METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING THE USE OF THE RADIO SPECTRUM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT THEREFOR

• US 20070053410A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Melpignano, Diego, Mahonen, Petri
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71637 Receiver aspects H04B1/7183 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0012 arrangements for identifying the type of modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

A system for scanning a frequency spectrum to detect usage thereof includes an ultra-wideband receiver for performing the scanning, and cooperates with a spectrum usage estimator module and a radio controller unit. The spectrum usage estimator module derives from the scanning performed via the ultra-wideband receiver information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum. The radio controller unit controls operation of a radio cognitive system as a function of the information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum as derived by the spectrum usage estimator module. The radio cognitive system operates over unused bands in the frequency spectrum.

Claims

1. -29. (canceled)

30. A method of scanning a frequency spectrum to detect usage thereof, the method comprising:

performing the scanning via an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver.

31. A method of claim 30, further comprising:

deriving from the scanning information on usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum; and

controlling operation of a radio cognitive system as a function of the information for operating the radio cognitive system over unused bands in the frequency spectrum.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the UWB receiver is configured as a receiver portion of a UWB transceiver.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising switching the UWB transceiver between UWB communication operations and the scanning being performed by the UWB receiver portion.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising using the UWB transceiver to detect a type of transmission occurring over a certain band during the scanning.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising verifying whether a signal received over the certain band is noise or a signal corresponding to spectrum usage.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the verifying comprises comparing the signal received over the certain band with stored reference values corresponding to signal strengths over various bands covered by the scanning.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the verifying comprises comparing the signal received over the certain band with relative signal strength peaks in adjacent bands.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the verifying comprises a time-domain analysis of the signal received over the certain band.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the UWB receiver is configured as a multi-carrier receiver where spectrum band agility is provided by subcarriers.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein the UWB receiver is configured as a direct sequence receiver comprising pass-band filters to provide spectrum separation for analysis.

41. The method of claim 31, further comprising deriving from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including energy detected in an individual band corresponding to a threshold.

42. The method of claim 31, further comprising deriving from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including an estimated probability that an individual band is being used.

43. The method of claim 31, further comprising deriving from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including usage patterns in a time domain.

44. A system comprising:

an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver for scanning a frequency spectrum to detect usage thereof.

45. A system of claim 44, comprising:

a spectrum usage estimator module for deriving from the scanning information on usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum; and

a radio controller unit for controlling operation of a radio cognitive system as a function of the information derived from the scanning so that the radio cognitive system is operated over unused bands in the frequency spectrum.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein said UWB receiver is configured as a receiver portion of a UWB transceiver.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the UWB transceiver is selectively switchable between UWB communication operations and the scanning being performed by the UWB receiver portion.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the UWB transceiver comprises a detector for detecting a type of transmission occurring over a certain band during the scanning.

49. The system of claims 48, wherein said spectrum usage estimator module verifies whether a signal received over the certain band is noise or a signal corresponding to spectrum usage.

50. The system of claim 48, further comprising a circuit for storing reference values corresponding to signal strengths over various bands covered by the scanning;

and wherein said spectrum usage estimator module compares the signal received over the certain band with relative strength peaks in adjacent bands.

51. The system of claim 48, wherein said spectrum usage estimator module compares the signal received over the certain band with relative signal strength peaks in adjacent bands.

52. The system of claim 48, wherein said spectrum usage estimator module performs the verifying using a time-domain analysis of the signal received over the certain band.

53. The system of claim 45, wherein said UWB receiver is configured as a direct sequence receiver comprising pass-band filters to provide spectrum separation for analysis.

54. The system of claim 45, wherein said UWB receiver (101) is configured as a direct sequence receiver comprising pass-band filters to provide spectrum separation for analysis.

55. The system of claim 45, wherein said spectrum usage estimator module derives from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including energy detected in an individual band corresponding to a threshold.

56. The system of claim 45, wherein said spectrum usage estimator module derives from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including an estimated probability that an individual band is being used.

57. The system of claim 45, wherein said spectrum usage estimator module derives from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including usage patterns in a time domain.

58. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to scan a frequency spectrum to detect usage thereof by performing steps comprising:

performing the scanning via an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 58, further comprising:

deriving from the scanning information on usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum; and

controlling operation of a radio cognitive system as a function of the information for operating the radio cognitive system over unused bands in the frequency spectrum.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, wherein the UWB receiver is configured as a receiver portion of a UWB transceiver, the UWB transceiver being used to detect a type of transmission occurring over a certain band during the scanning.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 60, further comprising verifying whether a signal received over the certain band is noise or a signal corresponding to spectrum usage.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 60, wherein the verifying comprises comparing the signal received over the certain band with stored reference values corresponding to signal strengths over various bands covered by the scanning.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 60, wherein the verifying comprises comparing the signal received over the certain band with relative signal strength peaks in adjacent bands.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 60, wherein the verifying comprises a time-domain analysis of the signal received over the certain band.

65. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, further comprising deriving from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including energy detected in an individual band corresponding to a threshold.

66. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, further comprising deriving from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including an estimated probability that an individual band is being used.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, further comprising deriving from the scanning information as to usage of individual bands in the frequency spectrum, the information including usage patterns in a time domain.