Cognitive multi-user OFDMA

1. A method of operating a computing device for communication using a frequency-division multiplexing protocol, the method comprising:

operating at least one programmed processor to carry out a series of acts, the series of acts being identified by instructions with which the at least one programmed processor is programmed, the series of acts comprising:

retrieving from storage an indication of sub-channels previously selected;

selecting a first plurality of selected sub-channels to carry a signal having a first bandwidth, the first plurality being selected from a second plurality of sub-channels, the second plurality collectively having a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth, wherein selecting the first plurality of selected sub-channels comprises preferentially selecting a sub-channel when the indication indicates that the sub-channel was previously selected for carrying a previous signal transmitted by the computing device prior to the selection of the first plurality of selected sub-channels; and

communicating the signal using the first plurality of selected sub-channels.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of selecting the first plurality of sub-channels comprises acts of:

(A) determining a number of sub-channels based on a desired data rate;

(B) examining a sub-channel of the second plurality of sub-channels to determine whether the sub-channel has conditions unsuitable to data transmission;

(C) identifying the sub-channel as suitable for communication or identifying the sub-channel as unsuitable for communication according to a determination of act (B), and selecting the sub-channel for communication if it has been identified as suitable;

(D) repeating acts (B) and (C) for different sub-channels of the second plurality of sub-channels until at least the number of sub-channels is selected.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein

the act (D) further comprises storing an indication of the sub-channels selected.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein

the act (D) further comprises storing sub-channels identified as unsuitable for communication; and

the act (B) further comprises examining a sub-channel previously identified as unsuitable after other sub-channels not previously identified as unsuitable if the computing device attempts to create a new signal within a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the act (B) further comprises choosing a sub-channel to examine by one of a random selection process or a linear sequential selection process.

6. The method of claim wherein the act of communicating further comprises:

transmitting a selection notice to at least one other computing device, the selection notice comprising a notification that the computing device has selected a set of sub-channels; and

not choosing sub-channels listed in a selection notice received from an other computing device for a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the act (B) further comprises examining the sub-channel for a predetermined period of time before making the determination.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of selecting is performed once at the beginning of a communication session and the method further comprises releasing the selected sub-channels at the end of the communication session.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a communication session is a discrete data transmission.

10. A computing device comprising at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions for execution on a computer, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to perform a method for transmitting a signal comprising:

retrieving from storage a first list of previously-selected sub-channels and a second list of sub-channels previously determined to be unusable;

determining a set of usable sub-channels in a first plurality of sub-channels, wherein the determining comprises examining sub-channels to determine whether sub-channels are usable, wherein the examining comprises first examining the previously-selected sub-channels in the first list to determine whether the previously-selected sub-channels in the first list are usable, then examining sub-channels not in the first list or the second list to determine whether sub-channels not in the first list or the second list are usable, then examining sub-channels in the second list to determine whether sub-channels in the second list are usable;

selecting a second plurality of selected sub-channels, the selected sub-channels being selected from the set of usable sub-channels; and

communicating the signal over the second plurality of selected sub-channels.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable medium is further encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform a method of operation in a low power mode, the method comprising:

determining a second set of usable sub-channels in a third plurality of sub-channels, the third plurality of sub-channels being a subset of the first plurality of sub-channels; and

selecting a fourth plurality of sub-channels from the second set of usable sub-channels, the fourth plurality being less than the third plurality.

12. A method of communicating between a first computing device and a second computing device, the method comprising:

operating at least one programmed processor to carry out a series of acts, the series of acts being identified with instructions with which the at least one programmed processor is programmed, the series of acts comprising:

retrieving from storage a listing of sub-channels previously selected;

with the first computing device, selecting a plurality of selected sub-channels to carry a signal having a first bandwidth, the selected sub-channels being selected from a plurality of sub-channels, the plurality of sub-channels collectively having a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth, wherein selecting the plurality of selected sub-channels comprises preferentially selecting a sub-channel when the listing indicates that the sub-channel was previously selected by the first computing device for carrying a previous signal transmitted by the first computing device prior to the selecting selection of the plurality of selected sub-channels; and

transmitting at least one message over the plurality of selected sub-channels.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein transmitting at least one message over the plurality of selected sub-channels comprises transmitting a message from the second computing device to the first computing device.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the series of acts further comprises an act of transmitting from the first computing device to the second computing device an identification of the selected sub-channels prior to the act of transmitting the at least one message.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the series of acts further comprises an act of analyzing by the second computing device signals received by the second computing device to determine the sub-channels selected by the first computing device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the act of analyzing further comprises examining a store of sub-channels previously used for communication between the first computing device and the second computing device, and analyzing signals received on those sub-channels prior to examining signals received on other sub-channels.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the listing of sub-channels previously selected is a listing of sub-channels selected during one or more prior performances of acts of retrieving, selecting, and communicating.

18. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the first list of previously-selected sub-channels previously selected is a list of sub-channels selected during one or more prior performances of acts of retrieving, selecting, and communicating.

19. The computing device of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining a desired number of sub-channels to be selected based on a desired data rate,

wherein determining the set of usable sub-channels comprises examining sub-channels to determine whether sub-channels are usable until the desired number of sub-channels is determined to be usable.

20. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein retrieving from the storage the first list of previously-selected sub-channels comprises retrieving from the data store a list of sub-channels previously selected by the computer apparatus for carrying a previous signal, the previous signal having been transmitted by the computer apparatus prior to the retrieving.