Method and apparatus for wireless communication using a short-range base station with multiple radio interfaces of different technologies
View Patent ↗A method and an apparatus is provided for conducting wireless data communications using whitespace and non-whitespace channels. A short-range base station with an interface for whitespace channels and another interface for non-whitespace channels communicates with user equipment outfitted with equivalent interfaces. The short-range base station has a preference for using the interface for the whitespace channels, where the whitespace channels are whitespace spectrum bands that are available during periods when a primary user is not actively utilizing the whitespace. A spectrum server analyzes spectrum occupancy database information and whitespace spectrum sensing measurements to determine lists of available whitespace spectrum bands for use by the short-range base station.
1. A method of wireless communication using whitespace channels, comprising:
exchanging, at a base station, data communications with a user equipment on a first whitespace channel;
determining, at the base station, whether the first whitespace channel will be lost;
switching, at the base station, the data communications to a second whitespace channel if the determining step indicates that the first whitespace channel will be lost,
the first and second whitespace channels being channels that are licensed to a primary user and utilized by a wireless communication service provider operating the base station as a secondary user; and
exchanging control signaling with the user equipment on the non-whitespace channel even during periods when the base station is exchanging the data communications with the user equipment on one of the first and second whitespace channels,
wherein the non-whitespace channel is a channel that is exclusively licensed to a wireless communication service provider and unlicensed to all other users.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching to a second whitespace channel includes,
determining if a new whitespace channel is available,
if a new whitespace channel is available, assigning the new whitespace channel to be the second whitespace channel,
if a new whitespace channel is not available, switching to a non-whitespace channel and searching for an available new whitespace channel, the non-whitespace channel being a channel that is one of exclusively licensed to the wireless communication service provider and unlicensed to all users.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the searching for a new whitespace channel includes,
obtaining a list of one or more available whitespace spectrum bands from a spectrum server,
sensing the available whitespace spectrum bands to obtain characteristics of the available whitespace spectrum bands, and
selecting one of the available whitespace spectrum bands as the second whitespace channel based upon the obtained characteristics of the available whitespace spectrum bands.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the searching for a new whitespace channel includes,
sensing whitespace spectrum to obtain a localized measurement radio environment (LMRE) of available whitespace spectrum bands,
transmitting the LMRE to a spectrum server, and
receiving an assignment of the second whitespace channel from the spectrum server.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the first whitespace channel will be lost includes,
determining whether the first whitespace channel is one of degraded, interrupted, or the primary user will be returning to the first unlicensed channel.
6. A base station, comprising:
a first radio interface configured to carry a non-whitespace channel;
a second radio interface configured to carry a first whitespace channel; and
a processor configured to control the base station to,
exchange data communications with a user equipment on the first whitespace channel;
determine whether the first whitespace channel will be lost; and
switch the data communications to a second whitespace channel if it is determined that the first whitespace channel will be lost,
exchange control signaling with the user equipment on the non-whitespace channel even during periods when the base station is exchanging the data communications with the user equipment on one of the first and second whitespace channels,
wherein the first and second whitespace channels are channels that are licensed to a primary user and utilized by a wireless communication service provider operating the base station as a secondary user,
wherein the non-whitespace channel is a channel that is exclusively licensed to a wireless communication service provider and unlicensed to all other users.
7. The base station of claim 6 , wherein if it is determined that the first whitespace channel is to be lost, the processor is further configured to,
determine if a new whitespace channel is available,
if a new whitespace channel is available, assign the new whitespace channel to be the second whitespace channel,
if a new whitespace channel is not available, switch to the non-whitespace channel and search for a new whitespace channel.
8. The base station of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to,
obtain a list of one or more available whitespace spectrum bands from a spectrum server,
sense the available whitespace spectrum bands to obtain characteristics of the available whitespace spectrum bands,
select one of the available whitespace spectrum bands as the second whitespace channel based upon the obtained characteristics of the available whitespace spectrum bands,
exchange data communications with the user equipment on the second whitespace channel.
9. The base station of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to,
sense whitespace spectrum to obtain a localized measurement radio environment (LMRE) of available whitespace spectrum bands,
transmit the LMRE to a spectrum server along with base station location and transmit power information,
receive an assignment of the second whitespace channel from spectrum server,
exchange data communications with the user equipment on the second whitespace channel.
10. The base station of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to,
switch the data communications to the second whitespace channel if the processor determines that the first whitespace channel is one of degraded, interrupted, or a primary user will be returning to the first unlicensed channel.
11. A method of wireless communication using whitespace and non-whitespace channels, comprising:
sending, at a user equipment, a connection request to a base station on a non-whitespace channel via a first interface on the user equipment;
exchanging, at the user equipment, data communications with the base station on a first whitespace channel via a second interface on the user equipment;
receiving, at the user equipment, a switch-channel request from the base station on the non-whitespace channel;
switching, at the user equipment, data communications to a second whitespace channel based on the switch-channel request; and
exchanging, at the user equipment, control signaling with the base station on the non-whitespace channel even during periods when the base station is exchanging the data communications with the base station on one of the first and second whitespace channels,
wherein the first and second whitespace channels are channels that are licensed to a primary user and utilized by a wireless communication service provider operating the base station as a secondary user,
wherein the non-whitespace channel is a channel that is exclusively licensed to a wireless communication service provider and unlicensed to all other users.