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

• US 9,706,559 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• 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): Lee, Jae Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Voltaire, Jean F
• Application Number:
  US15/234,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 370328
• 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 process for measuring by a system having a processor, within a wide frequency band, signal power levels received in specified narrow frequency bands, determining an average composite wideband power level that excludes a portion of the power levels of the received signals, detecting interference according to an adaptive threshold based on the average composite wideband power level, and generating an interference report based on the detecting of the interference. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing, by a system comprising a processor, power levels of received signals in specified frequency bands;

determining, by the system, an average power level across the specified frequency bands, the average power level excluding a portion of the power levels of the received signals;

detecting, by the system, interference according to an adaptive threshold applied to the average power level; and

generating, by the system, an interference report based on the detecting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified frequency bands are included in a wide frequency band.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system is utilized in a portable communication device, and wherein the method further comprises:

detecting an operational mode of the system; and

associating the operational mode with the interference, to obtain a modal association, wherein the interference report comprises the modal association.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive threshold is combined with the average power level to generate a composite power level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the detecting comprises detecting the interference based on a power level of the interference exceeding the composite power level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the interference is repeated for a plurality of interferers to obtain a plurality of detected interferers, and wherein the interference report comprises information associated with the plurality of detected interferers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information comprises a frequency of at least one interferer of the plurality of detected interferers, a power level of the at least one interferer, a time of occurrence of the at least one interferer, a duration of the at least one interferer, or any combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the interference report is received by a remote system that determines a measure of effectiveness of interference mitigation by the system.

9. A device, comprising:

a filter that facilitates receiving signals from a wireless receiver, the filter having a selectable bandwidth; and

a circuit coupled to the filter, wherein execution of instructions by the circuit cause the circuit to perform operations comprising;

measuring, within at least one frequency band, power levels to obtain measured power levels from signals provided by the wireless receiver;

determining an average power level from the measured power levels, the average power level excluding at least one of the measured power levels;

detecting interference in the signals according to a threshold applied to the average power level; and

updating an interference report based on the detecting.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the device comprises a portable communication device, a base station or a wireless access point, and wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting an operational mode of the device; and

associating the operational mode with the interference, to obtain a modal association, wherein the interference report comprises the modal association.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the detecting the interference comprises detecting at least one interferer having a power level that exceeds the threshold applied to the average power level.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the filter comprises a plurality of selectable notch modules.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise modifying the selectable bandwidth by selecting one or more of the plurality of selectable notch modules, wherein the one or more of the plurality of selectable notch modules reduce an adverse effect of the interference.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the detecting of the interference is repeated for a plurality of interferers to obtain a plurality of detected interferers, and wherein the interference report includes information associated with the plurality of detected interferers.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the interference report comprises a frequency of at least one interferer of the plurality of detected interferers, a power level of the at least one interferer, a time of occurrence of the at least one interferer, a duration of the at least one interferer, or any combinations thereof.

16. A memory device, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a circuit, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

obtaining measured power levels of signals in a plurality of frequency bands;

determining an average power level that excludes a portion of the measured power levels;

obtaining historical information based on prior measurements of power levels over the plurality of frequency bands;

detecting from the signals, interference based on the historical information, a threshold based on the average power level, or a combination thereof; and

generating a report based on information associated with the interference.

17. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the circuit is utilized by a wireless base station, a wireless access point, or a wireless portable communication device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting an operational mode of the circuit; and

associating the operational mode with the interference, to obtain a modal association, wherein the report comprises the modal association.

18. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the detecting of the interference further comprises detecting the interference based on a probability determined from the historical information.

19. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the detecting of the interference is repeated for a plurality of interferers to obtain a plurality of detected interferers, and wherein the report comprises spectral data associated with the plurality of detected interferers.

20. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the information associated with the interference comprises a frequency of the interference, a power level of the interference, a time of occurrence of the interference, a duration of the interference, or any combinations thereof.