) expected, enabling individual chirps to be detected even on noisy network media such as power lines.

In a communication network, several transmitters and receivers may communicate with each other over a network medium. In certain networks, contention resolution and/or collision detection strategies are implemented to resolve situations in which two or more transmitters simultaneously require use of the network medium.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,024, entitled Spread-Spectrum Communications System for Networks, and copending application, U.S. Ser. No. 07/863,213, entitled Timing for Spread-Spectrum Communication Across Noisy Media, systems are proposed for applying spread-spectrum communication to carrier-sense, multiple-access networks. Various embodiments are disclosed, including ones in which frequency-swept chirps are transmitted using ASK modulation for contention resolution and PRK modulation for data transmission.

Spread spectrum communication has been used for wireless, RF communication in local area networks. But these prior art RF systems have used pseudorandom direct sequence (typically maximal linear sequence) techniques, in which continuous synchronization of transmitter and receiver is required and maintained. These systems have generally required careful phase tracking mechanisms, and have been intolerant of any frequency offsets between transmitter and receiver carrier signals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the invention features spread spectrum communication using direct sequences that approximate a swept frequency waveform in which successive square waves are formed by the chips making up the sequence, and in which the durations of the square waves extend over a plurality of chips, and in which the frequency of the square waves varies approximately progressively across at least a portion of the sequence. In preferred embodiments, information is encoded by varying the direction of the frequency sweep in the direct sequences, so that the sequences have either a forward or a reverse frequency sweep; the spectrum of the direct sequences is in a passband spaced from baseband; the direct sequence is used to modulate a carrier (e.g., biphase modulation of an RF carrier) to produce a spread-spectrum signal also having a passband characteristic (preferably two passbands centered about the frequency of the modulated carrier). In other preferred embodiments, the direct sequences are transmitted directly without any modulation of a carrier.

In a second aspect, the invention features spread spectrum communication using direct sequences that have been chosen to produce a spread spectrum signal with a passband spectral characteristic. In preferred embodiments, this is achieved by the above-described technique of using as the direct sequence an approximate frequency swept signal.

In a third aspect, the invention features spread spectrum communication in which frequency-swept spread spectrum signals with different sweep directions convey information across the channel. In preferred embodiments, two spread spectrum signals one being the same as the other except for the direction of sweep are used; the frequency sweep is achieved using the above-described technique of using as the direct sequences forward and reverse swept approximations of a frequency swept signal. Alternatively, frequency swept chirps could be directly transmitted.

In a fourth aspect, the invention features spread spectrum communication in which the transmitted signals are forward and reverse swept signals, the received signals are fed to a correlator having forward and reverse sequence outputs, the outputs of the correlator are independently tracked, and generally different sampling times are used for taking samples of the forward and reverse correlator outputs for purposes of making decoding decisions. In preferred embodiments, the forward and reverse swept signals are generated using a direct sequence transmitted in forward or reverse directions; and the receiver uses a local oscillator for demodulation that is not synchronized in frequency or phase with the local oscillator used for modulation in the transmitter.

In a fifth aspect, the invention features direct sequence spread spectrum communication in which the overall phase of successive direct sequences is pseudorandomly varied to produce a more uniform spreading of energy across the frequency band of the transmitted signal, and further reduce potential phase cancellation by interfering continuous wave signals. In preferred embodiments, each successive direct sequence has its overall phase pseudorandomly varied with respect to prior direct sequences.

In a sixth aspect, the invention features spread spectrum communication with dual level coding. Information is transmitted as "superbits", which are encoded as unique sequences of "subbits", each represented by a unique spread spectrum signal. Correlator outputs in the receiver are used to generate both value and quality indicators at the subbit level, with the quality indicator providing a measure of the likelihood that the value indicator is correct. The value and quality indicators are combined in decoding the superbits. In preferred embodiments, superbits are decoded using, in effect a superbit correlator which compares the value bits to unique subbit sequences associated with superbits, and combines the results of that comparison with the quality bits to generate for each successive subbit a superbit correlator output. Superbit tracking is initiated when the superbit correlator is above threshold, and subsequent sampling for superbit decoding is done by sampling at intervals spaced by the length of a superbit.

In a seventh aspect, the invention features spread spectrum communication using a direct sequence and a reverse ordered version of the same direct sequence. In preferred embodiments, the direct sequence is either transmitted directly without modulation of a carrier (e.g., for transmission across power lines), or the sequence is used to modulate a carrier signal (e.g., in the RF frequency range); the direct sequence approximates a swept frequency waveform, in which successive square waves are formed by the chips, and in which the durations of the square waves extend over a plurality of the chips, and in which the frequency of the square waves varies approximately progressively across at least a portion of the sequence, from a low to a higher frequency in a forward swept sequence, and from a high to a lower frequency in a reverse swept sequence; the direct sequence has a spectrum with energy primarily in a passband (i.e., spaced from baseband).

In an eighth aspect, the invention features receiving and decoding a spread spectrum signal of the type in which forward and reverse order direct sequences are used to convey information. In preferred embodiments, the correlator uses a shared shift register and shared summing networks to model four matched filters--forward 0 and 90 degree filters, and reverse 0 and 90 degree filters. The correlator design takes advantage of the identity of the forward and reverse ordered direct sequences. Because of this identity, the matched filter for the forward ord