Spectrum sharing between primary users and co-existence groups of secondary users

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to assign shared spectrum resources to access points, the assigning comprising:

• grouping the access points into coexistence groups of access points;
• generating a vertex graph including vertices that each represent one of the coexistence groups, wherein an edge connecting a pair of vertices in the vertex graph represents an overlap between coverage contours of a pair of coexistence groups represented by the pair of vertices, wherein the edge is assigned a weight that is proportional to the overlap as compared to other overlaps between coverage contours of other pairs of coexistence groups;
• generating at least one vertex-colored graph by assigning a color to each vertex in the vertex graph;
• grouping the coexistence groups into groups of coexistence groups based on their corresponding assigned colors in the at least one vertex-colored graph;
• and
• mapping shared spectrum transmit frequencies to the groups of coexistence groups, wherein each access point in a group of coexistence groups is configured to transmit using a transmit frequency that is assigned to the group of coexistence groups by the mapping.

A network system comprising:

• one or more servers;
• and
• two or more Spectrum Access Systems (SASs) implemented as software modules hosted on the one or more servers, wherein the two or more SASs are configured to communicate with each other and with access points to assign shared spectrum resources to the access points, the assigning comprising:
• grouping the access points into coexistence groups of access points;
• generating a vertex graph including vertices that each represent one of the coexistence groups, wherein an edge connecting a pair of vertices in the vertex graph represents an overlap between coverage contours of a pair of coexistence groups represented by the pair of vertices, wherein the edge is assigned a weight that is proportional to the overlap as compared to other overlaps between coverage contours of other pairs of coexistence groups;
• generating at least one vertex-colored graph by assigning a color to each vertex in the vertex graph;
• grouping the coexistence groups into groups of coexistence groups based on their corresponding assigned colors in the at least one vertex-colored graph;
• and
• mapping shared spectrum transmit frequencies to the groups of coexistence groups, wherein each access point in a group of coexistence groups is configured to transmit using a transmit frequency that is assigned to the group of coexistence groups by the mapping.