System and Method for Management of a Shared Frequency Band

• US 20110090939A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seed, William R., Diener, Neil R., Scholl, Thomas H., Miller, Karl A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1664 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with payload signals; piggybacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A system, method, software and related functions are provided for managing activity in a radio frequency band that is shared, both in frequency and time, by signals of multiple types. An example of such a frequency band is an unlicensed frequency band. Radio frequency energy in the frequency band is captured at one or more devices and/or locations in a region where activity in the frequency band is happening. Signals occurring in the frequency band are detected by sampling part or the entire frequency band for time intervals. Signal pulse energy in the band is detected and is used to classify signals according to signal type. Using knowledge of the types of signals occurring in the frequency band and other spectrum activity related statistics (referred to as spectrum intelligence), actions can be taken in a device or network of devices to avoid interfering with other signals, and in general to optimize simultaneous use of the frequency band with the other signals. The spectrum intelligence may be used to suggest actions to a device user or network administrator, or to automatically invoke actions in a device or network of devices to maintain desirable performance.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving radio frequency energy in a frequency band;

analyzing the radio frequency energy to classify devices determined to be operating in the frequency band based on the received radio frequency energy;

when a communication device using a frequency hopping communication protocol is detected based on said analyzing and is determined not to have an adaptive hop set capability, idling slots in a frequency hopping set where transmissions of data or acknowledgments by a non-frequency hopping wireless communication network would occur when the non-frequency hopping wireless communication network is determined to be operating in the frequency band based on said analyzing; and

when the communication device using a frequency hopping communication protocol has an adaptive hop set capability, removing frequency hops that occur in the frequency band of operation of the non-frequency hopping wireless communication network when the non-frequency hopping wireless communication network is determined to be operating in the frequency band based on said analyzing.

2. A method comprising:

receiving radio frequency energy in a frequency band;

analyzing the radio frequency energy to classify devices determined to be operating in the frequency band based on the received radio frequency energy;

adjusting an amount of dynamic rate adaptation employed for one or more devices operating in the frequency band when a frequency hopping device is determined to be operating in the frequency band based on said analyzing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting comprises limiting a degree of dynamic rate adaptation that may be employed by a non-frequency hopping device in the frequency band to a first portion of the frequency band.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting comprises limiting a degree of dynamic rate adaptation that may be employed by the non-frequency hopping communication device to a second portion of the frequency band that is larger than said first portion when it is determined based on said analyzing that the frequency hopping device has an adaptive hop set capability.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the amount of dynamic rate adaptation used by a wireless local area network access point device that serves one or more wireless client devices in a wireless network operating in the frequency band.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a radio receiver configured to receive radio frequency energy in a frequency band;

a spectrum analysis unit configured to analyze the radio frequency energy to classify devices determined to be operating in the frequency band based on the received radio frequency energy; and

a controller coupled to the spectrum analysis unit and configured to generate a control to adjust an amount of dynamic rate adaptation employed for one or more devices operating in the frequency band when a frequency hopping device is determined to be operating in the frequency band based on the analysis by the spectrum analysis unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control to limit a degree of dynamic rate adaptation that may be employed by a non-frequency hopping device in the frequency band to a first portion of the frequency band.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control to limit a degree of dynamic rate adaptation that may be employed by the non-frequency hopping communication device to a second portion of the frequency band that is larger than said first portion when it is determined that the frequency hopping device has an adaptive hop set capability.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control to adjust the amount of dynamic rate adaptation used by a wireless local area network access point device that serves one or more wireless client devices in a wireless network operating in the frequency band.

10. A processor readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

analyze data representing radio frequency energy received by a receiver device in a frequency band to classify devices determined to be operating in the frequency band based on the received radio frequency energy; and

generate a control to adjust an amount of dynamic rate adaptation employed for one or more devices operating in the frequency band when a frequency hopping device is determined to be operating in the frequency band based on the analysis of the radio frequency energy.

11. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions that generate the control comprise instructions that generate the control to limit a degree of dynamic rate adaptation that may be employed by a non-frequency hopping device in the frequency band to a first portion of the frequency band.

12. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions that generate the control comprise instructions that generate the control to limit a degree of dynamic rate adaptation that may be employed by the non-frequency hopping communication device to a second portion of the frequency band that is larger than said first portion when it is determined based that the frequency hopping device has an adaptive hop set capability.

13. The processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions that generate the control comprise instructions that generate the control to adjust the amount of dynamic rate adaptation used by a wireless local area network access point device that serves one or more wireless client devices in a wireless network operating in the frequency band.

14. A method comprising:

receiving radio frequency energy in a frequency band;

analyzing the radio frequency energy to classify devices determined to be operating in the frequency band based on the received radio frequency energy;

detecting one or more frequency hopping devices operating in the frequency band based on said analyzing;

determining whether a detected frequency hopping device is operating with a relatively slow frequency hopping signal or a relatively fast frequency hopping signal; and

based on said determining, controlling one or more parameters used by a wireless local area network access point device in the frequency band that is transmitting a relatively high quality of service data stream to a client device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling comprises controlling the wireless local area network access point device to transmit the relatively high quality of service data stream on multiple redundant channels when it is determined that the detected frequency hopping device is operating with a relatively slow frequency hopping signal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling comprises controlling the wireless local area network access point device to transmit the relatively high quality of service data stream across a wider bandwidth channel when it is determined that the detected frequency hopping device is operating with a relatively fast frequency hopping signal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the relatively high quality of service data stream is a video stream.