Location determination for white space utilization

• US 9,271,156 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• 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, Anders, Billy, Reed, Danny Allen, Garnett, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/860,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 155 Days
• Field of Search: 455/454, 455/456.3, 455/500, 455/423, 370/331, 370/338, 370/252
• 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 method performed on a computing device that is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and that is further configured to operate in an unlicensed spectrum, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the computing device, white space information for a determined location, where white space corresponding to the white space information comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the obtained white space information identifies a plurality of channels within the white space;

prioritizing, by the computing device according to criteria consistent with the determined location, the plurality of channels relative to each other; and

providing, by the computing device, a list of the prioritized plurality of channels, where the provided list is configured for use in selecting a channel within the white space and for configuring a device to wirelessly communicate via the selected channel.

2. The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a suitability of each of the plurality of channels for supporting computer-to-computer communications.

3. The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a frequency of one channel relative to a frequency of another channel.

4. The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a permitted transmit power level of one channel relative to a permitted transmit power level of another channel.

5. The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a detected energy level of one channel relative to a detected energy level of another channel.

6. The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on channel frequencies, channel permitted power levels, and channel detected energy levels.

7. The method of claim 1 where the obtained whitespace information is obtained from a regulatory database.

8. A computing device that is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and that is further configured to operate in an unlicensed spectrum, the computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a network interface via which the computing device obtains white space information for a determined location, where white space corresponding to the white space information comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the obtained white space information identifies a plurality of channels within the white space;

the at least one processor via which the computing device prioritizes, according to criteria consistent with the determined location, the plurality of channels relative to each other; and

an output interface via which the computing device provides a list of the prioritized plurality of channels, where the provided list is configured for use in selecting a channel within the white space and for configuring a device to wirelessly communicate via the selected channel.

9. The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a suitability of each of the plurality of channels for supporting computer-to-computer communications.

10. The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a frequency of one channel relative to a frequency of another channel.

11. The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a permitted transmit power level of one channel relative to a permitted transmit power level of another channel.

12. The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a detected energy level of one channel relative to a detected energy level of another channel.

13. The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on channel frequencies, channel permitted power levels, and channel detected energy levels.

14. The computing device of claim 8 where the obtained whitespace information is obtained from a regulatory database.

15. At least one memory storage device that comprises computer-executable instructions that, based on execution by computing device that is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and that is further configured to operate in an unlicensed spectrum, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising:

obtaining, by the computing device, white space information for a determined location, where white space corresponding to the white space information comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the obtained white space information identifies a plurality of channels within the white space;

prioritizing, by the computing device according to criteria consistent with the determined location, the plurality of channels relative to each other; and

providing, by the computing device, a list of the prioritized plurality of channels, where the provided list is configured for use in selecting a channel within the white space and for configuring a device to wirelessly communicate via the selected channel.

16. The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a suitability of each of the plurality of channels for supporting computer-to-computer communications.

17. The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a frequency of one channel relative to a frequency of another channel.

18. The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a permitted transmit power level of one channel relative to a permitted transmit power level of another channel.

19. The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a detected energy level of one channel relative to a detected energy level of another channel.

20. The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on channel frequencies, channel permitted power levels, and channel detected energy levels.