Multimode Signal Acquisition Receiver Architecture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current techniques for acquiring communications signals of different modes require a common initial communication mode, which is difficult to enforce across different communication standards, increasing computational resources and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for multimode signal acquisition using a receiver configured with a filter module, sampling module, analysis modules, and a classification module to analyze and classify signals into various communication modes without a common initial mode, employing techniques like Goertzel algorithms for frequency analysis and power spectral density comparison.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a common initial communication mode is required for multimode signal acquisition, then the receiver can be configured to receive signals of multiple modes, but the computational resources and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereceiver capability to receive multiple communication modesVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver is divided into separate functional modules: a filter module that processes signals independently of communication mode, and multiple mode-specific receivers (first mode receiver, second mode receiver, etc.) that are activated only when their respective modes are detected. This segmentation allows the system to maintain versatility while reducing power consumption by keeping only necessary modules active.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filter module performs preliminary signal processing on all incoming signals regardless of mode, extracting relevant features before passing them to specific mode receivers. This preliminary action enables the system to efficiently determine which communication modes are present without requiring all mode-specific receivers to be fully operational simultaneously, thereby reducing overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If a common initial communication mode is required for multimode signal acquisition, then the receiver can be configured to receive signals of multiple modes, but the computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereceiver capability to receive multiple communication modesVSAvoidcomputational resources
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver architecture segments signal processing into a shared filter module and multiple independent mode-specific receivers. The filter module handles common preprocessing tasks for all modes, while each mode receiver processes only its specific communication mode. This reduces computational complexity by avoiding redundant processing across all modes simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filter module performs preliminary signal analysis and feature extraction before passing processed signals to mode-specific receivers. This preliminary action reduces the computational burden on subsequent mode-specific processing stages, as the raw signal has already been filtered and prepared, requiring fewer computational resources for final mode detection and decoding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If all initial communication must occur using the same common mode, then the receiver can be configured for that mode, but this requirement is difficult to enforce across different communication standards

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport for different communication standardsVSAvoidenforceability of common mode requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver is segmented into a common filter module that handles all communication standards uniformly, and multiple mode-specific receivers that support different communication modes (including different standards). This architecture eliminates the need to enforce a common initial mode across all standards, as the filter module can process signals from any standard and route them to the appropriate mode-specific receiver.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filter module is designed with universal functionality to process signals from multiple communication standards and modes simultaneously. It performs mode-agnostic signal filtering and feature extraction, making the receiver capable of handling diverse communication standards without requiring a common initial mode, thereby improving ease of operation across different standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4117246B1Device and method for multimode signal acquisition
Publication Date: 2024.11.06 ITRON NETWORKED SOLUTIONS INC
  • EP4117246B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4117246B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4117246B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods for multimode signal acquisition. The systems include a multimode receiver that is configured to determine a communication mode for a received signal. The receiver includes, for example, one or more analysis modules for analyzing a characteristic of a portion of the received signal (e.g., a preamble). The receiver samples the received signals and one or more analysis modules perform frequency analysis on the digital form of the received signal (e.g., using a Goertzel algorithm). The outputs of the analysis modules are then provided to a classification module. The classification module compares, for example, a power spectral density ("PSD") value for one or more frequencies of interest specific to the different communication modes to predetermined PSD values at those frequencies to determine the communication mode. The receiver is then configured for the full acquisition of signals transmitted using the determined communication mode.