Network service for modularly constructing a software defined radio

• US 20070077903A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Huitema, Christian, Parikh, Vishesh, Hassan, Amer
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/186.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0032 with analogue quadrature frequency conversion to and from the baseband quadrature modulators and demodulators per se H03D3/007, H03C3/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that disclose a network service for modularly constructing a software defined radio (“SDR”). A server system provides an SDR kernel (i.e., a potentially platform-neutral definition of digital signal processing functionality and control operations necessary to implement the core portion of a software defined radio implementing a particular radio standard) to a client system. The client system may select a desired SDR kernel through a variety of means disclosed herein. While some SDR kernels may be provided for free and unrestricted use, others may be purchased or subscribed to and additionally restricted by digital rights management (“DRM”) policies. Based upon the agreed upon payment terms and any other restrictions, a customized set of DRM policies may be applied by the server system to the SDR kernel before sending it to a client system. Additionally, the server system may provide a description of governmental regulations applicable to a given locality.

Claims

1. A method for distributing an SDR kernel comprising acts of:

under control of a server system,

(a) sending a list of radio standard identifiers to a client system;

(b) receiving a selected radio standard identifier from the client system, the radio standard identifier identifying a particular radio standard;

(c) sending a list of SDR kernel identifiers to the client system, each SDR kernel identifier identifying an SDR kernel, the SDR kernel describing an SDR kernel component for implementing the particular radio standard identified by the selected radio standard identifier;

(d) receiving a selected SDR kernel identifier from the client system; and

(e) sending the SDR kernel identified by the selected SDR kernel identifier to the client system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

under control of a server system,

(f) receiving user authentication information from the client system;

(g) determining if the user authentication information matches authentication information for a registered user; and

(h) in response to a negative determination in act (g), directing a user of the client system to register.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

under control of a server system,

(i) sending a list of locality identifiers to the client system;

(j) receiving a selected locality identifier from the client system, the locality identifier identifying a particular locality; and

wherein the list of radio standard identifiers sent to the client system in act (a) substantially comprises only radio standard identifiers identifying radio standards used in the particular locality identified by the selected locality identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising an act of

(k) sending regulation data to the client system, the regulation data comprising descriptions of regulations for the particular locality identified by the selected locality identifier of act (j).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein pricing and publisher information are sent along with each SDR kernel identifier in the list of SDR kernel identifiers sent in act (c).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

under control of a server system,

(l) sending a list of payment options to the client system;

(m) receiving a selected payment option from the client system;

(n) obtaining account information for an account to be billed; and

(o) collecting payment from the account of act (n) according to the selected payment option of act (m).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the account information is obtained by receiving it from the client system.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the account information is obtained by retrieving it from a database.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the payment options include paying a fixed price for a finite duration of usage of the SDR kernel identified by the selected SDR kernel identifier.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the payment options include paying a monthly fee for usage of the SDR kernel identified by the selected SDR kernel identifier.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the payment options include paying a fixed price for an unlimited duration of usage of the SDR kernel identified by the selected SDR kernel identifier.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising acts of:

under control of a server system,

(p) securing the SDR kernel identified by the selected SDR kernel identifier by encrypting it using a digital rights management (“

DRM”

) component; and

(q) adding DRM policies to the SDR kernel of act (p), the DRM policies generated in part to enforce terms of the selected payment option of act (m).

13. A server system for sending an SDR kernel comprising:

a data storage medium storing a plurality of SDR kernels;

a data storage medium storing a plurality of SDR kernel identifiers, each of the SDR kernel identifiers identifying one of the the plurality of SDR kernels; and

a server engine constructed to;

send a list of SDR kernel identifiers;

receive a selected SDR kernel identifier; and

send an SDR kernel identified by the selected SDR kernel identifier.

14. The server system of claim 13, further comprising:

a data storage medium storing a plurality of radio standard identifiers;

a data storage medium storing a standard-kernel mapping of radio standard identifiers to SDR kernel identifiers, the kernel-standard mapping effectively indicating which SDR kernels describe implementations of each radio standard; and

wherein the server engine is additionally constructed to;

send a list of radio standard identifiers;

receive a selected radio standard identifier; and

send a list of SDR kernel identifiers associated with the selected radio standard identifier according to the standard-kernel mapping.

15. The server system of claim 14, further comprising:

a data storage medium storing a plurality of locality identifiers;

a data storage medium storing a locality-standard mapping of locality identifiers to radio standard identifiers, the locality-standard mapping effectively indicating radio standards typically used within each locality; and

wherein the server engine is additionally constructed to;

send a list of locality identifiers; and

receive a selected locality identifier.

16. The server system of claim 15, wherein the sent list of radio standard identifiers substantially comprises radio standard identifiers associated with the selected locality identifier according to the locality-standard mapping.

17. The server system of claim 16, further comprising:

a data storage medium storing a locality-regulation mapping of locality identifiers to regulation data, the locality-regulation mapping effectively indicating regulations applicable to each locality;

a data storage medium storing user data, the user data including the last selected locality identifier; and

wherein the server engine is additionally constructed to send regulation data associated with the last selected locality identifier according to the locality-regulation mapping.

18. The server system of claim 13, further comprising:

a payment engine for processing financial transactions; and

wherein the server engine is additionally constructed to;

send a list of payment options;

receive a selected payment option;

obtain account information; and

send to the payment engine the obtained account information and the selected payment options for processing.

19. The server system of claim 18, further comprising:

a DRM engine for securing an SDR kernel, the DRM engine securing the SDR kernel in part according to the selected payment option; and

wherein the server engine is additionally constructed to send an SDR kernel identified by the selected SDR kernel identifier along with the selected payment option to the DRM engine.

20. The server system of claim 18, further comprising a data storage medium storing user data, the user data including account information;

and wherein the obtained account information is retrieved from the user data.