I claim:
1. First-arriving pulse detector circuitry, comprising:
a correlator circuitry configured to correlate a received signal with a template signal to provide an output signal; and
a threshold circuitry configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal depending on the relative values of the output signal of the correlator circuitry and a threshold signal.
2. The circuitry of claim 1, in which the received signal is received via a multipath propagation medium.
3. The circuitry of claim 2, in which the correlator circuitry further comprises:
a multiplier circuitry configured to provide an output signal that comprises the product of the template signal and the received signal; and
an integrator circuitry configured to integrate the output signal of the multiplier circuitry to provide the output signal of the correlator circuitry.
4. The circuitry of claim 3, in which the threshold circuitry further comprises a comparator circuitry configured to compare the output signal of the correlator circuitry with the threshold signal to provide the first-arriving-pulse signal.
5. The circuitry of claim 4, in which the first-arriving-pulse signal tends to indicate the time position of a first pulse in the received signal.
6. The circuitry of claim 5, in which the received signal comprises an ultra-wideband signal.
7. The circuitry of claim 6, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number.
8. The circuitry of claim 7, in which the first number comprises the average of a noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.
9. The circuitry of claim 8, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size template signal.
10. The circuitry of claim 8, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.
11. A radio-frequency (RF) apparatus, comprising:
a radio-frequency circuitry configured to receive a plurality of pulses that result from a transmission of a radio-frequency pulse in a multipath propagation medium; and
a detector circuitry configured to discriminate from a noise a first pulse in the plurality of pulses.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a correlator circuitry configured to correlate the plurality of pulses with a template signal to provide an output signal.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a threshold circuitry configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal by comparing the output signal of the correlator circuitry to a threshold signal.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the detector circuitry is further configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal that tends to indicate the time position of the first pulse in the plurality of pulses.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal.
16. The circuitry of claim 15, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number.
17. The circuitry of claim 16, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.
18. The circuitry of claim 17, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size template signal.
19. The circuitry of claim 17, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.
20. A communication system, comprising:
a transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a radio-frequency pulse into a multipath propagation medium;
a receiver circuitry configured to receive a plurality of pulses that result from the transmission of the pulse into the multipath propagation medium; and
a detector circuitry configured to detect the first pulse of the plurality of pulses.
21. The system of claim 20, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a correlator circuitry configured to correlate the plurality of pulses with a template signal to provide an output signal.
22. The system of claim 21, in which the detector circuitry further comprises a threshold circuitry configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal by comparing the output signal of the correlator circuitry to a threshold signal.
23. The system of claim 22, in which the receiver circuitry comprises a scanning receiver circuitry.
24. The system of claim 23, in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal.
25. The system of claim 24, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number.
26. The system of claim 25, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.
27. The system of claim 26, in which the detector circuitry is further configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal that tends to indicate the time position of the first pulse in the plurality of pulses.
28. The system of claim 27, in which the transmitter circuitry, the receiver circuitry, and the detector circuitry reside within a radar circuitry.
29. The system of claim 28, in which the receiver circuitry couples to a processor circuitry.
30. The system of claim 29, in which the detector circuitry resides within the processor circuitry.
31. The system of claim 28, in which the detector circuitry resides within the receiver circuitry.
32. The system of claim 27, in which the detector circuitry resides within a processor coupled to the receiver circuitry.
33. The system of claim 27, in which the detector circuitry resides within the receiver circuitry.
34. The system of claim 33, in which the receiver circuitry couples to a processor circuitry.
35. The system of claim 27, in which the detector circuitry resides within a first transceiver circuitry.
36. The system of claim 35, in which the receiver circuitry resides within the first transceiver circuitry.
37. The system of claim 36, in which the detector circuitry resides within the first transceiver circuitry.
38. The system of claim 37, in which the transmitter circuitry resides within a second transceiver circuitry.
39. The system of claim 38, in which the receiver circuitry couples to a processor circuitry.
40. The system of claim 39, in which the detector circuitry resides within the processor circuitry.
41. The system of claim 40, in which the detector circuitry resides within the receiver circuitry.
42. A method of detecting a first-arriving pulse, comprising:
correlating a received signal with a template signal by to provide a correlation output signal; and
comparing the correlation output signal and a threshold signal to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal.
43. The method of claim 42, in which the received signal is received in a multipath propagation medium.
44. The method of claim 43, in which correlating the received signal and the template signal further comprises:
multiplying the template signal and the received signal to provide a product signal; and
integrating the product output signal to provide the correlation output signal.
45. The method of claim 44, in which comparing the correlation output signal and a threshold signal further comprises using a comparator circuitry configured to compare the correlation output signal and the threshold signal to provide the first-arriving-pulse signal.
46. The method of claim 45, in which the first-arriving-pulse signal tends to indicate the time position of a first pulse in the received signal.
47. The method of claim 46, in which the received signal comprises an ultra-wideband signal.
48. The method of claim 47, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number.
49. The method of claim 48, in which the first number comprises the average of a noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.
50. The method of claim 49, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size signal.
51. The method of claim 49, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.
52. A method of detecting a first pulse among a plurality of pulses, comprising:
transmitting a radio-frequency pulse in a multipath propagation medium;
receiving, by using a radio-frequency circuitry, the plurality of pulses that result from the transmission of the radio-frequency pulse; and
discriminating, by using a detector circuitry, a first pulse in the plurality of pulses from a noise floor.
53. The method of claim 52, in which using the detector circuitry further comprises correlating the plurality of pulses with a template signal to provide an correlation output signal.
54. The method of claim 53, which further comprises including within the detector circuitry a threshold circuitry configured to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal by comparing the correlation output signal to a threshold signal.
55. The method of claim 54, which further comprises using the detector circuitry to provide a first-arriving-pulse signal that tends to indicate the time position of the first pulse in the plurality of pulses.
56. The method of claim 55, in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal.
57. The method of claim 56, in which the threshold signal comprises a first number added to the product of a second number and a third number.
58. The method of claim 57, in which the first number comprises the average of the noise floor, the second number comprises the standard deviation of the noise floor, and the third number comprises a scaling factor.
59. The method of claim 58, in which the template signal comprises a limited-size signal.
60. The method of claim 58, in which the template signal comprises a discrete-time signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A data file stored in a memory for storing an image with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device information, said file comprising:
an image portion for storing image data;
a meta data portion for storing information relating to said image; and
at least one field in said meta data portion for storing information of at least one RFID device proximate to a location shown in said image.
2. The data file of claim 1 wherein said information of each of said at least one RFID device comprises:
an identifier of said at least one RFID device.
3. The data file of claim 1 wherein said information of each of said at least one RFID device comprises:
a location of said at least one RFID device.
4. The data file of claim 1 wherein said information of each of said at least one RFID device comprises:
a location within said image of said at least one RFID.
5. The data file of claim 1 wherein said data file is stored in an EXIF format.
6. The data file of claim 5 wherein said at least one field in said meta data portion is a meta data field and said information at least one said RFID device is stored in an ASCII string.
7. The data file of claim 6 further comprising:
a first symbol in said ASCII string that separates information for each of said at least one RFID device.
8. The data file of claim 7 wherein said first symbol is a comma.
9. The data file of claim 7 further comprising:
a second symbol in said ASCII string that separates each different type of information in said information for each of said at least one RFID device.
10. The data file of claim 9 wherein said first symbol is a semi-colon.
11. The data file of claim 9 wherein said first symbol is a comma.
12. A method for generating a data file in a memory for storing an image with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) information comprising:
receiving image data for an image;
receiving information for at least one RFID device proximate a location shown in said image;
storing said image data in an image portion of said data file; and
storing said information for said at least one RFID device in a field in a meta data portion of said data file.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
receiving other image information; and
storing said other image information in said meta data portion of said data file.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of receiving said image data comprises:
capturing an image of a location with an image capturing device.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said image capturing device is a camera.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of receiving information for said at least one RFID comprises:
transmitting interrogation RF signals; and
receiving response RF signals from each said RFID device that receives said interrogation signals wherein said response RF signals include an identifier of an RFID device transmitting said response RF signals.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein said data file is in an EXIF format and said step of storing said information for said at least one RFID device comprises:
generating an ASCII string that includes information for each of said at least one RFID device; and
storing said ASCII string in said meta data portion of said file.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of generating said ASCII string comprising:
separating information for each of said at least one RFID device by a symbol.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein said symbol is a comma.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of generating said ASCII string further comprises:
separating each different type of information for each of said at least one RFID device by a second symbol.
21. A system for generating a data file in a memory for storing an image with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) information comprising:
means for receiving image data for an image;
means for receiving information for at least one RFID device proximate a location shown in said image;
means for storing said image data in an image portion of said data file; and
means for storing said information for said at least one RFID device in a field in a meta data portion of said data file.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:
means for receiving other image information; and
means for storing said other image information in said meta data portion of said data file.
23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for receiving said image data comprises:
means for capturing an image of a location with an image capturing device.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said image capturing device is a camera.
25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for receiving information for said at least one RFID comprises:
means for transmitting interrogation RF signals; and
means for receiving response RF signals from each said RFID device that receives said interrogation signals wherein said response RF signals include an identifier of an RFID device transmitting said response RF signals.
26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said data file is in an EXIF format and said means for storing said information for said at least one RFID device comprises:
means for generating an ASCII string that includes information for each of said at least one RFID devices; and
means for storing said ASCII string in said meta data portion of said file.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said means for generating said ASCII string comprising:
means for separating information for each said at least one RFID device by a symbol.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said symbol is a comma.
29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said means for generating said ASCII string further comprises:
means for separating each different type of information for each of said at least one RFID device by a second symbol.