COMMUNICATION METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATED TO WIRELESS TERMINAL MONITORING FOR AND USE OF BEACON SIGNALS

• US 20070211680A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi, Richardson, Tom, Lane, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0602 Systems characterised by the synchronising information used
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/261 Details of reference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0016 Time-frequency-code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Wireless devices, e.g., in a cognitive radio network, discover and use locally available usable spectrum for communication. Beacon signaling facilitates available spectrum discovery and spectrum usage coordination. A wireless terminal, which may have entered a new area and powered up, monitors to detect for the presence of beacon signals in a first communications band. The wireless terminal makes a decision as to whether or not to transmit based on the monitoring result. In addition, when beacon signals are detected, decoded information recovered by the wireless terminal from the received beacon signals is used in making the transmission decision. The decoded information includes, e.g., type information indicating that a second band is allowed to be used for peer-peer communications and/or identification information identifying at least one of a wireless communications device which transmitted the beacon signal and a current user of the wireless communications device which transmitted the beacon signal.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communications device, comprising:

monitoring during a first period of time to detect at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol in a first communications band; and

making a decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on the result of said monitoring, said first signal including at least one of a beacon symbol and user data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said user data includes at least one of text data, audio data, image data, game data, and spread sheet data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding to transmit a signal in response to a beacon signal portion having been detected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes:

decoding information communicated by a detected beacon signal portion; and

based on information included in the decoded information deciding whether or not to transmit a signal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein deciding whether or not to transmit a signal is based on type information included in the decoded information, said type information indicating that a second band is allowed to be used for peer-to-peer communications.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein deciding whether or not to transmit a signal is based on device identification information included in the decoded information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding not to transmit a signal during a second period of time which follows said first period of time when at least a portion of a beacon signal including a beacon symbol is not detected by said monitoring.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first signal is a beacon signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said transmitted beacon signal communicates an identifier used to identify at least one of i) said wireless communications device and ii) a user that is currently using said wireless communications device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said transmitting includes transmitting said first signal in a second band which is the same as said first communications band.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said transmitting includes transmitting said first signal in a second band which is different from said first communications band.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first and second communications bands are separated and disjoint in the frequency domain.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first and second communications bands are different size frequency bands.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting user data into a third communications band during a third time period.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said third time period follows a second time period, said second time period being a time period during which at least a portion of said first signal is transmitted including at least one beacon symbol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said third frequency band is the same as said second frequency band.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said third frequency band is different from said second frequency band.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said communications device is a portable wireless communications device, the method further comprising:

monitoring during a fourth period of time to detect at least a portion of an additional beacon signal from another wireless communications device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said another wireless communications device is a peer in a peer to peer communications network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein monitoring to detect at least a portion of an additional beacon signal includes monitoring said second band for said at least a portion of an additional beacon signal, said second frequency band being a different frequency band from said first frequency band.

21. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a beacon detection module for detecting receipt of at least one beacon symbol communicated in a first communications band; and

a beacon based decision module for determining whether or not to transmit a first signal based on an output of said beacon detection module, said output being a function of whether or not a beacon symbol was detected during a time period, said first signal including at least one of a beacon symbol and user data.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein said user data includes at least one of text data, audio data, image data, game data, and spread sheet data.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein said detected beacon symbol is part of a beacon signal portion;

and

wherein said beacon based decision module makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal in response to a beacon signal portion having been detected.

24. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

a beacon signal decoding module for decoding information communicated by a detected beacon signal portion, said detected beacon symbol being part of said detected beacon signal portion; and

wherein said beacon based decision module makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on decoded information generated by decoding performed by said beacon signal decoding module.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein said beacon based decision module makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on type information included in the decoded information, said type information indicating that a second band is allowed to be used for peer-to-peer communications.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein said beacon based decision module makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on device identification information included in the decoded information.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein said beacon based decision module makes a decision not to transmit a signal during a second period of time which follows a first period of time when at least a portion of a beacon signal including a beacon symbol is not detected by said beacon detection module during said first period of time.

28. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting said first signal; and

wherein said first signal is a beacon signal.

29. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

a beacon signal generation module for generating said beacon signal, said beacon signal generation module communicating in the generated beacon signal an identifier used to identify at least one of i) said wireless communications device and ii) a user that is currently using said wireless communications device.

30. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving beacon signal portions transmitted in said first communications band; and

a control module for controlling the band in which said receiver and transmitter operate, said receiver and transmitter be controlled to use the same band in a time division multiplexed basis.

31. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving beacon signal portions transmitted in said first band; and

a control module for controlling the bands in which said receiver and transmitter operate, said receiver being controlled to use the first communications band and said transmitter being controlled to use a second communications band, said first and second communications band being different bands.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein said first and second communications bands are separated and disjoint in the frequency domain but have a predetermined relationship.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein said first and second communications bands are different size frequency bands.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein said control module includes a user data transmission control module for controlling transmission of user data into a third communications band during a third time period.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein said third time period follows a second time period, said second time period being a time period during which at least a portion of said first signal is transmitted, said first signal including at least one beacon symbol.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein said third frequency band is the same as said second frequency band.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said third frequency band is different from said second frequency band.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein said communications device is a portable wireless communications device, the device further comprising:

a wireless terminal beacon detection module for detecting beacon symbols received from other wireless communications devices during a fourth period of time, at least a portion of said fourth time period being different from a time period during which said beacon detection module is operated.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said other wireless communications device is a peer in a peer to peer communications network.

40. The device of claim 38, wherein said wireless terminal beacon detection module monitors a second communications band, said second communications band being a different frequency band from said first communications band.

41. A wireless communications device, comprising:

means for detecting receipt of at least one beacon symbol communicated in a first communications band; and

means for determining whether or not to transmit a first signal based on an output of said means for detecting receipt of at least one beacon signal, said output being a function of whether or not a beacon symbol was detected during a time period, said first signal including at least one of a beacon symbol and user data.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein said user data includes at least one of text data, audio data, image data, game data, and spread sheet data.

43. The device of claim 41, wherein said detected beacon symbol is a part of a beacon signal portion;

and

wherein said means for making a decision makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal in response to a beacon signal portion having been detected.

44. The device of claim 41, further comprising:

means for decoding information communicated by a detected beacon signal portion, said detected beacon symbol being part of said detected beacon signal portion; and

wherein said means for making a decision makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on decoded information generated by decoding performed by means for decoding information.

45. The device of claim 44, wherein said means for making a decision makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on type information included in the decoded information, said type information indicating that a second band is allowed to be used for peer-to-peer communications.

46. The device of claim 44 wherein said means for making a decision makes the decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on device identification information included in the decoded information.

47. The device of claim 41, wherein said means for making a decision makes a decision not to transmit a signal during a second period of time which follows a first period of time when at least a portion of a beacon signal including a beacon symbol is not detected by said means for detecting during said first period of time.

48. The device of claim 41, further comprising:

means for transmitting said first signal; and

wherein said first signal is a beacon signal.

49. The device of claim 48, further comprising:

means for generating a beacon signal for generating a beacon signal which communicates in the generated beacon signal an identifier used to identify at least one of i) said wireless communications device and ii) a user that is currently using said wireless communications device.

50. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instruction for controlling a wireless communications device to implement a method, the method comprising:

monitoring during a first period of time to detect at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol in a first communications band; and

making a decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on the result of said monitoring, said first signal including at least one of a beacon symbol and user data.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50, wherein said data includes at least one of text data, audio data, image data, game data, and spread sheet data.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 50, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding to transmit a signal in response to a beacon signal portion having been detected.

53. The computer readable medium of claim 50, further comprising machine executable instructions for:

decoding information communicated by a detected beacon signal portion; and

based on information included in the decoded information deciding whether or not to transmit a signal,

as part of said step of making a decision whether or not to transmit.

54. The computer readable medium of claim 53, further comprising machine executable instructions for:

basing said decision whether or not to transmit a signal upon type information included in the decoded information, said type information indicating that a second band is allowed to be used for peer-to-peer communications.

55. The computer readable medium of claim 53, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

basing said decision whether or not to transmit a signal upon device identification information included in the decoded information.

56. The computer readable medium of claim 50, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding not to transmit a signal during a second period of time which follows said first period of time when at least a portion of a beacon signal including a beacon symbol is not detected by said monitoring.

57. The computer readable medium of claim 50, wherein said first signal is a beacon signal, the computer readable medium further comprising:

machine executable instructions for;

generating said beacon signal, wherein said beacon signal includes at least one beacon signal burst, and wherein said beacon signal burst includes at least one beacon symbol and a majority of the beacon transmission units of beacon burst are intentional nulls.

58. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

monitor during a first period of time to detect at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol in a first communications band; and

make a decision whether or not to transmit a first signal based on the result of said monitoring, said first signal including at least one of a beacon symbol and user data.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein said user data includes at least one of text data, audio data, image data, game data, and spread sheet data.

60. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding to transmit a signal in response to a beacon signal portion having been detected.

61. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein said processor is further configured to:

decode information communicated by a detected beacon signal portion; and

based on information included in the decoded information decide whether or not to transmit a signal;

as part of said step of making a decision whether or not to transmit.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said processor is further configured to:

base said decision whether or not to transmit a signal upon type information included in the decoded information, said type information indicating that a second band is allowed to be used for peer-to-peer communications.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said processor is further configured to:

base said decision whether or not to transmit a signal upon device identification information included in the decoded information.

64. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding not to transmit a signal during a second period of time which follows said first period of time when at least a portion of a beacon signal including a beacon symbol is not detected by said monitoring.

65. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein said first signal is a beacon signal, the processor further configured to:

generate said beacon signal, wherein said beacon signal includes at least one beacon signal burst, and wherein said beacon signal burst includes at least one beacon symbol and a majority of the beacon transmission units of beacon burst are intentional nulls.