Methods for using a detector to monitor and detect channel occupancy

• US 9,491,636 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Original Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Inventors: McHenry, Mark Allen, Dain, Dmitry, Livis, Eugene, Steadman, Karl, Ritterbush, Olga
• Primary Examiner(s): JAIN, RAJ K
• Application Number:
  US14/932,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20160057781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/14 of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0647 Variable feedback rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/003 Arrangements to increase tolerance to errors in transmission or reception timing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance

Abstract

Methods for using a detector to monitor and detect channel occupancy are disclosed. The detector resides on a station within a network using a framed format having a periodic time structure. When non-cooperative transmissions are detected by the network, the detector assesses the availability of a backup channel enabling migration of the network. The backup channel serves to allow the network to migrate transparently when the current channel becomes unavailable. The backup channel, however, could be occupied by another network that results in the migrating network interfering with the network already using the backup channel. Thus, the detector detects active transmission sources on the backup channel to determine whether the backup channel is occupied. Methods for using the detector include scheduling detection intervals asynchronously. The asynchronous detection uses offsets from a reference point within a frame.

Claims

1. A wireless transceiver of a base station in communication with one or more remote transceivers in a network coexisting with a user having associated non-cooperative transmissions, the wireless transceiver comprising:

a radio transceiver transferring data between active ones of the remote transceivers during slots of a first time period in one of a plurality of channels of a secondary network; and

a controller to coordinate the transfer of data between the active ones of the remote transceivers, to synchronize each time period between the one or more remote transceivers via a message providing a time frame having a format, and to select one of the plurality of channels to operate the secondary network;

wherein the controller, via the radio transceiver, communicates to the active ones of the remote transceivers to suspend transmissions during gaps in a second time period in a monitored one of the plurality of channels;

wherein the controller, coupled to the radio transceiver, asynchronously monitors and detects a presence or an absence of the non-cooperative transmissions within the monitored one of the plurality of channels during the gaps, and

wherein the time frame format includes timing information of each gap in the second time period.

2. The wireless transceiver of claim 1, wherein the controller, via the time frame, synchronizes each gap of the second time period among all of the active ones of the remote transceivers.

3. The wireless transceiver of claim 1, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a starting time of the gap with respect to a reference.

4. The wireless transceiver of claim 1, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a duration time of the gap.

5. The wireless transceiver of claim 1, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to an offset time of the gap with respect to a reference.

6. A remote wireless transceiver in communication with a wireless transceiver of a base station and in a network coexisting with a user having associated non-cooperative transmissions, the remote wireless transceiver comprising:

a radio transceiver transferring data between the remote wireless transceiver and the base station wireless transceiver during slots of a first time period in one of a plurality of channels of a secondary network; and

a controller to coordinate the transfer of data, to synchronize each time period between the remote transceiver and the base station wireless transceiver via a received message providing a time frame having a format, and to operate on one of the plurality of channels between the remote transceiver and the base station wireless transceiver;

wherein, the controller suspends transmissions during gaps in a second time period in a monitored one of the plurality of channels in response to the received message, the base station thus enabled to asynchronously monitor and detect a presence or an absence of the non-cooperative transmissions within the monitored one of the plurality of channels during the gaps; and

wherein the time flame format includes timing information of each gap in the second time period.

7. The wireless transceiver of claim 6, wherein the controller, via the time frame, synchronizes each gap of the second time period among all of a plurality of remote transceivers.

8. The wireless transceiver of claim 6, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a starting time of the gap with respect to a reference.

9. The wireless transceiver of claim 6, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a duration time of the gap.

10. The wireless transceiver of claim 6, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to an offset time of the gap with respect to a reference.

11. A method for use by a wireless transceiver of a base station in communication with one or more remote transceivers in a network coexisting with user having associated non-cooperative transmissions, the method comprising:

transferring, by a radio transceiver, data between active ones of the remote transceivers during slots of a first time period in one of a plurality of channels of a secondary network;

coordinating, by a controller, the transfer of data between the active ones of the remote transceivers;

synchronizing each time period between the one or more remote transceivers via a message providing a time frame having a format;

selecting, by the controller, one of the plurality of channels to operate the secondary network;

communicating, by the controller via the radio transceiver to active ones of the remote transceivers;

suspending, by the controller, transmissions during gaps in a second time period in a monitored one of the plurality of channels; and

asynchronously monitoring, by the controller coupled to the radio transceiver, and detecting a presence or an absence of the non-cooperative transmissions, within the monitored one of the plurality of channels during the gaps;

wherein the time frame format includes timing information of each gap in the second time period.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising synchronizing, by the controller via the time frame, each gap of the second time period among all of the active ones of the remote transceivers.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a starting time of the gapwith respect to a reference.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a duration time of the gap.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to an offset time of the gap with respect to a reference.

16. A method for use by a remote wireless transceiver in communication with a wireless transceiver of a base station and in a network coexisting with user having associated non\-cooperative transmissions, the method comprising:

transferring, by a radio transceiver, data between the remote wireless transceiver and the base station wireless transceiver during slots of a first time period in one of a plurality of channels of a secondary network;

coordinating, by a controller, the transfer of data and synchronizing each time period between the remote transceiver and the base station wireless transceiver via a received message providing a time flame having a format, and operating on one of the plurality of channels between the remote transceiver and the base station wireless transceiver; and

suspending, by the controller, transmissions during gaps in a second time period in a monitored one of the plurality of channels in response to the received message, the base station thus enabled to asynchronously monitor and detect a presence or an absence of the non-cooperative transmissions within the monitored one of the plurality of channels during the gaps;

wherein the time flame format includes timing information of each gap in the second time period.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising synchronizing, by the controller via the time frame, each gap of the second time period.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a starting time of the gap with respect to a reference.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to a duration time of the gap.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the message indicating the time frame format includes information related to an offset time of the gap with respect to a reference.