Distributed co-operating nodes using time reversal

摘要

Dynamic, untethered array nodes are frequency, phase, and time aligned, and used to focus their transmissions of the same data coherently on a target, using time reversal. Alignment may be achieved separately for the radio frequency (RF) carriers and the data envelopes. Carrier alignment may be by phase conjugation. The data is distributed across the nodes. Data distribution and/or alignment may be performed by a Master node of the array. The nodes capture a sounding signal from the target, in the same time window. Each node converts the captured sounding signal to baseband, for example, using in-phase/quadrature downconversion. Each node stores the baseband samples of the sounding pulse. Each node convolves time-reversed samples of the sounding signal with the data, and upconverts the convolved data to radio frequency. The nodes emit their respective convolved and upconverted data so that the emissions focus coherently at the target.

主权项

1. A method of configuring a plurality of radio frequency transmission nodes into a distributed time reversal mirror for transmitting to a target, the method comprising:
step for phase alignment of local clock references of all nodes of the plurality of radio frequency transmission nodes; step for frequency alignment of the local clock references of all nodes of the plurality of radio frequency transmission nodes; receiving a sounding signal from a target within a time capture window common to the plurality of radio frequency transmission nodes; and generating a time-reversed sounding signal at carrier frequency using sample-reversal of the time capture window at baseband and phase-conjugation of the sounding signal at carrier frequency.