Spectrum Management System For Municipal Spectrum Using Guided Cognitive Radio

• US 20130017792A1
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: MILLER, Robert Raymond II
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

Described is a system and method for assigning a frequency to an access point in a wireless network comprising a plurality of access points. The system and method includes accessing a rule-base to obtain a set of rules for the wireless network, accessing a license database to obtain information about relevant wireless nodes in a region, creating a list of possible primary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with primary wireless nodes in the license database, creating a list of possible secondary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with secondary wireless nodes in the license database, identifying a list of clear frequencies from a set of unused frequencies, selecting a frequency from frequencies in the lists of possible primary node frequencies, possible secondary node frequencies, and clear frequencies and registering the frequency in the license database.

Claims

1. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for performing a spectrum assay, the method comprising:

receiving a set of frequencies;

determining which of the set of frequencies exceeds a minimum isolation value;

eliminating those frequencies exceeding the minimum isolation value from a list of clear frequencies;

determining which of the set of frequencies violates a minimum distance exclusion rule; and

eliminating those frequencies violating the minimum distance exclusion rule from the list of clear frequencies.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising:

creating a list of possible primary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with primary wireless nodes in a license database.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein creating the list of possible primary node frequencies from the list of frequencies associated with the primary wireless nodes in the license database comprises:

eliminating unsuitable frequencies in the list of frequencies associated with the primary wireless nodes in the license database by applying a propagation model and the set of rules; and

eliminating unsuitable frequencies in the list of frequencies associated with the primary wireless nodes in the license database by testing the list of frequencies associated with primary wireless nodes and applying the set of rules.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein applying the propagation model and the set of rules comprises eliminating frequencies that exceed the minimum isolation value.

26. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein testing the list of frequencies associated with the primary wireless nodes and applying the set of rules comprises eliminating frequencies that exceed the noise threshold value.

27. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein testing the list of frequencies associated with the primary wireless nodes and applying the set of rules comprises eliminating frequencies associated with nodes that do not fulfill the minimum distance exclusion rule.

28. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein creating the list of possible primary node frequencies from the list of frequencies associated with the primary wireless nodes in the license database further comprises:

ordering the list of possible primary node frequencies by isolation value.

29. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein creating the list of possible primary node frequencies from the list of frequencies associated with the primary wireless nodes in the license database further comprises:

ordering the list of possible primary node frequencies by noise level.

30. The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising:

creating a list of possible secondary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with secondary wireless nodes in a license database

31. The method as set forth in claim 30, wherein creating the list of possible secondary node frequencies from the list of frequencies associated with the secondary wireless nodes in the license database comprises:

eliminating unsuitable frequencies in the list of frequencies associated with the secondary wireless nodes in the license database by applying a propagation model and the set of rules; and

eliminating unsuitable frequencies in the list of frequencies associated with the secondary wireless nodes in the license database by testing the list of frequencies associated with secondary wireless nodes and applying the set of rules.

32. The method as set forth in claim 31, wherein applying the propagation model and the set of rules comprises eliminating frequencies that exceed the minimum isolation value.

33. The method as set forth in claim 31, wherein testing the list of frequencies associated with the secondary wireless nodes and applying the set of rules comprises eliminating frequencies that exceed the noise threshold value.

34. The method as set forth in claim 31, wherein testing the list of frequencies associated with the secondary wireless nodes and applying the set of rules comprises eliminating frequencies associated with nodes that do not fulfill the minimum distance exclusion rule.

35. The method as set forth in claim 30, wherein creating a list of possible secondary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with the secondary wireless nodes in the license database further comprises:

ordering the list of possible secondary node frequencies by isolation value.

36. The method as set forth in claim 30, wherein creating a list of possible secondary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with the secondary wireless nodes in the license database further comprises:

ordering the list of possible secondary node frequencies by noise level.

37. The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising:

accessing a rule-base to obtain a set of rules for a wireless network,

wherein the set of frequencies is designated by the set of rules.

38. The method as set forth in claim 22, further comprising:

determining which of the set of frequencies exceeds a noise threshold level; and

eliminating those frequencies exceeding the noise threshold level from the list of clear frequencies.

39. A method, comprising:

determining a set of unused frequencies;

measuring a signal strength of each of the unused frequencies;

eliminating frequencies in the set of unused frequencies having a signal strength exceeding a signal-strength threshold value to obtain a set of clear frequencies; and

selecting a frequency from the set of clear frequencies and a further set of frequencies.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

sending a message indicating that a signal on at least one of the unused frequencies is from an unregistered node.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

ordering the set of clear frequencies based on a measured noise level, wherein frequencies having lower noise levels are ordered first.