Management unit with local agent

Abstract

A management unit manages a plurality of multiservice communication devices capable of communicating via a plurality of networks. The management unit includes a device interface for facilitating a bidirectional data communication with the plurality of multiservice communication devices via a wireless control channel, the bidirectional data communication including outbound control data sent to at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices and inbound control data received from at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices via either a logical or physical control channel. A network interface receives network resource data from the plurality of networks. A management processing unit includes a local agent that gathers environmental data, wherein the management processing unit processes the inbound control data, the environmental data and the network resource data and that generates the outbound control data in response thereto.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A management unit for managing a plurality of multiservice communication devices capable of communicating wirelessly via a plurality of networks, the management unit comprising:
 a device interface configured to facilitate a bidirectional data communication with the plurality of multiservice communication devices via a wireless control channel, the bidirectional data communication including outbound control data sent to at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices and inbound control data received from at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices;   a network interface configured to receive network resource data from the plurality of networks; and   a management processing unit communicatively coupled to gather environmental data that includes RF spectral information pertaining to the RF spectrum in use by the plurality of networks, wherein the management processing unit processes the inbound control data, the environmental data and the network resource data and generates the outbound control data in response thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data from a plurality of remote devices, different from the plurality of multiservice communication devices, via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         3 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data from at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         4 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data the plurality of multiservice communication devices via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         5 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data from a remote device, different from the plurality of multiservice communication devices, via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         6 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the environmental data includes location data. 
     
     
         7 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the inbound control data includes at least one transaction request and the management unit allocates at least one resource of at least one of the plurality of networks based on the inbound control data and the network resource data. 
     
     
         8 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the inbound control data includes at least one transaction request and the management unit selects one of the plurality of networks to implement a transaction in accordance with the transaction request based on the inbound control data and the network resource data. 
     
     
         9 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the outbound control data includes a selection of one of the plurality of networks. 
     
     
         10 . The management unit of  claim 1  wherein the outbound control data includes cognitive transceiver configuration data for configuring at least one cognitive transceiver of at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices. 
     
     
         11 . A management unit for managing a plurality of multiservice communication devices capable of communicating wirelessly via a plurality of networks, the management unit comprising:
 a network interface configured to receive network resource data from the plurality of networks and to facilitate a bidirectional data communication with the plurality of multiservice communication devices via a wireless control channel, the bidirectional data communication including outbound control data sent to at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices and inbound control data received from at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices, wherein the wireless control channel is carried by the communication between the plurality of multiservice communication devices and the plurality of networks; and   a management processing unit communicatively coupled to the network interface, that to gather environmental data that includes RF spectral information pertaining to the RF spectrum in use by the plurality of networks, wherein the management processing unit processes the inbound control data, the environmental data and the network resource data and generates the outbound control data in response thereto.   
     
     
         12 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data from a plurality of remote devices, different from the plurality of multiservice communication devices, via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         13 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data from at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         14 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data from the plurality of multiservice communication devices via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         15 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the management processing unit gathers the environmental data from a remote device, different from the plurality of multiservice communication devices, via the wireless control channel. 
     
     
         16 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the environmental data includes location data. 
     
     
         17 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the inbound control data includes at least one transaction request and the management unit allocates at least one resource of at least one of the plurality of networks based on the inbound control data and the network resource data. 
     
     
         18 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the inbound control data includes at least one transaction request and the management unit selects one of the plurality of networks to implement a transaction in accordance with the transaction request based on the inbound control data and the network resource data. 
     
     
         19 . The management unit of  claim 11  wherein the outbound control data includes a selection of one of the plurality of networks. 
     
     
         20 . A method for managing a plurality of multiservice communication devices capable of communicating wirelessly via a plurality of networks, the method comprising:
 receiving network resource data from the plurality of networks;   facilitating a bidirectional data communication with the plurality of multiservice communication devices via a wireless control channel, the bidirectional data communication including outbound control data sent to at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices and inbound control data received from at least one of the plurality of multiservice communication devices, wherein the wireless control channel is carried by the communication between the plurality of multiservice communication devices and the plurality of networks;   gathering environmental data that includes RF spectral information pertaining to the RF spectrum in use by the plurality of networks; and   processing the inbound control data, the environmental data and the network resource data and generating the outbound control data in response thereto.