Systems and methods for selectively receiving and processing rf signals at an rf beacon

Abstract

Synchronizing the local time of beacons using two way time transfer methods and hardware enabling such methods. Certain systems incorporate receive hardware into beacon circuitry used for transmitting signals so that the beacon can transmit RF signals during transmission periods, and can also receive RF signals from other beacons during non-transmission periods. Receive hardware may be incorporated into beacon circuitry such that the beacon receives an incoming signal and passes that incoming signal to a digital pre-distortion linearization module, which can process that received signal.

1 . A system for receiving timing signals at one or more beacons, the system comprising a first beacon that includes:
 a clock circuitry module;   a digital to analog converter (DAC) module;   an up-converter module;   an amplifier module;   a coupler module with an input and two outputs;   a signal router module with at least one input and two outputs;   an antenna module;   a switch module with two inputs and an output; and   a linearization module that includes a baseband digital hardware module,   wherein:
 the clock circuitry module is coupled to the baseband digital hardware module, 
 the baseband digital hardware module is coupled to the DAC module, 
 the DAC module is coupled to the up-converter module, 
 the up-converter module is coupled to the amplifier module, 
 the amplifier module is coupled to the coupler module, 
 the coupler module is coupled to the switch module and also to the signal router module, 
 the signal router module is coupled to the antenna module and also to the switch module, and 
 the switch module is coupled to the linearization module. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal router module includes two inputs. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal router module is coupled to the antenna module by being coupled to a filter module that is coupled to the antenna module. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal router module is coupled to the switch module by being coupled to a gain module that is coupled to the switch module. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal router module is coupled to the antenna module by being coupled to a filter module that is coupled to the antenna module, and wherein the signal router module is coupled to the switch module by being coupled to a gain module that is coupled to the switch module. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the switch module is operable to route a first type of signal received at a first input of the switch module to an output of the switch module,   the switch module is operable to route a second type of signal received at a second input of the switch module to the output of the switch module,   the first type of signal is a radio signal generated by the first beacon, and   the second type of signal is a radio signal received by the antenna module of the first beacon from another beacon.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the switch module is operable, in a first mode, to route the first type of signal received at the first input of the switch module to the output of the switch module; and   the switch module is operable, in a second mode, to route the second type of signal received at the second input of the switch module to the output of the switch module.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the baseband digital hardware module is operable to determine that signal transmission from the antenna module to a second beacon is scheduled during a first time period,   the switch module is operable to route a first radio signal generated by the first beacon to the input of the linearization module during the first time period,   the antenna module is operable to transmit the first signal to the second beacon during the first time period,   the baseband digital hardware module is operable to determine that signal transmission from the antenna module to the second beacon is not scheduled during a second time period,   the switch module is operable to route a second radio signal received from a second beacon by the antenna module to the input of the linearization module during the second time period,   the linearization module is operable to create a digital representation of the second radio signal, and   the baseband digital hardware module is operable to identify one or more data items in the digital representation.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first radio signal is a first timing signal generated by the first beacon, and wherein the second radio signal is a second timing signal generated by the second beacon. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the clock circuitry module of the first beacon identifies a first transmission time when the first beacon transmitted the first timing signal;   a clock circuitry module of the second beacon identifies a first reception time when the second beacon received the first timing signal;   the clock circuitry module of the second beacon identifies a second transmission time when the second beacon transmitted the second timing signal;   the clock circuitry module of the first beacon identifies a second reception time when the first beacon received the second timing signal; and   the first beacon synchronizes the clock circuitry module of the first beacon using the first transmission time, the first reception time, the second transmission time, and the second reception time.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a second beacon, and wherein:
 the first beacon is operable to transmit a first timing signal from the antenna module to a second beacon;   the second beacon is operable to receive the first timing signal;   a clock circuitry module of the second beacon is operable to identify a first reception time of the first timing signal at the second beacon;   the clock circuitry module of the first beacon is operable to identify a first transmission time of the first timing signal from the first beacon;   the second beacon is operable to transmit a second timing signal;   the first beacon is operable to receive the second timing signal;   the clock circuitry module of the first beacon is operable to identify a second reception time of the second timing signal at the first beacon;   the clock circuitry module of the second beacon is operable to identify a second transmission time of the second timing signal from the second beacon; and   the first beacon and the second beacon are operable to synchronize the clock circuitry module of the first beacon and the clock circuitry module of the second beacon based on the first transmission time, the first reception time, the second transmission time, and the second reception time.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first beacon includes: a receiver module with an input coupled to an output of the antenna module, and an output coupled to an input of the baseband digital hardware module. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the receiver module is operable to receive a first type of radio signal from the antenna module while the antenna module is transmitting a second type of radio signal, and the receiver module is operable to generate a digital representation of the received radio signal of the first type. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first type of radio signal is a timing signal transmitted from a second beacon, and the second type of radio signal is a timing signal generated by the first beacon.