Facilitating wireless spectrum migration

• US 7,813,370 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Autocell Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Durand, Roger, Yuen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAN, SAI MING
• Application Number:
  US11/113,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20060239187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

Migrating from a legacy spectrum allocation to a target spectrum allocation can be accomplished by adding new access points and, at a selected time, activating the new access points and deactivating the legacy access points with a remote network manager. Alternatively, the new access points can initially support legacy channels and at a selected time be reconfigured to support only the target channels. Alternatively, the new access points are initially activated in a mode which supports only a subset of the target channels and at a selected time reconfigured to support only the target channels. A remote network manager may be employed to remotely monitor, reconfigure, and trigger activation and deactivation of access points in support of the technique. New access points adapted to respond to inputs from the remote network manager further facilitate the invention. For example, the new access points may be remotely configurable to activate, deactivate, support a legacy spectrum or portions thereof, support a target spectrum or portions thereof, and provide traffic load and other data to the remote network manager.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

migrating from a first spectrum allocation to a second spectrum allocation in a wireless network having a plurality of devices configured to support the first spectrum allocation and not configured to support the second spectrum allocation, where the first and second spectrum allocations at least partially overlap and have different channel centers, including adding to the wireless network a plurality of devices configured to selectably support a portion of the second spectrum allocation;

activating the added devices in a mode which supports only a portion of the second spectrum allocation; and

at a selected time, reconfiguring the added devices to support the entire second spectrum allocation.

2. The method of claim 1 including the further step of selecting the portion of the second spectrum such that interference with the first spectrum allocation is mitigated.

3. The method of claim 1 further including a remote network manager, and including the further step of remotely reconfiguring the added devices configured to support the second spectrum allocation.

4. The method of claim 3 including the further step of, at a selected time, remotely deactivating the devices configured to support the first spectrum allocation.

5. The method of claim 1 including the further step of incrementally reconfiguring the devices in a plurality of stages, in each stage deactivating a channel of the first spectrum allocation and activating a channel of the second spectrum allocation.

6. The method of claim 1 including the further step of reconfiguring at least some of the devices, to the extent supported, such that the number of channels of the spectrum allocation relative to the second spectrum allocation is approximately equal to relative traffic load on each spectrum.

7. Apparatus for migrating from a first spectrum allocation to a second spectrum allocation in a wireless network having a plurality of access points configured to support the first spectrum allocation and not configured to support the second spectrum allocation, where the first and second spectrum allocations at least partially overlap and have different channel centers, comprising the steps of:

a plurality of wireless access points configured to be added to the network and to selectably support a portion of the second spectrum allocation, and being operable initially in a mode which supports only a portion of the second spectrum allocation; and

at least one device operable to reconfigure the added access points to support the entire second spectrum allocation,

wherein reconfiguring the added access points to support the entire second spectrum allocation leads to migration from the first spectrum allocation to the second spectrum allocation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the remote network manager is further operable to select the portion of the second spectrum such that interference with the first spectrum allocation is mitigated.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one device is further operable to deactivate the access points configured to support the first spectrum allocation.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one device is further operable to incrementally reconfigure the access points in a plurality of stages, in each stage deactivating a channel of the first spectrum allocation and activating a channel of the second spectrum allocation.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one device is further operable to reconfigure at least some of the access points, to the extent supported, such that the number of channels of the spectrum allocation relative to the second spectrum allocation is approximately equal to relative traffic load on each spectrum.