Information Transfer Using Discrete-Frequency Signals and Instantaneous Frequency Measurement

Abstract

A method of receiving information is provided. The method is performed at a system for information transfer. The method includes receiving a first signal pulse and determining a first frequency band and a first pulse duration associated with the first signal pulse. The method includes, in accordance with a determination that the first frequency band is one of a predefined set of frequency bands, and that the first pulse duration is one of a predefined set of pulse durations, determining, from a predefined set of symbols, a first symbol associated with the first frequency band and the first pulse duration. Each frequency band in the predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a respective set of two or more symbols, and each symbol of a respective set of two or more symbols is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of receiving information, comprising:
 receiving a first signal pulse;   determining a first frequency band associated with the first signal pulse;   determining a first pulse duration of the first signal pulse; and   in accordance with a determination that the first frequency band is a respective frequency band in a first predefined set of frequency bands, and in accordance with a determination that the first pulse duration is a first respective pulse duration in a first predefined set of pulse durations:
 determining, from a predefined set of symbols, a first symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration, and represented by the first signal pulse; 
   wherein:
 each frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective set of two or more distinct symbols in the predefined set of symbols; and 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each symbol in the predefined set of symbols is associated with only one respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands, and with only one respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , including:
 in accordance with the determination that the first frequency band is the respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands, and in accordance with the determination that the first pulse duration is the first respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations:
 after determining the first symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration, and represented by the first signal pulse, providing the first symbol. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , including:
 after at least a predefined amount of time since receiving the first signal pulse, receiving a second signal pulse;   determining a second frequency band associated with the second signal pulse, wherein the second frequency band is the same as the first frequency band;   determining a second pulse duration of the second signal pulse, wherein the second pulse duration is distinct from the first pulse duration; and   in accordance with a determination that the second frequency band is the respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands, and in accordance with a determination that the second pulse duration is a second respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations:
 determining, from the predefined set of symbols, a second symbol associated with the respective frequency band and with the second pulse duration, and represented by the second signal pulse, wherein the second symbol is distinct from the first symbol. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining, from the predefined set of symbols, the first symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration includes:
 determining, from the predefined set of symbols, the respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with the first frequency band; and   selecting, from the respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with the first frequency band, the respective symbol associated with the first pulse duration.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining, from the predefined set of symbols, the first symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration includes:
 determining, from the predefined set of symbols, a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with the first pulse duration, wherein each symbol in the respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with the first pulse duration is associated with a distinct respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands; and   selecting, from the respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with the first pulse duration, the respective symbol associated with the first frequency band.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first predefined set of frequency bands and the first predefined set of pulse durations are associated with the predefined set of symbols using a lookup table; and   determining the first symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration includes:
 selecting the respective symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration in the lookup table. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , including, after receiving the first signal pulse:
 receiving a control signal associating a second predefined set of frequency bands with the first predefined set of pulse durations and the predefined set of symbols, wherein:
 the second predefined set of frequency bands is distinct from the first predefined set of frequency bands; 
 each frequency band in the second predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective set of two or more distinct symbols in the predefined set of symbols; and 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations; 
   after receiving the control signal, receiving a third signal pulse;   determining a third frequency band associated with the third signal pulse;   determining a third pulse duration of the third signal pulse; and   in accordance with a determination that the third frequency band is a respective frequency band in the second predefined set of frequency bands, and in accordance with a determination that the third pulse duration is a respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations:
 determining, from the predefined set of symbols, a third symbol associated with the third frequency band and with the third pulse duration, and represented by the third signal pulse. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , including, after receiving the first signal pulse:
 receiving a control signal associating a second predefined set of pulse durations with the first predefined set of frequency bands and the predefined set of symbols, wherein:
 the second predefined set of pulse durations is distinct from the first predefined set of pulse durations; 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the second predefined set of pulse durations; 
   after receiving the control signal, receiving a fourth signal pulse;   determining a fourth frequency band associated with the fourth signal pulse;   determining a fourth pulse duration of the fourth signal pulse; and   in accordance with a determination that the fourth frequency band is a respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands, and in accordance with a determination that the fourth pulse duration is a respective pulse duration in the second predefined set of pulse durations:
 determining, from the predefined set of symbols, a fourth symbol associated with the fourth frequency band and with the fourth pulse duration, and represented by the fourth signal pulse. 
   
     
     
         10 . A system for information transfer, comprising:
 a receiver, configured to receive a first signal pulse;   frequency determination circuitry, configured to determine a first frequency band associated with the first signal pulse;   pulse duration determination circuitry, configured to determine a first pulse duration of the first signal pulse; and   processing circuitry, configured to:
 in accordance with a determination that the first frequency band is a respective frequency band in a first predefined set of frequency bands, and in accordance with a determination that the first pulse duration is a first respective pulse duration in a first predefined set of pulse durations:
 determine, from a predefined set of symbols, a first symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration, and represented by the first signal pulse; 
 
   wherein:
 each frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective set of two or more distinct symbols in the predefined set of symbols; and 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method of transmitting information, comprising:
 obtaining a first symbol, in a predefined set of symbols, for transmission;   determining a first frequency band, in a first predefined set of frequency bands, associated with the first symbol;   determining a first pulse duration, in a first predefined set of pulse durations, associated with the first symbol; and   transmitting a first signal pulse having the first pulse duration and having a first frequency in the first frequency band;   wherein:
 each frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective set of two or more distinct symbols in the predefined set of symbols; and 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each symbol in the predefined set of symbols is associated with only one respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands, and with only one respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 obtaining a second symbol, in the predefined set of symbols, for transmission, wherein the second symbol is distinct from the first symbol;   determining a second frequency band, in the first predefined set of frequency bands, associated with the second symbol, wherein the second frequency band is the same as the first frequency band;   determining a second pulse duration, in the first predefined set of pulse durations, associated with the first symbol, wherein the second pulse duration is distinct from the first pulse duration; and   after at least a predefined amount of time since transmitting the first signal pulse, transmitting a second signal pulse having the second pulse duration and having a second frequency in the second frequency band.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first predefined set of frequency bands and the first predefined set of pulse durations are associated with the predefined set of symbols using a lookup table; and   determining the first symbol associated with the first frequency band and with the first pulse duration includes:
 selecting the respective frequency band and the respective pulse duration associated with the first symbol in the lookup table. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , including, after transmitting the first signal pulse:
 transmitting a control signal associating a second predefined set of frequency bands with the first predefined set of pulse durations and the predefined set of symbols; wherein:
 the second predefined set of frequency bands is distinct from the first predefined set of frequency bands; 
 each frequency band in the second predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective set of two or more distinct symbols in the predefined set of symbols; and 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations; 
   after transmitting the control signal, obtaining a third symbol, in the predefined set of symbols, for transmission;   determining a third frequency band, in the second predefined set of frequency bands, associated with the third symbol;   determining a third pulse duration, in the first predefined set of pulse durations, associated with the third symbol; and   transmitting a third signal pulse having the third pulse duration and having a third frequency in the third frequency band.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , including, after transmitting the first signal pulse:
 transmitting a control signal associating a second predefined set of pulse durations with the first predefined set of frequency bands and the predefined set of symbols; wherein:
 the second predefined set of pulse durations is distinct from the first predefined set of pulse durations; 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the second predefined set of pulse durations; 
   after transmitting the control signal, obtaining a fourth symbol, in the predefined set of symbols, for transmission;   determining a fourth frequency band, in the first predefined set of frequency bands, associated with the fourth symbol;   determining a fourth pulse duration, in the second predefined set of pulse durations, associated with the fourth symbol; and   transmitting a fourth signal pulse having the fourth pulse duration and having a fourth frequency in the fourth frequency band.   
     
     
         17 . A system for information transfer, comprising:
 processing circuitry, configured to:
 obtain a first symbol, in a predefined set of symbols, for transmission; 
 determine a first frequency band, in a first predefined set of frequency bands, associated with the first symbol; and 
 determine a first pulse duration, in a first predefined set of pulse durations, associated with the first symbol; and 
   a transmitter, configured to transmit a first signal pulse having the first pulse duration and having a first frequency in the first frequency band;   wherein:
 each frequency band in the first predefined set of frequency bands is associated with a distinct respective set of two or more distinct symbols in the predefined set of symbols; and 
 each symbol of a respective set of two or more distinct symbols associated with a respective frequency band is associated with a distinct respective pulse duration in the first predefined set of pulse durations.