Location-aware identification of network resources

• US 10,701,750 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2018
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaliaperumal, Rajesh, Petrus, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): D Agosta, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US16/025,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20190007990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• 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 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

An electronic device that establishes a second connection is described. After determining its location, the electronic device may provide information that specifies the location to a cellular-telephone network using a first connection to the cellular-telephone network. In response, the electronic device may receive mapping information. When the mapping information indicates that there are available channels in associated bands of frequencies at the location, the electronic device may: perform a scan of the available channels in the associated bands of frequencies; and establish the second connection with a radio node based on scan results. Alternatively, when the mapping information indicates that there are no available channels in associated frequency bands at the location, the electronic device may establish a third connection with the radio node in a licensed band of frequencies.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an interface circuit that is configured to communicate with a radio node and a cellular-telephone network, wherein the electronic device is configured to;

determine a location of the electronic device;

provide, to an output node of the electronic device, information that specifies the location for the cellular-telephone network, wherein the information is associated with a first connection to the cellular-telephone network;

receive, from an input node of the electronic device, mapping information; and

when the mapping information indicates that there are available channels in associated bands of frequencies at the location, wherein a given available channel has not be dynamically allocated by a spectrum allocation server in the bands of frequencies;

perform, via the input node, a scan of the available channels in the associated bands of frequencies, wherein the available channels are a subset of the bands of frequencies; and

establish, via the input node and the output node, a second connection with the radio node based on scan results, wherein the bands of frequencies comprise a shared-license-access band of frequencies and the second connection is in the shared-license-access band of frequencies; and

wherein the shared-license-access band of frequencies is shared by the radio node with another user that has higher priority than the radio node and unavailable channels in the shared-license-access band of frequencies are allocated by the spectrum allocation server to the other user.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the location is determined based on location information received from the input node that is associated with one of:

a Global Positioning System, the cellular-telephone network, and a wireless local area network.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second connection is compatible with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocol.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first connection is compatible with one of:

a cellular-telephone communication protocol, and an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the radio node includes an eNode-B.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the shared-license-access band of frequencies comprises a Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS).

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when the mapping information indicates that there are no available channels in associated frequency bands at the location, the electronic device is configured to establish, via the input node and the output node, a third connection with the radio node in a licensed band of frequencies.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information is for an administrator computer of the radio node that is external to mobile-network-operator infrastructure of the cellular-telephone network.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing a program module that, when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform one or more operations comprising:

determining a location of the electronic device;

providing, to an output node of the electronic device, information that specifies the location for a cellular-telephone network, wherein the information is associated with a first connection to the cellular-telephone network;

receiving, from an input node of the electronic device, mapping information; and

when the mapping information indicates that there are available channels in associated bands of frequencies at the location, wherein a given available channel has not be dynamically allocated by a spectrum allocation server in the bands of frequencies;

performing, via the input node, a scan of the available channels in the associated bands of frequencies, wherein the available channels are a subset of the bands of frequencies; and

establishing, via the input node and the output node, a second connection with a radio node based on scan results, wherein the bands of frequencies comprise a shared-license-access band of frequencies and the second connection is in the shared-license-access band of frequencies; and

wherein the shared-license-access band of frequencies is shared by the radio node with another user that has higher priority than the radio node and unavailable channels in the shared-license-access band of frequencies are allocated by the spectrum allocation server to the other user.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the location is determined based on location information received from the input node that is associated with one of:

a Global Positioning System, the cellular-telephone network, and a wireless local area network.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second connection is compatible with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocol.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first connection is compatible with one of:

a cellular-telephone communication protocol, and an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second connection is in a shared-license-access band of frequencies;

and

wherein the shared-license-access band of frequencies is shared by the radio node with another user that has higher priority than the radio node.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more operations comprise, when the mapping information indicates that there are no available channels in associated frequency bands at the location, establishing, via the input node and the output node, a third connection with the radio node in a licensed band of frequencies.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the information is for an administrator computer of the radio node that is external to mobile-network-operator infrastructure of the cellular-telephone network.

16. A method for establishing a second connection, wherein the method comprises:

by an electronic device;

determining a location of the electronic device;

providing, to an output node of the electronic device, information that specifies the location for a cellular-telephone network, wherein the information is associated with a first connection to the cellular-telephone network;

receiving, from an input node of the electronic device, mapping information; and

when the mapping information indicates that there are available channels in associated bands of frequencies at the location, wherein a given available channel has not be dynamically allocated by a spectrum allocation server in the bands of frequencies;

performing, via the input node, a scan of the available channels in the associated bands of frequencies, wherein the available channels are a subset of the bands of frequencies; and

establishing, via the input node and the output node, the second connection with a radio node based on scan results, wherein the bands of frequencies comprise a shared-license-access band of frequencies and the second connection is in the shared-license-access band of frequencies; and

wherein the shared-license-access band of frequencies is shared by the radio node with another user that has higher priority than the radio node and unavailable channels in the shared-license-access band of frequencies are allocated by the spectrum allocation server to the other user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second connection is compatible with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocol.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first connection is compatible with one of:

a cellular-telephone communication protocol, and an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the second connection is in a shared-license-access band of frequencies;

and

wherein the shared-license-access band of frequencies is shared by the radio node with another user that has higher priority than the radio node.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method comprises, when the mapping information indicates that there are no available channels in associated frequency bands at the location, establishing, via the input node and the output node, a third connection with the radio node in a licensed band of frequencies.