Coexistence management service for spectrum sharing

• US 9,253,778 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ye, Chunxuan, Laughlin, Scott, Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, Lin, Zinan, Freda, Martino
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/887,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20130295948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 455/454, 455/450, 455/452.1, 370/329
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for coexistence management service for licensed and unlicensed spectrum sharing. A coexistence system may include a coexistence manager (CM) that may provide resource allocation services for a coexistence enabler (CE). CMs may negotiate with each other to resolve coexistence issues via directly or indirectly through a coexistence discovery and information server (CDIS). A channel may be exclusively used by a CE network. The networks may mitigate interference by avoiding use of the same channels. A channel may be shared by multiple CE networks. In co-channel sharing, the networks may mitigate interference via power management. Bidding processes may be implemented directly via competing CMs, for example via open or silent token auction. Bidding processes among competing CMs may be managed by a third party entity, for example a CDIS, for example via open or silent token auction.

Claims

1. A method of allocating licensed spectrum, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast that is indicative of an available resource in the licensed spectrum;

receiving a request for access to the licensed spectrum;

determining whether the available resource is suitable to fulfill the request; and

if the available resource is suitable to fulfill the request, submitting a bid for the available resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding information associated with the available resource to a coexistence database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the available resource in the licensed spectrum is combined, in the coexistence database, with a second resource in an unlicensed spectrum, to create a pool of available resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the available resource is suitable to fulfill the request includes evaluating at least one of a reliability of the available resource, a time availability of the available resource, or a peak data rate that can be achieved on the available resource.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein submitting a bid for the available resource includes sending an indication of a number of tokens to a network device that is competing for access to the available resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein submitting a bid for the available resource includes sending an indication of a number of tokens to a network device that is responsible for granting access to the available resource.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon receiving an indication that the bid was successful, assigning the resource to an originator of the request.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon expiration a pre-determined delay period, assigning the resource to an originator of the request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a message that is indicative of a subscription to the broadcast.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the message includes a criterion associated with a desired characteristic of the available resource.

11. A network device configured to:

receive a broadcast that is indicative of the availability of a resource in a licensed spectrum;

receive a request for access to the licensed spectrum;

determine whether the available resource is suitable to fulfill the request; and

if the available resource is suitable to fulfill the request, submit a bid for the available resource.

12. The network device of claim 11, further configured to add information associated with the available resource to a coexistence database.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the available resource in the licensed spectrum is combined, in the coexistence database, with a second resource in an unlicensed spectrum, to create a pool of available resources.

14. The network device of claim 11, wherein the network device determines whether the available resource is suitable to fulfill the request by evaluating at least one of a reliability of the available resource, a time availability of the available resource, or a peak data rate that can be achieved on the available resource.

15. The network device of claim 11, wherein the network device submits a bid for the available resource by sending an indication of a number of tokens to a second network device that is competing for access to the available resource.

16. The network device of claim 11, wherein the network device submits a bid for the available resource by sending an indication of a number of tokens to a controller that is responsible for granting access to the available resource.

17. The network device of claim 11, further configured to, upon receiving an indication that the bid was successful, assign the resource to an originator of the request.

18. The network device of claim 11, further configured to, upon expiration a pre-determined delay period, assign the resource to an originator of the request.

19. The network device of claim 11, further configured to transmit a message that is indicative of a subscription to the broadcast.

20. The network device of claim 19, wherein the message includes a criterion associated with a desired characteristic of the available resource.