Coherent Full-Duplex Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging and Velocity Measurement Between Separate Incoherent Radio Units

This paper presents a novel coherent full-duplex (FD) double-sided two-way ranging (CFDDS-TWR) technique for wireless locating and velocity measurement between separate radio units. The idea presented here is a quantum leap in wireless locating since it enables coherent ranging, continuous phase tracking, and velocity measurement between wireless units that operate incoherently with separate low-cost crystal oscillator clock sources. Frequency modulated continuous wave chirp sequences are exchanged in a FD manner between two radio units. The signals transmitted from two radio units are received, respectively, by each of the two units and down-converted in a mixer with the receiver’s own transmit signal to generate a beat signal in each unit. The two beat signals are then processed together, after one beat signal is transmitted to the partner unit. Phase coherent range and Doppler phase measurements can be conducted between incoherent radio units. The presented CFDDS-TWR technique also offers options for reducing noise-like distortions caused by mixing the products of uncorrelated phase noise. We show both analytically and experimentally that the described compensation method reduces the noise level and enhances the dynamic range of the ranging signals tremendously—as evidenced by an improvement of around 24 dB in our results. These unique signal and synchronization properties show that the CFDDS-TWR method is a highly accurate measurement approach. Results acquired with a 24-GHz test system in a 7- to 17-m range demonstrate a standard deviation in range and velocity of 0.25 mm and 0.05 mm/s, respectively.