Systems, methods, and devices having databases for electronic spectrum management

• US 8,798,548 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DGS Global Systems, Inc., Digital Global Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DGS Global Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Carbajal, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US14/086,875
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 375316-352
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for automated identification of baseline data and changes in state in a wireless communications spectrum, by identifying sources of signal emission in the spectrum by automatically detecting signals, analyzing signals, comparing signal data to historical and reference data, creating corresponding signal profiles, and determining information about the baseline data and changes in state based upon the measured and analyzed data in near real time, which is stored on each apparatus or device units and/or on a remote server computer that aggregates data from each of the units.

Claims

1. A system for providing advanced analytics relating to a wireless communications spectrum comprising:

at least one apparatus unit, wherein the at least one apparatus unit is operable for network-based communication with at least one server computer including a database, and/or with at least one other apparatus unit, but does not require a connection to the at least one server computer to be operable for identifying signal emitting devices;

wherein each of the apparatus unit is operable for sensing and/or measuring signals related to signal emitting devices in a spectrum associated with wireless communications including;

a housing, at least one processor and memory, and sensors constructed and configured for sensing and measuring wireless communications signals from the signal emitting devices in the spectrum associated with wireless communications;

wherein the apparatus unit is operable to automatically analyze sensed and measured data, including determination of changes in state from a baseline dataset in near real time;

each of the at least one apparatus unit including a static database comprising hardware parameters, environment parameters and terrain data to calculate signal degradation data for identifying the signal emitting devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one apparatus unit is operable for storing information about open space to the memory on each apparatus unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the baseline dataset includes indications of signal activity, power, bandwidth, frequency, duration, at least one time, at least one day, and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the baseline dataset and the changes in state are identified for predetermined frequencies, ISM bands, and/or user-defined frequencies.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one apparatus unit is operable for automatically determining the baseline dataset and the changes in state in near real time, based upon measured frequency, bandwidth, and duration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one apparatus unit is operable for automatically visually indicating and/or listing the baseline dataset and the changes in state stored in memory on the at least one apparatus unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one apparatus unit is operable for automatically scanning a target environment to identify the baseline dataset and the changes in state for an allotted amount of time between a minimum of about 15 minutes up to about 30 days.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification of the baseline dataset and the changes in state within the spectrum is accurate to a predetermined degree of confidence between about 80 and about 100 percent.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one apparatus unit is operable for automatically scanning a frequency span, wherein a default scan includes a frequency span between about 54 MHz and about 804 MHz.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one apparatus unit is operable for scanning the a frequency span, including an ISM scan between about 900 MHz and about 2.5 GHz.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one apparatus unit is operable for scanning a frequency span, wherein a default scan includes an ISM scan between about 5 GHz and about 5.8 GHz and/or a frequency range based upon inputs provided by a user.

12. An apparatus for providing advanced analytics relating to a wireless communications spectrum comprising:

a housing, at least one processor and memory, and sensors constructed and configured for sensing and measuring wireless communications signals, including baseline data and changes in state from the baseline data from signal emitting devices in a spectrum associated with wireless communications;

wherein the apparatus is operable to automatically and independently analyze sensed and measured data to identify the baseline data and changes in state in near real time, without requiring connection to a remote server computer or a remote database;

a static database comprising hardware parameters, environment parameters and terrain data to calculate signal degradation data for identifying the signal emitting devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the characteristics of signals and measured data from signal emitting devices within the spectrum include frequency, power, bandwidth, duration, modulation, and combinations thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification of the baseline data and the changes in state within the spectrum provides for minimized data storage on the apparatus, and for providing near real time results from comparing the baseline data and the changes in state from the baseline data.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification of the baseline data and the changes in state includes at least two sample sets, including a first and second sample sets, from which the a delta is generated.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the baseline data and the changes in state are automatically stored in memory on the apparatus for predetermined times and frequencies.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable for automatically determining the baseline data and the changes in state in near real time, based upon measured frequency, bandwidth, and duration.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable for storing information corresponding to the identified the baseline data and the changes in state within the spectrum to a databasein memory on the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable for automatically visually indicating and/or listing the baseline data and the changes in state information stored in memory.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the baseline data and changes in state information further includes indications of signal activity, power, bandwidth, frequency, duration, at least one time, at least one day, and combinations thereof.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable for automatically scanning to identify the baseline data and the changes in state for an allotted amount of time between a minimum of about 15 minutes up to about 30 days.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable for automatically scanning a frequency span, wherein a default scan includes a frequency span between about 54 MHz and about 804 MHz.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable for scanning a frequency span, including an ISM scan between about 900 MHz and about 2.5 GHz.

24. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable for scanning a frequency span, wherein a default scan includes an ISM scan between about 5 GHz and about 5.8 GHz and/or a frequency range based upon inputs provided by a user.

25. A method for providing advanced analytics relating to a wireless communications spectrum comprising the steps of:

providing an apparatus having a housing, at least one processor and memory, and sensors and receivers, constructed and configured for sensing and measuring wireless communications signals from signal emitting devices in a spectrum associated with wireless communications;

wherein the apparatus is operable to automatically and independently analyze sensed and measured data to identify baseline data and changes in state in near real time, without requiring connection to a remote server computer or a remote database;

the apparatus automatically scanning the spectrum to identify open space for an allotted amount of time between a minimum of about 15 minutes up to about 30 days automatically obtaining information in the form of a listing or a report of all frequencies in a frequency range associated with a wireless communications spectrum;

the apparatus plotting a line and/or graph chart showing power and bandwidth activity in the spectrum;

the apparatus setting frequencies based on frequency rules actionable by the at least one processor so that only predetermined frequencies are plotted;

the apparatus generating a file including average and/or aggregated values of power, bandwidth and frequency for each of the predetermined frequencies from the foregoing step;

the apparatus automatically identifying the baseline data and the changes in state within the spectrum based upon activity over time and frequency;

the apparatus calculating signal degradation data based on information on hardware parameters, environment parameters and terrain data contained in a static database in the apparatus for identifying the signal emitting devices.

26. The method of claim 25, further including the step of automatically comparing the measured data, including the baseline data and the changes in state with historical data and/or reference data.

27. The method of claim 25, further including the steps of:

measuring characteristics of signals from signal emitting devices in a spectrum associated with wireless communications, with measured data characteristics including frequency, power, bandwidth, duration, modulation, and combinations thereof;

assessing whether the measured data characteristics are associated with known signal;

determining a best fit by comparing the measured data characteristics with a historical or a reference database based on frequency, if the measured data characteristics are designated in the historical or the reference database for frequency ranges;

automatically determining a category for the measured data characteristics, based on power and sideband combined with frequency allocation; and

storing an identification corresponding to an identified at least one signal emitting device, and storing baseline data and changes in state for each of the identifications.

28. The method of claim 25, further including the step of categorizing the measured data characteristics.

29. The method of claim 25, further including the step of determining open space for predetermined times and days, based upon measured and analyzed data.

30. The method of claim 25, further including the steps of:

storing an identification of open space in memory on the apparatus, wherein the identification of the baseline data and changes in state further includes information about signal activity, power, bandwidth, frequency, duration, at least one time, at least one day, and combinations thereof in the spectrum.