Communication Device Deriving Timing From Foreign Protocol Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Simple communication terminals in a network face challenges in aligning their clocks and tuning circuits with base stations due to lack of accurate time and frequency references, leading to potential communication disruptions and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A communication device that aligns itself with signals from a different communication protocol to derive timing and frequency information, allowing it to configure itself for receiving communications under its intended protocol, even if it cannot operate according to the foreign protocol, using signals like TV broadcasts for alignment without decoding them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If simple, cheap terminals are used without expensive high quality clocks, then device cost is reduced, but clock accuracy and synchronization capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses signals from a second communication protocol (e.g., TV broadcasts, other wireless networks) as an intermediary reference to help terminals synchronize their clocks and tuning circuits. Instead of requiring expensive internal reference sources in each terminal, the system leverages externally available signals as a mediator to achieve accurate timing and frequency alignment with the first communication protocol.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal autonomously derives alignment information from identified communications in the second protocol without requiring external configuration or expensive hardware. The device performs self-synchronization by independently extracting timing and frequency information from available signals, enabling cheap terminals to achieve accurate alignment without manual intervention or premium components.
2Measurement precision
If terminals derive alignment information from communications of a second protocol, then synchronization accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional signal processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential alignment information (timing and frequency) from communications of the second protocol, without requiring full decoding or processing of the foreign protocol signals. The terminal takes out just the necessary synchronization parameters from the identified communications, avoiding the complexity of implementing complete protocol stacks for multiple communication standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal performs partial action by deriving alignment information without fully decoding or operating according to the second communication protocol. This partial processing approach provides sufficient synchronization accuracy while avoiding the excessive complexity of complete protocol implementation, achieving the right balance between precision and simplicity.
3Device complexity
If terminals cannot decode foreign protocol communications, then device simplicity is maintained, but ability to extract alignment information is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the foreign protocol communications as an intermediary source of alignment information without requiring the terminal to understand or decode the full protocol. The terminal extracts timing and frequency references from these signals as a mediator, achieving synchronization capability without implementing the second communication protocol stack.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication device configured to operate in accordance with a first communication protocol and to align itself with one or more communications transmitted in accordance with that protocol by identifying a communication transmitted in accordance with a second communication protocol that is not intended for the communication device, deriving alignment information from the identified communication and configuring itself to receive a communication transmitted in accordance with the first communication protocol in dependence on the alignment information.