Visualization of active codes, their spreading factors and power levels, in a code domain power display

The present invention relates to code division multiple access (CDMA) signal analysis, and more particularly to a visualization of active codes, their spreading factors and power levels, in a code domain power display.

In a CDMA signal using orthogonal codes, all of which are the same length (the length being known as “spreading factor”), the amount of power present in each code, i.e., code domain power (CDP), is displayed by plotting the power in each code versus the code number index on a two-dimensional column graph. This is a conventional and well-understood manner using linear index code order for displaying CDP information. Newer CDMA systems, such as cdma2000, now specify use of codes of varying spreading factors, i.e., of different lengths, which complicates the display of CDP. Specifically codes of smaller spreading factor, when displayed in a CDP graph that is appropriate for the code having the largest spreading factor, appear dispersed into multiple sub-codes at fixed distances determined by their relationship to the larger spreading factor code system, e.g., a cdma2000 code with a spreading factor of 16 when displayed on the code graph for a spreading factor of 128 has 8 sub-codes spaced 8 indices apart. Spreading factor is not visually apparent for any of the codes.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,340 describes one method of displaying power levels for a CDMA signal having orthogonal codes with different spreading factors or code layers. In this display a power level for each active code channel is displayed using a vertical bar, with the width of the bar indicating in which code layer each active code channel is active. Each code is rendered with a color to indicate spreading factor, but this method does not give an intuitive sense for the information because the colors don't directly convey a sense of magnitude or ordering.

Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/919,690, filed Jul. 31, 2001, presents another display for CDP where the sub-codes are grouped together by plotting them in bit-reversed index code order, equivalent to transforming a Walsh code indexing scheme into an orthogonal variable spreading factor indexing scheme. This scheme also does not convey a sense of magnitude or ordering.

What is desired is a means of visually indicating both power and spreading factor for each code, or sub-code, in a graph of code domain power for code domain multiple access systems having multiple spreading factors.

Accordingly the present invention provides a visualization of active codes, their spreading factors and power levels, in a code domain power (CDP) display for a code domain multiple access (ODMA) signal having multiple spreading factors by adding a third dimension to the conventional CDP column graph of code power versus code index. The third dimension is depth with the maximum spreading factor being used to scale the depth axis. Each code index column height is proportional to the measured power for that code, and its depth or thickness is based on the spreading factor for the base code to which it belongs. Sub-codes may be identified by suitable means, such as highlighting, or may be suppressed. When sub-codes are suppressed the power levels of the base codes are adjusted to represent the total power for the active code.

The objects, advantages and other novel features of the present invention are apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended claims and attached drawing figures.

FIG. 1 is a graphic view of a three-dimensional CDP graph according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graphic view of a three-dimensional CDP graph with sub-codes highlighted according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a graphic view of a three-dimensional CDP graph with sub-codes suppressed according to the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1 to a conventional code domain power (CDP) display having code power along the y-axis and channel code Index along the x-axis is added a third dimension along the z-axis or depth axis. The third axis represents spreading factor where a code domain multiple access (CDMA) signal has multiple spreading factors. Each code index is represented by a three-dimensional bar having a height representing the power at that code index and a depth representing the spreading factor for that code index. As shown in FIG. 2 sub-codes may be identified by any suitable means, such as highlighting by dimming them, changing their pattern, removing color, etc.

Further as shown in FIG. 3 the sub-codes may be suppressed, i.e., removed completely from the graph, leaving only the base codes displayed with empty holes where the sub-codes are unavailable. To indicate the power in each base code, its data column is made taller to correspond to its actual power, often calculated as the sum of its sub-codes. Removing sub-codes greatly simplifies the graph, allowing the user to quickly see which and how many codes are active and at what power.

Displaying this three-dimensional graph from the traditional perspective where the viewer looks into the graph space from the upper right causes the depth of shorter columns, i.e., less power, to be hidden behind taller data columns to their right. This problem is solved by rotating the graph so that the viewer sees the graph from the lower right, as shown in the various drawing Figures.

Thus the present invention provides a visualization of active codes, their spreading factors and power levels, in a code domain power display where the code domain multiple access signal has multiple spreading factors by adding a third, depth dimension to the standard two-dimensional CDP graph, the depth representing the spreading factors for the various active codes.