Systems and methods for a cognitive radio having adaptable characteristics

• US 8,184,653 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Original Assignee: Shared Spectrum Company
• Inventors: Dain, Dmitry, Bazarov, Igor, Livsics, Jevgenijs, McHenry, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Application Number:
  US11/839,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20090268619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring a network of radios for dynamic spectrum access are described. A network radio can include hardware and/or software modules for detecting a radio environment and negotiating common communications channels with a plurality of other radios in the network. Network radio behavior can be defined by a plurality of predefined policies which are used in combination with the information about the radio environment to select common operating parameters.

Claims

1. A method of communicating on a dynamically-selected communication channel, the method comprising:

identifying an initial communication channel used by a first cooperative node by;

receiving spectrum usage information from a detector system;

characterizing communication channels based on the spectrum usage information;

identifying a communication channel as a cooperative control channel based on the characterization of the channel; and

receiving, from a cooperative node on the cooperative control channel, information identifying the initial communication channel;

transmitting a synchronize packet to the first cooperative node over the initial communication channel, the synchronize packet including channel usage information detected by a second cooperative node; and

receiving an acknowledgement packet from the first cooperative node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement packet contains an indication of a preferred communication channel for the second cooperative node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the initial communication channel comprises reading a configuration file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a keep-alive packet from the first cooperative node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the keep-alive packet identifies a number of cooperative nodes using the initial channel.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the keep-alive packet indicates a number of channels identified by the first cooperative node as available for use.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the keep-alive packet indicates a geographical location of the first cooperative node.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the first cooperative node comprises a base station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an adverse environmental frequency condition; and

notifying the first cooperative node of the adverse environmental frequency condition.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the adverse environmental frequency condition comprises the use of the initial communication frequency by a non-cooperative node.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a keep-alive packet to the first cooperative node, the keep-alive packet including channel information as detected by the second cooperative node.

12. A method of communicating on a dynamically-selected communication channel, the method comprising:

identifying an initial communication channel used by a first cooperative node;

transmitting a synchronize packet to the first cooperative node over the initial communication channel, the synchronize packet including channel usage information detected by a second cooperative node;

receiving an acknowledgement packet from the first cooperative node; and

receiving a keep-alive packet from the first cooperative node, wherein the keep-alive packet identifies a number of cooperative nodes using the initial channel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the acknowledgement packet contains an indication of a preferred communication channel for the second cooperative node.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the initial communication channel comprises:

receiving spectrum usage information from a detector system;

characterizing communication channels based on the spectrum usage information;

identifying a communication channel as a cooperative control channel based on the characterization of the channel; and

receiving, from a cooperative node on the cooperative control channel, information identifying the initial communication channel.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the initial communication channel comprises reading a configuration file.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the keep-alive packet indicates a number of channels identified by the first cooperative node as available for use.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the keep-alive packet indicates a geographical location of the first cooperative node.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first cooperative node comprises a base station.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting an adverse environmental frequency condition; and

notifying the first cooperative node of the adverse environmental frequency condition.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the adverse environmental frequency condition comprises the use of the initial communication frequency by a non-cooperative node.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a keep-alive packet to the first cooperative node, the keep-alive packet including channel information as detected by the second cooperative node.

22. A method of communicating on a dynamically-selected communication channel, the method comprising:

identifying an initial communication channel used by a first cooperative node;

transmitting a synchronize packet to the first cooperative node over the initial communication channel, the synchronize packet including channel usage information detected by a second cooperative node;

receiving an acknowledgement packet from the first cooperative node; and

receiving a keep-alive packet from the first cooperative node, wherein the keep-alive packet indicates a geographical location of the first cooperative node.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the acknowledgement packet contains an indication of a preferred communication channel for the second cooperative node.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein identifying the initial communication channel comprises:

receiving spectrum usage information from a detector system;

characterizing communication channels based on the spectrum usage information;

identifying a communication channel as a cooperative control channel based on the characterization of the channel; and

receiving, from a cooperative node on the cooperative control channel, information identifying the initial communication channel.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein identifying the initial communication channel comprises reading a configuration file.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the keep-alive packet identifies a number of cooperative nodes using the initial channel.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the keep-alive packet indicates a number of channels identified by the first cooperative node as available for use.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the first cooperative node comprises a base station.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

detecting an adverse environmental frequency condition; and

notifying the first cooperative node of the adverse environmental frequency condition.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the adverse environmental frequency condition comprises the use of the initial communication frequency by a non-cooperative node.

31. The method of claim 22, further comprising sending a keep-alive packet to the first cooperative node, the keep-alive packet including channel information as detected by the second cooperative node.