Methods and apparatus for monitoring for signals and selecting and/or using a communications band based on the monitoring results

• US 7,899,073 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US11/775,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 370/314, 370/319, 370/330, 370/344, 370/436, 370/431, 370/437, 370/442, 370/468, 370/478, 370/480, 455/63.1, 455/62, 455/452.2, 455/450, 455/452.1
• US Class Current: 370/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

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.

Claims

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.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting said peer to peer signal in said corresponding communications band.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said corresponding communications band is different from said at least one WAN communications band.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band in a frequency division duplex system and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink frequency band in said frequency division duplex system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band in a TDD system and wherein said corresponding communications band is an uplink band in said TDD system.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein a first communications band is one of a plurality of communications bands;

and

if a signal is detected in said first communications band exceeding a threshold, monitoring a second band out of said plurality of communications bands; and

selecting one of said plurality of communications bands other than said first communications band for peer to peer signaling.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said monitoring does not detect a signal exceeding the threshold in the selected one of said plurality of communications bands other than said first communications band.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said WAN downlink band is used by a base station for broadcast signaling, and said uplink frequency band is used by a wireless terminal for transmission signaling directed to said base station.

9. A wireless terminal, comprising:

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.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 9, further comprising:

a peer to peer signal generation module for generating a peer to peer signal; and

a transmitter module for transmitting said peer to peer signal in said corresponding communications band.

11. The wireless terminal of claim 10, further comprising:

memory including stored information indicating a WAN communications band corresponding to said at least one WAN communications band, said stored information indicating that said corresponding communications band is different from said at least one WAN communications band.

12. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band in a frequency division duplex system, the wireless terminal further comprising:

memory including stored corresponding communications band information, said stored corresponding band information indicating a corresponding frequency band which is an uplink frequency band in said frequency division duplex system.

13. The wireless terminal of claim 11, wherein said at least one WAN communications band is a WAN downlink band in a TDD system, the wireless terminal further comprising:

memory including stored corresponding communications band information, said stored corresponding band information indicating a corresponding communications band that is an uplink band in said TDD system.

14. The wireless terminal of claim 9,

wherein a first communications band is one of a plurality of communications bands;

and

wherein if a signal is detected in said first communications band exceeding a threshold, said threshold determination module monitors a second band out of said plurality of communications bands; and

wherein said selection module selects one of said plurality of bands other than said first communications band for peer to peer signaling as a function of the monitoring of said second band.

15. The wireless terminal of claim 14, wherein said selection module selects a communications band in which said detection module does not detect a signal exceeding the threshold.

16. The wireless terminal of claim 14, wherein said selection module selects an uplink communications band corresponding to a downlink communications band in which said detection module does not detect a signal exceeding the threshold.

17. A wireless terminal, comprising:

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.

18. The wireless terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

means for generating a peer to peer signal; and

means for transmitting said peer to peer signal in said corresponding communications band.

19. The wireless terminal of claim 17,

wherein a first communications band is one of a plurality of communications bands;

and

wherein if a signal is detected in said first communications band exceeding a threshold, said means for determining monitors a second band out of said plurality of communications bands; and

wherein said means for selecting selects one of said plurality of communications bands other than said first communications band for peer to peer signaling as a function of the monitoring of said second band.

20. The wireless terminal of claim 19, wherein said means for selecting selects a communications band in which said means for detecting does not detect a signal exceeding the threshold.

21. The wireless terminal of claim 19, wherein said means for selecting selects an uplink communications band corresponding to a downlink communications band in which said means for detecting does not detect a signal exceeding the threshold.

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:

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.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, further embodying [machine] computer executable instructions for:

transmitting said peer to peer signal in said corresponding communications band.

24. The non-transistory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein said corresponding communications band is different from said at least one WAN communications band.

25. The non-transistory computer readable storage medium of claim 22,

wherein a first communications band is one of a plurality of communications bands;

further embodying machine executable instructions for;

if a signal is detected in said first communications band exceeding a threshold, monitoring a second band out of said plurality of communications bands; and

selecting one of said plurality of bands other than said first communications band for peer to peer signaling.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein said monitoring does not detect a signal exceeding the threshold in the selected one of said plurality of bands other than said first communications band.

27. An apparatus comprising:

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.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said processor is further configured to:

transmit said peer to peer signal in said corresponding communications band.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said corresponding communications band is different from said at least one WAN communications band.

30. The apparatus of claim 27,

wherein a first communications band is one of a plurality of communications bands;

and

wherein if a signal is detected in said first communications band exceeding a threshold, said processor is further configured to monitor a second band out of said plurality of communications bands; and

select one of said plurality of bands other than said first communications band for peer to peer signaling.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said monitoring does not detect a signal exceeding the threshold in the selected one of said plurality of bands other than said first communications band.