Spectrum authorization and related communications methods and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of operating a first peer communications device, the method comprising:
- communicating authentication and authorization information to a spectrum access key source as part of an authentication and authorization process;
receiving a first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source in response to the communicating the authentication and authorization information to the spectrum access key source, wherein the first spectrum access key provides access to a licensed frequency spectrum for peer-to-peer wireless communications;
receiving a first signal from a second peer communications device, wherein the first signal comprises a broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device;
generating a first pseudo-random bit sequence based on the first spectrum access key and based on the received broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; and
using the generated first pseudo-random bit sequence to communicate over a peer-to-peer air link with a third peer communications device that has also received the first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source and the broadcast timing signal from the second peer communications device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for authorizing use of spectrum, e.g., through the issuance of spectrum access keys, and/or preventing or discouraging the unauthorized use of licensed spectrum. Peer to peer wireless communications between authorized users of licensed spectrum may involve scrambling/descrambling of information communicated between authorized devices. In some embodiments air interface timing and/or other information received from a second device, e.g., a beacon or GPS transmitter, is incorporated into a computation of a pseudo-random bit sequence which is also computed based on a spectrum access key communicated to authorized spectrum users. In some embodiments authorized peer to peer devices scramble communicated information based on the generated pseudo random bit sequence thereby preventing or discouraging communication with devices which are not authorized to use the spectrum and lack a spectrum access key used to generate the pseudo random bit sequence.
65 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of operating a first peer communications device, the method comprising:
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communicating authentication and authorization information to a spectrum access key source as part of an authentication and authorization process; receiving a first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source in response to the communicating the authentication and authorization information to the spectrum access key source, wherein the first spectrum access key provides access to a licensed frequency spectrum for peer-to-peer wireless communications; receiving a first signal from a second peer communications device, wherein the first signal comprises a broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; generating a first pseudo-random bit sequence based on the first spectrum access key and based on the received broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; and using the generated first pseudo-random bit sequence to communicate over a peer-to-peer air link with a third peer communications device that has also received the first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source and the broadcast timing signal from the second peer communications device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A first peer communications device comprising:
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at least one processor configured to; communicate authentication and authorization information to a spectrum access key source as part of an authentication and authorization process; receive a first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source in response to communicating the authentication and authorization information to the spectrum access key source, wherein the first spectrum access key provides access to a licensed frequency spectrum for peer-to-peer wireless communications; receive a first signal from a second peer communications device, wherein the first signal comprises a broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; generate a first pseudo-random bit sequence based on the received first spectrum access key and the received broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; and use the generated first pseudo-random bit sequence to communicate over a peer-to-peer airlink with a third peer communications device that has also received the first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source and the broadcast timing signal from the second peer communications device; and a memory coupled to said at least one processor. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A first peer communications device comprising:
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means for communicating authentication and authorization information to the spectrum access key source as part of an authentication and authorization process; means for receiving a first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source in response to the communicating the authentication and authorization information to the spectrum access key source, wherein the first spectrum access key provides access to a licensed frequency spectrum for peer-to-peer wireless communications; means for receiving a first signal from a second peer communications device, wherein the first signal comprises a broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; means for generating a first pseudo-random bit sequence based on the received first spectrum access key and based on the received broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; and means for communicating over a peer-to-peer airlink, using the generated first pseudo-random bit sequence, with a third peer communications device that has also received the first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source and the broadcast timing signal from the second peer communications device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer program product for use in a first peer communications device, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising; code for causing at least one computer to communicate authentication and authorization information to a spectrum access key source as part of an authentication and authorization process; code for causing the at least one computer to receive a first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source in response to communicating the authentication and authorization information to the spectrum access key source, wherein the first spectrum access key provides access to a licensed frequency spectrum for peer-to-peer wireless communications; code for causing the at least one computer to receive a first signal from a second peer communications device, wherein the first signal comprises a broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; code for causing the at least one computer to generate a first pseudo-random bit sequence based on the received first spectrum access key and based on the received broadcast timing signal generated by the second peer communications device; and code for causing the at least one computer to use the generated first pseudo-random bit sequence to communicate over a peer-to-peer airlink with another peer device that has also received the first spectrum access key from the spectrum access key source and the broadcast timing signal from the second peer communications device. - View Dependent Claims (18)
Specification