Device and method for alerting user to interference

• US 7,158,769 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shuntaro, Okanoue, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin; Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhattacharya; Sam
• Application Number:
  US10/107,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20020142744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 455/277.2, 455/283, 455/296, 455/114.2, 455/67.13, 455/67.11, 455/67.7, 455/63.1, 455/65, 455/161.3, 455/226.1, 455/226.3
• US Class Current: 455/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/005 Control of transmission; Equalising

Abstract

An alerting device allowing easy estimation of possible interference and useful suggestions to eliminate deteriorated communication quality due to interference is disclosed. A signal including a band used by a target radio communication system is selected from a received signal based on a prescribed system specification of the radio communication system. A detected signal level of the selected signal is detected and compared with the prescribed interference level. When the detected signal level is greater than the prescribed interference level, it is determined that interference occurs. Further, an interference source is estimated by analyzing the selected signal with respect to time and frequency components.

Claims

1. An alerting device for alerting a user to occurrence of interference on a band used in a wireless communication system, comprising:

an input terminal accepting an input of system identifying information for identifying a wireless communication system;

a determiner for determining whether an interference source exists, within a selected signal band used by the wireless communication system, the determining being based on the system identifying information input to the input terminal identifying the wireless communication system; and

an indicator for indicating that interference occurs on the selected signal band when it is determined that the interference source exists,

the selected signal band used for signal reception by the wireless communication system being determined from the system identifying information input at the input terminal.

2. The alerting device according to claim 1, wherein,

the determiner comprises an interference detector for determining the selected band and detecting occurrence of interference based on interference information included in the system identifying information, and

the interference information comprises information of

a center frequency of a frequency band used by the wireless communication system, anda band width of the frequency band.

3. The alerting device according to claim 2, wherein the determiner further comprises:

an estimator for identifying an interference source from a received signal when the occurrence of interference is detected.

4. The alerting device according to claim 1, wherein the system identifying information includes a carrier frequency of the wireless communication system, a bandwidth thereof, and a threshold value used to determine whether a good communication can be made, the carrier frequency and bandwidth being used to select the selected signal band.

5. The alerting device according to claim 1, wherein the determiner comprises:

an envelope level detector for detecting an envelope level of a received signal; and

a comparator for comparing the detected envelope level with a prescribed interference level obtained from the system identifying information to determine whether interference occurs.

6. The alerting device according to claim 5, wherein the determiner further comprises:

an estimator for determining an interference source from a received signal when the occurrence of interference is detected.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the identifying information comprises information of:

1) a center frequency of a frequency band used by the wireless communication system,

2) a band width of the frequency band, and

3) an interference level affecting the wireless communication system, and

the selected band is based on the center frequency and the band width information.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the input terminal accepts the input of an identifier, identifying the wireless communication system, as the identifying information and converts the identifier into i) the center frequency of the frequency band used by the wireless communication system;

ii) the band width of the frequency band; and

iii) the interference level affecting the wireless communication system.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the center frequency of the frequency band is 2.4 GHz.

7. An alerting device for alerting a user to occurrence of interference on a band used in a wireless communication system, comprising:

an input terminal accepting an input of system identifying information for identifying a wireless communication system;

a determiner for determining whether an interference source exists, within a selected signal band used by the wireless communication system, based on the system identifying information input to the input terminal identifying the wireless communication system; and

an indicator for indicating that interference occurs on the band when it is determined that the interference source exists,

the selected signal band being determined from the system identifying information,

wherein, the determiner comprises;

an envelope level detector for detecting an envelope level of a received signal; and

a comparator for comparing the detected envelope level with a prescribed interference level obtained from the system identifying information to determine whether interference occurs,

an estimator for determining an interference source from a received signal when the occurrence of interference is detected, and

wherein the estimator comprises;

a memory retrievably storing data characterizing each of a plurality of interference sources so that the estimator can determine the interference source by comparison of characteristics of the received signal, within a selected frequency band, with the memory-stored data;

an analyzer for analyzing the received signal to produce a duration of the interference and frequency components of the received signal when the interference occurs; and

a retriever for retrieving an interference source from the memory according to a comparison of stored data with the duration and the frequency components obtained by the analyzer, the retrieved interference source being identified as the determined interference source.

8. An alerting device for alerting a user to occurrence of interference in a radio communication system, comprising:

a signal extractor for extracting an interference component from a selected frequency band of a received signal based on system identifying information prescribed in the radio communication system;

an interference detector for detecting whether the interference component deteriorates quality of communication based on a comparison of characteristics of the interference component to the system identifying information, to produce an interference detection signal; and

an indicator for notifying a user of occurrence of interference when the interference detection signal indicates deteriorated quality of communication,

the system identifying information comprising information of

1) a center frequency of a frequency band used by the wireless communication system;

2) a band width of the frequency band; and

3) an interference level adversely affecting the wireless communication system, wherein,

the selected band is based on the center frequency and the band width information,

the interference detector comprises a reception band selector and an interference decision section,

the center frequency and bandwidth information are provided to the reception band selector to set the reception band selector to the selected band, and

the interference level information is provided to the interference decision section.

9. An alerting method for alerting a user to occurrence of interference on a band used in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

determining whether an interference source exists within a selected band, based on system identifying information prescribed in the wireless communication system; and

indicating that interference occurs on the selected band when it is determined that the interference source exists,

wherein the system identifying information comprises information of a carrier frequency of the wireless communication system and a bandwidth thereof, an interference level affecting the wireless communication system, and the selected band is based on the carrier frequency and the band width information, wherein,

the determining steps comprises a reception band selection and an interference decision, the center frequency and bandwidth information being used to set the reception band selection to the selected band, and the interference level information being provided to make the interference decision.

10. The alerting method according to claim 9, wherein the determining step comprises the step of:

detecting occurrence of interference based on interference information included in the system identifying information.

11. The alerting method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

identifying the interference source from a received signal when the occurrence of interference is detected.

12. The alerting method according to claim 9, wherein the system identifying information further includes a threshold value used to determine whether a good communication can be made.

16. An alerting device for alerting a user to occurrence of interference on a band used in a wireless communication system, comprising:

an input terminal accepting an input of system identifying information for identifying a wireless communication system;

a determiner for determining whether an interference source exists, within a selected signal band used by the wireless communication system, based on the system identifying information input to the input terminal identifying the wireless communication system; and

an indicator for indicating that interference occurs on the band when it is determined that the interference source exists,

the selected signal band being determined from the system identifying information, wherein,

the identifying information comprises information of;

1) a center frequency of a frequency band used by the wireless communication system,

2) a band width of the frequency band, and

3) an interference level affecting the wireless communication system, and

the selected band is based on the center frequency and the band width information,

the determiner comprises a reception band selector and an interference decision section,

the center frequency and bandwidth information are provided to the band selector to set the reception band selector to the selected band, and

the interference level information is provided to the interference decision section.