System and method utilizing a cognitive transceiver for ad hoc networking

• US 20060084444A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kossi, Jouni, Kahola, Mika
• Application Number:
  US10/969,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20060084444A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for utilizing unused portions of an allocated frequency spectrum in a wireless communications system that broadcasts content to wireless stations. A first wireless station may communicate with a second wireless station on an idle broadcast channel while keeping the resulting interference level below an acceptable maximum limit at the other wireless stations. Using interference level information that are measured at the wireless stations, the wireless station can negotiate with the other wireless station on an establishment channel for subsequent communications on one or more broadcast channels. The wireless station may receive broadcast content on a time slice that corresponds to a broadcast channel and that is further processed by the wireless station. Otherwise, the wireless station can utilize the corresponding time to measure an interference level for the corresponding channel or to transmit or receive data to/from another wireless station.

Claims

1. A method for supporting data networking in a broadcast system, comprising:

(A) determining, by a first wireless station, a plurality of broadcast channels associated with the broadcast system;

(B) obtaining a received set of associated interference levels, each associated interference level corresponding to an associated broadcast channel of the plurality of broadcast channels, each said associated interference level being measured by a second wireless station;

(C) determining a transmit power level, by the first wireless station, to send data to the second wireless station;

(D) selecting one of the plurality of broadcast channels; and

(E) sending the data between the second wireless station and the first wireless station over said one of the plurality of broadcast channels with the transmit power level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) establishing a connection on a second of the plurality of broadcast channels; and

(G) in response to (F), determining said one of the plurality of broadcast channels.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein (F) comprises:

(i) increasing a corresponding transmit power level on the second of the plurality of broadcast channels.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein (F) further comprises:

(ii) repeating (i) until a maximum transmit power level is reached.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein (F) further comprises:

(ii) repeating (i) until a response is received from another wireless station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data corresponds to a file type selected from a group consisting of an image, a video file, an audio file, and a multimedia file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) selecting another of the plurality of broadcast channels; and

(G) sending the data between the second wireless station and the first wireless channel over the other of the plurality of broadcast channels in conjunction with said one of the plurality of plurality of broadcast channels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said one of the plurality of broadcast channels and the other channel of the plurality of broadcast channels are configured for a non-channelized data connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each said associated interference level corresponds to an interference temperature.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) receiving, by the first wireless station, a broadcast service on a current channel, wherein the current channel is contained in the plurality of broadcast channels.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises:

(i) determining a distance between the first wireless station and the second wireless station; and

(ii) adjusting the transmit power level to compensate from a propagation loss incurred by a signal conveying the data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises:

(i) determining a transmit level of a signal from the second wireless station;

(ii) measuring, by the first wireless station, a received signal level of the signal; and

(iii) subtracting the received signal level from the transmit level to obtain a propagation loss.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein (D) comprises:

(i) ascertaining that a transmitted signal does not result in a projected interference level from exceeding a maximum level.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) determining whether a received broadcast channel is being utilized by the broadcast system and consequently designating the received broadcast channel as being active; and

(G) if the received broadcast channel is active, not utilizing the broadcast channel for ad hoc data networking.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein (F) comprises

(i) determining an occurrence of a transmission parameter signaling (TPS) information on the received broadcast channel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein (F) comprises

(i) analyzing a received network information table (NIT).

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising

(F) analyzing a frequency spectrum of the plurality of broadcast channels.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein (E) comprises

(i) including the data in a time slice transmission.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast system is selected from the group consisting of a DVB-H system, a DVB-T system, and ATSC system, and an ISDB-T system.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises:

(i) accessing the received set of associated interference levels from a database.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises:

(i) receiving the received set of associated interference levels from the second wireless station.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein (B) further comprises:

(ii) increasing a corresponding transmit power level on an establishment channel, wherein the first wireless station receives the received set of associated interference levels from the second wireless station on the establishment channel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein (B) further comprises:

(iii) repeating (ii) until a maximum transmit power level is reached.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein (B) further comprises:

(iii) repeating (ii) until a response is received from the second wireless station.

25. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

26. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 2.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 7.

28. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 10.

29. A transceiver that supports data networking in a broadcast system, comprising:

a receiver that receives a plurality of broadcast channels;

a transmitter that transmits a signal on a first broadcast channel at a determined transmit level, wherein the signal contains data, wherein the signal does not cause a projected interference level at another transceiver to exceed a threshold, and wherein the first broadcast channel is not used by the broadcast system to support a broadcast service; and

an interference measurement module that determines a corresponding interference level for each of the plurality of broadcast channels, the corresponding interference level being measured at the transceiver.

30. The transceiver of claim 29, wherein the receivers receives a second broadcast channel of the plurality of the broadcast channels, the second broadcast channel supporting a broadcast service, the transceiver further comprising:

a processor that processes the second broadcast channel to obtain broadcast content.

31. The transceiver of claim 30, further comprising:

a display that renders received data.

32. The transceiver of claim 29, further comprising:

a database that stores the corresponding interference levels.

33. The transceiver of claim 32, further comprising:

a processor that accesses the database to access the corresponding interference levels and that sends a signal to another transceiver on one of the plurality of broadcast channels, the signal conveying the corresponding interference levels.

34. The transceiver of claim 32, wherein the receiver receives a received signal that conveys associated interference levels, the associated interference levels being measured at another transceiver, and further comprising

a processor that utilizes the associated interference levels to determine whether the projected interference level at the other transceiver exceeds the threshold.

35. The transceiver of claim 29, wherein the receiver receives a selected broadcast channel and wherein the selected broadcast channel contains received data.

36. The transceiver of claim 29, further comprising:

another receiver that receives a radio channel that is different from the plurality of broadcast channels.

37. The transceiver of claim 36, wherein the other receiver receives a received signal that conveys associated interference levels, the associated interference levels being measured at another transceiver, and further comprising

a processor that utilizes the associated interference levels to determine whether the projected interference level at the other transceiver exceeds the threshold.

38. A method for enabling a plurality of secondary wireless stations to communicate with each other in a communications system that serves at least one primary wireless station, the communications system being allocated an allowed frequency spectrum, comprising:

(A) negotiating, by a first wireless station with a measurement station, further communication with a second wireless station;

(B) if permitted by the measurement station, establishing, by the first wireless station, a connection with the second wireless station; and

(C) communicating with the second wireless station on a portion of the allowed frequency spectrum.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein (A) comprises:

(i) utilizing a different frequency spectrum to communicate with the measurement station, wherein the different frequency spectrum is different from the allocated frequency spectrum.

40. A method for supporting data networking in a digital video broadcasting (DVB) system, a plurality of broadcast channels being associated with the DVB system, comprising:

(A) receiving, by the first wireless station, a broadcast service on specified broadcast channel;

(B) determining, by the first wireless station, a measured set of corresponding interference levels, each said corresponding interference level corresponding to a corresponding broadcast channel of the plurality of broadcast channels, each said corresponding interference level being measured by the first wireless channel;

(C) obtaining a received set of associated interference levels corresponding to the plurality of broadcast channels, each said associated interference level being measured by the second wireless station;

(D) selecting, by the first wireless channel, one of the plurality of broadcast channels, wherein a first projected interference level at the second wireless station does not exceed a predetermined threshold on said one of the plurality of broadcast channels;

(E) establishing a communications connection between the first wireless station and the second wireless station on said one of the plurality of broadcast channels;

(F) in response to (E), selecting a second of the plurality of broadcast channels, wherein a second projected interference level does not exceed the predetermined threshold; and

(H) sending data from the first wireless station to the second wireless station on said second of the plurality of broadcast channels.

41. A method for enabling a plurality of secondary wireless stations to communicate with each other in a communications system that serves at least one primary wireless station, comprising:

(A) measuring an available frequency spectrum by a first wireless station;

(B) negotiating a portion of the available frequency spectrum with a second wireless station;

(C) determining a transmit power level based on a margin level and locations of the first and second wireless stations, the margin level based on a monitored signal level and an interference temperature threshold; and

(D) transmitting a signal to the second wireless station at the transmit power level on the portion of frequency spectrum.

42. A method for enabling a plurality of secondary wireless stations to communicate with each other in communications system that serves at least one primary wireless station, the communications system being allocated a frequency spectrum, the method comprising:

(A) obtaining interference level measurements for the plurality of secondary wireless stations, each interference level measurement being associated with a corresponding secondary wireless station on a corresponding channel, the corresponding channel contained in the frequency spectrum;

(B) receiving a request from a first secondary wireless station to establish a communications connection with a second secondary wireless station;

(C) selecting a selected channel within the frequency spectrum;

(D) determining a first transmit power level for the first secondary wireless device, wherein a projected interference level at each of the plurality of secondary wireless devices is below an maximum acceptable level; and

(E) providing channel information and transmit power level information to the first secondary wireless device.