Systems and methods for a cognitive radio having adaptable characteristics

• US 8,767,556 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Original Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Inventors: Dain, Dmitry, Bazarov, Igor, Livsics, Jevgenijs, McHenry, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Application Number:
  US13/462,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20130028111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring a network of radios for dynamic spectrum access are described. A network radio can include hardware and/or software modules for detecting a radio environment and negotiating common communications channels with a plurality of other radios in the network. Network radio behavior can be defined by a plurality of predefined policies which are used in combination with the information about the radio environment to select common operating parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

dividing a first logical wireless channel into a plurality of bins;

measuring a level of radio frequency (RF) energy within each of the plurality of bins with a wireless detector;

determining a number B of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a first threshold;

upon determining that B is above a minimum value, identifying the channel as containing a network signal by identifying at least a portion of an abstract representation of the channel as a network channel, the abstract representation comprising the same number of bins as the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the minimum value is a predetermined portion of the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the minimum value is about 20% the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising recording a current time with the abstract representation of the channel.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the abstract representation comprises a plurality of bins in the abstract representation as indicating a network signal.

6. A method comprising:

dividing a first logical wireless channel into a plurality of bins;

measuring a level of radio frequency (RF) energy within each of the plurality of bins with a wireless detector;

determining the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a first threshold; and

upon determining that the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy does not exceed the first threshold is above a minimum portion of the total number of the plurality of bins;

determining the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold being lower than the first threshold; and

upon determining that the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy does not exceed the second threshold is above a minimum value, identifying the channel as containing a primary signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the minimum value is a predetermined portion of the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the minimum value is about 80% the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of identifying the channel as containing a primary signal comprises identifying an abstract representation of the channel as a primary channel.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the abstract representation comprises the same number of bins as the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising recording a current time with the abstract representation of the channel.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

for each representation of the logical channel stored as indicating a primary signal, comparing a timestamp of the representation to a time-to-live parameter;

determining that a timestamp of a representation is less than the time-to-live parameter;

marking the channel as containing a primary signal; and

categorizing the channel as not-available for use by a dynamic spectrum access device.

13. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

determining that no bins in a plurality of stored representations of the logical channel indicate a primary signal;

determining that a portion of bins in a plurality of stored representations of the logical channel are stored as indicating a network signal and have a timestamp less than a time-to-live parameter; and

categorizing the channel as a control channel.

14. A dynamic spectrum access device comprising:

a wireless detector configured to measure a level of radio frequency (RF) energy within each of a plurality of bins within a channel; and

a processor configured to;

determine a number B of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a first threshold; and

upon determining that B is above a minimum value, identify the channel as containing a network signal by identifying an abstract representation of the channel as a network channel, the abstract representation comprising the same number of bins as the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

15. A device as recited in claim 14, wherein the minimum value is a predetermined portion of the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

16. A device as recited in claim 15, wherein the minimum value is about 20% the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

17. A device as recited in claim 14, said processor further configured to record a current time with the abstract representation of the channel.

18. A dynamic spectrum access device comprising:

a wireless detector configured to measure a level of radio frequency (RF) energy within each of a plurality of bins within a channel; and

a processor configured to;

determine the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a first threshold;

upon determining that the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy does not exceed the first threshold is above a minimum portion of the total number of the plurality of bins;

determine the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold being lower than the first threshold; and

upon determining that the number of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy does not exceed the second threshold is above a minimum value, identify the channel as containing a primary signal.

19. A device as recited in claim 18, wherein the minimum value is a predetermined portion of the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

20. A device as recited in claim 19, wherein the minimum value is about 80% the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

21. A device as recited in claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to identify the channel as containing a primary signal by identifying an abstract representation of the channel as a primary channel.

22. A device as recited in claim 21, wherein the abstract representation comprises the same number of bins as the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

23. A device as recited in claim 21, said processor further configured to record a current time with the abstract representation of the channel.

24. A device as recited in claim 21, said processor further configured to:

for each representation of the logical channel stored as indicating a primary signal, compare a timestamp of the representation to a time-to-live parameter;

determine that a timestamp of a representation is less than the time-to-live parameter;

mark the channel as containing a primary signal; and

categorize the channel as not-available for use by a dynamic spectrum access device.

25. A device as recited in claim 18, said processor further configured to:

determine that no bins in a plurality of stored representations of the logical channel indicate a primary signal;

determine that a portion of bins in a plurality of stored representations of the logical channel are stored as indicating a network signal and have a timestamp less than a time-to-live parameter; and

categorize the channel as a control channel.

26. A method comprising:

dividing a first logical wireless channel into a plurality of bins;

measuring a level of radio frequency (RF) energy within each of the plurality of bins with a wireless detector;

determining a number B of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a first threshold;

upon determining that B is above a minimum value, identifying the channel as containing a network signal by identifying at least a portion of an abstract representation of the channel as a network channel; and

recording a current time with the abstract representation of the channel.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the minimum value is a predetermined portion of the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the minimum value is about 20% the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

29. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the abstract representation comprises the same number of bins as the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

34. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the at least a portion of the abstract representation comprises a plurality of bins in the abstract representation as indicating a network signal.

30. A dynamic spectrum access device comprising:

a wireless detector configured to measure a level of radio frequency (RF) energy within each of a plurality of bins within a channel; and

a processor configured to;

determine a number B of the plurality of bins in which the measured level of RF energy exceeds a first threshold;

upon determining that B is above a minimum value, identify the channel as containing a network signal by identifying an abstract representation of the channel as a network channel; and

record a current time with the abstract representation of the channel.

31. A device as recited in claim 30, wherein the minimum value is a predetermined portion of the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

32. A device as recited in claim 31, wherein the minimum value is about 20% the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.

33. A device as recited in claim 30, wherein the abstract representation comprises the same number of bins as the total number of bins in the plurality of bins.