Method for improving the operation of a receiver device in a communications network

Abstract

The present application relates to a method for improving the operation of a receiver device in a communications network, the method comprising the following steps implemented in a control entity: - receiving (21) a message, from a receiver, comprising time information associated with the receiver and determined, by the receiver, on the basis of trigger information detected in a signal received by the receiver, the trigger information corresponding to a change in a value in at least one particular data field in the received signal not bearing time information; - determining (22) information on the location of the receiver on the basis of the time information associated with the receiver and predetermined reference time information known to the receiver and the control entity.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Title of the invention: Method for improving the operation of a receiving device in a communications network.

[0003] 1. Scope of the invention

[0004] This application falls within the field of wireless telecommunications networks comprising at least one receiving device.

[0005] 2. State of the art

[0006] Fixed and mobile connected devices, such as sensors used in the IoT (Internet of Things) or smartphones in the mobile phone sector, have become essential in our daily lives. They can be used in physical environments where network coverage is sometimes insufficient for optimal reception of communication signals by the devices.

[0007] To increase the communication capabilities of terminals, various technological improvements have been implemented, including the use of amplifiers. While these devices boost the terminal signal and thus improve reception within the coverage area, they require a constant power supply even when no terminal is present and are potentially subject to regulatory limits on transmission power.

[0008] The integration of more advanced components (such as higher-quality antennas) into terminals has also led to improved communication performance, but it also presents drawbacks such as increased integration costs due to greater design and engineering complexity (for example, the increased size resulting from a potentially higher density of transmit and receive hardware components). The expansion of frequency bands used by terminals contributes to increased communication capabilities but also increases the risk of interference and network congestion.

[0009] Furthermore, it is known that the precise location of the various entities within a network, such as terminals, improves its operation, particularly by optimizing the position of certain elements, such as reflective surfaces, to increase the power received by the terminals. A large number of location techniques exist today, requiring a minimum amount of information. For example, the GPS system relies on four satellites to determine the location of an object. However, the accuracy of the GPS system is variable and dependent on the environment, especially inside a building. It is more than 3 meters outdoors and more than 5 meters indoors without additional corrections. The purpose of this application is to propose improvements to at least some of the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0010] 3. Description of the invention

[0011] The present application aims to improve the situation by means of a method for improving the operation of at least one first receiving device in a communication network comprising at least one transmitting device and a control entity, comprising the following steps implemented in said control entity: the reception of at least one first message from said first receiving device, said first message comprising at least one first time information associated with said first receiving device, said first time information being determined, by said first receiving device, from at least one trigger information detected in at least one signal received by said first receiving device, said trigger information corresponding to a change in the value of at least one particular data field in said received signal, said particular data field not carrying any time information,the determination of representative information on the location of said first receiving device from at least said first temporal information associated with said first receiving device and at least one predetermined and known reference temporal information of said at least one first receiving device and of said control entity.

[0012] Thus, the proposed solution allows a control entity in a communication network to determine the location information of a receiving device by receiving temporal information associated with that device. To do this, the receiving device can detect a trigger signal within a received signal and determine the associated temporal information from this trigger signal. The control entity can then determine, at least from this temporal information, the location of the receiving device and implement an action to improve its operation.For example, improving the operation of the receiving device involves increasing the power of the signal it receives and can be achieved by modifying parameters of other entities present in the network (for example, one or more reflective surfaces).

[0013] Thus, the principle of the proposed technique relies on the detection, by one or more receiving devices, of a predefined trigger signal within a received signal, enabling them to determine a temporal information corresponding to the moment of detection of this trigger signal. Since this temporal information is specific to each receiving device, it allows the control entity to determine the location of these receiving devices by taking into account the times of reception of the trigger signal.

[0014] In particular, the trigger information detected by the receiving device in a received signal does not correspond to dedicated synchronization or timestamp information, as is the case in known localization techniques. On the contrary, according to the proposed technique, the semantics or current value of the particular field to be monitored is irrelevant; rather, it is a change in the value of one or more specific fields that is detected. The trigger information is therefore not specific data transmitted in the signal, but corresponds to a change in the values ​​of one or more fields, primarily intended for signaling purposes, for example. The proposed technique thus does not require the definition of a specific field, nor the use of a field dedicated to temporal information, but leverages data present in a received signal, preferably so-called dynamic data, i.e.identified as changing value very regularly. The aim is therefore to monitor one or more specific data fields, independent of any specific temporal (or synchronization) information.

[0015] In addition, the control entity and the receiving device also have knowledge of a reference time information, representative of the moment when the particular field(s) to be monitored are emitted into the network.

[0016] According to a particular aspect, the process includes the following steps implemented by said at least one first receiving device: the detection, in said received signal, of said triggering information, the triggering of a counter, the transmission, to said control entity, of said first message including said first time information associated with said at least one first receiving device and representative of a current value of said counter.

[0017] Thus, according to this embodiment, the trigger information detected by the receiving device in a received signal causes a counter managed by the receiving device to be reset to zero. The current value of the counter corresponds to a time-based information transmitted by the receiving device to the control entity before the counter is reset upon receipt of another trigger information. Therefore, since the distance between the transmitting device and the control entity, as well as the distances between the transmitting device and each of the receiving devices, are different, the current values ​​received by the control entity from different receiving devices are also different.It is from these differences, as well as the reference time information, that the control entity can, for example, determine the respective distances between itself and the different receiving devices and / or between the different receiving devices, depending on the amount of time information available to the control entity.

[0018] According to a particular feature, the process includes the reception, by said control entity, of a second message from a second receiving device of said communication network comprising a second time information associated with the second receiving device, said second time information being determined, by the second receiving device, from said trigger information detected in at least one signal received by said second receiving device and wherein the determination of the information representing the location of the first receiving device also takes into account the second time information associated with the second receiving device.

[0019] Thus, according to this embodiment, the control entity has temporal information associated with at least two receiving devices on the network, relating to the detection of the same triggering information, which allows it to determine the location information of the first receiving device. This can also allow it to determine the location information of the second receiving device.

[0020] For example, the process is activated by the reception, by said at least a first receiving device, of information representative of said trigger information to be detected in said received signal.

[0021] Thus, according to this embodiment, the definition of the trigger information, i.e., the identification of the field(s) to be monitored, is transmitted in the signal and therefore received by the control entity and the receiving device(s), thereby activating the process. In this way, it is not necessary for the trigger information to be known beforehand by the network entities, and it can therefore be modified, for example, according to the network configuration and, in particular, the signaling data that can be transmitted and provide the fields to be monitored.

[0022] According to a particular aspect, said communication network also includes at least one first reflective surface, and the method includes an improvement step taking into account said information representative of the location of said first receiving device determined and belonging to the group comprising: the modification of a parameter of said first reflective surface, and / or the deactivation of said first reflective surface, and / or the addition of at least one second reflective surface.

[0023] Thus, the location information determined by the monitoring entity allows it to know at least the location of a receiving device, either absolutely if it has all the necessary data, or relatively, for example, in relation to another entity in the network (another receiving device). With this location, and knowing the position of one or more reflective surfaces present in the network, the monitoring entity implements actions to improve the operation of this receiving device, for example, by modifying the number and / or configuration of the reflective surface(s) present in the network to increase the power received by the given receiving device.

[0024] For example, the said message received by the said control entity also includes a measurement of a power received by the said first receiving device associated with the said time information.

[0025] Thus, according to this embodiment, the control entity can associate a measurement of the power received by the receiving device with a reception time corresponding to the temporal information transmitted by the receiving device. This received power measurement can be used by the control entity to choose the improvement action to be applied to the network based on the location of the receiving device. For example, if the power measurement is low, then the control entity can modify a parameter of a reflective surface of the network in order to increase the power received at the location of the receiving device.

[0026] According to a particular feature, the process includes the following steps implemented by said at least one first receiving device: receiving a message from said second receiving device of said communication network, said message including at least said second time information associated with the second receiving device, determining indirect time information from said first and second time information, and transmitting said indirect time information to said control entity.

[0027] Thus, according to this embodiment, the network's receiving devices communicate with each other and can, in particular, exchange temporal information. In this case, a receiving device can relay, to the control entity, so-called indirect temporal information that takes into account the distance between the two receiving devices, for the same detected trigger information.

[0028] This allows the controlling entity to have additional temporal information to more accurately determine the location information of receiving devices.

[0029] In another aspect, the present application also relates to a control entity comprising at least one processor configured to implement the method of the present application according to any one of its embodiments. Such a control entity corresponds to a device in a communication network, said communication network comprising at least one first receiving device and at least one transmitting device, said control entity comprising at least one processor configured to: receive at least one first message from said first receiving device, said first message comprising at least one first timing information associated with said first receiving device, said first timing information being determined, by said first receiving device, from at least one trigger information detected in at least one signal received by said first receiving device.said trigger information corresponding to a change in the value of at least one particular data field in said received signal, said particular data field not carrying time information, determining information representative of the location of said first receiving device from at least said first time information associated with said first receiving device and at least one predetermined and known reference time information of said at least one first receiving device and of said control entity.

[0030] In another respect, the present application also relates to an electronic device comprising at least one processor configured to implement the method of the present application in any of its embodiments. Such a device corresponds to a receiving device in a communication network, said communication network comprising at least one control entity and at least one transmitting device, said receiving device comprising at least one processor configured to: receive at least one signal, detect, in said received signal, said trigger information, trigger a counter, and transmit, to said control entity, said first message comprising said first time information associated with said at least one first receiving device and representative of a current value of said counter.

[0031] This application also relates to a communication system in a communication network, said communication network comprising at least one transmitting device, at least one receiving device as described above and at least one control entity as described above.

[0032] This application also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the various embodiments of the above process, where the computer program is executed by a processor and a recording medium readable by an electronic device and on which the computer program is recorded.

[0033] For example, the present application relates to a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation, when the computer program is executed by a processor of an electronic device, of a method for improving the operation of a first receiving device of a communications network as described above.

[0034] For example, the present application also relates to a processor-readable recording medium of an electronic device on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for the implementation, when the computer program is executed by the processor, of a method for improving the operation of a first receiving device of a communications network as described above.

[0035] The program mentioned above may use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0036] The recording (or information) media referred to in this application may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, a medium may include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means.

[0037] Such a storage device could be, for example, a hard drive, a flash memory, etc.

[0038] On the other hand, an information medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by radio, or by other means. A program according to the invention can, in particular, be uploaded to a network of the type

[0039] Internet.

[0040] Alternatively, an information carrier may be an integrated circuit in which a program is incorporated; in the present application, the circuit is adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of any of the embodiments of the method which is the subject of this patent application.

[0041] 4. Brief description of the drawings

[0042] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following description of particular embodiments, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the accompanying drawings, among which:

[0043] Figure 1 presents a simplified view of a system, cited as an example, in which at least some embodiments of the process of the present application can be implemented.

[0044] Figure 2 presents an overview of the method for improving the operation of at least one receiving device in some of its embodiments.

[0045] Figure 3 presents a simplified view of a control device adapted to implement at least certain embodiments of the control process of this application.

[0046] Figure 4 presents a simplified view of a receiving device suitable for implementing at least some embodiments of the control method of this application.

[0047] 5. Description of the implementation methods

[0048] This application aims to improve the receiving performance of at least one receiving device belonging to a physical wireless network such as a local area network or LAN (Local Area Network) and / or a wide area network, or WAN (Wide Area Network) (for example, the wireless communication network may be a corporate or home LAN or a WAN of the internet, or cellular, GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications, UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, Wifi - Wireless, etc. type), or even a satellite communication network, by taking advantage of the physical environment in which the receiving device is located, and more particularly of its precise location in this physical environment.

[0049] More specifically, unlike prior art solutions that consist of increasing the transmitting power of a transmitting device and / or the receiving capacity of a receiving device, the present technique is based on the precise localization of the receiving device(s) within the system, so as to implement actions that increase the received power of the receiving device whose operation is to be improved. This improvement consists, for example, of ensuring that it is located in a zone of maximum power, such as a power antinode, and can be achieved in particular by acting on the position, number, or configuration of one or more reflective surfaces present in the system.

[0050] As a reminder, in the field of electromagnetic waves, the antinodes of an electromagnetic wave resulting from several waves correspond to specific points in space where the amplitude of the resulting wave is maximum. This phenomenon is due to the superposition of at least two waves, such as a wave emitted by the transmitting device and a reflected and / or backscattered wave obtained respectively by reflection and / or backscattering of the emitted wave. When these waves overlap constructively (that is, when their crests and troughs align), the amplitude of the resulting wave is maximized at certain points, thus forming an antinode.

[0051] Furthermore, unlike existing localization solutions based on the transmission of temporal or synchronization information, the present technique does not use specific synchronization data but uses dynamic data from the signal received by the receiving devices and the control entity implementing the process.

[0052] The present application therefore proposes, in at least one embodiment, to determine the location, absolute or relative, of several devices present in the system, in particular the receiving devices, in order to improve their operation and thus act on the overall performance of the system.

[0053] Figure 1 represents a 100 wireless telecommunications system in which certain embodiments of the process for optimizing the operation of the present application can be implemented.

[0054] By "wireless telecommunications system" we mean here a telecommunications system adapted to the implementation of wireless communications, and optionally wired communications.

[0055] As illustrated in Figure 1, the system 100 includes at least one transmitting device 12 and at least one receiving device Rxl, which may be, for example, respectively a base station and a cellular telephone terminal in certain embodiments.

[0056] The transmitting device 12 is an electronic telecommunications device which, through a transmitting radio antenna, can radiate electromagnetic waves 120 into space.

[0057] The Rxl (and / or Rx2 and / or Rx3) receiving device, which is also an electronic telecommunications device, has the ability to receive electromagnetic waves (or signals) radiating in space through a receiving radio antenna.

[0058] The transmitting device 12 receives data 110 from a data server 11 and / or transmits data 110 / 120 via the RAN (Radio Access Network) to the receiving devices Rxl (and / or Rx2 and / or Rx3) and the control entity 13. Among this data, we consider so-called dynamic data, i.e. whose values ​​(or the values ​​of certain fields) change often, which will be used, according to the present technique, by the control entity and at least one receiving device for the implementation of the invention, and thus allow the control entity to obtain temporal information to determine at least an absolute or relative location of at least one receiving device, as described in more detail below.

[0059] The system 100 can also include at least one reflective surface 14-1 placed in such a way that it can receive radiation emitted 120 by the emitting device 12. A reflected wave 121 then results from the reflection of the incident wave 120 by the reflective surface.

[0060] Such a reflective surface can be a passive reflective surface or a reconfigurable reflective surface (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS)), i.e., a surface (structured as a two-dimensional matrix of elementary cells) that allows for the dynamic modification of the characteristics (particularly in terms of direction) of a reflected electromagnetic wave in response to an incident wave. This is achieved by modifying certain configuration parameters of the reflective surface, such as its angle of reflection, which causes a phase shift between the reflected wave and the incident wave. To modify these configuration parameters, an RIS can therefore be supervised, or controlled, by a device such as a control entity 13, as provided in the system 100 illustrated in Figure 1.A RIS can be integrated into a multitude of structures such as building facades, interior partitions, aerial platforms or roadside billboards.

[0061] The emitted wave 120 and the reflected wave 121 can form a resultant wave having a power distribution 140, including power antinodes, especially in the vicinity of the receiving device Rxl (and / or Rx2 and / or Rx3).

[0062] In some embodiments, at least some of the receiving devices can communicate directly with each other. This may be, for example, fixed and / or mobile terminals using a communication mode known as "sidelink" or "device-to-device (D2D)", in certain communication standards (such as LTE-D (Long Term Evolution-Direct), 5G NR (5G New Radio) for cellular networks or Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave for other networks).

[0063] The control (or supervision) entity 13 can send or receive data / information to / from at least some of the system devices, including the reflective surface 14-1 / 14-2 as already indicated, but also the sending device 12, a receiving device Rxl / Rx2 / Rx3.

[0064] For example, as described in more detail below, the control entity 13 receives temporal information from one or more receiving devices, enabling it to determine the location of one or more devices in the system, including the receiving device(s). Furthermore, the control entity 13 can send configuration information to a RIS, such as the reflective surface 14-1.

[0065] The method 200 for improving the operation of at least one receiving device of this application is now described in general terms and in connection with Figure 2, in some of its embodiments. The method 200 can be implemented, for example, by the aforementioned control entity 13.

[0066] As illustrated in Figure 2, the method 200 comprises receiving 21 at least one first message from the first receiving device Rxl, the first message comprising at least one first temporal information It-Rxl associated with the first receiving device Rxl. According to any one embodiment of the present technique, this first temporal information It-Rxl is determined by the first receiving device from at least one trigger information detected in a signal received by the first receiving device. According to this embodiment, this trigger information corresponds to a change in the value of at least one particular data field in the received signal, this particular data field not carrying temporal information and not being semantically analyzed by the receiving device.Indeed, as already indicated, the determination of the location, by the controlling entity, of one or more receiving devices or other devices in the system, is not based on the detection of specific synchronization, location or time information in the received signal, but on the detection of a change in the value of a particular data field in the received signal.

[0067] Thus, it is known that certain data are considered dynamic data, denoted {F1..Fn}, whose field values ​​change frequently and can therefore be advantageously used to trigger a counter when a change in value is detected. The current value of this counter (at the time the message is transmitted from the receiving device to the control entity) then constitutes temporal information associated with the receiving device.

[0068] To achieve this, a convention is established within the system to define which specific data field(s) is / are monitored and whether the triggering information consists of detecting a change in a single field value, the values ​​of multiple fields, or a change in a function applied to field values. The convention therefore determines not only which specific field(s) is / are monitored, but also which triggering rule governs the detection of a change.

[0069] For example, the present technique relies on observing specific fields in the signaling portion of the RAN, without seeking to understand their semantics but simply to detect a change. This observation / detection is based on a data analysis technique because the frame structure of the received signal is known (the static data {Fa...Fz}, such as the headers, and the dynamic data {F1...Fn} which changes frequently and extensively).

[0070] The convention of the method therefore stipulates that all receiving devices in the system, as well as the control entity, monitor the same fields among {F1 ...Fn} and reset a counter to zero at a time T0 when the predefined triggering rule is met. Each receiving device and the control entity thus triggers a counter at different times T0, due to the varying distances between the transmitting device and the control entity, and between the transmitting device and each of the receiving devices. The present technique relies on these different counter triggering times to determine temporal information associated with each receiving device and corresponding, within the system, to the detection of the same change in data values.It is then from this It-Rxi time information associated with each receiving device (and representative, as detailed below, of a current value of the triggered counter at the moment the trigger information is detected) that the control entity can determine, in particular, the respective distances between the controller and the receiving devices, and between the receiving devices themselves. Therefore, the control entity can determine, during a determination step 22, the absolute or relative locations (lloc-Rxi) of the system's receiving devices.

[0071] To do this, the control entity must also know the time reference corresponding to the time of passage of the trigger information, called BipS, through the RAN. Indeed, knowledge of this reference time information allows the control entity to associate each time information received from the receiving devices with a reference and thus calculate time differences in the reception of the same trigger information, representing different distances between the transmitting device and each receiving device and the control entity itself.

[0072] According to a particular feature, the data server 11 sends an activation information for the method of the invention, i.e. for monitoring the fields and sending messages with the timing information from the receiving devices to the control entity, for example by transmitting the list of fields to be monitored.

[0073] In one variant, the identification of the field(s) to be monitored is not transmitted in the signal but is determined by at least one receiver and communicated by the controlling entity to the other receivers. For example, the receivers indicate to the controlling entity that the field to be monitored corresponds to the data block of a <longueur>given to \' <offset>Given a regularly received message, the controlling entity chooses the most appropriate proposal. In another example, the fields to be monitored change regularly, and a selection is made of the field(s) that provide the greatest improvement in performance. To achieve this, the data exchanged between the receiving devices contains information for selecting the field(s) to be monitored, allowing the field(s) to be selected independently of the sender and the controlling entity.

[0074] According to this variant, the data exchanged 131, 132, 133, between the receiving devices and the control entity, therefore include other information relating to the field(s) to be monitored.

[0075] We now describe a use case of the process implemented by a control entity 13, in a system illustrated in figure 1, comprising at least three receiving devices Rxl, Rx2 and Rx3 and at least two reflective surfaces 14-1 and 14-2.

[0076] It is assumed that the control entity 13 and the receiving devices Rxl, Rx2 and Rx3 detect, in a received signal 120, the triggering information and reset their respective counters: the control entity determines its counter: BipS-ctrl, each receiving device determines its counter BipS-Rxi.

[0077] According to one variant, the control entity receives an initial message from the first receiving device Rxl, carrying a time information It-Rxl corresponding to the current value of the BipS-Rxl counter at the time the message is sent. The control entity can then determine the distance between itself and the first receiving device Rxl, using the difference between the two counters BipS-ctrl and BipS-Rxi, as well as the reference time information BipS, ensuring that it compares two counter values ​​corresponding to the detection of the same trigger information.

[0078] Furthermore, each receiving device, as well as the control entity, calculates a valid identifier for the duration of its counter. This identifier is modified each time a new trigger signal is detected and is calculated in the same way by each device. For example, this identifier is calculated using the same hash function applied to the value of the specific field(s) being monitored to detect the trigger signal. This identifier is subsequently denoted hmea = hash({F1 ...Fn}). In this way, each time signal transmitted by a receiving device can be uniquely identified (hmea-i), allowing the control entity to ensure that the time signals it compares to determine location information match.

[0079] For the control entity to determine location information for each receiving device, it must have sufficient temporal information from the receiving devices to establish not only a sufficient number of equations to solve at a given time t, but also a sufficient number of successive equations. Therefore, according to a second variant, the control entity receives, for example, temporal information from the three receiving devices of the system via separate messages emitted by each receiving device. These messages carry temporal information representative of the detection, by each receiving device, of the same trigger information in the signal received by those receiving devices.

[0080] Furthermore, according to a third variant, a receiving device can itself receive temporal information from another receiving device and relay this temporal information to the control entity, so that the latter has more data.

[0081] More precisely, if the receiving device Rxl receives the BipS_Rx2 counter from the receiving device Rx2, it compares the value of this BipS_Rx2 counter with the current value of its own BipS_Rxl counter and deduces the value dt(Rxl, Rx2) representing a combination of the distance between Rxl and Rx2 and the distance between the transmitting device 12 and Rx2. It is then the value dt(Rxl, Rx2) that it transmits, along with BipS_Rxl, in the message to the control entity 13.

[0082] Thus, according to this variant, each receiving device transmits the current value of its counter not only to the control entity but also to all its neighboring receiving devices. In this way, the control entity has a great deal of temporal information, directly associated with a receiving device BipS_Rxi, or relayed dt(Rxi, Rxj). Therefore, in the example of system 100 in Figure 1, the control entity can calculate the positions of the receiving devices Rxl to Rx3, from the BipS_Rxi and the dt(Rxi, Rxj), for example via a triangulation calculation.

[0083] The example described above assumes that the receiving device Rxi has been able to ensure that the hmea-j identifier, called indirect, received from its neighbor corresponds to the hmea-i identifier that it has itself calculated, and therefore that the time information of the two receiving devices corresponds to the detection of the same trigger information in the received signal.

[0084] According to its different variants and use cases, the control entity therefore receives a sufficient number of temporal information allowing it to determine in particular: a relative temporal distance dt(Rxi, control entity) between itself and the receiving device Rxi, for each temporal information received from the receiving device Rxi, a relative temporal distance dt(Rxi, Rxj) between two receiving devices Rxi and Rxj, received from the receiving device Rxi.

[0085] The control entity thus possesses location information, both relative and absolute, for the system's receiving devices that is far more precise than with prior art techniques, because this location information is not based on imprecise GPS data or signal synchronization information, particularly in the residential or urban environments where this technique is implemented. Using this location information, the control entity can implement actions to improve the operation of one or more receiving devices, also thanks to knowledge of the position of other system entities, such as reflective surfaces.

[0086] Indeed, for optimal operation of a system such as the one illustrated in Figure 1, the reflective surfaces must not only be as close as possible to the emitter but also to the receiving devices.

[0087] Thus, depending on the type of reflective surfaces, several actions can be implemented by the control entity, according to the method of the invention: if it is possible to add one or more reflective surfaces, knowledge of the relative / absolute positions of the existing reflective surfaces and receiving devices is useful because it is then possible to optimize the position at which the additional reflective surface(s) will be installed; if it is not possible to add additional reflective surfaces or to configure them differently, the objective is then to use the best-positioned reflective surfaces to improve the peak power received for a terminal at a given location by not using the least well-placed reflective surfaces; if it is possible to modify the configuration, Le.the operating parameters (orientation, radioelectric characteristic: modification of the phase shift (for example by modifying an impedance to modify the phase of the reflected signal for example), ...), of one or more reflective surfaces, for example in the case of reconfigurable reflective surface RIS, knowledge of the relative / absolute positions of the reflective surfaces and the receiving devices is interesting because it allows the configuration of the RIS to be modified so as to move the associated power antinodes towards the receiving device(s) whose operation we wish to improve.

[0088] This technique can also be implemented for a purpose other than increasing the power received by one or more receiving devices, but always with the aim of improving the operation of the communication network: thus, it could be a matter of "neutralizing" a receiving device, for example a receiving device that over-consumes bandwidth, by keeping it in a power trough when it moves: it is therefore a matter here of reducing the power received at a point, which can be achieved by the actions described previously with however the objective of reducing the power received at a point instead of increasing it.

[0089] This technique therefore allows, more generally, the control of the power received at a point. According to a particular characteristic, if the determination of the location information of the system's receiving devices is implemented periodically, then this technique can take into account the movements of the receiving devices, which greatly improves operation in the case of mobile user terminals, for example.

[0090] Finally, in one particular embodiment, the message transmitted by a receiving device to the control entity also carries a measurement of the power received by the receiving device at the time the trigger information is detected. This power information from the receiving devices allows the control entity to determine a power antinode map for each receiving device. Thus, the control entity also has information on the signal power received by the receiving device(s), enabling it to refine the actions to be implemented based on the determined locations of the receiving devices (and the known locations of potential reflective surfaces).

[0091] Figure 3 illustrates a simplified structure of an electronic device 300, adapted to implement the principles of this application. The device 300 could, for example, correspond to the control entity 13 of the system 100 in Figure 1. Depending on the embodiment, it could be a communication terminal, a home Wi-Fi device controlling several entities, or a TV decoder.

[0092] The device 300 includes at least one memory 31 comprising a buffer memory, at least one processing unit 32, equipped for example with a programmable computing machine or a dedicated computing machine, for example a microprocessor P, and controlled by the computer program 33, implementing steps of the process for improving the operation according to at least one embodiment of the invention.

[0093] At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program 33 are, for example, loaded into a RAM memory before being executed by the microprocessor of the processing unit 32.

[0094] The device may also include, or be coupled to, at least one not illustrated I / O input / output module, such as a communication module, enabling, for example, the device 300 to communicate with other devices in the system 100, via wired or wireless communication interfaces, and / or such as a user interface module for the device (also referred to more simply in this application as a "user interface" or "human-machine interface").

[0095] In certain implementations, the 300 device can be integrated into a communication terminal. In this case, the communication terminal acts as the controller.

[0096] Figure 4 illustrates a simplified structure of an electronic device 400, adapted to implement the principles of this application. Device 400 may, for example, correspond to the receiver device Rxl of system 100 in Figure 1. Depending on the embodiment, it may be a fixed or mobile user terminal.

[0097] The device 400 includes at least one memory 41 comprising a buffer memory, at least one processing unit 42, equipped for example with a programmable computing machine or a dedicated computing machine, for example a microprocessor P, and controlled by the computer program 43, implementing steps of the method for improving the operation according to at least one embodiment of the invention.

[0098] At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program 43 are, for example, loaded into a RAM memory before being executed by the microprocessor of the processing unit 42.

[0099] The device may also include, or be coupled to, at least one (not shown) input / output module, such as a communication module, enabling, for example, the device 400 to communicate with other devices in the system 100 via wired or wireless communication interfaces, and / or such as a user interface module for the device (also referred to more simply in this application as a "user interface" or "human-machine interface"). The user interface (or "human-machine interface") of the device is understood to mean, for example, an interface integrated into the device 400, or a part of a third-party device coupled to this device via wired or wireless communication.A user interface can notably be an "output" user interface adapted for rendering (or controlling the rendering) of an output element of a computer application used by the device 400, for example an application running at least partially on the device 400 or an "online" application running at least partially remotely, for example an application accessible via the device 400. Examples of output user interfaces of the device include one or more screens, including at least one graphic screen (touchscreen for example), one or more speakers, a connected headset, one or more light indicator(s) such as light-emitting diodes (or LEDs for "Light Electronic Display" according to English terminology).By output, we mean a presentation (or "output" in English terminology) on at least one user interface, in any form, for example, including text, audio, and / or video components, or a combination of such components. Furthermore, a user interface can be an "input" user interface adapted for receiving a command from a user of the 400 device. This could be, in particular, an action to be performed and / or a command to be sent to a computer application used by the 400 device, for example, an application running at least partially on the 400 device. Examples of input user interfaces for the 400 device include a sensor, an audio and / or video acquisition device (microphone, camera (webcam), for example), a keyboard, and a mouse.< / offset> < / longueur>

Claims

1. CLAIMS 1. A method (200) for improving the operation of at least one first receiving device (Rxl) in a communication network (100) comprising at least one transmitting device (12) and a control entity (13), comprising the following steps implemented in said control entity: the reception (21) of at least one first message from said first receiving device, said first message comprising at least one first associated time information (It-Rxl) from said first receiving device, said first time information being determined by said first receiving device from at least one trigger information detected in at least one signal received by said first receiving device, said trigger information corresponding to a change in the value of at least one particular data field in said received signal, said particular data field not carrying time information,the determination (22) of a representative location information (lloc-Rxl) of said first receiving device from at least said first temporal information associated with said first receiving device and at least one predetermined reference temporal information (BipS) known to said at least one first receiving device and to said control entity.

2. A method for improving the operation according to claim 1, comprising the following steps implemented by said at least one first receiving device: the detection, in said received signal, of said triggering information, the triggering of a counter, the transmission, to said control entity, of said first message including said first time information associated with said at least one first receiving device and representative of a current value of said counter.

3. A method for improving the operation according to any one of claims 1 and 2, comprising the reception, by said control entity, of a second message from a second receiving device of said communication network comprising a second time information associated with the second receiving device, said second time information being determined, by the second receiving device, from said trigger information detected in at least one signal received by said second receiving device and where the determination of the information representing the location of the first receiving device also takes into account the second temporal information associated with the second receiving device.

4. A method for improving the operation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, said method being activated by the reception, by said at least a first receiving device, of information representative of said trigger information to be detected in said received signal.

5. A method for improving the operation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, said communication network also comprising at least one first reflective surface, and the method comprising an improvement step taking into account said information representative of the location of said first determined receiving device and belonging to the group comprising: the modification of a parameter of said first reflective surface, and / or the deactivation of said first reflective surface, and / or the addition of at least one second reflective surface.

6. A method for improving the operation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said message received by said control entity also includes a measurement of a power received by said first receiving device associated with said time information.

7. A method for improving the operation according to any one of claims 3 to 5, comprising the following steps implemented by said at least one first receiving device: receiving a message from said second receiving device from said communication network, said message comprising at least said second time information associated with the second receiving device, determining indirect time information from said first and second time information, and transmitting said indirect time information to said control entity.

8. Control entity in a communication network, said communication network comprising at least one first receiving device and at least one transmitting device, said control entity comprising at least one processor configured to: receive at least one first message from said first receiving device, said first message comprising at least one first time information associated with said first receiving device, said first time information being determined by said first receiving device from at least one trigger information detected in at least one signal received by said first receiving device, said trigger information corresponding to a change in the value of at least one particular data field in said received signal, said particular data field not carrying time information,to determine representative information on the location of said first receiving device from at least said first temporal information associated with said first receiving device and at least one predetermined and known reference temporal information of said at least one first receiving device and of said control entity.

9. A receiving device in a communication network, said communication network comprising at least one control entity and at least one transmitting device, said receiving device comprising at least one processor configured to: receive at least one signal, detect, in said received signal, said trigger information, trigger a counter, transmit, to said control entity, said first message comprising said first time information associated with said at least one first receiving device and representative of a current value of said counter.

10. Communication system in a communication network, said communication network comprising at least one transmitting device, at least one receiving device according to claim 9 and at least one control entity according to claim 8.

11. Computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when the computer program is executed by a processor.

12. Recording medium readable by an electronic device and on which the computer program according to claim 11 is recorded.

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