Methods and apparatus for monitoring for signals and selecting and/or using a communications band based on the monitoring results
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications device, the method comprising:
- monitoring to receive a signal with a receiver module in at least one WAN communications band; and
if no signal having a signal power level over a threshold level is received in a predetermined period of time from said at least one WAN communications band, selecting a corresponding communications band which corresponds to said at least one WAN communications band with a peer to peer communications band selection module, said corresponding communications band being selected for use in communicating a peer to peer signal,wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink frequency band.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for supporting peer to peer communications are described. A plurality of wide area network communications bands in a wireless communications system are also available for use to communicate peer to peer signals. Some WAN bands may be, and sometimes are unused by a base station for WAN communications at a particular location. A peer to peer communications device monitors one or more WAN communications bands. Received signals in the monitored band or bands are compared to threshold criteria. In one embodiment, if the peer to peer communications device finds that no signal is detected in the monitored band or that the received evaluated signal from the monitored band is below a specified threshold level, then the peer to peer wireless terminal is allowed to use a band which is either the monitored band or a band corresponding to the monitored band for peer to peer signaling.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications device, the method comprising:
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monitoring to receive a signal with a receiver module in at least one WAN communications band; and if no signal having a signal power level over a threshold level is received in a predetermined period of time from said at least one WAN communications band, selecting a corresponding communications band which corresponds to said at least one WAN communications band with a peer to peer communications band selection module, said corresponding communications band being selected for use in communicating a peer to peer signal, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A wireless terminal, comprising:
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a receiver module for receiving signals from at least one WAN communications band; a threshold determination module for determining if a signal having a signal power level over a threshold level is received in a predetermined period of time from said at least one WAN communications band; and a peer to peer communications band selection module for selecting a corresponding communications band, which corresponds to said at least one WAN communications band, for peer to peer signaling, when said determination module determines that a signal having a signal power level over said threshold level is not received in the predetermined period of time, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A wireless terminal, comprising:
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receiver means for receiving signals from at least one WAN communications band; means for determining if a signal having a signal power level over a threshold level is received in a predetermined period of time from said at least one WAN communications band; and means for selecting a corresponding communications band, which corresponds to said at least one WAN communications band, for peer to peer signaling, when said means for determining determines that a signal having a signal power level over said threshold level is not received in the predetermined period of time, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying computer executable instructions when being executed by a computer for controlling a communications device to implement a method of communicating with another device, the method comprising:
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monitoring to receive a signal in at least one WAN communications band; and if no signal having a signal power level over a threshold level is received in a predetermined period of time from said at least one WAN communications band, selecting a corresponding communications band which corresponds to said at least one WAN communications band, said selected corresponding band being selected for use in communicating a peer to peer signal, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a computer readable storage medium embodying computer executable instruction when being executed by the processor for; monitor to receive a signal in at least one WAN communications band; and if no signal having a signal power level over a threshold level is received in a predetermined period of time from said at least one WAN communications band, select a corresponding communications band which corresponds to said at least one WAN communications band, said selected corresponding band being selected for use in communicating a peer to peer signal, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification