Channel discovery in a small-cell network
During operation, the radio node may, using a first interface circuit, listen for transmissions from one or more second radio nodes. Based at least in part on the transmissions, the radio node may determine a first list of discovered channels associated with the radio node and the one or more second radio nodes. Then, the radio node may, using a second interface circuit, provide the first list of discovered channels to the one or more second radio nodes. Moreover, the radio node may, using the second interface circuit, receive one or more second lists of discovered channels from the one or more second radio nodes. Next, the radio node may aggregate the first list of discovered channels and the second list of discovered channels into a list of active channels. Furthermore, the radio node may, using the first interface circuit, provide the list of active channels to an electronic device.
1. A radio node, comprising:
a first node or connector configured to communicatively couple to an antenna;
a second node or connect configured to communicatively couple to a network;
a first interface circuit, communicatively coupled to the first node or connector, configured to communicate using wireless communication;
a second interface circuit, communicatively coupled to the second node or connector, configured to communicate with a computer system via a network, wherein the radio node is configured to:
provide, using the second interface circuit and addressed to the computer system, information specifying an active channel used by the radio node;
receive, using the second interface circuit and associated with the computer system, second information specifying a list of active channels used by the radio node and one or more second radio nodes in the network; and
provide, using the first interface circuit and addressed to an electronic device, the second information specifying the list of active channels, wherein the electronic device is different from the radio node and the one or more second radio nodes, and the electronic device is connected to the radio node.
2. The radio node of claim 1 , wherein the network comprises a small cell.
3. The radio node of claim 1 , wherein the active channels in the list of active channels comprises portions of a spectrum in a shared-license-access band of frequencies.
4. The radio node of claim 3 , wherein the active channels are included in a Citizens Broadband Radio Service.
5. The radio node of claim 1 , wherein the computer system comprises a controller for the radio node and the one or more second radio nodes.
6. The radio node of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is different from a spectrum allocation server (SAS).
7. The radio node of claim 1 , wherein the second interface circuit uses wired communication.
8. The radio node of claim 1 , wherein the radio node comprises: an Evolved Node B (eNodeB), a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) NodeB and radio network controller (RNC), or a New Radio (NR) gNB or gNodeB.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with a radio node, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the radio node, cause the radio node to perform operations comprising:
providing, addressed to a computer system, information specifying an active channel used by the radio node;
receiving, associated with the computer system, second information specifying a list of active channels used by the radio node and one or more second radio nodes in the network; and
providing, addressed to an electronic device, the second information specifying the list of active channels, wherein the electronic device is different from the radio node and the one or more second radio nodes, and the electronic device is connected to the radio node.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the network comprises a small cell.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the active channels in the list of active channels comprises portions of a spectrum in a shared-license-access band of frequencies.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the active channels are included in a Citizens Broadband Radio Service.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer system comprises a controller for the radio node and the one or more second radio nodes.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer system is different from a spectrum allocation server (SAS).
15. A providing second information specifying a list of active channels, comprising:
by a radio node:
providing, addressed to a computer system, information specifying an active channel used by the radio node;
receiving, associated with the computer system, the second information specifying the list of active channels used by the radio node and one or more second radio nodes in the network; and
providing, addressed to an electronic device, the second information specifying the list of active channels, wherein the electronic device is different from the radio node and the one or more second radio nodes, and the electronic device is connected to the radio node.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the network comprises a small cell.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the active channels in the list of active channels comprises portions of a spectrum in a shared-license-access band of frequencies.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the active channels are included in a Citizens Broadband Radio Service.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the computer system comprises a controller for the radio node and the one or more second radio nodes.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the computer system is different from a spectrum allocation server (SAS).