Channel selection in a shared communication medium

• US 9,936,400 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Heechoon, Reddy, Akula Aneesh, Sadek, Ahmed Kamel, Kadous, Tamer Adel
• Primary Examiner(s): LOPATA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/852,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 934 Days
• Field of Search: 370252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Techniques for channel selection in a shared communication medium are disclosed. A communication apparatus may include one or more transceivers, a processor, and memory coupled to the processor and configured to store data and/or instructions. The one or more transceivers may be configured to monitor signaling on a plurality of available channels associated with a communication medium. The processor may be configured to determine an interference level for each of the plurality of available channels based on the monitored signaling, determine that the interference level for each of the plurality of available channels is greater than a first threshold, determine whether a triggering condition is met, and select the first channel of the plurality of channels as an operating channel for a primary radio access technology based on the triggering condition being met, the first channel having an interference level that is greater than a second threshold.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

one or more transceivers configured to monitor signaling on a plurality of available channels associated with a communication medium, the plurality of available channels including a first channel;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to;

determine an interference level for each of the plurality of available channels based on the monitored signaling,

determine that the interference level for each of the plurality of available channels is greater than a first threshold,

determine whether a triggering condition is met, and

select the first channel as an operating channel for a primary radio access technology based on the triggering condition being met, the first channel having an interference level that is greater than a second threshold.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first threshold is equal to 82 dBm.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second threshold is equal to 62 dBm.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are being configured to determine whether the triggering condition is met comprises being further configured to by:

determining a presence of two or more proximate nodes associated with a common operator being operated in accordance with a secondary radio access technology.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to determine the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator by:

identifying proximate nodes each having an interference level that is greater than a proximity threshold; and

identifying an operator of each proximate node.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the proximity threshold is equal to 42 dBm.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to determine the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator by:

determining that the communication apparatus is deployed indoors.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to:

identify a node having a different operator being operated in accordance with the primary radio access technology used by one of the one or more transceivers;

determine that a second channel of the plurality of available channels is associated with the node having the different operator and that the second channel has an interference level greater than the second threshold; and

avoid selection of the second channel as the operating channel.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more transceivers are configured to monitor the signaling by one or more of scanning one or more of the plurality of available channels, receiving, from another device, a channel measurement report for one or more of the plurality of available channels, or any combination thereof.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more transceivers include one or more of a Long-Term Evolution transceiver configured to operate in an unlicensed band and to monitor the signaling for general signaling energy, a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver configured to monitor the signaling for WLAN-specific signaling energy, or any combination thereof.

11. A communication method, comprising:

monitoring signaling on a plurality of available channels associated with a communication medium, the plurality of available channels including a first channel;

determining an interference level for each of the plurality of available channels based on the monitored signaling;

determining that the interference level for each of the plurality of available channels is greater than a first threshold;

determining whether a triggering condition is met; and

selecting the first channel as an operating channel for a primary radio access technology based on the triggering condition being met, the first channel having an interference level that is greater than a second threshold.

12. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the first threshold is equal to 82 dBm.

13. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the second threshold is equal to 62 dBm.

14. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the determining whether the triggering condition is met further comprises:

determining a presence of two or more proximate nodes associated with a common operator being operated in accordance with a secondary radio access technology.

15. The communication method of claim 14, wherein the determining the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator comprises:

identifying proximate nodes each having an interference level that is greater than a proximity threshold; and

identifying an operator of each proximate node.

16. The communication method of claim 15, wherein the proximity threshold is equal to 42 dBm.

17. The communication method of claim 14, wherein the determining the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator comprises:

determining that the communication method is performed indoors.

18. The communication method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a node having a different operator being operated in accordance with the primary radio access technology;

determining that a second channel of the plurality of available channels is associated with the node having the different operator and that the second channel has an interference level greater than the second threshold; and

avoiding selection of the second channel as the operating channel.

19. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring signaling comprises one or more of scanning one or more of the plurality of available channels, receiving, from another device, a channel measurement report for one or more of the plurality of available channels, or any combination thereof.

20. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring signaling comprises one or more of monitoring signaling for general signaling energy, monitoring signaling for WLAN-specific signaling energy, or any combination thereof.

21. A communication apparatus, comprising:

means for monitoring signaling on a plurality of available channels associated with a communication medium, the plurality of available channels including a first channel;

means for determining an interference level for each of the plurality of available channels based on the monitored signaling;

means for determining that the interference level for each of the plurality of available channels is greater than a first threshold;

means for determining whether a triggering condition is met; and

means for selecting the first channel as an operating channel for a primary radio access technology based on the triggering condition being met, the first channel having an interference level that is greater than a second threshold.

22. The communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for determining whether the triggering condition is met are further configured to:

determine a presence of two or more proximate nodes associated with a common operator being operated in accordance with a secondary radio access technology.

23. The communication apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator are further configured to:

identify proximate nodes each having an interference level that is greater than a proximity threshold; and

identify an operator of each proximate node.

24. The communication apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator are further configured to:

determine that the communication apparatus is deployed indoors.

25. The communication apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for identifying a node having a different operator being operated in accordance with the primary radio access technology used by one of one or more transceivers;

means for determining that a second channel of the plurality of available channels is associated with the node having the different operator and that the second channel has an interference level greater than the second threshold; and

means for avoiding selection of the second channel as the operating channel.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising at least one instruction for causing a processor to perform operations, comprising:

code for monitoring signaling on a plurality of available channels associated with a communication medium for a communication apparatus, the plurality of available channels including a first channel;

code for determining an interference level for each of the plurality of available channels based on the monitored signaling;

code for determining that the interference level for each of the plurality of available channels is greater than a first threshold;

code for determining whether a triggering condition is met; and

code for selecting the first channel as an operating channel for a primary radio access technology based on the triggering condition being met, the first channel having an interference level that is greater than a second threshold.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the code for determining whether the triggering condition is met further comprises:

code for determining a presence of two or more proximate nodes associated with a common operator being operated in accordance with a secondary radio access technology.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the code for determining the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator comprises:

code for identifying proximate nodes each having an interference level that is greater than a proximity threshold; and

code for identifying an operator of each proximate node.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the code for determining the presence of the two or more proximate nodes associated with the common operator comprises:

code for determining that the non-transitory computer-readable medium is deployed indoors.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising:

code for identifying a node having a different operator being operated in accordance with the primary radio access technology;

code for determining that a second channel of the plurality of available channels is associated with the node having the different operator and that the second channel has an interference level greater than the second threshold; and

code for avoiding selection of the second channel as the operating channel.