Device and method for deriving alignment information

• US 10,582,434 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Newton, Timothy, Young, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US14/126,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20140269669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,841 Days
• Field of Search: 370350, 370503-520, 709230, 709248, 455443, 455450
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/061 providing hard decisions only; arrangements for tracking or suppressing unwanted low frequency components, e.g. removal of dc offset removal of dc offset in coupling arrangements H04L25/029, H04L25/0296
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/041 using special codes as synchronising signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 : of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A communication device configured to operate in accordance with a first communication protocol and to align itself with one or more communications transmitted in accordance with that protocol by identifying a communication transmitted in accordance with a second communication protocol that is not intended for the communication device, deriving alignment information from the identified communication and configuring itself to receive a communication transmitted in accordance with the first communication protocol in dependence on the alignment information.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions for decoding and extracting data from messages transmitted in accordance with a first communication protocol and aligning the communication device with one or more communications transmitted in accordance with the first communication protocol by;

identifying a first communication, wherein the first communication is transmitted as a first wireless signal in accordance with a second communication protocol that is not intended for the communication device and at an amplitude at which it would not be possible for the communication device to decode data in the wireless signal, and wherein the communication device is not configured to decode messages transmitted in accordance with the second communication protocol;

deriving alignment information from the identified first communication, wherein the alignment information includes one or more of timing information and frequency information; and

configuring itself to receive a second communication transmitted as a second wireless signal in accordance with the first communication protocol in dependence on the alignment information, wherein the first wireless signal is a signal transmitted on a licensed band, and wherein the second wireless signal is a machine-to-machine communication signal in a whitespace between licensed bands used in a location of the communications device.

2. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for:

deriving a timing indication from the timing information; and

aligning itself with a timing of the second communication in accordance with the first communication protocol in dependence on the timing indication.

3. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for:

deriving a frequency indication from the frequency information; and

aligning itself with a frequency of the second communication in accordance with the first communication protocol in dependence on the frequency indication.

4. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for identifying the first communication transmitted in accordance with the second communication protocol from a part of a frequency spectrum in which it is configured to communicate in accordance with the first communication protocol.

5. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for operating in whitespace according to the first communication protocol.

6. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for deriving the alignment information from a signal transmitted in whitespace.

7. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for deriving the alignment information from the identified first communication without decoding the identified communication.

8. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for deriving the alignment information from a repetitive element comprised in the identified first communication.

9. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for deriving the alignment information from a cyclic prefix comprised in the identified first communication.

10. The communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the program further includes instructions for updating a clock in dependence on the timing indication.

11. The communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the program further includes instructions for determining a timing of a scheduled communication in dependence on the timing indication.

12. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program further includes instructions for performing a synchronization operation in dependence on the alignment information.

13. The communication device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the program further includes instructions for synchronizing with a communication transmitted by a base station in accordance with the first communication protocol.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to operate in a machine-to-machine network.

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the licensed band is a band for a television signal.

17. The communication device as claimed in claim 16, wherein a frequency of the second wireless signal is selected according to information in a whitespace database and according to the location of the communications device.

15. A method for aligning a communication device configured to decode and extract data from messages transmitted in accordance with a first communication protocol, the method comprising:

identifying a first communication, the first communication being transmitted as a first wireless signal in accordance with a second communication protocol that is not intended for the communication device and at an amplitude at which it would not be possible for the communication device to decode data in the wireless signal, wherein the communication device is not configured to decode messages transmitted in accordance with the second communication protocol;

deriving alignment information from the identified first communication, wherein the alignment information includes one or more of timing information and frequency information; and

configuring the communication device to receive a second communication transmitted as a second wireless signal in accordance with the first communication protocol in dependence on the alignment information, wherein the first wireless signal is a signal transmitted on a licensed band, and wherein the second wireless signal is a machine-to-machine communication signal in a whitespace between licensed bands used in a location of the communications device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the licensed band is a band for a television signal.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein a frequency of the second wireless signal is selected according to information in a whitespace database and according to the location of the communications device.