Method and apparatus for reducing the guard band between wireless communication systems operating in the same geographical area

• US 20080075059A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Doppler, Klaus, Kermoal, Jean-Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/343
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Operators of wireless communication systems operating in the same geographic area are able to build networks on neighboring/adjacent bands, even if one of the systems is using a TDD mode and the other systems is using a FDD mode without using excessive large guard bands. A beaconing mechanism with signaling is used to impose an exclusion zone and power restriction, antenna direction, and other operational parameters. A newcomer operator is able to get an accurate knowledge of the interference to and from the sites of the AP of the existing operator so that the newcomer can deploy his APs without causing interference to the existing APs.

Claims

1. Method, comprising:

reducing the guard band between a first and a second wireless communication system operating in the same geographical area;

transmitting in the first wireless communication system a beacon signal from a first access point;

scanning in the second wireless communication system frequency bands by a second access point in the second wireless communication system;

checking for interference caused by the first access point to the second access point;

operating the second access point in response to the interference to the second access point not exceeding an acceptable interference level.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising changing the antenna radiation pattern direction or the second access point location in the second wireless communication system in response to interference created by the first access point in the first wireless communication system to the second access point exceeding the acceptable interference level.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising changing the antenna radiation pattern direction or the second access point location in the second wireless communication system in response to interference created to the first access point in the first wireless communication system exceeding the acceptable interference level.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising reducing the transmit transmission power, changing the antenna radiation pattern direction or the second access point location in the second wireless communication system in response to interference created to the first access point in the first wireless communication system exceeding the acceptable interference level.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting a beacon signal on a designated frequency band, and scanning in the second wireless communication system frequency bands adjacent to the designated frequency band.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising checking for interference caused to the second access point by calculating the coupling loss between the first and second wireless communication systems.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising calculating the interference caused by the first access point to the second access point.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the acceptable interference level is a predetermined threshold interference level.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the acceptable interference level is based on the second access point complaint that the interference caused to it by the first access point is too high.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising operating the second access point in the second wireless communication system in response to not receiving interference from the first access point in the first wireless communication system.

11. The method according to claim 5 further comprising in a frequency division duplex wireless communication system transmitting said beacon signal on both the receiver receiving frequency band and on the transmit transmission frequency band.

12. The method according to claim 5 further comprising in a time division duplex wireless communication system transmitting said beacon signal on the time division duplex frequency band.

13. The method according to claim 5 wherein the beacon signal includes information of at least the transmission power of the beacon signal and the transmission power in the first access point normal operating mode.

28. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises implementing the steps of the method via a computer program running in a processor, controller or other suitable module in one or more devices, terminals or nodes in the wireless communication network.

29. An application specific integrated circuit configured for operation according to the method of claim 1.

14. A terminal, node, point or device comprising:

one or more signal preparing modules configured for preparing a signal for transmission in a first wireless communication system;

one or more providing modules in the first wireless communication system configured for providing the signal for transmission;

one or more transmitting modules configured for transmitting the signal;

one or more receiver modules in the first and second wireless communication systems configured for receiving the signal;

one or more interference checking modules configured for checking for interference caused by the first wireless communication system to the second wireless communication system, and

one or more operating modules configured for operating the second wireless system in response to the interference level not exceeding an acceptable interference level in the second wireless communication system.

15. The terminal, node, point or device according to claim 14 wherein the one or more signal preparing modules are configured for preparing a beacon signal.

16. The terminal, node, point or device according to claim 14 wherein the one or more interference checking modules further comprise one or more coupling loss modules configured for calculating the coupling loss between the first and second wireless communication systems;

17. The terminal, node, point or device according to claim 14 wherein the one or more interference checking modules further comprise one or more interference calculating modules configured for calculating the interference caused by the first wireless communication system to the second wireless communication system.

18. The terminal, node, point or device according to claim 14 wherein the first and second wireless communication systems are operated by one operator operating in neighboring frequency bands in the same geographical area scan regularly the neighboring frequency bands or a beacon signal and in response thereto estimate the receiver signal strength and the resulting coupling loss and based upon the transmission power of the terminal, node, point or device in the respective first and second wireless communication system estimate the interference it will create to the terminal, node, point or device of the other wireless communication system and respond accordingly by the following:

(a) If the interference created to the other wireless communication system is below the acceptable interference threshold level sent in the beacon signal, then the terminal, node, point or device does not have to change its operation;

(b) If the interference is above the acceptable interference threshold level, then the terminal, node, point or device can lower the power accordingly or change the antenna radiation pattern until the interference level is below the acceptable threshold level;

(c) Alternatively the terminal, node, point or device of the two wireless communication systems can jointly try to reduce the mutual interference by lowering the transmit power or by changing the antenna radiation pattern until the interference level is below the acceptable threshold level.

19. The terminal, node, point or device according to claim 14 wherein the first and second wireless communication systems are operated by two different operators operating in neighboring frequency bands in the same geographical area scan regularly the neighboring frequency bands or a beacon signal and in response thereto estimate the receiver signal strength and the resulting coupling loss and based upon the transmission power of the terminal, node, point or device in the respective first and second wireless communication system estimate the interference it will create to the terminal, node, point or device of the other wireless communication system and respond accordingly by the following:

(a) If the interference created to the other wireless communication system is below the acceptable interference threshold level sent in the beacon signal, then the wireless communication system does not have to change its operation;

(b) If the interference is above the acceptable interference threshold level, then the wireless communication system takes an action depending on the agreement between the respective operators of the two wireless communication systems;

(1) If the other operator has priority in the area, then the wireless communication system will lower the power accordingly or change the antenna radiation pattern until the interference is below the acceptable interference threshold level;

(2) If one operator has priority in the area, it will inform the other operator that it will create interference to the other'"'"'s terminal, node, point or device and in response thereto the terminal, node, point or device of the other operator can then try to reduce the effect of the interference by changing its antenna reception pattern;

(3) If both operators have the same priority, the terminals, node, points or devices jointly try to reduce the mutual interference, by lowering the transmit power or by changing the antenna radiation pattern until the interference is below the acceptable interference threshold level.

20. Apparatus, comprising:

means for reducing the guard band between a first and a second wireless communication system operating in the same geographical area;

means for preparing a signal for transmission;

means for transmitting in the first wireless communication system the signal from a first access point;

means for scanning in the second wireless communication system frequency bands by a second access point in the second wireless communication system;

means for checking the interference caused by the first access point to the second access point;

means for operating the second access point in response to the interference to the second access point not exceeding an acceptable interference level.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising means for changing the antenna radiation pattern direction or the second access point location in the second wireless communication system in response to interference created by the first access point in the first wireless communication system to the second access point in the second wireless communication system exceeding the acceptable interference level.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising means for changing the antenna radiation pattern direction or the second access point location in the second wireless communication system in response to interference created to the first access point in the first wireless communication system exceeding the acceptable interference level.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising means for reducing the transmit transmission power, changing the antenna radiation pattern direction or the second access point location in the second wireless communication system in response to interference created to the first access point in the first wireless communication system exceeding the acceptable interference level.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said means for checking for interference caused to the second access point further comprises means for calculating the coupling loss between the first and second wireless communication systems.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising means for calculating the interference caused by the first wireless communication system to the second wireless communication system.

26. The apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising means for transmitting from the first access point in the first wireless communication system a beacon signal on a designated frequency band, and

means for scanning in the second wireless communication system frequency bands adjacent to the designated frequency band.

27. A computer program product comprising a computer readable structure embodying computer program code therein for execution by a computer processor, said computer program further comprising instructions for performing a method comprising reducing the guard band between a first and a second wireless communication system operating in the same geographical area, transmitting a signal from a first operator'"'"'s AP on a frequency band and scanning frequency bands by a second operator'"'"'s AP and checking for interference caused by the first operator'"'"'s AP to the second operator'"'"'s AP, calculating the coupling loss between the first and second operators'"'"' APs, calculating interference to the first operator'"'"'s AP and the second operator'"'"'s AP and in response thereto operating the second operator'"'"'s AP in the absence of interference to either the first or second operator'"'"'s APs exceeding an acceptable threshold level or in the absence of interference received at the second operator'"'"'s AP.