Location determination for white space utilization

• US 9,179,323 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hassan, Amer A., Anders, Billy R., Reed, Danny Allen, Garnett, Paul William
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/578,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 455/454, 455/456.3, 345/84, 345/604, 345/107, 370/329, 370/338, 375/132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A technique for a wireless device to obtain white space information from a component configured for cellular communication, such as a cellular phone. The wireless device and cellular phone may communicate using a short-range connection, such as a peer-to-peer connection, ensuring that the white space information, which is location based, generated by the cellular phone is also accurate for the location of the wireless device. With such white space information, the wireless device can comply with regulatory requirements for white space use by accessing a regulatory database identifying, by location, available white space channels. When the cellular phone is configured for accessing a wide area network, the cellular telephone may provide the white space information as a set of channels available for white space communication. Channels of the set may be prioritized based on one or more parameters, including frequency, permitted transmit power or detected noise.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computing device that is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and in an unlicensed spectrum conventionally used for Wi-Fi communications, and that includes a processor and a memory that comprises computer-executable instructions that cause, based on execution by the processor, the computing device to;

obtain from a component configured for cellular communication located at a determined location, information regarding white space at the determined location, where the white space comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum;

select, based on the obtained information and a reliability indicator for the determined location, a channel within the white space; and

wirelessly communicate via the selected channel with a remote wireless device.

2. The system of claim 1 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via Wi-Fi.

3. The system of claim 1 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via the unlicensed spectrum.

4. The system of claim 1 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via Bluetooth.

5. The system of claim 1 where the computing device comprises a wireless access point.

6. The system of claim 1 where the determined location is determined based on a technique involving a GPS signal or triangulation based on one or more base stations.

7. The system of claim 6 where the reliability indicator is based on the technique.

8. A method performed on a computing device that includes a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the computing device from a component configured for cellular communication located at a determined location, information regarding white space at the determined location, where the white space comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the computing device is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and in an unlicensed spectrum conventionally used for Wi-Fi communications;

selecting, by the computing device based on the obtained information and a reliability indicator for the determined location, a channel within the white space; and

wirelessly communicating, by the computing device, via the selected channel with a remote wireless device.

9. The method of claim 8 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via Wi-Fi.

10. The method of claim 8 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via the unlicensed spectrum.

11. The method of claim 8 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via Bluetooth.

12. The method of claim 8 where the computing device comprises a wireless access point.

13. The method of claim 8 where the determined location is determined based on a technique involving a GPS signal or triangulation based on one or more base stations.

14. The method of claim 13 where the reliability indicator is based on the technique.

15. At least one computer storage device that is not a signal and that comprises computer-executable instructions that cause, based on execution by a processor of a computing device that includes memory, the computing device to perform actions comprising:

obtaining, by the computing device from a component configured for cellular communication located at a determined location, information regarding white space at the determined location, where the white space comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the computing device is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and in an unlicensed spectrum conventionally used for Wi-Fi communications;

selecting, by the computing device based on the obtained information and a reliability indicator for the determined location, a channel within the white space; and

wirelessly communicating, by the computing device, via the selected channel with a remote wireless device.

16. The at least one computer storage device of claim 15 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via Wi-Fi.

17. The at least one computer storage device of claim 15 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via Bluetooth.

18. The at least one computer storage device of claim 15 where the computing device comprises a wireless access point.

19. The at least one computer storage device of claim 15 where the obtaining is based on the computing device communicating with the component via the unlicensed spectrum.

20. The at least one computer storage device of claim 15 where the determined location is determined based on a technique involving a GPS signal or triangulation based on one or more base stations, and where the reliability indicator is based on the technique.