Coexistence of white space devices and wireless narrowband devices

• US 9,332,439 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chandra, Ranveer, Moscibroda, Thomas, Nychis, George, Tashev, Ivan, Bahl, Paramvir
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathew, Max
• Application Number:
  US12/962,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20120148068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 381/94.1, 381/74, 381/122, 455/114.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment

Abstract

Architecture that enables wireless narrowband devices (e.g., wireless microphones) and white space devices to efficiently coexist on the same telecommunications channels, while not interfering with the usability of the wireless narrowband device. The architecture provides interference detection, strobe generation and detection and, power ramping and suppression (interference-free coexistence with spectrum efficiency). The architecture provides the ability of the white space device to learn about the presence of the microphone. This can be accomplished i using a geolocation database, reactively via a strober device, and/or proactively via the strober device. The strober device can be positioned close to the microphone receiver and signals the presence of a microphone to white space devices on demand. The strober device takes into consideration the microphone'"'"'s characteristics as well as the relative signal strength from the microphone transmitter versus the white space device, in order to enable maximum use of the available white space spectrum.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a white space channel on which a white space device and a wireless narrowband device seek to operate; and

an assistance component that assists the white space device in operating on the white space channel concurrently with the wireless narrowband device, by;

sending notification to the white space device of operating presence of the wireless narrowband device on the white space channel, in response to which the white space device initiates an incremental transmit power ramp-up mode, and

signaling the white space device of impending audible interference of the white space device with the wireless narrowband device, in response to which the white space device ceases transmission in a specific portion of spectrum in which the narrowband device transmits to prevent interference with usability of the wireless narrowband device, the specific portion of spectrum being substantially less than an entire channel portion of spectrum that is specifically associated with the white space channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the white space device ramps up transmit power according to discrete power levels, and stops ramp-up when the assistance component signals the white space device of impending interference with the usability of the wireless narrowband device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the assistance component comprises a strober component that is co-located with or integrated into a receiver of the wireless narrowband device such that the strober component signals the white space device of the impending interference.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the strober component signals the white space device based on received signal power of the wireless narrowband device and interference power of the white space device, and optionally, make/model of the wireless narrowband device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless narrowband device is a wireless microphone, wherein the white space device ceases transmission in the specific portion of spectrum in which the narrowband device transmits to prevent audible interference above squelch tone power levels at a receiver of the wireless microphone.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the white space device learns of the presence of the wireless narrowband device via a geolocation database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the assistance component assists the white space device in learning of center frequencies of wireless narrowband devices in a vicinity of the white space device.

8. A communications method, comprising acts of:

detecting presence of a wireless microphone on a white space channel while a white space device is on the white space channel;

sending a notification to the white space device of the presence of the microphone;

initiating an incremental transmit power ramp-up mode in the white space device based on the notification;

signaling the white space device of impending audible interference of the white space device with the microphone;

in response to the signaling of the impending audible interference, ceasing transmissions of the white space device in a specific portion of spectrum in which the wireless microphone transmits to prevent the audible interference in the microphone, the specific portion of spectrum being substantially less than an entire channel portion of spectrum that is specifically associated with the white space channel; and

operating both the microphone and the white space device on the white space channel without the audible interference in the microphone based on the cessation of transmissions.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising signaling the white space device based on received signal power of the wireless microphone and interference power of the white space device, and optionally, make/model of the wireless microphone.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending to the white space device information that includes interference information, center frequency of the wireless microphone, and width of the operational band of the wireless microphone.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising stopping the power ramp-up mode of the white space device to prevent exceeding of squelch tone power levels of the microphone.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising signaling the white space device reactively based on the impending audible interference or proactively without consideration of the impending audible interference.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting the presence of the microphone based on location information of the microphone obtained from a geolocation database.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising signaling the white space device based on received signal power of the wireless microphone and interference power of the white space device, and optionally, make/model of the wireless microphone.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a white space device, from an assistance component that assists the white space device in operating on a white space channel concurrently with a wireless narrowband device, notification of operating presence of the wireless narrowband device on the white space channel;

initiating, by the white space device, an incremental transmit power ramp-up mode, in response to receiving the notification;

detecting. by the white space device, a signaling, by the assistance component, of impending audible interference of the white space device with the wireless narrowband device;

in response to the signaling, ceasing, by the white space device, transmission in a specific portion of spectrum in which the narrowband device transmits to prevent interference with usability of the wireless narrowband device, the specific portion of spectrum being substantially less than an entire channel portion of spectrum that is specifically associated with the white space channel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the white space device ramps up transmit power according to discrete power levels.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the white space device stops the transmit power ramp-up mode when the assistance component signals the white space device of impending interference with the usability of the wireless narrowband device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the white space device stops the transmit power ramp-up mode to prevent exceeding of squelch tone power levels of a microphone.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the assistance component assists the white space device in learning of center frequencies of wireless narrowband devices in a vicinity of the white space device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the assistance component comprises a strober component that signals the white space device of the impending audible interference.