Cost efficient spectral-reuse transceiver

Abstract

An operational mechanism enables frequency re-use techniques, including selective frequency hopping and channel aggregation, on very low-cost transceiver hardware.

1 . On a frequency hopping spectral reuse transceiver communicating over sub-channels of a prescribed communication bandwidth, a method of reducing the hardware requirements of the transceiver comprising the step of selecting one or more operational parameters of the transceiver's spectrum detection and frequency hopping capabilities so as to minimize for the transceiver's control processor's memory requirements or microprocessing requirements or both. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said one or more operational parameters are selected from the group comprised of the number of sub-channels simultaneously transmitted, the sub-channel size, the frequency hopping rate, the hopping pattern, the interference threshold at which the transceiver hops to a new frequency, the clear sub-channel assessment period, and the trigger for the sub-channel assessment period. 
     
     
         3 . On a network of frequency hopping spectral reuse transceivers, a method for creating a new frequency hopping sequence over which communications may be conducted by selecting sub-channels for communication comprising the steps of:
 a. a base station transceiver analyzing the spectrum of potential sub-channels over which communications may be conducted wherein said analysis comprises the measurement of signal levels on said sub-channels to determine their suitability for conducting communications by detecting the presence and absence of interfering signals and the recordation of said measurements;   b. said base station transceiver compiling a sample spectrum of suitable potential sub-channels identified in step a;   c. said base station transceiver analyzing which sub-channels of the frequency hopping sequence currently in use have new interference;   d. said base station transceiver determining which sub-channels not currently in the frequency hopping sequence are interference free;   e. said base station transceiver constructing a new frequency hopping sequence by adding the sub-channels compiled in step b to those sub-channels in the current frequency hopping sequence that are interference free and subtracting those sub-channels identified in step c.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  comprising the further steps of:
 i. a remote transceiver analyzing the spectrum of potential sub-channels over which communications may be conducted; 
 ii. said remote transceiver compiling an interference identifying on which sub-channels the remote transceiver has detected interference; 
 iii. said remote transceiver sending said interference report to the base transceiver; 
 iv. said base station transceiver further filtering its new frequency hopping sequence by subtracting those sub-channels identified in said interference report. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said spectrum analysis comprises the measurement of the received signal strength indicator for each potential sub-channel to determine whether said sub-channel is suitable for conducting communications. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said base station transceiver compares the received signal strength indicators for each sub-channel to a selected threshold value for determining whether said sub-channel is suitable for conducting communications. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said base station transceiver selects a new hopping sub-channel for conducting communications by selecting the candidate sub-channel with the lowest received signal strength indicator value. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said base station transceiver selects a new hopping sub-channel with the lowest received strength indicator value below a selected threshold value. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said base station transceiver excludes selection of a hopping sub-channel adjacent to the sub-channel currently in use when said base station transceiver constructs a new frequency hopping sequence. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said base station transceiver excludes selection of a hopping sub-channel adjacent to the sub-channel currently in use when said base station transceiver and said remote transceiver are engaged in spectrum analysis. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said base station transceiver is a full-duplex radio and wherein said base station transceiver selects a pair of sub-channels from the frequency hopping sequence over which to conduct communications. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3  wherein at least one of said receivers is used to conduct spectrum analysis on a network of frequency hopping spectral reuse transceivers and further wherein said base station transceiver comprises at least one transmitter and two or more receivers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein more than one receiver is used to conduct spectrum analysis. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the spectrum analyzed includes authorized licensed channels, further comprising the step that said base transceiver deems licensed channels over which the transceiver detects communications as interfering channels in compiling the frequency hopping spectrum. 
     
     
         15 . On a network of frequency hopping spectral reuse transceivers, wherein said network comprises more than one base station transceiver and wherein a mobile transceiver comprises at least two receivers, a method for determining hand-off procedures between base station transceivers comprising the steps:
 a) monitoring signal strength levels from the presently associated base station transceiver using one receiver;   b) simultaneously measuring signal strength levels from other base station transceivers within network range using a different receiver; and   c) comparing the respective signal strengths to determine whether the mobile transceiver should disassociate from one base station transceiver to another base station transceiver.