System and Method Utilizing a Cognitive Transceiver for Ad Hoc Networking

• US 20090270025A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kossi, Jouni, Kahola, Mika
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for utilizing unused portions of an allocated frequency spectrum in a wireless communications system that broadcasts content to wireless stations. A first wireless station may communicate with a second wireless station on an idle broadcast channel while keeping the resulting interference level below an acceptable maximum limit at the other wireless stations. Using interference level information that are measured at the wireless stations, the wireless station can negotiate with the other wireless station on an establishment channel for subsequent communications on one or more broadcast channels. The wireless station may receive broadcast content on a time slice that corresponds to a broadcast channel and that is further processed by the wireless station. Otherwise, the wireless station can utilize the corresponding time to measure an interference level for the corresponding channel or to transmit or receive data to/from another wireless station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining at a first wireless station an idle broadcast channel of a plurality of broadcast channels, each broadcast channel allocated to a broadcast service of a digital broadcast system;

selecting the idle broadcast channel; and

directly transmitting first data from the first wireless station to a second wireless station over the idle broadcast channel, wherein the first data is not associated with the broadcast services of the digital broadcast system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises measuring interference levels on the plurality of broadcast channels.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first transmit power level, wherein directly transmitting the first data occurs at the first transmit power level.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the first wireless station, communication with the second wireless station over a second idle channel, wherein selecting the idle channel is based on information received, by the first wireless station, in the communication over the second idle channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein establishing comprises:

transmitting sequentially from the first wireless station one or more signals over the second idle channel, wherein a first signal of the one or more signals is transmitted at a predetermined power level, and wherein subsequent signals of the one or more signals are sequentially transmitted at corresponding sequentially increasing transmit power levels; and

receiving at the first wireless station a response signal over the second idle channel.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine an idle broadcast channel of a plurality of broadcast channels, each broadcast channel allocated to a broadcast service of a digital broadcast system; and

select the idle broadcast channel; and

a transmitter configured to directly and wirelessly transmit first data to a second apparatus over the idle broadcast channel, wherein the first data is not associated with the broadcast services of the digital broadcast system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the idle broadcast channel comprises a time slice.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor, to determine the idle broadcast channel, is configured to detect transmission parameter signaling (TPS) information broadcast over the plurality of broadcast channels.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor, to determine the idle broadcast channel, is configured to analyze a network information table (NIT) broadcast over the plurality of broadcast channels.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor, to determine the idle broadcast channel, is configured to analyze a frequency spectrum of the plurality of broadcast channels.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor, to determine the idle broadcast channel, is configured to retrieve status of the plurality of broadcast channels from a database.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor, to determine the idle broadcast channel, is configured to receive status of the plurality of broadcast channels from the second apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

circuitry configured to measure interference levels on the plurality of broadcast channels; and

wherein the processor, to determine the idle broadcast channel, is configured to analyze the measured interference levels on the plurality of broadcast channels.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interference levels comprise interference temperatures.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to receive from the second apparatus interference levels measured on the plurality of broadcast channels.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the digital broadcast system is selected from the group consisting of a DVB-H system, a DVB-T system, an ATSC system, and an ISDB-T system.

17. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first data corresponds to a file type selected from a group consisting of an image, a video file, an audio file, and a multimedia file.

18. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first data comprises Internet Protocol data packets.

19. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the processor is configured to select a second idle broadcast channel;

and

wherein the transmitter is configured to directly transmit second data to the second apparatus over the second idle broadcast channel, wherein the second data is not associated with the broadcast services of the digital broadcast system.

20. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive broadcast data over one of the plurality of broadcast channels, wherein the received broadcast data is associated with the broadcast services of the broadcast system and wherein the processor is configured to process the received broadcast data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a display configured to render the received broadcast data for viewing.

22. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine a first transmit power level, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first data at the first transmit power level.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor, to determine the first transmit power, is configured to:

obtain a distance between the transmitter and the second apparatus;

calculate, based on the distance, a predicted propagation loss of a signal traveling from the transmitter to the second apparatus; and

adjust the first transmit power level to compensate for the propagation loss.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a receiver configured to receive a signal transmitted from the second apparatus, wherein the processor, to determine the first transmit power, is configured to:

obtain a second transmit power level of the signal received from the second apparatus;

determine a received power level of the signal at the receiver;

calculate based on the second transmit power level and the received power level, a propagation loss of the signal; and

adjust the first transmit power level to compensate for the propagation loss.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a projected interference level at the second apparatus that would result from transmitting the first data at the first transmit power level; and

ascertain that the projected interference level does not exceed a predetermined level.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a projected interference level at a third apparatus that would result from transmitting the first data at the first transmit power level; and

ascertain that the projected interference level does not exceed a predetermined level.

27. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive over a second idle broadcast channel;

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit over the second idle broadcast channel;

wherein the processor is configured to establish communication with the second apparatus over the second idle broadcast channel; and

wherein the processor is configured to select the idle broadcast channel based on information received in the communication over the second idle broadcast channel.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor, to establish communication with the second apparatus, is configured to:

sequentially transmit through the transmitter one or more signals over the second idle broadcast channel, wherein a first signal of the one or more signals is set to be transmitted at a predetermined power level, and wherein subsequent signals of the one or more signals are set to be sequentially transmitted at corresponding sequentially increasing transmit power levels; and

receive through the receiver a response signal over the second idle broadcast channel.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the transmit power levels are set not to exceed a predetermined limit.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to stop transmitting sequentially one or more signals over the second idle broadcast channel after receiving the response.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor, to establish communication with the second apparatus, is configured to:

determine a transmit power level to send communication data to the second apparatus over the second idle broadcast channel;

determine projected interference levels at the second wireless station that would result from transmitting the communication data at the transmit power level;

ascertain that the projected interference levels do not exceed predetermined levels; and

transmit through the transmitter a signal over the second idle broadcast channel at the transmit power level.

32. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a radio channel that is different from the plurality of broadcast channels, wherein the receiver is configured to receive negotiation data over the radio channel and wherein the processor, to determine the idle broadcast channel, is configured to receive a status of the idle broadcast channel based on the negotiation data.

33. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform:

determining at a first wireless station an idle broadcast channel of a plurality of broadcast channels, each channel allocated to a broadcast service of a digital broadcast system;

selecting the idle channel; and

directly transmitting first data from the first wireless station to a second wireless station over the idle channel, wherein the first data is not associated with the broadcast services of the digital broadcast system.