Dynamic spectrum access for networked radios

• US 8,818,284 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Hardin, James E., Snodgrass, Brian W., Hochstedler, Jeremy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): AYOTUNDE, AYODEJI O
• Application Number:
  US13/206,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20130040577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

A dynamic spectrum access method for cooperative wireless devices. In one example, a method of establishing a wireless network includes scanning and analyzing a selected frequency band to detect non-cooperative signals within the selected frequency band, determining whether a waveform including one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers and a plurality of intermodulation tones (for multi-carrier waveforms) can be placed within the selected frequency band without interfering with any detected non-cooperative signals, and selecting transmit frequencies for the plurality of RF carriers responsive to obtaining a non-interfering waveform placement solution.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a wireless network, the method comprising acts of:

scanning and analyzing a selected frequency band to detect non-cooperative signals within the selected frequency band;

determining whether a waveform including a plurality of radio frequency (RF) carriers and a plurality of intermodulation tones can be placed within the selected frequency band without interfering with any detected non-cooperative signals, the act of determining including acts of selecting at least one frequency for at least one intermodulation tone of the plurality of intermodulation tones, placing the at least one intermodulation tone at the at least one frequency in the waveform, and evaluating interference with the any detected non-cooperating signals based on placing the at least one intermodulation tone in the waveform;

selecting transmit frequencies for the plurality of RF carriers responsive to obtaining a non-interfering waveform placement solution; and

transmitting the waveform using the selected transmit frequencies for the plurality of RF carriers and the at least one frequency for the at least one first intermodulation tone to establish the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the waveform can be placed within the selected frequency band includes:

selecting a first transmit frequency for one of the plurality of RF carriers; and

evaluating interference with the any detected non-cooperating signals based on placing the waveform with the one of the plurality of RF carriers transmitted at the first transmit frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting at least one frequency for at least one intermodulation tone includes:

selecting a first frequency for a first intermodulation tone of the plurality of intermodulation tones; and

selecting a second frequency for a second intermodulation tone of the plurality of intermodulation tones; and

wherein the act of evaluating includes evaluating interference with the any detected non-cooperating signals based on placing the first intermodulation tone at the first frequency in the waveform and the second intermodulation tone at the second frequency in the waveform.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of RF carriers consists of two RF carriers, and wherein the first intermodulation tone is a fifth-order intermodulation tone and the second intermodulation tone is a third-order intermodulation tone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the first frequency for the first intermodulation tone includes placing the first intermodulation tone to the right of a first detected non-cooperative signal, the first detected non-cooperative signal having a lowest frequency of the any detected non-cooperative signals.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the second frequency for the second intermodulation tone includes:

determining whether the second intermodulation tone can be accommodated in a location to the right of the first non-cooperative signal and to the left of a next non-cooperative signal;

placing the second intermodulation tone to the right of the first intermodulation tone responsive to determining that the second intermodulation tone can be accommodated in the location; and

placing the second intermodulation tone to the right of a next non-cooperative signal where there exists a gap sufficient to maintain a minimum channel spacing between the second intermodulation tone and the any detected non-cooperative signals responsive to determining that the second intermodulation tone cannot be accommodated in the location.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising iteratively repeating selecting the first frequency and selecting the second frequency responsive to the evaluating interference step revealing that placing the waveform with the first intermodulation tone at the first frequency and the second intermodulation tone at the second frequency would result in interference with the any detected non-cooperative signals.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a number of RF carriers in the plurality of RF carriers in the waveform responsive to determining that the waveform can not be placed within the selected frequency band without interfering with the any detected non-cooperative signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of RF carriers consists of two RF carriers and reducing the number of RF carriers in the plurality of RF carriers includes reducing the number to one RF carrier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

placing the one RF carrier at a transmit frequency within the selected frequency band where the one RF carrier does not interfere with the any detected non-cooperative signals; and

transmitting the one RF carrier at the transmit frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein placing the one RF carrier includes selecting the transmit frequency within a largest frequency spacing between any two of the any detected non-cooperative signals.

12. A wireless device configured to implement a dynamic spectrum access method, the wireless device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a waveform; and

a controller coupled to the transmitter and configured to;

direct the wireless device to scan a selected frequency band;

analyze the selected frequency band responsive to the scan to detect non-cooperative signals within the selected frequency band;

determine whether the waveform including a plurality of radio frequency (RF) carriers and a plurality of intermodulation tones can be placed within the selected frequency band without interfering with any detected non-cooperative signals; and

select transmit frequencies for the plurality of RF carriers responsive to obtaining a non-interfering waveform placement solution,

wherein in determining whether the waveform can be placed within the selected frequency band, the controller is further configured to select at least one frequency for at least one intermodulation tone of the plurality of intermodulation tones, place the at least one intermodulation tone at the at least one frequency in the waveform, and evaluate interference with the any detected non-cooperating signals based on placing the at least one intermodulation tone in the waveform.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the wireless device is a radio.

14. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein, in selecting at least one frequency for at least one intermodulation tone, the controller is further configured to:

select a first frequency for a first intermodulation tone of the plurality of intermodulation tones; and

select a second frequency for a second intermodulation tone of the plurality of intermodulation tones; and

wherein in evaluating interference, the controller is further configured to evaluate interference with the any detected non-cooperating signals based on the wireless device transmitting the waveform with the first intermodulation tone located at the first frequency in the waveform and the second intermodulation tone located at the second frequency in the waveform.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of RF carriers consists of two RF carriers, and wherein the first intermodulation tone is a fifth-order intermodulation tone and the second intermodulation tone is a third-order intermodulation tone.

16. The wireless device of claim 12, further comprising a user interface, and wherein the controller is configured to direct the user interface to display the non-interfering waveform placement solution for selection by a user.

17. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to reduce a number of RF carriers in the plurality of RF carriers in the waveform responsive to determining that the waveform can not be placed within the selected frequency band without interfering with the any detected non-cooperative signals.

18. A method of dynamic spectrum access comprising:

scanning a frequency band to detect non-cooperative signals within the frequency band; and

determining at least one waveform placement solution to place a radio frequency (RF) waveform within the frequency band without any waveform segments of the RF waveform interfering with any detected non-cooperative signals, including;

selecting a first configuration of the RF waveform that includes a plurality of waveform segments including at least two RF carriers and a plurality of intermodulation tones;

evaluating interference between the plurality of waveform segments and the any detected non-cooperative signals and providing an interference report;

providing a waveform placement solution corresponding to the first configuration of the RF waveform responsive to the interference report indicating no interference between the plurality of waveform segments and the any detected non-cooperative signals, the waveform placement solution including a transmit frequency of the at least two RF carriers;

selecting a second configuration of the RF waveform responsive to the interference report indicating interference between a waveform segment of the plurality of waveform segments and any one of the any detected non-cooperative signals, the second configuration of the RF waveform including at least one waveform segment; and

evaluating interference between the at least one waveform segment and the any detected non-cooperative signals.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a user input; and

selecting at least one of the first and second configurations of the RF waveform responsive to the user input.

20. A wireless device configured to implement a dynamic spectrum access method, the wireless device comprising:

a user interface;

a transmitter configured to transmit a waveform; and

a controller coupled to the transmitter and configured to;

direct the wireless device to scan a selected frequency band;

analyze the selected frequency band responsive to the scan to detect non-cooperative signals within the selected frequency band;

determine whether the waveform including a plurality of radio frequency (RF) carriers and a plurality of intermodulation tones can be placed within the selected frequency band without interfering with any detected non-cooperative signals;

select transmit frequencies for the plurality of RF carriers responsive to obtaining a non-interfering waveform placement solution; and

direct the user interface to display the non-interfering waveform placement solution for selection by a user.