System and method for monitoring and enforcing a restricted wireless zone
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
- a. receiving radio frequency energy in a region that encompasses at least a zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy;
b. analyzing spectral characteristics of the received radio frequency energy to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone, wherein analyzing comprises classifying one or more signals occurring based on said spectral characteristics derived from the received radio frequency energy and comparing spectral data pertaining to signals classified from the received radio frequency energy with spectral data for signals deemed to be authorized in the zone and/or data for signals to be unauthorized in the zone; and
c. declaring that unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone when it does not match spectral data for signals that are authorized in the zone or matches spectral data for signals that are unauthorized in the zone.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Monitoring for unauthorized RF energy emitted or transmitted in a particular zone or portion of a building, etc. Radio frequency energy is received in a region that encompasses a zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy. At least one characteristic of the received radio frequency energy is analyzed to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone. Unauthorized RF energy may be detected by analyzing at least one spectral characteristic of the received radio frequency energy and comparing the at least one spectral characteristic with data associated with authorized and/or unauthorized radio frequency energy. Alternatively, signal classification techniques can be applied to data derived from the received radio frequency energy to classify by type signals contained in the received radio frequency energy. Certain signal types may be designated as unauthorized in a particular restricted zone and the results of the signal classification analysis is compared with data for authorized and/or unauthorized signal types.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
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a. receiving radio frequency energy in a region that encompasses at least a zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy; b. analyzing spectral characteristics of the received radio frequency energy to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone, wherein analyzing comprises classifying one or more signals occurring based on said spectral characteristics derived from the received radio frequency energy and comparing spectral data pertaining to signals classified from the received radio frequency energy with spectral data for signals deemed to be authorized in the zone and/or data for signals to be unauthorized in the zone; and c. declaring that unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone when it does not match spectral data for signals that are authorized in the zone or matches spectral data for signals that are unauthorized in the zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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16. A method for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
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a. receiving radio frequency energy in a region that encompasses at least a zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy; b. analyzing spectral characteristics of the received radio frequency energy to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone; c. comparing spectral data pertaining to signals classified from the received radio frequency energy with spectral data for signals deemed to be authorized in the zone and/or data for signals to be unauthorized in the zone; and d. declaring that unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone when it does not match spectral data for signals that are authorized in the zone or matches spectral data for signals that are unauthorized in the zone.
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21. A system for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
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a. a plurality of radio sensor devices each at a corresponding position in a region that encompasses a zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy, wherein each radio sensor device receives radio frequency energy and analyzes spectral characteristics of the radio frequency energy it receives to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring; and b. a computer connected to each of the plurality of radio sensor devices that receives data from the radio sensor devices concerning radio frequency energy that they monitor, and wherein the computer correlates the data received from the radio sensor devices with respect to data for unauthorized radio frequency energy determined to be occurring in the zone. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A radio device comprising:
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a. a radio receiver that receives radio frequency energy; b. a processor coupled to the radio receiver the characteristic of the received radio frequency energy to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone; and c. a spectrum analysis device coupled to the radio receiver and to the processor, wherein the spectrum analysis device produces data pertaining to spectral characteristics of the received radio frequency energy, and wherein the processor analyzes said spectral characteristics to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A processor readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
- analyze at least one characteristic associated with received radio frequency energy to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in a zone where said radio frequency energy is received, and to store data pertaining to characteristics associated with radio frequency energy received during a time interval when unauthorized radio frequency energy is determined to be occurring, and at a later time, effect retrieval and display of the spectral characteristics from said time interval when unauthorized radio frequency energy is determined to be occurring.
- View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
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a. receiving radio frequency energy in a region that encompasses at least two or more zones in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy; and b. analyzing spectral characteristics of the received radio frequency energy in each of the two or more zones to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone, wherein each zone may have associated therewith different spectral related parameters of radio frequency energy that is to be considered unauthorized radio frequency energy. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A method for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
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a. receiving radio frequency energy at a plurality of positions in a region that encompasses at least one zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy; b. analyzing at least one spectral related characteristic of the received radio frequency energy at each of the plurality of positions to determine whether there is unauthorized radio frequency energy occurring; and c. correlating information pertaining to unauthorized radio frequency energy received at each of the plurality of positions.
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45. A method for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
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a. receiving radio frequency energy in a region that encompasses at least a zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy; b. analyzing spectral characteristics of the received radio frequency energy to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone; and c. storing data pertaining to said spectral characteristics during a time interval when unauthorized radio frequency energy is determined to be occurring; and d. at a later time, retrieving and displaying the spectral characteristics from said time interval when unauthorized radio frequency energy is determined to be occurring.
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46. A method for monitoring for unauthorized radio frequency energy, comprising:
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a. receiving radio frequency energy in a region that encompasses at least a zone in which it is desired to monitor for unauthorized radio frequency energy; and b. analyzing spectral characteristics of the received radio frequency energy to determine whether unauthorized radio frequency energy is occurring in the zone, wherein analyzing comprises; i. during a time interval, computing a series of a plurality of Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs) of the received radio frequency energy during each of a plurality of time intervals, wherein the series of FFTs during a time interval span the same frequency sub-band, but the frequency sub-band is different across the time intervals, and wherein the plurality of frequency sub-bands are substantially contiguous and span a frequency band of interest; ii. accumulating data associated with each of the series of FFTs during each of the plurality of time intervals; and iii. for each time interval, storing a value representing the maximum power that has occurred in each frequency bin over all FFTs taken during that time interval.
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Specification