Automated real-time site survey in a shared frequency band environment

• US 20060274684A1
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diener, Neil R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An intelligent spectrum management (ISM) system and method that includes sophisticated features to detect, classify, and locate sources of RF activity. The system comprises one or more radio sensor devices positioned at various locations in a region where activity in a shared radio frequency band is occurring. A server is coupled to the radio sensor devices and aggregates the data generated by the sensor devices. The server receives data from each of the plurality of sensor devices and executes functions to process the data. One feature of the system is to correlate data collected from the sensor or from suitably equipped devices that operate (and may move about) in a space with locations where provocation of that data occurs. To this end, radio frequency energy is received at each of a plurality of known positions (e.g., the sensors) in a space. The positions in the space of one or more devices emitting radio frequency energy in the space is determined from the received radio frequency energy at the plurality of known positions (e.g., the sensors). A variety of positioning techniques may be employed, such as received signal strength, time-difference-of arrival, time-of-arrival, etc. Activity data representing characteristics of received radio frequency energy in the space is generated at the sensors or at suitable equipped devices that may move about the space. The server correlates the activity data with the positions in the space that are associated with the provocation of the activity data.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring wireless activity in a radio frequency band, comprising:

a. receiving radio frequency energy at each of a plurality of known positions in a space;

b. determining positions in the space of one or more sources of the radio frequency energy in the space from the received radio frequency energy at the plurality of known positions;

c. generating statistics related to characteristics of the received radio frequency energy in the space over time;

d. correlating the statistics with the positions in the space that are associated with provocation of the statistics; and

e. displaying the statistics on a map at positions corresponding to where occurrence of the radio received radio frequency energy that led to the generation of the statistics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) generating comprises generating protocol statistics related to performance of communication occurring according to a communication protocol comprising average data rate, number of packet resends and number of devices operating according to the communication protocol, and generating spectrum statistics related to time, frequency and power characteristics of radio frequency energy received in at least a portion of the frequency band.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein (c) generating comprises generating statistics comprising average data rate, number of packet resends, number of devices operating according to the communication protocol, average power, maximum power and duty cycle for received radio frequency in a frequency range.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein correlating comprises correlating the protocol activity data derived from radio frequency energy detected from the one or more sources with the positions of the one or more sources.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising tracking movement of the one or more sources through the space.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (e) displaying comprises selecting a position on a grid on said map to display activity data for that position or for a nearby position for which data is available.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising storing activity data correlated with location;

and selecting a time basis for display of said activity data, wherein said time basis includes a current time or a specified time in the past.

8. The method of claim 7, and further comprising providing user interface commands for playback, fast forward and rewind of said activity data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying comprising displaying the activity data in a plot with respect to time.

10. A system comprising:

a. a plurality of radio devices, each at a corresponding known position in a space, each radio device receiving radio frequency energy at its corresponding known position and generating activity data representing characteristics of the received radio frequency energy;

b. a computing device coupled to the plurality of radio devices, wherein the computing device;

i. determines positions in the space of one or more sources emitting radio frequency energy in the space from the radio frequency energy received by the radio devices at the known positions; and

ii. correlates the activity data representing characteristics of received radio frequency energy with positions in the space associated with provocation of the activity data; and

iii. generates data for displaying the activity data on a map at positions in the space associated with the occurrence of the signals that led to generation of the activity data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each radio device generates statistics related to characteristics of the received radio frequency energy at its corresponding position over time, and wherein the computing device generates data for displaying the statistics on the map at positions corresponding to where occurrence of the radio received radio frequency energy that led to the generation of the statistics.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each radio device generates protocol statistics comprises related to performance of communication occurring according to a communication protocol comprising average data rate, number of packet resends and number of devices operating occurring to the communication protocol, and generates spectrum statistics related to time, frequency and power characteristics of radio frequency energy received in at least a portion of the frequency band.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said computing device generates, in response to a user selection of a position on said map, display data for displaying the protocol statistics and spectrum statistics.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein each radio device generates protocol statistics further comprise comprising average data rate, number of packet resends, and number of devices operating according to the communication protocol;

and spectrum statistics comprising average power, maximum power and duty cycle for received radio frequency in a frequency range.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device generates display data for tracking movement of the one or more devices through the space.

16. A method for monitoring wireless activity in a radio frequency band, comprising:

a. computing positions in a space of one or more devices emitting radio frequency energy in the space from radio frequency energy received at a plurality of known positions;

b. correlating statistics related to characteristics of received radio frequency energy in the space with positions in the space that are associated with provocation of the statistics; and

c. displaying the statistics on a map at positions in the space associated with the occurrence of the signals that led to generation of the statistics.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein (b) correlating comprises correlating protocol statistics related to performance of communication occurring according to a communication protocol comprising average data rate, number of packet resends and number of devices operating according to the communication protocol, and correlating spectrum statistics related to time, frequency and power characteristics of radio frequency energy received in at least a portion of the frequency band.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein (c) displaying comprises, in response to a user selection of a position on said map, displaying the statistics.

19. The method of claim 16, and further comprising tracking movement of the one or more devices through the space.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein (c) displaying comprises selecting a position on a grid on said map to display activity data for that position or for a nearby position for which data is available.

21. The method of claim 16, and further comprising storing statistics correlated with location;

and selecting a time basis for display of said statistics, wherein said time basis includes a current time or a specified time in the past.

22. The method of claim 21, and further comprising providing user interface commands for playback, fast forward and rewind of said statistics.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein displaying comprising displaying the statistics in a plot with respect to time.