Multichannel dynamic frequency selection

• US 8,290,503 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sadek, Ahmed K., Gorokhov, Alexei, Shellhammer, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/695,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20100197317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.1, 455436-453, 455463-465, 455 411- 412, 455/509
• US Class Current: 455/452.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

Multichannel dynamic frequency selection in wireless networks begins with an access point for a wireless network broadcasting a list of unused channels that are available for communication within the area served by the access point. The various access terminals within this service area receive the broadcast and measure various interference characteristics of each of the channels in the list. The access terminals then send this interference information to the access point, which compiles a matrix of interference information that is associated with the quality of each signal as related to each access terminal. Using this information, the access point selects the appropriate channels to serve the most number of access terminals at the highest possible channel qualities.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically selecting a plurality of channels in a wireless communication network, said method comprising:

broadcasting over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency spectrum, from an access point, a set of channels available to the access point, into said wireless communication network;

receiving interference information from a plurality of access terminals, said interference information describing interference for at least one of the channels in said set of available channels;

selecting an operating channel for each of said plurality of access terminals based on an available channel of said set of available channels that has a favorable interference measurement for each of said plurality of access terminals according to said interference information; and

allocating said operating channel for downlink communication with each of said plurality of access terminals, wherein, in serving said plurality of access terminals, a plurality of operating channels in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum are selected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting is further based on a service load on said available channel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting is further based on a current capacity of a plurality of access points within a shared coverage area servicing at least one of said plurality of access terminals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said interference information comprises at least one of:

a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each of said set of available channels;

a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of each of said set of available channels; and

a carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) of each of said set of available channels.

5. A method for an access terminal to determine an operating channel for downlink communication in a wireless communication network, said method comprising:

extracting a set of available channels of an access point from a signal broadcast over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency spectrum from the access point of said wireless communication network;

measuring an interference associated with a plurality of said set of available channels at said access terminal;

transmitting said measured interference for said plurality of said set of available channels to said access point; and

receiving an allocated channel in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum from said access point, wherein said interference associated with said allocated channel is favorable for transmission to said access terminal.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said measuring comprises at least one of:

measuring a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each of said set of available channels;

measuring a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of each of said set of available channels; and

measuring a carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) of each of said set of available channels.

7. An access point of a wireless communication network, said access point comprising:

a processor;

a modulator/demodulator (modem) coupled to said processor;

a transceiver coupled to said processor;

an antenna array coupled to said transceiver;

a memory coupled to said processor;

a multichannel selection module stored in said memory, wherein, when executed by said processor, said executing multichannel selection module configures said access point;

to broadcast over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency spectrum, a set of channels available to the access point, into said wireless communication network;

to receive interference information from a plurality of access terminals, said interference information describing interference for a plurality of channels in said set of available channels;

to select an operating channel for each of said plurality of access terminals based on an available channel of said set of available channels that has a favorable interference measurement for each of said plurality of access terminals according to said interference information; and

to allocate said operating channel for downlink communication with each of said plurality of access terminals, wherein, in serving said plurality of access terminals, a plurality of operating channels in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum are selected.

8. The access point of claim 7 wherein said executing multichannel selection module configures said access point to select said operating channel further based on a service load on said available channel.

9. The access point of claim 7 wherein said executing multichannel selection module configures said access point to select said operating channel further based on a current capacity of a plurality of access points within a shared coverage area servicing at least one of said plurality of access terminals.

10. The access point of claim 7 wherein said interference information comprises at least one of:

a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each of said set of available channels;

a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of each of said set of available channels; and

a carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) of each of said set of available channels.

11. An access terminal of a wireless communication network, said access terminal comprising:

a processor;

a modulator/demodulator (modem) coupled to said processor;

a transceiver coupled to said processor;

an antenna array coupled to said transceiver;

a memory coupled to said processor;

a signal quality analysis module stored in said memory, wherein, when executed by said processor, said executing signal quality analysis module configures said access terminal;

to extract a set of available channels of an access point from a signal broadcast over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency spectrum from the access point of said wireless communication network;

to measure an interference associated with a plurality of said set of available channels at said access terminal;

to transmit said measured interference for the plurality of said set of available channels to said access point; and

to receive an allocated channel in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum from said access point, wherein said interference associated with said allocated channel is favorable for transmission to said access terminal.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program code tangibly stored thereon, said program code comprising:

program code to broadcast over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency spectrum, from an access point, a set of channels available to the access point, into a wireless communication network;

program code to receive interference information from a plurality of access terminals, wherein said interference information describes interference for a plurality of channels in said set of available channels;

program code to select an operating channel for each of said plurality of access terminals based on an available channel of said set of available channels that has a favorable interference measurement for said each of said plurality of access terminals according to said interference information; and

program code to allocate said operating channel for downlink communication with said each of said plurality of access terminals, wherein, in serving said plurality of access terminals, a plurality of operating channels in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum are selected.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein said program code to select said operating channel is further based on a service load on said available channel.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein said program code to select said operating channel is further based on a current capacity of a plurality of access points within a shared coverage area servicing at least one of said plurality of access terminals.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein said interference information comprises at least one of:

a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each of said set of available channels;

a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of each of said set of available channels; and

a carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) of each of said set of available channels.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program code tangibly stored thereon, said program code comprising:

program code to extract a set of available channels of an access point from a signal broadcast over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency channel from the access point of a wireless communication network;

program code to measure an interference associated with a plurality of channels of said set of available channels at an access terminal;

program code to transmit said measured interference for the plurality of said set of available channels to said access point; and

program code to receive an allocated channel in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum from said access point, wherein said interference associated with said allocated channel is favorable for transmission to said access terminal.

17. A system for dynamically selecting a plurality of channels in a wireless communication network, said system comprising:

means for broadcasting over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency spectrum, from an access point, a set of channels available to the access point, into said wireless communication network;

means for receiving interference information from a plurality of access terminals, wherein said interference information describes interference for a plurality of channels in said set of available channels;

means for selecting an operating channel for each of said plurality of access terminals based on an available channel of said set of available channels that has a favorable interference measurement for each of said plurality of access terminals according to said interference information; and

means for allocating said operating channel for downlink communication with said each of said plurality of access terminals, wherein, in serving said plurality of access terminals, a plurality of operating channels in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum are selected.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for selecting said operating channel is further based on a service load on said available channel.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for selecting said operating channel is further based on a current capacity of a plurality of access points within a shared coverage area servicing at least one of said plurality of access terminals.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein said interference information comprises at least one of:

a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each of said set of available channels;

a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of each of said set of available channels; and

a carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) of each of said set of available channels.

21. A system for an access terminal to determine an operating channel for downlink communication in a wireless communication network, said system comprising:

means for extracting a set of available channels of an access point from a signal broadcast over a licensed channel in a licensed radio frequency spectrum from the access point of said wireless communication network;

means for measuring an interference associated with a plurality of said set of available channels at said access terminal;

means for transmitting said measured interference for the plurality of said set of available channels to said access point; and

means for receiving an allocated channel in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum from said access point, wherein said interference associated with said allocated channel is favorable for transmission to said access terminal.