Channel change to an available channel of a spectrum

• US 8,413,195 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Adolphson, Alan L., Raveendran, Vijayalakshmi R., Wang, Yu Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US12/788,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20110013089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725/73
• US Class Current: 725/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

In general, this disclosure relates to techniques for transmitting data in a spectrum, and seamlessly switching from one transmission channel to an available channel in the spectrum. One example method comprises identifying, by a device, at least a first channel of a spectrum, transmitting at least one command to a second, different device, wherein the at least one command contains information that allows the second device to determine at least the first identified channel, and transmitting data in at least the first identified channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, at a first device, a first channel of a spectrum;

transmitting a first command to a second device, wherein the first device is distinct from the second device, wherein the first command includes first information that enables the second device to determine the first channel, and wherein the first command identifies an input source of the second device to be used by the second device to receive first data via the first channel; and

transmitting the first data via the first channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first channel comprises identifying an available channel included in an unused portion of a broadcast television spectrum.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first channel comprises identifying television band white space.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding the first data based on a digital broadcast format prior to transmitting the first data via the first channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital broadcast format comprises an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) format, a Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) format, a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) format, an Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting Terrestrial (ISDB-T) format, or a Moving Picture Experts Group Transport Stream (MPEG-TS) format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting the first data comprises transmitting the first data via the first channel of a first wireless network; and

transmitting the first command comprises transmitting the first command to the second device via an alternate wireless communication, and wherein the alternate wireless communication is distinct from the first wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second channel of the spectrum;

transmitting a second command to the second device, wherein the second command includes second information that enables the second device to determine a change from the first channel to the second channel; and

transmitting a second data via the second channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first command comprises a first virtual channel identifier that enables the second device to determine the first channel, and wherein the second command comprises a second virtual channel identifier that enables the second device to determine the second channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information included in the first command specifies the first channel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first command comprises selecting a transmit power associated with a transmission of the first command.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a third command to a third device, the third command including the first information that enables the third device to determine the first channel;

wherein the first command includes a first identification code, the first identification code being uniquely associated with the second device; and

wherein the third command includes a second identification code, the second identification code being uniquely associated with the third device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first command comprises transmitting the first command from the first device to the second device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel is identified by a spectrum sensor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first channel comprises accessing a digital television (TV) bands database to identify the first channel.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command comprises a virtual channel identifier that enables the first device to determine the first channel.

16. A communication system comprising:

one or more processors;

a channel identifier operable to identify a first channel of a spectrum;

a channel transmitter operable to transmit a first command to a first device, wherein the first command includes first information that enables the first device to determine the first channel, and wherein the first command identifies an input source of the first device to be used by the first device to receive a first data via the first channel; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the first data via the first channel.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the channel identifier is operable to identify the first channel by identifying an available channel included in an unused portion of a broadcast television spectrum.

18. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the channel identifier is operable to identify the first channel by identifying television band white space.

19. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are operable to encode the first data based on a digital broadcast format prior to transmitting the first data via the first channel.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the digital broadcast format comprises an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) format, a Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) format, a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) format, an Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting Terrestrial (ISDB-T) format, or a Moving Picture Experts Group Transport Stream (MPEG-TS) format.

21. The communication system of claim 16, wherein:

the transmitter is operable to transmit the first data via the first channel of a first wireless network; and

the channel transmitter is operable to transmit the first command to the first device via an alternate wireless communication, and wherein the alternate wireless communication is distinct from the first wireless network.

22. The communication system of claim 16, wherein:

the channel identifier is further operable to identify a second channel of the spectrum;

the channel transmitter is further operable to transmit a second command to the first device, and wherein the second command includes second information that enables the first device to determine a change from the first channel to the second channel; and

the transmitter is further operable to transmit second data via the second channel.

23. The communication system of claim 22, wherein the first command comprises a first virtual channel identifier that enables the first device to determine the first channel, and wherein the second command comprises a second virtual channel identifier that enables the first device to determine the second channel.

24. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the first information included in the first command specifies the first channel.

25. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the channel transmitter is further operable to select a transmit power associated with a transmission of the first command.

26. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the channel transmitter is further operable to transmit a second command to a second device that enables the second device to determine the first channel.

27. The communication system of claim 26, wherein:

the first command includes a first identification code, the first identification code being uniquely associated with the first device; and

the second command includes a second identification code, the second identification code being uniquely associated with the second device.

28. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the channel identifier is operable to identify the first channel using a spectrum sensor.

29. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the channel identifier is operable to access a digital television (TV) bands database to identify the first channel.

30. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors, the channel identifier, the channel transmitter, and the transmitter are included in a wireless communication device handset.

31. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors, the channel identifier, the channel transmitter, and the transmitter are included in one or more integrated circuit devices.

32. A communication system comprising:

means for identifying a first channel of a spectrum;

means for transmitting a first command to a first device, wherein the first command includes first information that enables the first device to determine the first channel; and

means for transmitting a first data via the first channel, wherein the means for transmitting the data via the first channel comprises means for transmitting the first data via a first wireless network, and wherein the means for transmitting the first command comprises means for transmitting the first command via another wireless communication means.

33. The communication system of claim 32, further comprising means for encoding the first data based on a digital broadcast format prior to transmitting the first data via the first channel.

34. The communication system of claim 33, wherein the digital broadcast format comprises an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) format, a Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) format, a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) format, an Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting Terrestrial (ISDB-T) format, or a Moving Picture Experts Group Transport Stream (MPEG-TS) format.

35. The communication system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for identifying a second channel of the spectrum;

means for transmitting a second command to the first device, wherein the second command includes second information that enables the first device to determine a change from the first channel to the second channel; and

means for transmitting a second data via the second channel.

36. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the first command identifies an input source of the first device to be used by the first device to receive the first data via the first channel.

37. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the means for transmitting the first command comprises means for selecting a transmit power associated with a transmission of the first command.

38. The communication system of claim 32, further comprising means for transmitting a second command to a second device, the second command including the first information that enables the second device to determine the first channel, and wherein:

the first command includes a first identification code, the first identification code being uniquely associated with the first device; and

the second command includes a second identification code, the second identification code being uniquely associated with the second device.

39. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

identify a first channel of a spectrum;

transmit a first command to a first device, wherein the first command includes first information that enables the first device to determine the first channel;

initiate a first transmission of first data via the first channel; and

determine whether the first channel becomes unavailable during the first transmission of the first data.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to encode the first data based on a digital broadcast format prior to initiating the first transmission of the first data via the first channel.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein the digital broadcast format comprises an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) format, a Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) format, a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) format, an Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting Terrestrial (ISDB-T) format, or a Moving Picture Experts Group Transport Stream (MPEG-TS) format.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

transmit the first portion of the data via the first channel of a first wireless network; and

transmit the first command to the first device via an alternate wireless communication, wherein the alternate wireless communication is distinct from the first wireless network.

43. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

identify a second channel of the spectrum;

transmit a second command to the first device, wherein the second command includes second information that enables the first device to determine a change from the first channel to the second channel; and

initiate a second transmission of a second data via the second channel.

44. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 43, wherein the first command comprises a first virtual channel identifier that enables the first device to determine the first channel, and wherein the second command comprises a second virtual channel identifier that enables the first device to determine the second channel.

45. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein the first command identifies an input source of the first device to be used by the first device to receive the first data via the first channel.

46. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to select a transmit power associated with a transmission of the first command.

47. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to transmit a second command to a second device, wherein:

the second command enables the second device to determine the first channel;

the first command includes a first identification code the first identification code being uniquely associated with the first device; and

the second command includes a second identification code, the second identification code being uniquely associated with the second device.

48. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether a detected amount of interference associated with the first channel exceeds a threshold value; and

when the detected amount of interference exceed the threshold value;

identify a second channel of the spectrum;

transmit a second command to the first device, wherein the second command includes second information that enables the first device to initiate a change from the first channel to the second channel, and

initiate a second transmission second data via the second channel.

49. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein the first command comprises a virtual channel identifier that enables the first device to determine the first channel.

50. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor;

a channel identifier operable to identify a first channel of a spectrum;

a channel transmitter operable to transmit a first command to a device, wherein the first command includes information that enables the device to determine the first channel; and

a transmitter operable to transmit data via the first channel.

51. The wireless communication device of claim 50, wherein the transmitter transmits the data via the first channel of a first wireless network, wherein the channel transmitter transmits the first command via an alternate wireless communication, and wherein the alternate wireless communication is distinct from the first wireless network.

52. The wireless communication device of claim 50, wherein:

the first command comprises a first virtual identifier that enables the device to determine the first channel,

the channel identifier identifies a second channel of the spectrum, and

the channel transmitter transmits a second command to the device, wherein the second command comprises a second virtual identifier that enables the device to determine the second channel.

53. The wireless communication device of claim 50, wherein the device comprises a data receiver coupled to an audio system, a display device, or a combination thereof.

54. The wireless communication device of claim 50, wherein the first command indicates an input source to be used by the second device to receive the data.