Channel availability for white-space devices, associated apparatus and methods

1. An apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the memory including computer program code, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive geographic location signaling associated with particular determined geographical locations of two or more white-space devices of a network;

receive uncertainty indication signaling for respective uncertainties associated with the particular determined geographic locations of the two or more white-space devices, the uncertainty indication signalling indicative of respective uncertainty areas within which the two or more white-space devices may be respectively located according to errors associated with the way in which the particular determined geographical locations of the two or more white-space devices are determined; and

determine the one or more channels available for use in communication by the respective two or more white-space devices in their particular determined geographical locations by using the geographic location signaling and uncertainty indication signaling and channel availability data configured to indicate one or more channels available for communication within respective geographical sub-regions of a geographical region,

wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the available channels by being configured to:

determine the different respective geographical sub-regions which are at least partially overlapped by the respective uncertainty areas associated with each of the determined white-space device locations;

determine a defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate, and

identify one or more channels available for communication between each of the respective white-space devices based on common channels available for use within the respective uncertainty areas associated with each of the white-space devices and the channels available for use within the defined geometric area; and

wherein the apparatus is configured to, when the apparatus identifies a pair of white-space devices in the network that have no common channels available for use for communication, identify an indirect communication path between the pair of white-space devices using channels available for use between other white-space devices of the network and each of the white-space devices of the pair.

2. A transceiver comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

3. A network system comprising one or more white-space devices and the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 .

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

receive area of operation indication signaling indicating the intended area of operation of the network; and

determine the defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate using the area of operation indication signaling.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to:

identify, using a connected channel availability database, grid points contained in the determined area of operation; and

generate a response containing the grid points' coordinates and associated channel availability information.

6. A method, the method comprising:

receiving geographic location signaling associated with a particular determined geographical location of two or more white-space devices of a network;

receiving uncertainty indication signaling for respective uncertainties associated with the particular determined geographic locations of the two or more white-space devices, the uncertainty indication signalling indicative of respective uncertainty areas within which the two or more white-space devices may be respectively located according to errors associated with the way in which the particular determined geographical locations of the two or more white-space devices are determined;

receiving channel availability data, the channel availability data configured to indicate one or more channels available for communication within respective geographical sub-regions of a geographical region;

determining the one or more channels available for use in communication by the respective two or more white-space devices in their particular determined geographical locations by:

determining the different respective geographical sub-regions which are at least partially overlapped by the uncertainty areas associated with each of the determined white-space device locations;

determining a defined geometric area over which the network intends to operate, and

identifying one or more channels available for communication between each of the respective white-space devices based on common channels available for use within the respective uncertainty areas associated with each of the white-space devices and the channels available for use within the defined geometric area; and

when a pair of white-space devices in the network that have no common channels available for use for communication is identified, identifying an indirect communication path between the pair of white-space devices using channels available for use between other white-space devices of the network and each of the white-space devices of the pair.

7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code being configured to, when run, perform the method of claim 6 .