Method and apparatus for a station to operate within WLAN system

• US 8,416,743 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Eunsun, Seok, Yongho
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, CLEMENCE S
• Application Number:
  US13/096,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/30 using constraints in the total amount of available transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for a specific station, operating as a non-AP (Access Point) station permitted to operate within available channels not used by a licensed device, to operate as an AP station in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) are disclosed. A specific protocol related to a registration of a station'"'"'s location to operate within a white space id defined whose Information IDs comprises a registration request and a registration response. Using the defined registration request and registration response, the station can register its geographical location with a Registered Location Server (RLS), and operate as an AP STA within WS.

Claims

1. A method for a station, permitted to operate within available channels not used by a licensed device, to select a channel to begin a transmission of signals in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the method comprising:

transmitting a first frame comprising an information element whose element ID indicates a specific protocol related to a registered location query, wherein the information element comprises information on a geographical location of the station;

receiving a second frame comprising a result of the query and information for the available channels based on the information on the geographical location of the station in a form of a White Space Map (WSM); and

selecting a channel among the available channels to begin the transmission of signals in the WLAN according to the received WSM.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information element further comprises device identification information of the station transmitting the first frame.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device identification information comprises a FCC (Federal Communications Commission) identifier of the station, and a serial number of the station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the result of the query is acquired from a registered location server (RLS).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first frame further comprises:

a length field indicating a length of the information element;

a requester station address field indicating a MAC (Medium Access Control) address of the station; and

a responder station address filed indicating a MAC address of the RLS or another AP station posting the information element to the RLS.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second frame further comprises:

a length field indicating a length of the second frame;

a requester station address field indicating a MAC (Medium Access Control) address of the station;

a responder station address field indicating a MAC address of the RLS or another AP station posting the information element to the RLS; and

a WSM field indicating the information on the available channels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information element is a registered location query protocol (RLQP) element whose element ID indicates a Channel Query protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the station comprises a non-Access Point (AP) station, and

wherein the non-AP station operates as an AP station by receiving the second frame.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the WSM comprises one or more white space channel units, and each of the white space channel units comprises a channel number field indicating one of the available channels and a power constraint field indicating a maximum allowable power on each of the indicated channel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second frame comprises an Advertisement Protocol Element whose element ID indicates a specific protocol related to a registered location query protocol (RLQP).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the station receiving the second frame is enabled to operate within the WLAN.

12. A station device permitted to operate within available channels not used by a licensed device, and configured to select a channel to begin a transmission of signals in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the station device comprising:

a transmitter configured for transmitting a first frame comprising an information element whose element ID indicates a specific protocol related to a registered location query, wherein the information element comprises information on a geographical location of the station device;

a receiver configured for receiving a second frame comprising a result of the query and information for the available channels based on the information on the geographical location of the station device in a form of a White Space Map (WSM); and

a processor operably connected to the transmitter and the receiver and configured for selecting a channel among the available channels to begin the transmission of signals in the WLAN according to the received WSM.

13. The station device of claim 12, wherein the information element further comprises device identification information of the station device.

14. The station device of claim 13, wherein the device identification information comprises a FCC (Federal Communications Commission) identifier of the station device, and a serial number of the station device.

15. The station device of claim 12, wherein the result of the query is acquired from a registered location server (RLS).

16. The station device of claim 15, wherein the first frame further comprises:

a length field indicating a length of the information element;

a requester station address field indicating a MAC (Medium Access Control) address of the station device; and

a responder station address indicating a MAC address of the RLS or another AP station posting the information element to the RLS.

17. The station device of claim 15, wherein the second frame further comprises:

a length field indicating a length of the second frame;

a requester station address field indicating a MAC (Medium Access Control) address of the station device;

a responder station address indicating a MAC address of the RLS or another AP station posting the registration request element to the RLS; and

a WSM field indicating the information on the available channels.

18. The station device of claim 12, wherein the information element is a registered location query protocol (RLQP) element whose element ID indicates a Channel Query protocol.

19. The station device of claim 12, wherein the station device operates as a non-Access Point (AP) station before receiving the second frame,

wherein the station device operates as an AP station after receiving the second frame.

20. The station device of claim 12, wherein the WSM comprises one or more white space channel units, and each of the white space channel units comprises a channel number field indicating one of the available channels and a power constraint field indicating a maximum allowable power on each of the indicated channel.

21. The station device of claim 12, wherein the second frame comprises an Advertisement Protocol Element whose element ID indicates a specific protocol related to a registered location query protocol (RLQP).

22. The station device of claim 21, wherein the station device receiving the second frame is enabled to operate within the WLAN.