Acquisition Detector for Short Preamble Packet Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems face challenges in identifying and demodulating data packets with short preambles due to increased interference and signal variability, particularly in protocols like Bluetooth-LE and IEEE 802.15.4, where robust techniques are needed to distinguish frame portions efficiently.
Innovation Solution
Combining phase-domain preamble detection with frequency-domain synchronization frame delimiter detection, allowing for efficient power estimation and synchronization, enabling early packet detection and reducing power consumption by activating detectors only when a valid signal is present, and implementing frame delimiter detection in the FM domain for improved correlation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If shorter defined-pattern portions (preambles) are used to reduce transmission power, then power consumption is reduced, but detection reliability deteriorates due to increased interference and signal variability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines phase-domain preamble detection with frequency-domain synchronization frame delimiter detection into a unified acquisition detector. This merging allows the system to leverage the advantages of both domains: phase-domain detection provides robustness against amplitude variations and interference, while frequency-domain detection offers precise synchronization. The combined approach maintains detection reliability even with shorter preambles, resolving the contradiction between reduced transmission power and maintained detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the detection problem by changing the domain parameter from time-domain to phase-domain and frequency-domain analysis. By converting the detection approach to operate in different mathematical domains (phase and frequency), the system can extract meaningful signal characteristics that are resilient to interference and amplitude variations, thereby maintaining detection reliability with shorter preambles and reduced transmission power.
2Reliability
If robust detection techniques are employed to identify frame portions with short preambles, then detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection process into distinct functional modules within the acquisition detector: a preamble detector for initial signal identification, a frame delimiter detector for synchronization, and a demodulator for data recovery. Each module operates in a specific domain (phase or frequency) and performs a specialized function. This segmentation allows the complex detection task to be divided into manageable, modular components that can be implemented efficiently, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining detection reliability.
3Reliability
If continuous detection is performed to ensure reliable packet identification, then detection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic detection action by configuring the acquisition detector to activate only when signal presence is detected above a threshold level. Rather than continuous operation, the detector periodically monitors the signal and activates full detection functions only when necessary. This periodic action pattern maintains packet identification reliability by detecting all actual packets while consuming power only during active detection periods, not during idle periods when no packets are present.
Data Source
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AI summary
An acquisition detector and method include a preamble detector configured to search in a plurality of symbols for a preamble match with a known preamble pattern when a power level of the input signal exceeds a determined noise threshold. The acquisition detector further includes a frame delimiter detector configured to search in the plurality of symbols for a frame delimiter match with a known frame delimiter pattern when the preamble match is identified and the power level of the input signal exceeds a determined noise threshold.