Frame based, on-demand spectrum contention methodology
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorWendong Hu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention discloses frame-based, on-demand spectrum contention methods and systems to share spectrum resources in cognitive radio networks in general and in Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs) having overlapping service areas in particular. As demand for increased spectrum usage arises, frames within synchronized superframes are allocated, on a frame-by-frame basis, based on independently chosen, equiprobable random numbers generated for each base station contending for transmission/reception use of the frames.
Claims22
A method for frame-based, on-demand (FB-OD) spectrum contention in a wireless cognitive radio communication system including a plurality of base stations, the method comprising:
- maintaining a schedule of assignments (SchAs) of frames, within a communication channel, to the base stations, wherein each frame is assigned in its entirety to at most one base station for exclusive use for communication services by the base station;
- communicating the SchAs between base stations;
- identifying a demand for additional shared spectrum resources within a cell of a first base station within the plurality of base stations;
- determining whether the demand is originating external to the cell of the first base station or whether the demand is originating internal to the cell of the first base station;
- determining whether the communication channel can be exclusively used by the first base station;
- and
- responsive to exclusive use of the communication channel being denied to the first base station, conducting a FB-OD spectrum contention between the first base station and at least one other of the plurality of base stations for exclusive use in its entirety of at least one of a plurality of data frames associated with the communication channel;
- and
- resolving the FB-OD spectrum contention on a frame-by-frame basis.
A method for resolving frame-based, on-demand (FB-OD) spectrum contention for shared spectrum resources in a cognitive radio communication system, the method comprising:
- identifying a demand for additional shared spectrum resources at one of a plurality of base stations comprising the cognitive radio communication system;
- determining whether the demand is originating external to the one of the plurality of base stations or whether the demand is originating internal to the one of the plurality of base stations;
- responsive to determining the demand is internal, identifying on a frame-by-frame basis which data frames of a superframe are available for use by the one of the plurality of base stations, and responsive to identifying at least one data frame that is available for use, acquiring the at least one data frame for use by the one of the plurality of base stations;
- and
- responsive to determining the demand is external, contending for data frames of the superframe targeted by other base stations of the plurality of bases stations on a frame-by-frame basis.
A system of Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs) with overlapping service areas comprising:
- a plurality of WRANs, each WRAN comprising a base station (BS) and at least one consumer premise equipment (CPE) transceiver with which the base station communicates by radio;
- a plurality of radio communication channels on which the WRANs can transmit and receive;
- wherein the WRANs use synchronized frames and superframes for communications, both within and between WRANs;
- and
- wherein the WRANs resolve contention for shared spectrum resources by:
- (i) identifying a demand for additional shared spectrum resources at one of a plurality of base stations;
- (ii) determining whether the demand is originating external to the one of the plurality of base stations or whether the demand is originating internal to the one of the plurality of base stations;
- (iii) responsive to determining the demand is internal, identifying on a frame-by-frame basis which data frames of a superframe are available for use by the one of the plurality of base stations, and responsive to identifying at least one data frame that is available for use, acquiring the at least one data frame for use by the one of the plurality of base stations;
- and
- (iv) responsive to determining the demand is external, contending for data frames of the superframe targeted by other base stations of the plurality of bases stations on a frame-by-frame basis, using a FB-OD spectrum contention.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.