TV white space database assisted locationing for TV band devices

• US 8,965,439 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yucek, Tevfik
• Primary Examiner(s): PHU, SANH D
• Application Number:
  US13/657,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20140113670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 455/515, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/115.3, 455/517, 455/454
• US Class Current: 455/515
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A method and system for obtaining an available white space channel for wireless communication using a white space device (WSD) are described. The WSD scans signals of TV transmitters, determines the received signal strength (RSSI) for those signals, and records TV data, including TV designations and corresponding RSSIs, for signals that exceed a predetermined threshold. The WSD sends TV data for at least three TV transmitters to an enhanced TV white space database (EnTVDB). The EnTVDB uses the TV data and information in its database to determine the geo-coordinates of the WSD. The EnTVDB uses the geo-coordinates of the WSD to identify available white space. The EnTVDB sends at least one channel of available white space to the white space device for its wireless communication.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining an available white space channel for wireless communication using a white space device, the method comprising:

scanning for signals of a plurality of TV transmitters;

recording a TV transmitter designation and a received signal strength of a TV transmitter when the received signal strength is above a predetermined threshold;

sending TV data of at least three TV transmitters to an enhanced TV white space database, the TV data including recorded TV transmitter designations and received signal strengths for the at least three TV transmitters; and

receiving at least one available white space channel from the enhanced TV white space database based on geo-coordinates of the white space device, the geo-coordinates of the white space device being determined using the TV data, known geo-coordinates of the at least three TV transmitters, and known field-strength characteristics of the at least three TV transmitters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using an available white space channel for the wireless communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the TV data of the at least three TV transmitters comprises sending TV station names of the at least three TV transmitters as the TV transmitter designations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the TV data of the at least three TV transmitters comprises sending TV channel numbers of the at least three TV transmitters as the TV transmitter designations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sending the TV data and the receiving the at least one available white space channel is performed via an Internet link.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving geo-coordinates of the white space device from the enhanced TV white space database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending the geo-coordinates of the white space device to a standard TV white space database;

and

receiving at least one available white space channel from the standard TV white space database.

8. A method for providing available white space to a white space device, the method comprising:

using a TV white space database,

receiving a request for available white space from the white space device, the request including TV data for at least three TV transmitters, the TV data including TV transmitter designations and receive signal strength indicators for the at least three TV transmitters;

determining geo-coordinates of the white space device using the TV data, known geo-coordinates of the at least three TV transmitters, and known field-strength characteristics of the at least three TV transmitters; and

identifying at least one available white space channel using the geo-coordinates of the white space device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the at least one available white space channel to the white space device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining geo-coordinates of the white space device comprises:

using a field strength curve mapping feature to map at least a portion of a curve for each of the at least three TV transmitters, each curve having a center located at a known geo-location of one of the at least three TV transmitters, each curve having a radius equal to a distance from the geo-location at which a transmitted field strength equals a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) corresponding to one of the at least three TV transmitters;

determining a geo-location corresponding to a mapped common intersection of the at least three curves; and

using the geo-location corresponding to the mapped common intersection of the at least three curves as the geo-coordinates of the white space device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein using the field strength curve mapping feature comprises determining a curve radius using an inverse fourth-power law.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein using the field strength curve mapping feature comprises determining a curve radius by reducing transmitted field strength according to FCC F-curves.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for obtaining available white space, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to execute a process comprising:

scanning for signals of a plurality of TV transmitters;

recording a TV transmitter designation and a received signal strength of a TV transmitter when the received signal strength is above a predetermined threshold;

sending TV data of at least three TV transmitters to an enhanced TV white space database, the TV data including recorded TV transmitter designations and received signal strengths for the at least three TV transmitters; and

receiving at least one available white space channel from the enhanced TV white space database based on geo-coordinates of a white space device, the geo-coordinates of the white space device being determined using the TV data, known geo-coordinates of the at least three TV transmitters, and known field-strength characteristics of the at least three TV transmitters.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising using an available white space for wireless communication.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein sending the TV data of the at least three TV transmitters comprises sending TV station names of the at least three TV transmitters as the TV transmitter designations.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein sending the TV data of the at least three TV transmitters comprises sending TV channel numbers of the at least three TV transmitters as the TV transmitter designations.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein at least one of the sending the TV data and the receiving the at least one available white space channel is performed via an Internet link.

18. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for obtaining available white space, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to execute a process comprising:

using a TV white space database,

receiving a request for available white space from a white space device, the request including TV data for at least three TV transmitters, the TV data including TV transmitter designations and receive signal strength indicators for the at least three TV transmitters;

determining geo-coordinates of the white space device using the TV data, known geo-coordinates of the at least three TV transmitters, and known field-strength characteristics of the at least three TV transmitters; and

identifying at least one available white space channel using the geo-coordinates of the white space device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising sending the at least one available white space channel to the white space device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the determining geo-coordinates of the white space device comprises:

using a field strength curve mapping feature to map at least a portion of a curve for each of the at least three TV transmitters, each curve having a center located at a known geo-location of one of the at least three TV transmitters, each curve also having a radius equal to a distance from the geo-location at which a transmitted field strength equals a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) corresponding to one of the at least three TV transmitters;

determining a geo-location corresponding to a mapped common intersection of the at least three curves; and

using the geo-location corresponding to the mapped common intersection of the at least three curves as the geo-coordinates of the white space device.

21. A method for determining geo-coordinates of a device, comprising:

scanning for signals of a plurality of TV transmitters;

recording a TV transmitter designation and a received signal strength of a TV transmitter when the received signal strength is above a predetermined threshold;

sending TV data of at least three TV transmitters to an enhanced TV white space database, the TV data including recorded TV transmitter designations and received signal strengths for the at least three TV transmitters; and

receiving the geo-coordinates of the device from the enhanced TV white space database, the geo-coordinates of the device being determined using the TV data, known geo-coordinates of the at least three TV transmitters, and known field-strength characteristics of the at least three TV transmitters.

22. A white space device comprising:

means for scanning for signals of a plurality of TV transmitters;

means for recording a TV transmitter designation and a received signal strength of a TV transmitter when the received signal strength is above a predetermined threshold;

means for sending TV data of at least three TV transmitters to an enhanced TV white space database, the TV data including recorded TV transmitter designations and received signal strengths for the at least three TV transmitters; and

means for receiving at least one available white space channel from the enhanced TV white space database based on geo-coordinates of the white space device, the geo-coordinates of the white space device being determined using the TV data, known geo-coordinates of the at least three TV transmitters, and known field-strength characteristics of the at least three TV transmitters.

23. The white space device of claim 22, further comprising means for using an available white space channel for wireless communication.

24. The white space device of claim 22, wherein the means for sending the TV data of the at least three TV transmitters comprises means for sending TV station names of the at least three TV transmitters as the TV transmitter designations.

25. The white space device of claim 22, wherein the means for sending the TV data of the at least three TV transmitters comprises means for sending TV channel numbers of the at least three TV transmitters as the TV transmitter designations.

26. The white space device of claim 22, wherein at least one of the means for sending the TV data and the means for receiving the at least one available white space channel is coupled to an Internet link.

27. The white space device of claim 22, further comprising means for receiving geo-coordinates of the white space device from the enhanced TV white space database;

and

means for saving a copy of the geo-coordinates of the white space device.

28. The white space device of claim 27, further comprising means for sending the geo-coordinates of the white space device to a standard TV white space database;

and

means for receiving at least one available white space channel from the standard TV white space database.

29. The white space device of claim 22, wherein the white space device is coupled with an electronic device that uses the white space device for wireless communication.

30. The white space device of claim 29, wherein the coupled electronic device is a television receiver, and wherein a first portion of the television receiver is used by the white space device to scan for signals of the plurality of TV transmitters.

31. The white space device of claim 30, wherein a second portion of the television receiver is used by the white space device to determine TV data.

32. An enhanced TV white space database comprising:

means for receiving a request for available white space from a white space device, the request including TV data for at least three TV transmitters, the TV data including TV transmitter designations and receive signal strength indicators for the at least three TV transmitters;

means for determining geo-coordinates of the white space device using the TV data, known geo-coordinates of the at least three TV transmitters, and known field-strength characteristics of the at least three TV transmitters; and

means for identifying at least one available white space channel using the geo-coordinates of the white space device.

33. The enhanced TV white space database of claim 32, further comprising means for sending the at least one available white space channel to the white space device.

34. The enhanced TV white space database of claim 32, wherein the means for determining geo-coordinates of the white space device comprises:

means for using a field strength curve mapping feature to map at least a portion of a curve for each of the at least three TV transmitters, each curve having a center located at a known geo-location of one of the at least three TV transmitters, each curve also having a radius equal to a distance from the geo-location at which a transmitted field strength equals a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) corresponding to one of the at least three TV transmitters;

means for determining a geo-location corresponding to a mapped common intersection of the at least three curves; and

means for using the geo-location corresponding to the mapped common intersection of the at least three curves as the geo-coordinates of the white space device.