Method and device for policy-based control of radio

• US 8,997,170 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Original Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Inventors: Perich, Filip, McHenry, Mark A., Tenhula, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lagor, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/783,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,912 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A device is disclosed that includes software components for executing actions and for controlling the device in order to conform to specified policies. The device includes a controller to deny or permit execution of actions. The controller monitors and interrupts execution of device'"'"'s actions in order to determine whether an action violates a policy, policy rules, or if the action is prohibited by a policy. The controller also manages policies defined for the device. Each policy is translated into a language understandable by the controller and stored on the device. Each policy can be updated or changed dynamically. Additionally, each policy can securely be updated or changed remotely.

Claims

1. A method for policy-based control of a device, the method comprising:

generating an action on the device, the action comprising transmitting a radio signal from the device, wherein the device includes a policy controller;

collecting device state information for the device, the device state information describing one or more states available for operation of the device in a radio frequency network;

selecting, by the device, one or more policies based upon the device state information, the one or more policies comprising a policy specified by a regulatory agency;

evaluating, by the device, the policies related to the action, wherein the policies are understandable by the policy controller;

determining, by the device, that transmission of the radio signal by the device is an allowable action according to the policies; and

controlling execution of the action on the device with the policy controller according to the policies, said controlling comprising controlling a radio to transmit or receive the radio signal subsequent to the determining that the transmission is an allowable action and subsequent to the selecting one or more policies based upon the device state information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a pre-condition to performing the allowable action, the pre-condition being set by the policies, has

been met.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step includes controlling execution of the action by the controller according to the device state information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of updating the policies on the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the policies are updated according to revised policies specified by a regulatory agency.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of updating the policies is performed in real time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of downloading the policies to the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step is initiated by an optimizer of the components.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step includes using a policy enforcer of the controller to control execution.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a first state of the device is a pre-approved state according to the selected one or more policies; and

operating the device in the first device state.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device state information comprises an operational configuration of at least one component of the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one component is selected from the group consisting of:

a transmitter, a receiver, a signal detector, a location detector, a time detector, an owner of the device, and a certification.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the operational configuration comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a power of a transmitter, a frequency at which a transmitter is set, a frequency range within which a transmitter operates, a time, a location, and a history of collected decisions received from one or more detectors.