Dynamic frequency inventory and masking

• US 7,983,686 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bhesania, Firdosh K., Aull, Randall E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miah; Liton
• Application Number:
  US11/263,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 455/507, 455/509, 455/514, 455/517, 455/450, 455/454, 455/452, 455/452.1, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/426.1
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A centralized wireless resource manager is leveraged to facilitate in reconciling communication conflicts between wireless devices that interact with a computing device and/or reconciling communication conflicts between a wireless device and a locale of a computing device interacting with the wireless devices. One instance allows dynamic reconciliation of a wireless device based, at least in part, on the wireless device'"'"'s hardware supported communication parameters and/or its currently utilized communication parameters and the like. Another instance provides dynamic communication adjustments based, at least in part, on a locale of a computing device. This facilitates in adjusting communication frequencies based on, at least in part, local laws and regulations and the like.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device that facilitates wireless communications, comprising:

a receiving component that obtains wireless device communication information comprising information relating to at least one operating frequency spectrum for at least one wireless device from the at least one wireless device through communications with the at least one wireless device; and

a reconciliation component that;

accesses available communication information defining governmental frequency spectrum transmission restrictions,

selects at least one operating frequency for the at least one wireless device from the wireless device communication information based on the available communication information, and a geographic location of the mobile computing device, and

sends the at least one operating frequency for the at least one wireless device to the at least one wireless device, wherein the reconciliation component prevents the wireless device from transmitting on frequencies outside of the governmental frequency spectrum transmission restrictions for the geographic location.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the information relating to the at least one operating frequency spectrum comprising, at least in part, frequency mask information, range information, power information, channel information, frequency usage type information, or interference property information.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the reconciliation component dynamically reconciles the device operating frequency spectrum information with available frequency spectrum related information from the computing device.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 3, the reconciliation component utilizes at least one frequency mask to facilitate in reconciling the device operating frequency spectrum information with the available frequency spectrum related information;

the frequency mask obtained by the receiving component from at least one wireless device.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 4, the receiving component obtains the frequency mask in real-time from the wireless device.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the reconciliation component utilizes the reconciliation to select a dynamic frequency mask to facilitate utilization of the wireless device by the computing device.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the reconciliation component reconciliation is based, at least in part, on identifying overlap between frequency usage for two or more wireless communication standards within the geographic location based on the available communication information, wherein the wireless device is operating on one of the wireless communication standards, the reconciliation component provides the wireless device with frequency allocation information to prevent operating on the overlapping frequencies.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the communication information comprising at least one of supported or current radio properties of a wireless device.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless device communicates with the mobile computing device using a plug-and-play technology.

10. A method for facilitating wireless communications between a mobile computing device and a wireless device, the method comprising:

obtaining, at the mobile computing device, wireless device communication information from the wireless device that interfaces with the mobile computing device, through communications with the wireless device;

determining a geographical location of the mobile computing device;

obtaining, at the mobile computing device, communication information comprising a governmental wireless frequency spectrum transmission restriction applicable for communication of the wireless device with at least the mobile computing device at the geographical location;

determining, at the mobile computing device, frequency transmission parameters for the wireless device to enforce the governmental wireless frequency spectrum transmission restriction, from the wireless device communication information, based on the governmental wireless frequency spectrum transmission restriction and the geographical location of the mobile computing device; and

communicating, by the mobile computing device, to the wireless device the determined frequency transmission parameters, whereby the wireless device is restricted from transmitting on frequencies that violate the governmental wireless frequency spectrum transmission restriction.

11. The method of claim 10, the communication information comprising, at least in part, current interference properties associated with the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

resolving conflicts relating to the geographical location based, at least in part, on governmental frequency transmission regulations for wireless devices operating in a particular region.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

dynamically determining acceptable communication parameters to facilitate in associating wireless devices to the computing device.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

controlling wireless device communications to prevent interference with another wireless device that interacts with the mobile computing device.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

relaying of the acceptable communication parameters from the mobile computing device to another computing device.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

depositing communication information in a central repository; and

centrally managing communication aspects of the wireless device that interacts with the mobile computing device.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing a frequency mask to the wireless device that restricts the operating frequency of the wireless device to comply with the governmental wireless frequency spectrum transmission restriction.

18. A device employing the method of claim 10 comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a computer, a server, and a handheld electronic device.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining the communication information comprising the governmental wireless frequency spectrum transmission restriction comprises obtaining the communication information from a device external to the wireless device and the mobile computing device.

20. A system comprising at least a wireless device communicating with a mobile computing device that facilitates wireless communications, the system comprising:

means for obtaining, at the mobile computing device, wireless device communication information from at least one wireless device, wherein the communication information comprises operating frequencies that are supported by the wireless device;

means for reconciling, at the mobile computing device, the wireless device communication information with available communication information for the mobile computing device with which the wireless device is communicating, wherein the means for reconciling;

obtains governmental restrictions on transmission frequencies for a geographic region in which the mobile computing device and the wireless device are currently located, wherein the available communication information includes the governmental restrictions on transmission frequencies,

identifies, from the wireless device communication information, frequencies on which the wireless device can operate that do not violate the governmental restrictions on transmission frequencies, based on the governmental restrictions on transmission frequencies for the geographic region, and

communicates to the wireless device allocation information including the identified frequencies on which the wireless device can operate; and

means for preventing the wireless device from transmitting on transmission frequencies outside of the identified frequencies on which the wireless device can operate that do not violate the governmental restrictions on transmission frequencies for the geographic region.