Spectrum Assignment for Networks Over White Spaces and Other Portions of the Spectrum

• US 20100304678A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Paramvir, Moscibroda, Thomas, Chandra, Ranveer, Murty, Rohan N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

Functionality is described by selecting a channel in an environment in which non-privileged entities have subordinate access rights to spectrum compared to privileged entities. The functionality operates by identifying spectrum that is available to all nodes involved in communication (where the nodes are associated with non-privileged entities). The functionality then generates a suitability assessment for each candidate channel within the available spectrum. The functionality selects a channel having the most desirable suitability assessment. The functionality can form a suitability assessment for a candidate channel of arbitrary width, e.g., by combining suitability assessments associated with constituent spectrum units within the candidate channel.

Claims

1. A method, using electronic data processing functionality, for selecting a channel for a first node within a spectrum used by privileged entities, the first node constituting a non-privileged entity having subordinate rights to the spectrum compared to the privileged entities, the method comprising:

generating local availability information that indicates any spectrum units within the spectrum that are available to the first node;

receiving other-node availability information that indicates any spectrum units that are available to a second node with which the first node seeks to communicate;

identifying, based on the local availability information and the other-node availability information, available spectrum that can be used to communicate between the first node and the second node; and

selecting a channel from within the available spectrum for handling communication between the first node and the second node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the spectrum comprises at least a portion of the TV spectrum, and the spectrum units comprise existing TV broadcast channels within the TV spectrum.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying is performed by taking a logical intersection of the local availability information and the other-node availability information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving other-node information comprises receiving other-node information from additional nodes with which the first node seeks to communicate, and said identifying comprises identifying available spectrum based on the local availability information and other-node availability information associated with all nodes with which the first node seeks to communicate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting further comprises:

identifying a suitability assessment for each candidate channel within the available spectrum; and

selecting a channel based on the suitability assessment provided for each candidate channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the suitability assessment for a candidate channel is based on an assessment of suitability from a perspective of the first node.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the suitability assessment for a candidate channel is based on an assessment of suitability from a perspective of both the first node and the second node.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the suitability assessment for a candidate channel is based on a current utilization of the candidate channel.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one candidate channel is composed of plural spectrum units, and wherein a suitability assessment for said at least one candidate channel is based on suitability assessments provided for the plural respective spectrum units.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is initiated upon loss of a previous channel due to acquisition of the previous channel by a privileged entity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is initiated upon detection of a deterioration of a previous channel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node is an access point device, and the second node is a communication device that uses the access point device to access a network.

13. A computer readable medium for storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions providing a channel assignment module when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer readable instructions comprising:

logic configured to identify a suitability assessment for a candidate channel, the suitability assessment identifying suitability of the candidate channel for conducting communication,

the candidate channel being composed of plural spectrum units, the suitability assessment for the candidate channel being based on suitability assessments provided for the respective plural spectrum units.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the suitability assessment for the candidate channel is based on a product of the suitability assessments provided for the respective plural spectrum units.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the suitability assessment for an individual spectrum unit is based on a current utilization of the spectrum unit.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the suitability assessment of an individual spectrum unit is based on a number of entities contending for use of the spectrum unit.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the suitability assessment for an individual spectrum unit is given by:

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the suitability assessment for the candidate channel is given by:

19. A channel assignment module for selecting a channel for a first node within a spectrum used by privileged entities, the first node constituting a non-privileged entity having subordinate rights to the spectrum compared to the privileged entities, the method comprising:

logic configured to generate local availability information that indicates any spectrum units within the spectrum that are available to the first node;

logic configured to receive other-node availability information that indicates any spectrum units that are available to a second node with which the first node seeks to communicate;

logic configured to identify, based on the local availability information and the other-node availability information, available spectrum that can be used to communicate between the first node and the second node;

logic configured to identify a suitability assessment for each candidate channel within the available spectrum; and

logic configured to select a channel based on the suitability assessment provided for each candidate channel.

20. The channel assignment module of claim 19, wherein at least one candidate channel considered by the channel assignment module is composed of plural spectrum units.