Location determination for white space utilization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016014611-A1
Application number	US-201514860322-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Dec 8, 2011
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A technique for a wireless device to obtain white space information from a component configured for cellular communication, such as a cellular phone. The wireless device and cellular phone may communicate using a short-range connection, such as a peer-to-peer connection, ensuring that the white space information, which is location based, generated by the cellular phone is also accurate for the location of the wireless device. With such white space information, the wireless device can comply with regulatory requirements for white space use by accessing a regulatory database identifying, by location, available white space channels. When the cellular phone is configured for accessing a wide area network, the cellular telephone may provide the white space information as a set of channels available for white space communication. Channels of the set may be prioritized based on one or more parameters, including frequency, permitted transmit power or detected noise.

First claim

1 . A method performed on a computing device that is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and that is further configured to operate in an unlicensed spectrum, the method comprising:
obtaining, by the computing device, white space information for a determined location, where white space corresponding to the white space information comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the obtained white space information identifies a plurality of channels within the white space; prioritizing, by the computing device according to criteria consistent with the determined location, the plurality of channels relative to each other; and providing, by the computing device, a list of the prioritized plurality of channels, where the provided list is configured for use in selecting a channel within the white space and for configuring a device to wirelessly communicate via the selected channel.

2 . The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a suitability of each of the plurality of channels for supporting computer-to-computer communications.

3 . The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a frequency of one channel relative to a frequency of another channel.

4 . The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a permitted transmit power level of one channel relative to a permitted transmit power level of another channel.

5 . The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a detected energy level of one channel relative to a detected energy level of another channel.

6 . The method of claim 1 where the prioritizing criteria is based on channel frequencies, channel permitted power levels, and channel detected energy levels.

7 . The method of claim 1 where the obtained whitespace information is obtained from a regulatory database.

8 . A computing device that is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and that is further configured to operate in an unlicensed spectrum, the computing device comprising:
at least one processor; memory coupled to the at least one processor; a network interface via which the computing device obtains white space information for a determined location, where white space corresponding to the white space information comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the obtained white space information identifies a plurality of channels within the white space; the at least one processor via which the computing device prioritizes, according to criteria consistent with the determined location, the plurality of channels relative to each other; and an output interface via which the computing device provides a list of the prioritized plurality of channels, where the provided list is configured for use in selecting a channel within the white space and for configuring a device to wirelessly communicate via the selected channel.

9 . The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a suitability of each of the plurality of channels for supporting computer-to-computer communications.

10 . The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a frequency of one channel relative to a frequency of another channel.

11 . The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a permitted transmit power level of one channel relative to a permitted transmit power level of another channel.

12 . The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a detected energy level of one channel relative to a detected energy level of another channel.

13 . The computing device of claim 8 where the prioritizing criteria is based on channel frequencies, channel permitted power levels, and channel detected energy levels.

14 . The computing device of claim 8 where the obtained whitespace information is obtained from a regulatory database.

15 . At least one memory storage device that comprises computer-executable instructions that, based on execution by computing device that is configured to operate in a licensed spectrum and that is further configured to operate in an unlicensed spectrum, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising:
obtaining, by the computing device, white space information for a determined location, where white space corresponding to the white space information comprises an unassigned portion of a radio spectrum, and where the obtained white space information identifies a plurality of channels within the white space; prioritizing, by the computing device according to criteria consistent with the determined location, the plurality of channels relative to each other; and providing, by the computing device, a list of the prioritized plurality of channels, where the provided list is configured for use in selecting a channel within the white space and for configuring a device to wirelessly communicate via the selected channel.

16 . The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a suitability of each of the plurality of channels for supporting computer-to-computer communications.

17 . The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a frequency of one channel relative to a frequency of another channel.

18 . The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a permitted transmit power level of one channel relative to a permitted transmit power level of another channel.

19 . The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on a detected energy level of one channel relative to a detected energy level of another channel.

20 . The at least one memory storage device of claim 15 where the prioritizing criteria is based on channel frequencies, channel permitted power levels, and channel detected energy levels.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Hassan Amer
• Anders Billy
• Reed Danny Allen
• Garnett Paul

Classifications

• H04W72/51

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title

• H04W16/14 Primary

  Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} · CPC title

• H04W72/048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W64/003

  locating network equipment · CPC title

• H04W16/16 Primary

  for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements · CPC title