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

• US 9,198,055 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• 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:
  US14/661,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20150194990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system including a processor, a wide frequency band with respect to signal power levels in specified frequency bands;

detecting, by the system, signal power levels received in the specified frequency bands;

determining, by the system, an average power level from the signal power levels;

determining, by the system, an adaptive threshold;

storing, by the system, historical interference data associated with the wide frequency band;

selecting, by the system, a known channel of the wide frequency band having a history of causing interference in the wide frequency band, wherein the selecting is according to the historical interference data;

scanning, by the system, the known channel of the wide frequency band; and

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

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

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

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the average power level comprises excluding a subset of the signal power levels from a calculation of the average power level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the subset of the signal power levels includes a channel having a highest signal power level.

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

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

8. The method of claim 1, 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 frequency bands from the wireless signals;

determining a threshold from the power levels;

storing historical interference data associated with the wide frequency band;

identifying a channel of the wide frequency band known to cause interference in the wide frequency band according to the historical interference data;

detecting interference in the channel based on the threshold; and

suppressing at least a portion of the interference caused by the 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 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 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 channel are non-cellular wireless access signals.

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

16. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the determining of the threshold comprises determining an average power level by excluding a subset of the power levels from a calculation of the average power level.

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;

storing historical interference data associated with the wide frequency band;

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

detecting interference in the 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 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.