Systems, methods, and devices for electronic spectrum management
View Patent ↗Systems, methods, and devices enable spectrum management by identifying, classifying, and cataloging signals of interest based on radio frequency measurements. In an embodiment, signals and the parameters of the signals may be identified and indications of available frequencies may be presented to a user. In another embodiment, the protocols of signals may also be identified. In a further embodiment, the modulation of signals, data types carried by the signals, and estimated signal origins may be identified.
1. A spectrum management device, comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) receiver;
a location receiver;
a memory;
a display; and
a processor coupled to the RF receiver, location receiver, memory, and display, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving a location input from the location receiver;
determining a location of the spectrum management device based on the received location input;
receiving RF energy measurements from the RF receiver;
determining a time associated with the RF energy measurements;
converting the received RF energy measurements into spectral representation data;
analyzing the spectral representation data to identify two or more signals above a power threshold;
determining whether the two or more signals are interrelated;
identifying the two or more signals as a single signal in response to determining the two or more signals are interrelated;
analyzing the spectral representation data associated with two or more signals upon identifying the two or more signals as the single signal to identify protocol data associated with the single signal;
determining a signal parameter of the single signal;
storing the signal parameter, the protocol data, the location of the spectrum management device, and the time associated with the RF energy measurements in a history database in the memory;
comparing the signal parameter and the protocol data of the single signal to a signal characteristic listing in the memory correlating signal parameters, protocols, and signal identifications to determine whether the signal parameter and protocol data of the identified single signal matches a signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing; and
displaying, on the display, an indication of the signal identification correlated to the signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing in response to determining the signal parameter and protocol data of the identified single signal matches a signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing.
2. The spectrum management device of claim 1 , wherein:
the RF receiver generates RF energy measurements over a range from 9 kHz to 6 GHz;
the spectral representation data comprises I and Q data; and
wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instruction to perform operations such that converting the received RF energy measurements into spectral representation data comprises applying a Fast Fourier Transform to the received RF energy measurements.
3. The spectrum management device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instruction to perform operation such that analyzing the spectral representation data associated with two or more signals upon identifying the two or more signals as the single signal to identify protocol data associated with the single signal comprises:
determining an access scheme associated with the single signal;
determining one or more channels associated with the single signal; and
determining a modulation type associate with the single signal.
4. The spectrum management device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instruction to perform operations such that determining a signal parameter of the identified signal comprises determining at least one of a frequency peak of the identified signal, a peak power of the identified signal, an average power of the identified signal, a signal bandwidth of the identified signal, and a signal duration of the identified signal.
5. The spectrum management device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instruction to perform operations further comprising:
determining a symbol rate of the single signal; and
storing the symbol rate of the single signal in the history database in the memory.
6. The spectrum management device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instruction to perform operations further comprising:
determining an environmental parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
determining a hardware parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
determining a noise figure parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
calculating signal degradation data for the single signal based on the environmental parameter, the hardware parameter, and the noise figure parameter;
storing the signal degradation data in the history database; and
displaying the degradation data on the display.
7. A spectrum management method, comprising:
receiving a location input from a location receiver;
determining a location of a spectrum management device based on the received location input;
receiving RF energy measurements from an RF receiver;
determining a time associated with the RF energy measurements;
converting the received RF energy measurements into spectral representation data;
analyzing the spectral representation data to identify two or more signals above a power threshold;
determining whether the two or more signals are interrelated;
identifying the two or more signals as a single signal in response to determining the two or more signals are interrelated;
analyzing the spectral representation data associated with two or more signals upon identifying the two or more signals as the single signal to identify protocol data associated with the single signal;
determining a signal parameter of the single signal;
storing the signal parameter, the protocol data, the location of the device, and the time associated with the RF energy measurements in a history database;
comparing the signal parameter and the protocol data of the single signal to a signal characteristic listing correlating signal parameters, protocols, and signal identifications to determine whether the signal parameter and protocol data of the identified single signal matches a signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing; and
displaying an indication of the signal identification correlated to the signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing in response to determining the signal parameter and protocol data of the identified single signal matches a signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the RF receiver generates RF energy measurements over a range from 9 kHz to 6 GHz;
the spectral representation data comprises I and Q data; and
wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instruction to perform operations such that converting the received RF energy measurements into spectral representation data comprises applying a Fast Fourier Transform to the received RF energy measurements.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein analyzing the spectral representation data associated with two or more signals upon identifying the two or more signals as the single signal to identify protocol data associated with the single signal comprises:
determining an access scheme associated with the single signal;
determining one or more channels associated with the single signal; and
determining a modulation type associate with the single signal.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a signal parameter of the identified signal comprises determining at least one of a frequency peak of the identified signal, a peak power of the identified signal, an average power of the identified signal, a signal bandwidth of the identified signal, and a signal duration of the identified signal.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining a symbol rate of the single signal; and
storing the symbol rate of the single signal in the history database.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining an environmental parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
determining a hardware parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
determining a noise figure parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
calculating signal degradation data for the single signal based on the environmental parameter, the hardware parameter, and the noise figure parameter;
storing the signal degradation data in the history database; and
displaying the degradation data.
13. A non-transitory processor readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a location input from a location receiver;
determining a location of a spectrum management device based on the received location input;
receiving RF energy measurements from an RF receiver;
determining a time associated with the RF energy measurements;
converting the received RF energy measurements into spectral representation data;
analyzing the spectral representation data to identify two or more signals above a power threshold;
determining whether the two or more signals are interrelated;
identifying the two or more signals as a single signal in response to determining the two or more signals are interrelated;
analyzing the spectral representation data associated with two or more signals upon identifying the two or more signals as the single signal to identify protocol data associated with the single signal;
determining a signal parameter of the single signal;
storing the signal parameter, the protocol data, the location of the device, and the time associated with the RF energy measurements in a history database;
comparing the signal parameter and the protocol data of the single signal to a signal characteristic listing correlating signal parameters, protocols, and signal identifications to determine whether the signal parameter and protocol data of the identified single signal matches a signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing; and
displaying an indication of the signal identification correlated to the signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing in response to determining the signal parameter and protocol data of the identified single signal matches a signal parameter and protocol in the signal characteristic listing.
14. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that:
the RF receiver generates RF energy measurements over a range from 9 kHz to 6 GHz;
the spectral representation data comprises I and Q data; and
wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instruction to perform operations such that converting the received RF energy measurements into spectral representation data comprises applying a Fast Fourier Transform to the received RF energy measurements.
15. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that analyzing the spectral representation data associated with two or more signals upon identifying the two or more signals as the single signal to identify protocol data associated with the single signal comprises:
determining an access scheme associated with the single signal;
determining one or more channels associated with the single signal; and
determining a modulation type associate with the single signal.
16. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that determining a signal parameter of the identified signal comprises determining at least one of a frequency peak of the identified signal, a peak power of the identified signal, an average power of the identified signal, a signal bandwidth of the identified signal, and a signal duration of the identified signal.
17. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising:
determining a symbol rate of the single signal; and
storing the symbol rate of the single signal in the history database.
18. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising:
determining an environmental parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
determining a hardware parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
determining a noise figure parameter associated with the single signal based on the signal characteristic listing;
calculating signal degradation data for the single signal based on the environmental parameter, the hardware parameter, and the noise figure parameter;
storing the signal degradation data in the history database; and
displaying the degradation data.