Method and apparatus for providing communication over a white space channel without causing interference

• US 8,625,553 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henry, Paul Shala
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US12/620,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20110116484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7097 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0062 Avoidance of ingress interference, e.g. ham radio channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for providing communication over a white space channel without causing interference are disclosed. The method generates a first request to identify at least one available white space channel, and applies a spreading sequence to the first request to generate a second request. The method applies a modulation to the second request to generate a third request in the time domain, and transmits the third request via a wireless communication to at least one other user. Alternatively, the method receives a request wirelessly, wherein the request comprises a request for availability of at least one white space channel, and applies a demodulation on the request to generate a demodulated request. The method applies a spreading sequence on the demodulated request to generate a de-spread request, and processes the de-spread request by determining availability of at least one white space channel.

Claims

1. A method for generating a first request, comprising:

generating, via a processor, the first request to identify an available white space channel;

applying, via the processor, a spreading sequence to the first request to generate a second request, wherein the second request comprises a fluctuating waveform as compared to a waveform of the first request that is generated by applying the spreading sequence to the first request;

applying, via the processor, a modulation to the second request to generate a third request in a time domain; and

transmitting, via the processor, the third request via a wireless communication to a device of a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response to the third request from the user; and

selecting a white space channel in accordance with the response from the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using the white space channel that is selected for communicating with the user.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using the white space channel that is selected for local use in a local area network.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the applying the spreading sequence is performed by the processor of a gateway device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the spreading sequence is performed by the gateway device in processing the response.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a service provider of a communication network instantiates the spreading sequence in the gateway device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the spreading sequence is selected from a registry maintained by a service provider of a communication network.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the spreading sequence is selected from a registry that is accessible locally by the gateway device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulation comprises a frequency division multiplexing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the frequency division multiplexing comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for generating a first request, the operations comprising:

generating the first request to identify an available white space channel;

applying a spreading sequence to the first request to generate a second request, wherein the second request comprises a fluctuating waveform as compared to a waveform of the first request that is generated by applying the spreading sequence to the first request;

applying a modulation to the second request to generate a third request in a time domain; and

transmitting the third request via a wireless communication to a device of a user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a response to the third request from the user; and

selecting a white space channel in accordance with the response from the user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

using the white space channel that is selected for communicating with the user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the applying the spreading sequence is performed by the processor of a gateway device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the spreading sequence is performed by the gateway device in processing the response.

17. A method for processing a request, comprising:

receiving, via a processor, the request wirelessly, wherein the request comprises a request for availability of a white space channel;

applying, via the processor, a demodulation on the request to generate a demodulated request;

applying, via the processor, a spreading sequence on the demodulated request to generate a de-spread request, wherein the de-spread request comprises a waveform as compared to a fluctuating waveform of the demodulated request that is generated by applying the spreading sequence to the demodulated request; and

processing, via the processor, the de-spread request by determining an availability of a white space channel.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending a response to the request, wherein the response comprises information pertaining to the availability of the white space channel.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the processing comprises applying a sensing method to determine the availability of the white space channel at a local location.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the applying the spreading sequence is performed by the processor of a gateway device.