# US 2013/0252558 A1 · Communications device with selective spectrum assignment and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0252558 A1 - Document ID: US20130252558A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/429,665 - Filed: 2012-03-26 - Published: 2013-09-26 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-26 - Assignees: Harris Corporation - Inventors: John Wesley Nieto; William Nelson Furman; Eric Norman Koski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130252558A1 ## CPC - H04W 72/54: based on quality criteria - H04L 5/006: {Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A communications device may include a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a controller coupled to the wireless RF transceiver. The controller may be configured to determine received signal characteristics and perform a spectral estimation operation associated with a frequency spectrum on the received signal characteristics, determine a channel selection method characteristic associated with a channel in the frequency spectrum including channels, generate statistical values for each channel based upon the received signal characteristics, and select a portion of the frequency spectrum for a signal to be transmitted by the wireless RF transceiver based upon the spectral estimation operation, the statistical values, and the channel selection method characteristic. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communications device comprising: a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a controller coupled to said wireless RF transceiver and configured to determine a plurality of received signal characteristics and perform a spectral estimation operation associated with a frequency spectrum thereon, determine a channel selection method characteristic associated with a channel in the frequency spectrum comprising a plurality of channels, generate a plurality of statistical values for each channel based upon the plurality of received signal characteristics, and select a portion of the frequency spectrum for a signal to be transmitted by said wireless RF transceiver based upon the spectral estimation operation, the plurality of statistical values, and the channel selection method characteristic. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to generate a quality metric value for each possible portion of the spectrum for the signal to be transmitted; and wherein said controller selects the portion of the spectrum further based upon the quality metric values. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to select the portion of the spectrum further based upon at least one received signal strength characteristic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to select the portion of the spectrum further based upon the plurality of statistical values. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to generate a signal-to-noise value profile for each channel based upon the plurality of statistical values. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to perform spectrum compensation on results of the spectral estimation operation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of received signal characteristics comprises a plurality of received sample values. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said wireless RF transceiver is configured to operate in a high frequency (HF) range and with a channel width greater than 3 kHz. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to select the portion of the spectrum based upon a cognitive radio process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to determine the plurality of received signal characteristics and the channel selection method characteristic, and perform the spectrum estimation method simultaneously. ### Claim 11 A communications device comprising: a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to operate in a high frequency (HF) range and with a channel width greater than 3 kHz; and a controller coupled to said wireless RF transceiver and configured to determine a plurality of received signal characteristics and perform a spectral estimation operation associated with a frequency spectrum thereon, determine a channel selection method characteristic associated with a channel in the frequency spectrum comprising a plurality of channels, generate a plurality of statistical values for each channel based upon the plurality of received signal characteristics, and select a portion of the frequency spectrum for a signal to be transmitted by said wireless RF transceiver based upon the spectral estimation operation, the channel selection method characteristic, the plurality of statistical values, and at least one received signal strength characteristic. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The communications device of claim 11 wherein said controller is configured to generate a quality metric value for each possible portion of the spectrum for the signal to be transmitted; and wherein said controller selects the portion of the spectrum further based upon the quality metric values. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The communications device of claim 11 wherein said controller is configured to select the portion of the spectrum further based upon the plurality of statistical values. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The communications device of claim 11 wherein said controller is configured to generate a signal-to-noise value profile for each channel based upon the plurality of statistical values. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The communications device of claim 11 wherein said controller is configured to perform spectrum compensation on results of the spectral estimation operation. ### Claim 16 A communications device comprising: a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and a controller coupled to said wireless RF transceiver and configured to determine a plurality of received signal characteristics for a signal received in each channel of a plurality of channels, perform a spectral estimation operation for each channel using the plurality of received signal characteristics, determine a plurality of first metric values representing a power of noise and interference value for the received signal in each channel on which spectral estimation has been performed, determine at least one first statistical characteristic based upon the plurality of first metric values for the at least one channel, determine a plurality of received signal strength measurements of the received signal in each channel based upon a known signal, determine at least one second statistical characteristic based upon the plurality of received signal strength measurements, determine a plurality of second quality metrics for a portion of the at least one channel using the at least one first statistical characteristic and the at least one second statistical characteristic, using the plurality of second quality metrics, select at least one portion of at least one channel for use in radio communications, and using the plurality of second quality metrics and the selected at least one channel, select at least one transmission characteristic to be used in the radio communications on at least one selected portion of at least one channel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The communications device of claim 16 wherein said controller is configured to obtain the plurality of received signal strength measurements and the at least one second statistical characteristic from an Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) channel selection method. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The communications device of claim 17 wherein the ALE channel selection method is based upon at least one of MIL-STD-188-141 and NATO standard STANAG 4538. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The communications device of claim 16 wherein said controller is configured to perform the spectral estimation operation including a spectrum compensation process. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The communications device of claim 16 wherein said controller is configured to select the at least one portion of at least one channel for use in the radio communications using at least one traffic metric. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The communications device of claim 16 wherein said controller is configured to select the at least one portion of at least one channel for use in the radio communications using a desired Quality of Service (QoS) for traffic. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The communications device of claim 16 wherein said controller is configured to select the at least one portion of at least one channel for use in the radio communications using at least one of potential spectrum occupancy information and interference information from a source comprising a database. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The communications device of claim 16 wherein said wireless RF transceiver is configured to operate in a high frequency (HF) range and with a channel width greater than 3 kHz. ### Claim 24 A wireless communication system comprising: a plurality of communications devices communicating with each other, each communications device comprising a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a controller coupled to said wireless RF transceiver and configured to determine a plurality of received signal characteristics for a signal received in each channel of a plurality of channels, perform a spectral estimation operation for each channel using the plurality of received signal characteristics, determine a plurality of first metric values representing a power of noise and interference value for the received signal in each channel on which spectral estimation has been performed, determine at least one first statistical characteristic based upon the plurality of first metric values for the at least one channel, determine a plurality of received signal strength measurements of the received signal in each channel based upon a known signal, determine at least one second statistical characteristic based upon the plurality of received signal strength measurements, determine a plurality of second quality metrics for a portion of the at least one channel using the at least one first statistical characteristic and the at least one second statistical characteristic, using the plurality of second quality metrics, select at least one portion of at least one channel for use in radio communications, and using the plurality of second quality metrics and the selected at least one portion of at least one channel, select at least one transmission characteristic to be used in the radio communications on the selected at least one portion of at least one channel. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The wireless communication system of claim 24 wherein said controller of each communications device is configured to share at least one of the plurality of first metric values, the at least one first statistical characteristic, the plurality of received signal strength measurements, and the at least one second statistical characteristic with other communications devices. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The wireless communication system of claim 24 wherein said controller of each communications device is configured to select the at least one portion of at least one channel for use in radio communications based upon the shared data received from other communications. ### Claim 27 A method of operating a communications device including a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a controller coupled thereto, the method comprising: using the controller to determine a plurality of received signal characteristics and perform a spectral estimation operation associated with a frequency spectrum thereon, the frequency spectrum comprising a plurality of channels; using the controller to generate a plurality of statistical values for each channel based upon the plurality of received signal characteristics; using the controller to determine a channel selection method characteristic associated with a channel in the frequency spectrum; and using the controller to select a portion of the frequency spectrum for a signal to be transmitted by the wireless RF transceiver of the communications device based upon the spectral estimation operation, the plurality of statistical values, and the channel selection method characteristic. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further comprising using the controller to generate a quality metric value for each possible portion of the spectrum for the signal to be transmitted; and wherein selecting the portion of the spectrum is further based upon the quality metric values. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 wherein selecting the portion of the spectrum is further based upon at least one received signal strength characteristic. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 wherein selecting the portion of the spectrum is further based upon the plurality of statistical values. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further comprising using the controller to generate a signal-to-noise value profile for each channel based upon the plurality of statistical values. ### Claim 32 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further comprising using the controller to perform spectrum compensation on results of the spectral estimation operation. ### Claim 33 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further comprising operating the wireless RF transceiver in a high frequency (HF) range and with a channel width greater than 3 kHz.