DYNAMIC ALLOCATION OF SPECTRUM SENSING RESOURCES IN A COGNITIVE RADIO NETWORK

• US 20130053080A1
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gebert, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The invention relates to method of communicating in a wireless telecommunication network, wherein the method comprises the following steps:—establishing (S1) a control channel at a control channel frequency in a first frequency band (102) between a wireless terminal (114) and a base station (112) of the wireless communication network, the first frequency band being exclusively used for wireless telecommunication;—gathering (S2) information about a second frequency band (100), the information being indicative of at least a first portion of the second frequency band not being allocated to at least one other device and/or service;—determining (S3) if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above a traffic load threshold;—transmitting (S4) control channel data via the control channel from the base station to the wireless terminal, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the traffic load threshold, wherein the control channel data comprises a communication channel frequency in the second frequency band of a communication channel;—establishing (S5) a communication channel at the communication channel frequency between the wireless terminal and the base station, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the traffic load threshold.

Claims

1. A method of communicating in a wireless telecommunication network, wherein the method comprises:

establishing a control channel at a control channel frequency in a first frequency band between a wireless terminal and a base station of the wireless communication network, the first frequency band being exclusively used for wireless telecommunication;

gathering information about a second frequency band, the information being indicative of at least a first portion of the second frequency band not being allocated to at least one other device and/or service;

determining if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above a traffic load threshold;

transmitting control channel data via the control channel from the base station to the wireless terminal, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the traffic load threshold, wherein the control channel data comprises a communication channel frequency in the second frequency band of a communication channel;

establishing a communication channel at the communication channel frequency between the wireless terminal and the base station, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the traffic load threshold.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least a second portion of the second frequency band is used for terrestrial digital video and/or audio broadcast.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of gathering information comprises sensing the use of frequencies in the second frequency band by the base station and/or reading the use of frequencies in the second frequency band from a database.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the control channel data comprises the bandwidth to be used by the communication channel.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of

modifying the communication channel;

and/or

dismantling the communication channel.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a velocity of the wireless terminal;

determining if the velocity is below a velocity threshold;

establishing the communication channel, only if the velocity is below the velocity threshold.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one portion of the second frequency band is allocated to the at least one other device and/or service, wherein the wireless terminal is being moved with a velocity along a trajectory, wherein the method further comprises:

determining the velocity of the wireless terminal;

predicting the trajectory of the wireless terminal;

calculating a first time value using the velocity and the trajectory, the first time value being indicative of a time period, after which the wireless terminal is expected to be located in a region, where the at least one portion of the second frequency band is not allocated to any device and/or service;

establishing the communication channel at the communication channel frequency.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating a second time value by using the velocity and the predicted trajectory, the second time value being indicative of the maximum time period between establishing the communication channel and dismantling the communication channel.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the communication channel is established, only if the maximum time period between establishing the communication channel and dismantling the communication channel is above a time threshold.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein authentication data, authorization data, location data and routing area data are transmitted via the control channel from the wireless terminal to the base station.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless terminal comprises

spectrum sensing means, the spectrum sensing means being adapted to sense, if the first portion of the second frequency band is used by the at least one other device and/or service;

and

transmitting means, the transmitting means being adapted to transmit a signal to the base station, the signal being indicative of the first portion of the second frequency band being used by the at least one other device.

12. A base station apparatus (200) comprising:

means (202) for establishing a control channel at a control channel frequency in a first frequency band between a wireless terminal and a base station of the wireless communication network, the first frequency band being exclusively used for wireless telecommunication;

means (204) for gathering information about a second frequency band, the information being indicative of at least a first portion of the second

frequency band not being allocated to at least one other device and/or service;

means (206) for determining if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above a traffic load threshold;

means (208) for transmitting control channel data via the control channel from the base station to the wireless terminal, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the threshold, wherein the control channel data comprises a communication channel frequency in the second frequency band of a communication channel;

means (210) for establishing a communication channel at the communication channel frequency between the wireless terminal and the base station, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the threshold.

13. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed by a base station apparatus according to claim 12 cause the base station apparatus to perform a method of communicating in a wireless telecommunication network, the method comprising:

establishing a control channel at a control channel frequency in a first frequency band between a wireless terminal and a base station of the wireless communication network, the first frequency band being exclusively used for wireless telecommunication;

gathering information about a second frequency band, the information being indicative of at least a first portion of the second frequency band not being allocated to at least one other device and/or service;

determining if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above a traffic load threshold;

transmitting control channel data via the control channel from the base station to the wireless terminal, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the threshold, wherein the control channel data comprises a communication channel frequency in the second frequency band of a communication channel;

establishing a communication channel at the communication channel frequency between the wireless terminal and the base station, if the traffic load in the first frequency band is above the threshold.