Method and apparatus for mitigating interference in a communication system

• US 6,201,795 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1997
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baum, Kevin L., Cudak, Mark C., Mueller, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US08/897,398
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/281, 370/330, 370/332, 370/333, 370/335, 370/337, 370/342, 370/430, 370/458, 370/229, 370/230, 370/231, 370/235, 370/236, 375/346, 375/349, 455/62, 455/63, 455/67.1, 455/438, 455/439, 455/454, 455/512
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A communication system (100) that includes a base unit (101) and a subscriber unit (e.g., 103) employs a method (400) and apparatus (101) for mitigating interference (135) therein. The base unit (101) receives an uplink communication signal from the subscriber unit (103) at an uplink frequency and conveys a downlink communication signal to the subscriber unit (103) at a downlink frequency. Upon receiving (403) an uplink communication signal from the subscriber unit (103), the base unit (101) determines (405) a quality metric for the uplink frequency. When the quality metric is below a quality threshold (407), the base unit (101) and the subscriber unit (103) transfer (415) the communication signal to an alternate uplink frequency, while the downlink frequency remains unchanged.

Claims

1. A method for mitigating interference in a two-way communication system having one or more upstream and downstream channels, comprising:

monitoring ingress interference levels on the one or more upstream channels;

generating a list of available upstream channels based on a predetermined level of ingress interference on the one or more upstream channels;

switching, based on the ingress interference level present on the first upstream channel, communications from a first upstream channel to a second upstream channel while maintaining a same downstream frequency that was used with the first upstream channel, wherein the second upstream channel is chosen from the generated list of acceptable upstream channels;

removing the second upstream channel from the generated list; and

adding the first upstream channel to the generated list of available upstream channels.

2. A two-way communication system having one or more upstream and downstream channels, comprising:

a monitor for measuring ingress interference levels on the one or more upstream channels and generating a list of available upstream channels based on a predetermined level of ingress interference on the one or more upstream channels;

a base and receiver unit for switching, based on the ingress interference level present on the first upstream channel, communications from a first upstream channel to a second upstream channel while maintaining a same downstream frequency that was used with the first upstream channel, wherein the second upstream channel is chosen from the generated list of acceptable upstream channels; and

a controller for removing the second upstream channel from the generated list and for adding the first upstream channel to the generated list of available upstream channels.