System, method, and apparatus for setting a regulatory operating mode of a device

• US 9,839,038 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chengdu Sk Spruce Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Network Performance Research Group LLC
• Inventors: Lin, Ming-Yi, Tsai, Kun Ting, Chen, Yung-Jui, Hong, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US15/428,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20170156149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/18 for wireless local area networks or WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/00 Jamming of communication; Counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/822 by detecting the presence of a surveillance, interception or detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present invention relates to wireless networks and more specifically directed to providing or acquiring an exemplary country code identifier or regulatory domain for a non-limiting device operating in a reduced functionality radio frequency (regulatory) mode based on exemplary location factors and exemplary confidence rankings. One embodiment includes an exemplary regulatory domain selection component configured to weigh location factors associated with a device, based on reliability associated with the location factors, and configured to determine an overall confidence of a country code identifier or a regulatory domain for the device. Another embodiment includes a device configured to operate in a reduced functionality radio frequency (regulatory) or world-wide compliant mode until a regulatory domain can be determined through a trusted cloud service which can be configured to weigh one or more location factors or data sources to facilitate providing or acquiring an exemplary country code identifier or regulatory domain for the device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a regulatory domain selection component configured to implement a regulatory domain selection algorithm using a plurality of data sources, comprising at least two of a logistics database, shipping manifest information, a unique device identifier, an Internet protocol (IP) address lookup service, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) positioning lookup service, a WiFi network scan, a location record, or information associated with a global positioning system (GPS); and

a device, comprising a processor, configured to communicate securely with the regulatory domain selection component to facilitate providing or acquiring at least one of a country code identifier or a regulatory domain for the device based at least in part on the plurality of data sources;

wherein,

the device is further configured to operate in a reduced functionality mode until the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain can be determined by the regulatory domain selection component, and wherein the device is further configured to communicate in at least one Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channel based at least in part on the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.

2. A system comprising:

a regulatory domain selection component configured to implement a regulatory domain selection algorithm using a plurality of data sources, comprising at least two of a logistics database, shipping manifest information, a unique device identifier, an Internet protocol (IP) address lookup service, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) positioning lookup service, a WiFi network scan, a location record, or information associated with a global positioning system (GPS); and

a device, comprising a processor, configured to communicate securely with the regulatory domain selection component to facilitate providing or acquiring at least one of a country code identifier or a regulatory domain for the device based at least in part on the plurality of data sources;

wherein,

the regulatory domain selection component is further configured to weigh a plurality of location factors associated with the plurality of data sources and the device, based at least in part on a determined reliability respectively associated with the plurality of location factors, and configured to determine an overall confidence of at least one of the country code or the regulatory domain for the device.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a second device, comprising another processor, communicatively coupled to and authorized to configure the device, wherein the second device is in close proximity to the device, and wherein the second device is configured to transmit the location record to the regulatory domain selection component on behalf of the device, based at least in part on the second device being in close proximity to the device and authorized to configure the device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the location record is based on at least one of the information associated with the GPS or location information associated with a cellular network communicatively coupled to the second device.

5. A method comprising:

operating a first device, comprising a processor, in a reduced functionality radio frequency mode until at least one of a country code identifier or a regulatory domain can be determined for the first device;

communicating at least one location factor associated with the first device;

receiving, at a second device comprising another processor, a plurality of location factors associated with the first device including the at least one location factor;

determining with a regulatory domain selection component of the second device at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain based at least in part on the plurality of location factors associated with the first device;

communicating the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain to the first device to facilitate operating the first device in a regulatory mode consistent with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain and location of the first device;

receiving at the first device at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain; and

operating the first device in the regulatory mode consistent with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain and the location of the first device, wherein the operating the device in the regulatory mode comprises at least one of communicating, scanning, or operating in at least one Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channel based at least in part on the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining comprises determining with the regulatory domain selection component at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain based at least in part on the plurality of location factors associated with the first device comprising at least a plurality of logistics information, shipping manifest information, a unique device identifier associated with the first device, an Internet protocol (IP) address of the first device, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) positioning lookup database response, a location record associated with the first device, or information associated with a global positioning system (GPS) associated with the first device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining comprises weighing the plurality of location factors associated with a plurality of data sources and the first device, based at least in part on a determined reliability respectively associated with the plurality of location factors, and determining an overall confidence of the at least one of the country code or the regulatory domain for the first device to determine location of the first device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting the overall confidence and the at least one of the country code or the regulatory domain for the first device to another device to facilitate configuring the another device for operation consistent with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the operating the first device in the regulatory mode consistent with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain and the location of the first device comprises selecting radio parameters from a set of radio parameters associated with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain stored in a memory of the first device.

10. A system comprising:

a cloud service device comprising at least one processor configured to execute computer executable components of the cloud service device;

a memory to store data and the computer executable components; and

a computer executable regulatory domain selection component configured to implement a regulatory domain selection algorithm configured to employ a plurality of data sources, wherein the regulatory domain selection component is further configured to determine at least one of a country code identifier or a regulatory domain, based at least in part on the plurality of data sources, for a second device configured to operate in a reduced functionality mode until the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain can be determined by the regulatory domain selection component, and wherein the second device is further configured to communicate in at least one Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channel based at least in part on the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of data sources comprises at least two of a logistics database, shipping manifest information, a unique device identifier, an Internet protocol (IP) address lookup service, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) positioning lookup service, a WiFi network scan, a location record, or information associated with a global positioning system (GPS).

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

the logistics database.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a database comprising at least one of the location record or the information associated with the GPS as provided by third device, wherein the third device is communicatively coupled to and authorized to configure the second device, wherein the third device is in close proximity to the second device, and wherein the third device is configured to transmit the at least one of the location record or the information associated with the GPS to the cloud service device on behalf of the second device, based at least in part on the third device being in close proximity to the second device and authorized to configure the second device.

14. A device comprising:

a radio configurable to operate in a reduced functionality radio frequency mode until at least one of a country code identifier or a regulatory domain can be determined for the device, wherein the radio is further configurable to at least one of communicate, scan, or operate in at least one regulatory mode associated with at least one Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channel based at least in part on the country code identifier or the regulatory domain;

a regulatory domain database comprising at least a set of radio parameters associated with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain for the device, wherein the set of radio parameters defines the at least one regulatory mode of operation for the device consistent with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain; and

a control agent configured to acquire at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain and further configured to select the at least the set of radio parameters associated with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain for the device to configure the radio in the at least one regulatory mode.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the control agent is further configured to notify a regulatory domain selection component of a cloud service of the radio operating in a reduced functionality radio frequency mode to facilitate acquiring the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the control agent is further configured to transmit at least one of a plurality of location factors comprising at least one of information associated with a logistics database, shipping manifest information, a unique device identifier, an Internet protocol (IP) address, a location record, or information regarding a plurality of devices resulting from a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network scan by the device to the regulatory domain selection component of the cloud service to facilitate acquiring the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a location onboarding component configured to authorize an associated device to configure the device, wherein the associated device is in close proximity to the device, and wherein the associated device is authorized to transmit the location record to the regulatory domain selection component on behalf of the device, based at least in part on the associated device being in close proximity to the device and authorized to configure the device.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the location record is based on at least one of information associated with a global positioning system (GPS) or location information associated with a cellular network communicatively coupled to the associated device.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the control agent is further configured to receive at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain via the regulatory domain selection component of the cloud service to facilitate acquiring the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.

20. The device claim 19, wherein the control agent is further configured to receive an overall confidence of the at least one of the country code or the regulatory domain for the device, and wherein the control agent is further configured to transmit the overall confidence and the at least one of the country code or the regulatory domain for the device to another device to facilitate the another device operating consistent with the at least one of the country code identifier or the regulatory domain.