METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACTIVATING FREQUENCIES IN WHITE SPACE

• US 20150043471A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rinne, Mika Petri Olavi, Uusitalo, Mikko Aleksi, Kasslin, Mika Ilkka Tapani
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

A method for acquiring spectrum beyond the licensed spectrum for wireless network communications comprising accessing a geolocation database to determine a configuration of white space frequencies that may be available and transmitting the carrier aggregation configuration to user equipment (UE). The carrier aggregation configuration may be at least partially encrypted with the key sequences for the encryption being optionally changed for improved security. The white spaces may be activated in a handshake sequence in which a network node transmits an enabling signal to UE, receives an enabling request from UE specifying which white spaces are requested, and transmits an enabling response. In an alternative to transmitting an enabling response, the node may activate the requested white spaces in an LTE signal.

Claims

1-63. -63. (canceled)

64. A method comprising:

acquiring spectral resources beyond a licensed spectrum for wireless network communications from available spectrum; and

identifying a carrier aggregation configuration of available white space frequencies using network signaling in the licensed spectrum.

65. The method of claim 64 further comprising:

enabling white space communications using an interactive handshake sequence.

66. The method of claim 65 further comprising:

causing an enabling signal to be transmitted from a wireless network entity to indicate the availability of one or more white spaces for wireless network communications.

67. The method of claim 66 further comprising:

receiving at a wireless network entity an enabling request for one or more white spaces requesting activation of those white spaces for network communications.

68. The method of claim 67 further comprising:

causing an enabling response to be transmitted for at least a white spaces frequency component to be activated in response to the enabling request.

69. The method of claims 67 further comprising:

activating the requested white space frequencies by causing a Medium Access Control protocol Control Element (MAC CE) to be transmitted identifying a frequency list to be activated.

70. The method of claims 67 further comprising:

activating the requested white space frequencies via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

71. The method of claim 64 further comprising:

causing the carrier aggregation configuration of available white space frequencies to be signaled in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

72. The method of claim 71 further comprising:

causing an enabling sequence to be signaled with the carrier aggregation configuration message.

73. The method of claim 72 further comprising:

changing key sequences used to encode the enabling signal sequences to create a trail of sequences.

74. An apparatus comprising:

at least a processor and at least one memory including computer code arranged to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

acquire spectral resources beyond a licensed spectrum for wireless network communications from available spectrum; and

identify a carrier aggregation configuration of available white space frequencies using network signaling within the licensed spectrum.

75. The apparatus of claim 74 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

enable white space communications using an interactive handshake sequence.

76. The apparatus of claim 75 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

cause an enabling signal to be transmitted from a wireless network entity to indicate the availability of one or more white spaces for wireless network communications.

77. The apparatus of claim 76 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

receive at a wireless network entity an enabling request for one or more white spaces frequencies requesting activation of those white spaces for network communications.

78. The apparatus of claim 77 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

cause an enabling response to be transmitted for at least one white spaces frequency to be activated in response to the enabling request.

79. The apparatus of claim 77 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

activate the requested white space frequencies by causing a Medium Access Control protocol Control Element (MAC CE) signal to be transmitted identifying a frequency list to be activated.

80. The apparatus of claim 77 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

activate the requested white space frequencies via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

81. The apparatus of claim 74 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

cause the carrier aggregation configuration of available white space frequencies to be signaled in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

82. The apparatus of claim 81 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

cause the network entity to signal a description of at least an enabling sequence with the carrier aggregation configuration message.

83. The apparatus of claim 82 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

change key sequences used to encode the enabling sequences to create a trail of sequences.

84. An apparatus comprising:

at least a processor and at least one memory including computer code arranged to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

cause a carrier aggregation configuration of available white space frequencies to be received by network signaling within the licensed spectrum;

cause an enabling signal to be received from a wireless network entity to indicate the availability of one or more white spaces for wireless network communications.

85. The apparatus of claim 84 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

cause an enabling request to be sent to a network entity requesting activation of one or more white spaces frequencies for network communications.

86. The apparatus of claim 85 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

cause an enabling response to be received for at least one white spaces frequency to be activated in response to the enabling request.

87. The apparatus of claim 85 wherein the processor, memory and computer code further cause the apparatus to:

receive a Medium Access Control protocol Control Element (MAC CE) signal identifying a white spaces frequency list to be activated in response to the enabling request.