Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Küchler

Wolfgang Küchler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11817972
    Abstract: A receiver comprising: a processing module configured to: receive a first portion of a packet of received signalling from a first antenna; receive a carrier estimate signal; adjust the first portion based on the carrier estimate signal and correlate the signal with an expected code sequence to provide a first correlated signal; a tracking module configured to: receive the first correlated signal and update the carrier estimate signal, wherein the processing module is further configured to: receive a second portion of the packet from a second antenna; adjust the second portion based on the carrier estimate signal and correlate the signal to provide a second correlated signal, and wherein the receive path further comprises a phase calculation module configured to: receive the first and second correlated signals and determine a respective first and second carrier phase and an angle of arrival of the received signalling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Manuel Lafer, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Publication number: 20230345250
    Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver is provided, comprising: an attack mitigation unit configured to mitigate one or more attacks on a correlation function; a correlation unit configured to perform the correlation function by correlating an input signal received by the UWB receiver with a predefined sequence and to generate a correlation output based on correlating said input signal with the predefined sequence; and a first path detection unit configured to receive the correlation output and to detect a first path by evaluating the correlator output during a correlation window, said correlation window being a predefined period of time. In accordance with a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of operating a UWB receiver is conceived. In accordance with a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided for carrying out said method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Jan Dutz, Michael Rath, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Publication number: 20230292047
    Abstract: An audio configuration system receives an analyzes ultrawideband radio return signals resulting from one or more pulsed UWB probe signals. The system receives the UWB return signals. The UWB return signals are used to determine a spatial orientation of one or more objects (e.g., one or more seats in a passenger cabin of a vehicle). The system causes audio circuitry to output audio signals according to audio configuration parameters determined by the spatial orientation of the object or objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Surendra Guntur, Joachim Fader, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Publication number: 20230268954
    Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising: a first ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter configured to be coupled to a first antenna; a second UWB transmitter configured to be coupled to a second antenna; a controller configured to cause the first UWB transmitter to transmit a first packet to an external communication device, wherein the first packet contains a predefined code; wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second UWB transmitter to transmit a second packet to the external communication device, wherein the second packet contains a cyclically shifted version of said predefined code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Stefan Tertinek, Wolfgang Küchler, Manuel Lafer
  • Publication number: 20230254007
    Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least two antennas; an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit configured to receive UWB frames through said antennas; a controller configured to switch between said antennas such that consecutive UWB frames are received through different ones of said antennas; wherein the controller is further configured to compute channel impulse responses (CIRs) wherein each of said CIRs is based on a different one of said UWB frames. In accordance with a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of operating a communication device is conceived. In accordance with a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided for carrying out said method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Stefan Tertinek, Manuel Lafer, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Publication number: 20230133494
    Abstract: A transceiver configured to: determine a reference frequency offset relative to a second transceiver based on double sided ranging; correct first and second portions of a packet received from a respective first and second antenna; and determine an angle of arrival of the packet based on corrected first and second portions and the reference frequency offset. [FIG.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Manuel Lafer, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Publication number: 20230108844
    Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a receiver circuit configured to receive a signal; a controller configured to control said receiver circuit, wherein said controller is configured to cause said receiver circuit to operate either in a complex receiver mode or in a real receiver mode; wherein the controller is configured to cause said receiver circuit to operate in the real receiver mode until the signal is successfully acquired. In accordance with a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of operating a communication device is conceived.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Jan Dutz, Gert Holler, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Publication number: 20230099294
    Abstract: There is described a method of verifying a time-of-flight based ranging result in a UWB ranging device, the method comprising: exchanging a sequence of messages between the UWB ranging device and a further UWB ranging device as part of a double-sided ranging process to obtain round times and response times at both the UWB ranging device and the further UWB ranging device; estimating a time-of-flight value based on the round times and response times; and verifying the ranging result by performing a consistency check based on the estimated time-of-flight value and one or more predetermined parameter values. Furthermore, a UWB ranging device and a UWB ranging system are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Wolfgang Küchler, Jacek Tyminski
  • Publication number: 20230088441
    Abstract: An ultra-wideband, UWB, receiver module (213) comprising: an antenna for wirelessly receiving UWB signalling from a UWB transmitter module (212) and a processor. The processor is configured to: determine a channel impulse response, CIR, (519) of the wirelessly received UWB signalling, wherein the CIR comprises a plurality of channel taps each having a tap-response-value; identify a predetermined feature (520) in the CIR and an associated channel tap; and based on the channel tap that is associated with the identified feature (520) in the CIR (519), synchronize the UWB receiver module (213) for reception of subsequent UWB signalling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Stefan Tertinek, Wolfgang Küchler, Sandeep Mallya, Pradeep Kumar Aithagani
  • Publication number: 20230080019
    Abstract: It is described a radar system (100), comprising: i) a transmitter (120) configured to: provide a code (C), identify a plurality of regions (R) within the code (C), apply a transmitter-specific cyclic shift scheme to the plurality of regions (R), generate a signal (S) from the code (C) and transmit the signal; and ii) a receiver (130), configured to: receive an echo (E) of the signal (S), and identify the transmitter (120) based on the transmitter-specific cyclic shift scheme. Further, a radar arrangement and a method of performing a radar operation are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Wolfgang Küchler, Stefan Tertinek, Andreas Gruber
  • Publication number: 20220166649
    Abstract: A receiver comprising: a processing module configured to: receive a first portion of a packet of received signalling from a first antenna; receive a carrier estimate signal; adjust the first portion based on the carrier estimate signal and correlate the signal with an expected code sequence to provide a first correlated signal; a tracking module configured to: receive the first correlated signal and update the carrier estimate signal, wherein the processing module is further configured to: receive a second portion of the packet from a second antenna; adjust the second portion based on the carrier estimate signal and correlate the signal to provide a second correlated signal, and wherein the receive path further comprises a phase calculation module configured to: receive the first and second correlated signals and determine a respective first and second carrier phase and an angle of arrival of the received signalling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Manuel Lafer, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Patent number: 10944552
    Abstract: A method for operating system to transmit a plurality of frames from a first communication device to a second communication device is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Frank Leong, Hugues Jean Marie De Perthuis, Wolfgang Küchler
  • Patent number: 10805092
    Abstract: A processing module for a first lock device of a range determination system, the range determination system comprising a lock group comprising a plurality of lock devices of which the first lock device forms part, the plurality of lock devices physically spaced over a lockable element and configured to communicate with a key group comprising a plurality of key devices, a shortest distance between any one of the key devices of the key group and any one of the lock devices of the lock group providing for access to the lockable element relative to a threshold distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Jan Dutz, Wolfgang Küchler, Frank Leong, Thomas Baier, Arie Geert Cornelis Koppelaar
  • Patent number: 10785650
    Abstract: A processing module for a receiver device is disclosed. The processing module is configured to provide for processing of a signal received by the receiver device from a transmitter device. The signal includes a secure training sequence divided into a plurality of time spaced blocks. The secure training sequence incoudes a non-repeating pattern of symbols. The processing module is configured to, based on a first phase marker in the first block and a second phase marker in the second block defining a phase difference of the signal between the first and second antennas and a known spacing of the first antenna relative to the second antenna, determine an angle of arrival of the signal relative to the receiver device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Jan Dutz, Wolfgang Küchler, Frank Leong, Thomas Baier, Arie Geert Cornelis Koppelaar
  • Patent number: 10782398
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to distance determining apparatus for determining a distance between an anchor and a tag. The apparatus is configured to select a first frame type or a second frame type for a message that is to be transmitted, to optimize an energy of the first frame type for a secure preamble detection, and to optimize an energy of the second frame type for a data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Reisinger, Stefan Haller, Daniel Knobloch, Wolfgang Kuechler, Frank Leong
  • Patent number: 10782397
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an approximate determination of a distance between a wireless key which is assigned to a motor vehicle and a transceiver arrangement which is disposed in or on the motor vehicle. In the course of a ranging cycle, a first first path relating to a first threshold value and a second first path relating to a higher, second threshold value are calculated. Two distances are estimated on the basis of this dual first path calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Reisinger, Stefan Haller, Daniel Knobloch, Wolfgang Kuechler, Frank Leong
  • Patent number: 10771288
    Abstract: A processing module for a receiver device. The processor module comprises a channel estimate generation component arranged to output channel estimate information for a received signal, and a timestamping module arranged to determine a ToA measurement for a marker within a packet of the received signal based at least partly on the channel estimate information for the received signal generated by the channel estimate generation component. The channel estimate generation component comprises a validation component arranged to derive a validation pattern for the packet within the received signal for which a ToA measurement is to be determined, identify a section of the packet containing a validation sequence, and perform cross-correlation between at least a part of the validation sequence within the packet and at least a part of the generated validation pattern to generate channel estimate validation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Baier, Wolfgang Küchler, Frank Leong
  • Patent number: 10715355
    Abstract: A processing module for a receiver device. The processor module comprises a channel estimate generation component arranged to output channel estimate information for a received signal, and a timestamping module arranged to determine a ToA measurement for a marker within a packet of the received signal based at least partly on the channel estimate information for the received signal generated by the channel estimate generation component. The channel estimate generation component comprises a validation component arranged to derive a validation pattern for the packet within the received signal for which a ToA measurement is to be determined, identify a section of the packet containing a validation sequence, and perform cross-correlation between at least a part of the validation sequence within the packet and at least a part of the generated validation pattern to generate channel estimate validation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Baier, Wolfgang Küchler, Frank Leong
  • Patent number: 10559149
    Abstract: In a wireless communication system, ranging is performed between an initiator and one of a plurality of responders. Before the ranging operation is performed, the initiator preselects the responder, wherein the preselection is based on a comparison of a measured metric associated with signals carrying packets received from the responders by the initiator. The initiator utilizes only a portion of the preamble in each of the packets to measure the metric. The signals are transmitted in the wireless communication system utilizing ultra-wideband frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wolfgang Kuechler
  • Patent number: 10530529
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a processing module of a receiver device and associated method and apparatus. The method comprises receiving a signal comprising one or more frames, each frame comprising a synchronization-symbol-portion, a security-sequence-portion, and a data-payload-portion; and processing the signal to perform carrier recovery, and excluding at least part of the security-sequence-portions of the one or more frames from the carrier recovery process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Küchler, Ghiath Al-kadi, Thomas Baier, Jan Dutz