METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTER-SYSTEM INTERFERENCE BASED RADIO CONTROL

• US 20100172254A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sachs, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 8,441,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

User-networks having more than one type of access system are connected to networks having multi-access technology. Interference is measured between the connected, active access systems and the active systems are prioritized. A priority value is assigned to each of the active access systems based on the interference between systems. According to the assigned priority value, the access system with the highest value is enabled. Remaining systems are then compared with the enabled access system and an interference threshold. If the level of interference exceeds the threshold, the offending access system is disabled. If the threshold is not exceeded, the number of simultaneously operating access systems is compared to a predetermined number and the access systems below that number are then disabled.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to a network, the method comprising:

initiating connection of a user-network to the network, the user-network comprising more than one access system;

determining access systems available to the user-network for accessing the network;

determining a priority value of each of the available access systems;

determining a priority access system from the available access systems for accessing the network and enabling the priority access system;

determining an amount of interference between further of the available access systems and the priority access system; and

responsive to the determined amount of interference, enabling the further access system having the highest priority value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the enabled access system to remaining, available access systems;

determining whether each remaining, available access system exceeds a predetermined interference threshold; and

either disabling or down prioritizing the remaining, available access systems that exceed the predetermined interference threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

scanning different frequency bands to determine available network access systems that are compatible with access systems of the user-network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether each remaining access system exceeds a predetermined interference threshold further comprises

determining whether a predetermined maximum number of simultaneously operating access systems has been reached and

continuing to monitor the access systems or

connecting the enabled access systems to the user-network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the interference between the active access systems further comprises using the results of a matrix comprising:

AS1 AS2 AS3 AS4 AS1 —

Int(AS2 =>

AS1) Int(AS3 =>

AS1) Int(AS4 =>

AS1) AS2 Int(AS1 =>

AS2) —

Int(AS3 =>

AS2) Int(AS4 =>

AS2) AS3 Int(AS1 =>

AS3) Int(AS2 =>

AS3) —

Int(AS4 =>

AS3) AS4 Int(AS1 =>

AS4) Int(AS2 =>

AS4) Int(AS3 =>

AS4) —

where the relationship Int(ASx=>

ASy) denotes the amount of interference caused by using ASx simultaneously during the usage of ASy, where AS, which represents an access system, is an acronym for Access System and x and y are numbers corresponding to individual access systems available to the user-network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the relationship Int(ASx=>

ASy) can be a normalized interference value or an absolute interference value.

7. The method of claim 1, the step of assigning a priority value to each of the active access systems further comprising, assigning the priority value according to the level of interference, wherein the lowest priority number indicates the access system having the lowest interference with any of the other active access systems.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of disabling, according to priority, any access system above the predetermined maximum number of active access systems.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network advertises a list of access systems and the user-network validates the list by scanning and comparing signal quality with a predetermined signal quality threshold.

10. A user-network for accessing a network, the user-network comprising:

a plurality of access systems for connecting to the network;

scanning means coupled with the user-network for scanning different frequency bands to determine available network access systems that are compatible with the plurality of access systems of the user-network;

a memory for storing a list of the user-network'"'"'s access systems that are compatible with the available network access systems;

comparison means for comparing the scanned list of active user-network access systems to the plurality of access systems of the user-network;

means for determining a priority access system from the available access systems for accessing the network and enabling the priority access system;

logic means for determining a level of interference between further of the active access systems and the priority access system;

means for prioritizing the measured interference levels and ranking the active access systems according to interference level;

means for determining a priority value of each of the available access systems; and

means for enabling the priority access system and the further active access system with the lowest interference level.

11. The user-network of claim 10, further comprising:

means for determining the level of interference between the active access systems comprising using the results of a matrix comprising;

AS1 AS2 AS3 AS4 AS1 —

Int(AS2 =>

AS1) Int(AS3 =>

AS1) Int(AS4 =>

AS1) AS2 Int(AS1 =>

AS2) —

Int(AS3 =>

AS2) Int(AS4 =>

AS2) AS3 Int(AS1 =>

AS3) Int(AS2 =>

AS3) —

Int(AS4 =>

AS3) AS4 Int(AS1 =>

AS4) Int(AS2 =>

AS4) Int(AS3 =>

AS4) —

where the relationship Int(ASx=>

ASy) denotes the amount of interference caused by using ASx simultaneously during the usage of ASy, where AS, which represents an access system, is an acronym for Access System and x and y are numbers corresponding to individual access systems available to the user-network.

12. The user-network of claim 10, further comprising:

means for determining whether a predetermined maximum number of simultaneously operating access systems has been reached, and

means for continuing to monitor the access systems or means for connecting the enabled access systems to the user-network.

13. The user-network of claim 10, the means for assigning a priority value to each of the active access systems further comprising,

prioritizing means for assigning the priority value according to the level of interference, wherein the lowest priority number indicates the access system having the lowest interference with any of the other active access systems.

14. The user-network of claim 13, further comprising means for disabling, according to priority, any access system above the predetermined maximum number of active access systems.

15. The user-network of claim 10, further comprising a receiver for receiving network advertisements including a list of access systems, the user-network then validating the list of access systems by scanning frequencies and comparing signal quality with a predetermined signal quality threshold.

16. A system for providing access to a network, the system comprising:

a user-network having a plurality of access systems that have different Radio Access Technologies;

means for initiating connection of the user-network to the network;

means for checking a list of acceptable access systems stored in the network;

scanning means coupled with the user-network for scanning different frequency bands to determine available network access systems that are compatible with the plurality of access systems of the user-network;

correlation means for correlating the network list of acceptable access systems with the available access systems in the user-network;

means for determining a priority access system from the available access systems for accessing the network and enabling the priority access system;

means for determining an amount of interference between the access systems;

prioritizing means for assigning a priority value to each of the available access systems according to the determined amount of interference; and

means for enabling the priority access system and a further access system that has the highest priority value.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for comparing the enabled access system to remaining active access systems;

means for determining whether each remaining access system exceeds a predetermined interference threshold and

means for either disabling or down prioritizing the remaining access systems exceeding the predetermined interference threshold

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining the amount of interference between the active access systems comprising using the results of a matrix comprising;

AS1 AS2 AS3 AS4 AS1 —

Int(AS2 =>

AS1) Int(AS3 =>

AS1) Int(AS4 =>

AS1) AS2 Int(AS1 =>

AS2) —

Int(AS3 =>

AS2) Int(AS4 =>

AS2) AS3 Int(AS1 =>

AS3) Int(AS2 =>

AS3) —

Int(AS4 =>

AS3) AS4 Int(AS1 =>

AS4) Int(AS2 =>

AS4) Int(AS3 =>

AS4) —

where the relationship Int(ASx=>

ASy) denotes the amount of interference caused by using ASx simultaneously during the usage of ASy, where AS, which represents an access system, is an acronym for Access System and x and y are numbers corresponding to individual access systems available to the user-network.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining whether a predetermined maximum number of simultaneously operating access systems has been reached, and

means for continuing to monitor the access systems or means for connecting the enabled access systems to the user-network.

20. The system of claim 17, the prioritizing means for assigning a priority value to each of the active access systems further comprising, means for assigning the priority value according to the level of interference, wherein the lowest priority number indicates the access system having the lowest interference with any of the other active access systems.

21. The system claim 17, further comprising means for disabling, according to priority, any access system above the predetermined maximum number of active access systems.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a receiver for receiving network advertisements including a list of access systems, the user-network then validating the list of access systems by scanning frequencies and comparing signal quality with a predetermined signal quality threshold.