METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELECTING, TRANSMITTING, AND RECEIVING AN UNUSED CARRIER FREQUENCY AND TRANSMITTING OVER THE UNUSED CARRIER FREQUENCY

• US 20100144278A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Igo, Shane, Singer, Chad, Iverson, Kent, Tu, Jason, LeDuc, Michael Tad, Kleeman, David, Seil, Oliver Duncan, VanHarlingen, Brian, Elgie, Richard James, Brewer, Timothy, Gale, Vannin
• Granted Patent: US 8,503,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0066 with means for analysing the received signal strength H03J1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0091 provided with means for scanning over a band of frequencies H03J1/0058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

Some embodiments concern a method of transmitting electrical signals. The method can include: using a global positioning satellite receiver to determine a first location of a first electrical device; using a first transmitter to transmit the first location to a first server; using a receiver to receive information identifying at least one first unused frequency at the first location from the first server; selecting a first transmission frequency from the at least one first unused frequency; and communicating the first transmission frequency to a user. Other embodiments are disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting electrical signals, the method comprising:

using a global positioning satellite receiver to determine a first location of a first electrical device;

using a first transmitter to transmit the first location to a first server;

using a receiver to receive information identifying at least one first unused frequency at the first location from the first server;

selecting a first transmission frequency from the at least one first unused frequency; and

communicating the first transmission frequency to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a second transmitter to broadcast the electrical signals over the first transmission frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the global positioning satellite receiver to determine a second location of the first electrical device;

using the first transmitter to transmit the second location to the first server;

using the receiver to receive information identifying at least one second unused frequency at the second location from the first server;

selecting a second transmission frequency from the at least one second unused frequency; and

communicating the second transmission frequency to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one second unused frequency at the first location of the first electrical device; and

using the first transmitter to transmit information identifying the at least one second unused frequency to the first server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one second unused frequency at the first location of the first electrical device,

wherein;

selecting the first transmission frequency from at least the at least one first unused frequency comprises;

selecting the first transmission frequency from the at least one first unused frequency or the at least one second unused frequency.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

selecting the first transmission frequency comprises;

identifying one or more second frequencies in the at least one first unused frequency that the user has not previously rejected for use at the first location; and

selecting the first transmission frequency from the one or more second frequencies, wherein;

the one or more second frequencies comprise the at least one first unused frequency that the user has not previously rejected for use at the first location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the first electrical device to a second electrical device,

wherein;

using the global positioning satellite receiver to determine, using the first transmitter to transmit, and using the receiver to receive are performed by the first electrical device; and

selecting the first transmission frequency and communicating the first transmission frequency are performed by the second electrical device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

using the first transmitter comprises;

using the first transmitter to transmit the first location to the first server at least partially over a cellular phone network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

using the first transmitter comprises;

using the first transmitter to transmit the first location to the first server at least partially over a computer network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a destination location;

determining a route from the first location to the destination location, the route comprises one or more intermediate locations;

using the first transmitter to transmit the one or more intermediate locations to the first server;

using the receiver to receive from the first server information identifying at least one second unused frequency at each of the one or more intermediate locations;

selecting a second transmission frequency from the at least one second unused frequency for each of the one or more intermediate locations; and

communicating to the user the second transmission frequency for one of the one or more intermediate locations when the first electrical device is at the one of the one or more intermediate locations.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user rating of the first transmission frequency from the user; and

transmitting the user rating of the first transmission frequency to the first server.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a second transmission frequency from the at least one first unused frequency if the user rating is negative.

13. A method of determining one or more useable radio frequencies in two or more first geographic areas, the two or more first geographic areas comprise a second geographic area and a third geographic area, the method comprising:

receiving first usability information for one or more radio frequencies in the second geographic area from two or more first electrical devices;

storing the first usability information;

analyzing the first usability information to identify at least one first unused frequency in the third geographic area; and

providing information identifying the at least one first unused frequency to one or more second electrical devices,

wherein;

the one or more useable frequencies comprise the at least one first unused frequency; and

the first usability information comprises at least one of signal strength information or user rating information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

analyzing the first usability information to identify at least one second unused frequency in a fourth geographic area; and

providing information identifying the at least one second unused frequency to one or more third electrical devices,

wherein;

the one or more useable frequencies further comprise the at least one second unused frequency; and

the one or more first geographic areas further comprise a fourth geographic area.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

providing the information comprises;

providing the information identifying the at least one first unused frequency to the one or more second electrical devices at least partially over a cellular telephone network.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

after providing the information identifying the at least one first unused frequency, receiving usage information from at least one of the one or more second electrical devices,

wherein;

the usage information comprises data regarding the use of the at least one first unused frequency.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

using the usage information with the first usability information to identify at least one second unused frequency in the third geographic area; and

providing information identifying the at least one second unused frequency to one or more third electrical devices,

wherein;

the one or more useable frequencies further comprise the at least one second unused frequency.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving default data regarding the signal strength for one or more carrier frequencies in the second geographic area,

wherein;

analyzing the first usability information comprises;

using the default data in combination with the first usability information to identify the at least one first unused frequency in the third geographic area; and

the default data comprises data regarding the signal strength for the one or more carrier frequencies in the first predetermined geographic area that is calculated using data from a government regarding radio station signal strength.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

after providing the information identifying the at least one first unused frequency, receiving user rating information from at least one of the one or more second electrical devices; and

using the user rating information with the first usability information to identify at least one second unused frequency in the third geographic area,

wherein;

the one or more useable frequencies further comprise the at least one second unused frequency.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second and third geographic areas comprise a geographical region with a single postal code.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second and third geographical areas comprise a geographical region within a circle; and

the circle is centered at a predetermined point on Earth'"'"'s surface and has a predetermined radius.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the predetermined point on the Earth'"'"'s surface is a first set of global positioning satellite coordinates of at least one of the one or more second electrical devices.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein:

receiving the first usability information comprises;

receiving second usability information at a first set of global positioning satellite coordinates from a first device of the two or more first electrical devices; and

receiving third usability information at a second set of global positioning satellite coordinates from a second device of the two or more first electrical devices;

the second geographic area comprises the first set of global positioning satellite coordinates and the second set of global positioning satellite coordinates; and

the first usability information comprises the second usability information and the third usability information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

storing the first usability information comprises;

storing the second usability information with the first set of global positioning satellite coordinates; and

storing the third usability information with the second set of global positioning satellite coordinates.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the third geographic area comprises a first set of global positioning satellite coordinates;

analyzing the first usability information comprises;

analyzing the first usability information to identify one or more first recommended frequencies in a circle with a predetermined radius, the first set of global positioning satellite coordinates located within the circle; and

the one more first recommended frequencies comprises the at least one unused frequency.

26. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request for a first number of useable radio frequencies at a first set of global positioning satellite coordinates,

wherein;

the third geographic area comprises the first set of global positioning satellite coordinates;

analyzing the first usability information comprises;

analyzing the first usability information to identify one or more first recommended frequencies in a circle with a first predetermined radius, the first set of global positioning satellite coordinates located within the circle; and

if a first number of frequencies in the one of more first recommended frequencies is not equal to or greater than the first number of useable radio frequencies, analyzing the first usability information to identify one or more second recommended frequencies in a circle with a second predetermined radius, the first set of global positioning satellite coordinates located within the circle;

providing the information identifying comprises;

if the first number of frequencies in the one of more first recommended frequencies is equal to or greater than the first number of useable radio frequencies, providing information identifying the one or more first recommended frequencies to the one or more second electrical devices; and

if the first number of the frequencies in the one of more first recommended frequencies is not equal to or greater than the first number of useable radio frequencies and if a second number of frequencies in the one of more second recommended frequencies is equal to or greater than the first number of useable radio frequencies, providing information identifying the one or more second recommended frequencies to the one or more second electrical devices;

the one or more first recommended frequencies comprises the at least one first unused frequency; and

the one or more second recommended frequencies comprise the one or more first recommended frequencies.

27. A method of transmitting electrical signals, the method comprising:

synchronizing a first list of useable radio frequencies in a database with a second list of useable radio frequencies from a first server;

using a global positioning satellite receiver to determine a first location of a first electrical device;

determining at least one first unused frequency at the first location by querying the database;

selecting a first transmission frequency from at least the at least one first unused frequency; and

communicating the first transmission frequency to a user.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the database is located in the first electrical device.

29. An electrical device comprising:

a global positioning satellite receiver configured to determine a location of the electrical device;

a receiver configured to receive information regarding at least one unused frequency;

a first transmitter configured to transmit information regarding the location of the electrical device;

a selection module electrically coupled to the receiver and the first transmitter; and

a display configured to display information regarding a first transmission frequency to a user of the electrical device,

wherein;

the selection module is configured to select the first transmission frequency from the at least one unused frequency.

30. The electrical device of claim 29, further comprising:

a second transmitter electrically configured to transmit data over the first transmission frequency,

wherein;

the selection module is configured to automatically tune the second transmitter to the first transmission frequency.