Method and device for maintaining the performance quality of a communication system in the presence of narrow band interference

• US 9,014,100 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ISCO International Inc.
• Original Assignee: ISCO International Inc.
• Inventors: Jagger, Charles E., Willetts, Mark N., Tobia, Micolino
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Voltaire, Jean F
• Application Number:
  US14/260,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/332
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1036 with automatic suppression of narrow band noise or interference, e.g. by using tuneable notch filters H04B1/123 takes precedence; filter circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71 the interference being narrowband interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7103 the interference being multiple access interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1063 using a notch filter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/709709 Methods of preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/709718 Determine interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/005 Control of transmission; Equalising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• 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 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for analyzing a wide frequency band with respect to signal power levels in specified narrow frequency bands, detecting narrow band signal power levels received in the specified narrow frequency bands, determining an average composite wideband power level from the narrow band signal power levels, determining an adaptive threshold from the average composite wideband power level, detecting narrow band interference according to the adaptive threshold, and configuring a filter to substantially suppress the detected narrow band interference. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing, by a processor, a wide frequency band with respect to signal power levels in specified narrow frequency bands;

detecting, by the processor, narrow band signal power levels received in the specified narrow frequency bands;

determining, by the processor, an average composite wideband power level from the narrow band signal power levels;

determining, by the processor, an adaptive threshold;

scanning, by the processor, a known narrow band channel of the wide frequency band having a history of causing interference in the wide frequency band; and

detecting, by the processor, according to one of the adaptive threshold, the average composite wideband power level, or both, interference in the wide frequency band caused by signals transmitted in the known narrow band channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by the processor, a device to suppress at least a portion of the interference caused by the known narrow band channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device is a filter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the signals transmitted in the known narrow band channel conform to a wireless access protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference is caused by a mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signals transmitted in the known narrow band channel are non-cellular wireless access signals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the analyzing of the wide frequency band, the detecting of the narrow band signal power levels, the determining of the average composite wideband power level, the determining of the adaptive threshold, the scanning of the known narrow band channel, the detecting of the interference, or any combination thereof is performed by a system comprising the processor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the system is a base station.

9. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

scanning wireless signals in a wide frequency band;

measuring power levels in narrow frequency bands from the wireless signals;

determining a threshold from the power levels in the narrow frequency band;

identifying a narrow band channel of the wide frequency band known to cause interference in the wide frequency band;

detecting interference in the narrow band channel based on the threshold; and

suppressing at least a portion of the interference caused by the narrow band channel.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the suppressing of at least the portion of the interference comprises configuring a device to suppress at least the portion of the interference caused by the narrow band channel.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the device is a filter.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein signals transmitted in the narrow band channel conform to a wireless access protocol.

13. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the interference is caused by a mobile communication device.

14. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein signals transmitted in the narrow band channel are non-cellular wireless access signals.

15. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the identifying of the narrow band channel comprises identifying the narrow band channel from a group of narrow band channels that are known to cause interference.

16. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the processor comprises a circuit.

17. A device, comprising:

a receiver that receives wireless signals;

a memory that stores instructions; and

a circuit coupled to the receiver and the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the circuit performs operations comprising;

causing the receiver to scan a wide frequency band;

determining a threshold from power levels measured in the wide frequency band;

identifying a narrow band channel of the wide frequency band known to cause interference in the wide frequency band; and

detecting interference in the narrow band channel according to the threshold.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise filtering at least a portion of the interference caused by the narrow band channel.

19. The device of claim 18, comprising a filter to selectively filter at least the portion of the interference.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is a base station.