Software programmable radio and method for configuring

• US 6,052,600 A
• Filed: 11/23/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Millman, Jack H., Fette, Bruce Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SIMON
• Application Number:
  US09/197,777
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 455/186.1, 455/186.2, 455/185.1, 455/408, 455/418, 455/419, 455/519, 455/509, 455/510, 455/512, 455/514, 455/515, 455/517, 455/435, 370/329, 379/93.02
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• 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

A software programmable radio (200) receives information to configure a reconfigurable resource (208) to perform an operation based on the information. A processor (210) within the reconfigurable resource performs a software program in accordance with the operation, such as a waveform for communicating via a spread spectrum technique. The method includes the steps of checking (304) for a valid license granted to the radio to determine when the radio is authorized for use in the network. A controller (204) configures the radio to perform the operation based on the information.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a radio with software for communicating in a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting configuration information for communicating in said wireless network with one of a plurality of waveforms, the wireless network checking for a valid communication license for the radio associated with said one waveform

receiving the configuration information from the network for said one waveform when the network has determined that the radio has said valid communication license for use of said waveform; and

configuring the radio in accordance with the configuration information, said configuration information allowing the radio to communicate in the wireless network using said waveform.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending, from the radio, a first message to the server acknowledging receipt of the configuration information at the radio; and

receiving a second message from the server to enable the operation at the radio for communication within the wireless network using said one waveform.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a key for decrypting the configuration information; and

decrypting the configuration information using the key.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

when said software program is enabled, providing billing data to a user of the radio, the billing data comprising a fee for use of said software program; and

sending an acknowledge message to the wireless network to acknowledge that the billing data is approved by the user of the radio.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the receiving step, the configuration information enables a software program to be performed by the radio, the software program configuring the radio communicate in the wireless network using said waveform, and

the method further comprises the steps of:

determining when a valid software license has been issued to said radio, the software license being associated with said software program, the software license being a grant of rights from a licensor of said software program; and

refraining from performing the configuring step when the valid software license has not been issued to the radio.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the receiving step, the configuration information further comprises said software program, and wherein the configuring step includes the step of loading the software program into the radio to configure the radio to communicate using said waveform, the configuration information further including requirements of the software license including a time period the radio is permitted to communicate using the waveform.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said valid communication license comprises permission to use of said waveform and has been issued by a governmental body for regulation of wireless communications, and

wherein the configuration information identifies a set of communication specifications for communicating in the wireless network, the communication specifications comprising non-interference, splatter, noise and out-of-band rejection requirements.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein when said valid software license does not exist for the radio, the method further comprises the steps of:

requesting a software license for use of the software program; and

refraining from performing the configuring step until the radio is granted the software license.

4. A method for configuring a radio for communicating in a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

checking for a valid license associated with information to configure the radio;

receiving the information from a server when the valid license is granted to the radio;

configuring the radio to perform an operation based on the information;

comparing, in the radio, a first portion of the information with a first part of a configuration file to determine when the radio supports the operation associated with the information; and

testing the information in the radio to verify that the radio is capable of performing the operation.

5. A method for configuring a radio for communicating in a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

checking for a valid license associated with information to configure the radio;

receiving the information from a server when the valid license is granted to the radio;

configuring the radio to perform an operation based on the information;

updating a database in the server to reflect usage data associated with the information received by the radio; and

sending at least some of the usage data to a records computer to determine records information.

11. A software programmable radio comprising:

a transceiver for receiving encrypted configuration information through a wireless network;

a reconfigurable resource for generating a waveform in accordance with a software program, the waveform being one of a plurality of waveforms determined based on the configuration information; and

a controller to configure the reconfigurable resource in accordance with the configuration information to perform the software program when the controller associates a valid communication license for said one waveform.

12. A software programmable radio as claimed in claim 11, wherein said valid communication license comprises permission to use of said one waveform and has been issued by a governmental body for regulation of wireless communications, and wherein the reconfigurable resource further comprises:

a memory having said software program stored therein; and

a processor to perform the software program to generate the one waveform.

13. A software programmable radio as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor comprises a digital signal processor, the digital signal processor subsequently communicates said one waveform through the transceiver in accordance with the software program.

14. A software programmable radio as claimed in claim 12, wherein the memory stores a grant of rights for use of the software program in accordance with a software license.

15. A software programmable radio comprising:

a transceiver to receive information through a wireless network;

a reconfigurable resource to perform an operation based on the information; and

a controller to configure the reconfigurable resource to perform the operation when the controller associates a valid license with the operation,

wherein the controller further comprises means for comparing a first portion of the information with a first part of a configuration file to determine when the reconfigurable resource supports the operation associated with the information.

16. A method for communicating using a software programmable radio, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting the granting of a communication license to use a waveform within a wireless network, the waveform being defined by a software program stored within said radio;

receiving the grant of communication license at the radio, the grant of license identifing rights and restrictions for communication within the wireless network using the waveform;

loading the software program into the radio in response to the receipt of the license grant;

performing, by a processor in the radio, the software program to generate the waveform; and

communicating within the wireless network using the waveform through a transceiver in the radio.