CHANNEL AVAILABILITY FOR WHITE-SPACE DEVICES, ASSOCIATED APPARATUS AND METHODS

• US 20120208558A1
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bajko, Gabor, Shu, Kodo, Kahtava, Jussi Tapani
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

An apparatus configured to determine one or more channels available for use by respective one or more white-space devices in a particular determined geographical location. The apparatus is configured to: receive geographic location signalling associated with the particular determined geographical location of one or more white-space devices; receive uncertainty indication signalling for the uncertainty associated with the particular determined geographic location of the one or more white-space devices; and determine the one or more channels available for use by the respective one or more white-space devices in the particular determined geographical location by using the geographic location signalling and uncertainty indication signalling.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the memory including computer program code, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive geographic location signaling associated with the particular determined geographical location of one or more white-space devices;

receive uncertainty indication signaling for the uncertainty associated with the particular determined geographic location of the one or more white-space devices; and

determine the one or more channels available for use by the respective one or more white-space devices in the particular determined geographical location by using the geographic location signaling and uncertainty indication signaling.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the uncertainty indication signaling is indicative of an uncertainty area, within which the respective white-space device may be located according to the errors associated with the way in which the particular geographical location of the one or more white-space devices is determined.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to use channel availability data to determine the one or more channels available for use by the respective one or more white-space devices, the channel availability data configured to indicate the one or more channels available for white-space communication within respective geographical sub-regions of a geographical region.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the one or more channels available for use in the particular determined geographical location by being configured to:

determine the different respective sub-regions which are at least partially overlapped by the uncertainty area associated with the one or more determined white-space device locations; and

identify the channels available for use by the one or more white-space devices based on the (common) channels available for use within the different respective sub-regions which are at least partially overlapped by the uncertainty area.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the one or more channels available for use for communication between two or more white-space devices by being configured to:

determine the different respective sub-regions which are at least partially overlapped by the respective uncertainty areas associated with each of the determined white-space device locations; and

identify the channels available for communication between the two or more white-space devices based on the common channels available for use within the different respective sub-regions which are at least partially overlapped by the uncertainty areas.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein, for a network of two or more white-space devices, the apparatus is configured to identify channels available for use between respective white-space devices in the network by being configured to:

determine the different respective sub-regions which are at least partially overlapped by both the respective uncertainty areas associated with each of the determined white-space device locations, and determine a defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate; and

identify the channels available for communication between each of the respective white-space devices based on the common channels available for use within the respective uncertainty areas associated with each of the white-space devices, and the channels available for use within the defined geometric area.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the apparatus is further configured to identify the channels available for communication between each respective pair of white-space devices based on the common channels available for use within the respective uncertainty areas associated with each of the white-space devices in each respective pair, and the channels available for use within the defined geometric area.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to, when the apparatus identifies a pair of white-space devices in a network that have no common channels available for use for communication, identify an indirect communication path between the white-space devices of the pair using channels available for use between other white-space devices of the network and each of the white-space devices of the pair.

9. A transceiver comprising the apparatus of claim 1.

10. A network system comprising one or more white-space devices and the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

11. (canceled)

12. A method, the method comprising:

receiving geographic location signaling associated with the particular determined geographical location of one or more white-space devices;

receiving uncertainty indication signaling for the uncertainty associated with the particular determined geographic location of the one or more white-space devices; and

determining the one or more channels available for use by the respective one or more white-space devices in the particular determined geographical location by using the geographic location signaling and uncertainty indication signaling.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code being configured to, when run, perform the method of claim 12.

14. An apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the memory including computer program code, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive geographic location signaling associated with the particular determined geographical location of two or more of the white-space devices of the network;

receive uncertainty indication signaling for the uncertainty associated with the particular determined geographic location of said white-space devices;

determine a defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate;

identify the channels available for communication between the respective white-space devices in their respective determined geographical locations by using the geographic location signaling and uncertainty indication signaling, together with the channels available for use within the defined geometric area.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

receive area of operation indication signaling indicating the intended area of operation of the network; and

determine the defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate using the area of operation indication signaling.

16. An apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the memory including computer program code, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor cause the apparatus to:

receive geographic location signaling associated with the particular determined geographical location of one or more white-space devices;

receive area of operation indication signaling indicating the intended area of operation of the network; and

determine the defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate using the area of operation indication signaling.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to:

identify, using a connected channel availability database, grid points contained in the determined area of operation; and

generate a response containing the grid points'"'"' coordinates and the associated channel availability information.

18. A method, the method comprising:

receiving geographic location signaling associated with the particular determined geographical location of two or more of the white-space devices of the network;

receiving uncertainty indication signaling for the uncertainty associated with the particular determined geographic location of said white-space devices;

determining a defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate;

identifying the channels available for communication between the respective white-space devices in their respective determined geographical locations by using the geographic location signaling and uncertainty indication signaling, together with the channels available for use within the defined geometric area.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code being configured to, when run, perform the method of claim 18.

20. A method, the method comprising:

receiving geographic location signaling associated with the particular determined geographical location of one or more white-space devices;

receiving area of operation indication signaling indicating the intended area of operation of the network; and

determining the defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate using the area of operation indication signaling.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code being configured to, when run, perform the method of claim 20.