# US 9,521,681 B2 · Spectrum sharing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,681 B2 - Document ID: US9521681B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/885,005 - Filed: 2011-01-07 - Published: 2013-10-03 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-11 - Assignees: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Applicants: Jari Yrjana Hulkkonen; Esa Tapani Tiirola; Mikko Saily; Seppo Ilmari Vesterinen - Inventors: Jari Yrjana Hulkkonen; Esa Tapani Tiirola; Mikko Saily; Seppo Ilmari Vesterinen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521681B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/541: using the level of interference - H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04W 72/542: using measured or perceived quality - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The invention relates to apparatuses, a method, computer program and computer-readable medium. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: define at least one virtual cell covering a geographical area comprising primary users and secondary users, the at least one virtual cell being intended for a second type of communication comprising device-to-device communications; determine at least one estimate on potential interference caused by the at least one virtual cell to at least one neighbouring cell of a communication entity using the spectrum as a user of a first type of communication; identify available radio resources for usage of the at least one virtual cell, wherein the identification of available radio resources is carried out according to at least one threshold value setting an upper limit for interference towards the at least one neighbouring cell, wherein when the at least one threshold value is met or exceeded, the second type of communication in the virtual cell is not allowed, and when the at least one threshold value is not met, the second type of communication in the virtual cell is allowed; and select at least one radio resource from the identified available radio resources for the usage of the at least one virtual cell for the second type of communication based on the determined estimates. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one estimate on the potential interference is obtained by using information on a location of a user device and at least one of the following: user device and node measurements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the determination of the at least one estimate on the potential interference is based on a statistical distribution of the at least one of the following: user device and node measurements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to: prioritize the available radio resources for virtual cells based on at least one of the following: allowed maximum transmission power, continuous spectrum, availability in the time domain, overall availability of the radio resources. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to: store information on the available radio resources in a database located in an operation and maintenance entity of a network, and the information is conveyable on a broadcast control channel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, further configured to: use an access network discovery and selection function as a two-way access between a user device and the database. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first type of communication is at least one of the following: primary spectrum usage, licenced spectrum usage and wide area communications. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if a carrier aggregation is used, the first type of communication may be a primary component carrier and the second type of communication may be a secondary component carrier. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to: create a storage for the determined estimates, wherein the at least one virtual cell is linked to at least one cell of the communication entity using the spectrum as the user of the first type of communication. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the storage for the determined estimates is a multi-layer background interference matrix, wherein each of the at least one virtual cell performs a virtual cell layer including the at least one estimate on the potential interference. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus comprising a server, host, node device or a user device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary users are licensed users and the selected at least one radio resource is used for the device-to-device communication with at least one of the secondary users. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: defining at least one virtual cell covering a geographical area comprising primary users and secondary users, the at least one virtual cell being intended for a second type of communication comprising device-to-device communications; determining at least one estimate on potential interference caused by the at least one virtual cell to at least one neighbouring cell of a communication entity using the spectrum as a user of a first type of communication; identifying available radio resources for usage of the at least one virtual cell, wherein the identification of available radio resources is carried out according to at least one threshold value setting an upper limit for interference towards the at least one neighbouring cell, wherein when the at least one threshold value is met or exceeded, the second type of communication in the virtual cell is not allowed, and when the at least one threshold value is not met, the second type of communication in the virtual cell is allowed; and selecting at least one radio resource from the identified available radio resources for the usage of the at least one virtual cell for the second type of communication based on the determined estimates. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded thereon program instructions which, when executed by a processor, to perform the method of claim 13. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of any claim 13, wherein the at least one estimate on the potential interference is obtained by using information on a location of a user device and at least one of the following: user device and node measurements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the determination of the at least one estimate on the potential interference is based on a statistical distribution of the at least one of the following: user device and node measurements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: prioritizing the available radio resources for virtual cells based on at least one of the following: allowed maximum transmission power, continuous spectrum, availability in the time domain, overall availability of the radio resources. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: storing information on the available radio resources in a database located in an operation and maintenance entity of a network, and the information is conveyable on a broadcast control channel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: using an access network discovery and selection function as a two-way access between a user device and the database. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first type of communication is at least one of the following: primary spectrum usage, licenced spectrum usage and wide area communications. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein if a carrier aggregation is used, the first type of communication may be a primary component carrier and the second type of communication may be a secondary component carrier. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: creating a storage for the determined estimates, wherein the at least one virtual cell is linked to at least one cell of the communication entity using the spectrum as the user of the first type of communication. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the storage for the determined estimates is a multi-layer background interference matrix, wherein each of the at least one virtual cell performs a virtual cell layer including the at least one estimate on the potential interference. ### Claim 24 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, stored thereon a computer program comprising program code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform: defining at least one virtual cell covering a geographical area comprising primary users and secondary users, the at least one virtual cell being intended for a second type of communication; determining at least one estimate on potential interference caused by the at least one virtual cell to at least one neighbouring cell of a communication entity using the spectrum as a user of a first type of communication comprising device-to-device communications; identifying available radio resources for usage of the at least one virtual cell, wherein the identification of available radio resources is carried out according to at least one threshold value setting an upper limit for interference towards the at least one neighbouring cell, wherein when the at least one threshold value is met or exceeded, the second type of communication in the virtual cell is not allowed, and when the at least one threshold value is not met, the second type of communication in the virtual cell is allowed; and selecting at least one radio resource from the identified available radio resources for the usage of the at least one virtual cell for the second type of communication based on the determined estimates. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the at least one estimate on the potential interference is obtained by using information on a location of a user device and at least one of the following: user device and node measurements. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the determination of the at least one estimate on the potential interference is based on a statistical distribution of the at least one of the following: user device and node measurements. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising: prioritizing the available radio resources for virtual cells based on at least one of the following: allowed maximum transmission power, continuous spectrum, availability in the time domain, overall availability of the radio resources. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising: storing information on the available radio resources in a database located in an operation and maintenance entity of a network, and the information is conveyable on a broadcast control channel. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising: using an access network discovery and selection function as a two-way access between a user device and the database. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the first type of communication is at least one of the following: primary spectrum usage, licenced spectrum usage and wide area communications, and wherein the second type of communications is at least one of the following: secondary spectrum usage, local area communications, device-to-device or machine-to-machine communications and ad-hoc communications. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein if a carrier aggregation is used, the first type of communication may be a primary component carrier and the second type of communication may be a secondary component carrier. ### Claim 32 (depends on 24) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising: creating a storage for the determined estimates, wherein the at least one virtual cell is linked to at least one cell of the communication entity using the spectrum as the user of the first type of communication. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the storage for the determined estimates is a multi-layer background interference matrix, wherein each of the at least one virtual cell performs a virtual cell layer including the at least one estimate on the potential interference.