Communications system and method for determining an exclusion zone in proximity to a wireless communications system
First Claim
1. A wireless communications method comprising:
- defining an exclusion zone in proximity to a first wireless communications system, by transmission of a system beacon signal from a gateway of the first wireless communications system, the first wireless communications system using a different radio access network from that of a second wireless communications system, the exclusion zone indicating that any user equipment within the exclusion zone is not permitted to communicate with the second wireless communications system using a portion of spectrum which has been pre-assigned to the first wireless communications system and which is currently re-assigned to the second wireless communications system by a spectrum assignment process;
calculating a difference between a measured level of interference and a maximum acceptable level of interference inflicted on the first wireless communications system,controlling a local size of a part of the exclusion zone in dependence on the difference;
transmitting from a base station of the first wireless communications system a local beacon signal, the strength of which indicates only the size of a local part of the exclusion zone, andadjusting the strength of the local beacon signal in order to control the local size of the part of the exclusion zone.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of reducing interference in a first wireless communications system, the first wireless communications system being operable in use to take part in a spectrum assignment process involving at least a second wireless communications system, the method comprising defining an exclusion zone in proximity to the first wireless communications system, the exclusion zone indicating that any mobile communications apparatus located within the exclusion zone is not permitted to communicate with the second wireless communications system using a portion of spectrum which was pre-assigned to the first wireless communications system and which is currently re-assigned to the second wireless communications system as part of the spectrum assignment process; and varying the local size of a part only of the exclusion zone in dependence on a level of interference inflicted on the first wireless communications system.
32 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A wireless communications method comprising:
-
defining an exclusion zone in proximity to a first wireless communications system, by transmission of a system beacon signal from a gateway of the first wireless communications system, the first wireless communications system using a different radio access network from that of a second wireless communications system, the exclusion zone indicating that any user equipment within the exclusion zone is not permitted to communicate with the second wireless communications system using a portion of spectrum which has been pre-assigned to the first wireless communications system and which is currently re-assigned to the second wireless communications system by a spectrum assignment process; calculating a difference between a measured level of interference and a maximum acceptable level of interference inflicted on the first wireless communications system, controlling a local size of a part of the exclusion zone in dependence on the difference; transmitting from a base station of the first wireless communications system a local beacon signal, the strength of which indicates only the size of a local part of the exclusion zone, and adjusting the strength of the local beacon signal in order to control the local size of the part of the exclusion zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 23)
-
-
7. A method of operating a controller for use with a wireless communications system comprising:
-
receiving a signal which is indicative of a level of interference inflicted on a first wireless communications system, the first wireless communications system having first wireless communications system base stations serving user equipments and a gateway; calculating a difference between the level of interference inflicted on the first wireless communications system and a maximum acceptable level of interference; controlling a size of a part only of an exclusion zone in dependence on the difference, the exclusion zone indicating that any user equipment within the exclusion zone is not permitted to communicate with a second wireless communications system using a portion of spectrum which was pre-assigned to the first wireless communications system and which is currently re-assigned to the second wireless communications system by a spectrum assignment process; and transmitting to the first wireless communication system a control signal which is indicative of the size of the exclusion zone, wherein the control signal is indicative of a system beacon signal transmitted from the gateway of the first wireless communication system to establish the exclusion zone in proximity to the first wireless communication system, and wherein the control signal further indicates the power of a local beacon signal transmitted from a base station of the first wireless communication system and the strength of the local beacon signal is adjusted in order to control only the local size of the part of the exclusion zone. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 24)
-
-
12. A first wireless communication system comprising:
- a gateway and a plurality of base stations configured to serve a plurality of user equipment, wherein the gateway comprises;
exclusion zone circuitry configured to define an exclusion zone in proximity to the first wireless communications system by transmission of a system beacon signal, the first wireless communication system using a different radio access network from that of a second wireless communications system, the exclusion zone indicating that any user equipment within the exclusion zone is not permitted to communicate with the second wireless communications system using a portion of spectrum which has been pre-assigned to the first wireless communications system and which is currently re-assigned to the second wireless communications system by a spectrum assignment process; and
wherein one or more of the plurality of base stations comprises;beacon circuitry configured to transmit a local beacon signal, the strength of which indicates only the size of a local part of the exclusion zone; wherein the first wireless communications system is further configured to calculate a difference between a measured level of interference inflicted on the first wireless communications system and a maximum acceptable level of interference; control a local size of a part of the exclusion zone in dependence on the difference; and wherein the one or more base stations are configured to adjust the strength of the local beacon signal in order to control the local size of the part of the exclusion zone. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- a gateway and a plurality of base stations configured to serve a plurality of user equipment, wherein the gateway comprises;
-
18. A controller for use with a first wireless communications system, the first wireless communications system having first wireless communications system base stations serving user equipments and a gateway, the controller comprising:
-
communications circuitry configured to determine the desired size of an exclusion zone and to transmit to the first wireless communications system a desired power of a system beacon signal defining the exclusion zone, wherein the system beacon signal is transmitted from the gateway; communications circuitry configured to receive a signal which is indicative of a level of interference inflicted on a first wireless communications system; control circuitry configured to determine a difference between the level of interference inflicted on the first wireless communications system and a maximum acceptable level of interference, and configured to control a local size of a part of an exclusion zone based on the difference; wherein the communications circuitry is configured to transmit to the first wireless communications system a signal which is indicative of the size of part of the exclusion zone wherein the signal indicates the power of a local beacon signal transmitted from the base station of the first wireless communication system and the strength of the local beacon signal is adjusted in order to control only the local size of the part of the exclusion zone, wherein the exclusion zone indicating that any user equipment located within the exclusion zone is not permitted to communicate with a second wireless communications system using a portion of spectrum which has been pre-assigned to the first wireless communications system and which is currently re-assigned to the second wireless communications system by a spectrum assignment process. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification