Frequency spectrum management method and frequency spectrum management equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a spectrum management method and spectrum management equipment. A spectrum management method includes using a block chain to adjust rights of a spectrum block. In one embodiment, a spectrum management device includes a regulator configured to regulate rights of a spectrum block using a blockchain. The right of the spectrum block comprises the right to use the spectrum block, the property right of the spectrum block and / or the ownership of the spectrum block.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication systems, and more specifically, to spectrum management methods and devices that can provide flexible spectrum sharing. Background Technology

[0002] To address the shortcomings of traditional spectrum management, further improve spectrum utilization efficiency, and incentivize spectrum holders with higher returns on investment, flexible spectrum sharing is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a spectrum management method and spectrum management device to improve spectrum utilization efficiency and / or provide flexible spectrum sharing.

[0004] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a spectrum management method includes using a blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks.

[0005] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the rights to the spectrum block include the right to use the spectrum block, the ownership of the spectrum block, and / or the title to the spectrum block.

[0006] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the right to adjust the spectral block is based on a first granularity level.

[0007] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the first granularity level includes the frequency domain, time domain, spatial domain, and / or geographic domain.

[0008] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the blockchain includes nodes dedicated to trading the right to use the spectrum blocks.

[0009] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the blockchain includes a consortium blockchain.

[0010] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the nodes on the blockchain are consortium members or approved by the consortium.

[0011] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, nodes in the blockchain have node accounts, which have account addresses used as the identity of the nodes.

[0012] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the node account includes information for trading the right to use the spectrum block.

[0013] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the information for the use rights transaction of the spectrum block includes an account balance for transaction payment and authentication-related information, the authentication being used to prove that a user is allowed to participate in the use rights transaction of the spectrum block.

[0014] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the trading of the right to use the spectrum block includes auction or non-auction.

[0015] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the auction includes creating a smart contract for the auction and sharing the smart contract address with all nodes interested in participating in the auction.

[0016] In some embodiments of any of the above methods, the conditions for invoking the smart contract include at least one of the following: the alliance member; a user account with sufficient funds in its balance account to trigger the auction; and a user who has been certified to participate in the spectrum block usage rights transaction.

[0017] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the creation of a smart contract for the auction is based on a technical dimension, and / or the funds include coins or tokens.

[0018] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the technical dimension includes one or more technologies to be used in the spectrum block.

[0019] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the one or more technologies include at least New Radio (NR), 3GPP technology, or Wi-Fi or IEEE technology.

[0020] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the smart contract includes an auction deadline or remaining time, a holder ID or holder signature, a holder smart contract account address, and the auction amount for each call / trigger of the smart contract.

[0021] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, after the smart contract is created, the smart contract is published by a blockchain miner through the blockchain.

[0022] In some embodiments of any of the above methods, when the smart contract is triggered, the smart contract checks whether the auction deadline or remaining time is met; if so, the smart contract is not triggered again.

[0023] In some embodiments of any of the above methods, when the smart contract is triggered, the smart contract checks whether the bidding deadline or remaining time is met. If not, the smart contract continues to check whether all user conditions are met. Then, the smart contract automatically executes a fee transaction that transfers the pre-defined bidding amount from the user's balance account to the smart contract account and updates the latest user identifier (ID) or address with the highest bid.

[0024] In some embodiments of any of the above methods, when the bidding deadline or remaining time ends, the smart contract automatically transfers the final bid amount from the smart contract account to the holder's account and returns the funds to the accounts of all users who failed the auction.

[0025] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the smart contract records data on fee transactions related to the spectrum usage rights in a ledger, and the smart contract further updates the usage rights data structure.

[0026] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the non-auction requires fixed transaction fees.

[0027] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, in the non-auction scenario, a transaction is conducted and the right of use is granted when a user invokes / triggers a smart contract.

[0028] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, in order to invoke the smart contract, the user's funds in the balance account are equal to or greater than the required transaction fee, and / or the user is authenticated.

[0029] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, when multiple users successfully invoke the smart contract, the right to use is granted to the multiple users.

[0030] In some embodiments of any of the above methods, when multiple users obtain access rights to the same frequency band for the same time period and geographical location, the users execute conflict avoidance access rules.

[0031] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the smart contract is created to control the number of users, such that the level of conflict is low.

[0032] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, a maximum number of times the smart contract can be called is set, and the number of times the smart contract can be called decreases until zero each time the smart contract is successfully called by the user.

[0033] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, once the number of times the smart contract is invoked is zero, the smart contract is no longer invoked / triggered in order to control the number of users granted access.

[0034] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the rights to the spectrum blocks are allowed to be further traded on a secondary market.

[0035] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the rights to the spectrum blocks are traded on the secondary market based on a second granularity level.

[0036] In some embodiments of any of the methods described above, the second granularity level is a stratification of the first granularity level.

[0037] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a spectrum management device includes a regulator configured to use a blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks. Furthermore, the spectrum management device is configured to perform any of the methods described above.

[0038] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a spectrum management device includes a memory, a transceiver, and a processor, the processor being coupled to the memory and the transceiver. The processor is configured to perform any of the methods described above.

[0039] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication device includes a regulator configured to use a blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks. Furthermore, the spectrum management device is configured to perform any of the methods described above.

[0040] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication device includes an actuator configured to perform any of the methods described above.

[0041] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, therein is a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0042] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a chip includes a processor configured to invoke and run a computer program stored in a memory to cause a device on which the chip is mounted to perform any of the methods described above.

[0043] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored that causes a computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0044] In a ninth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product includes a computer program that causes a computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0045] In a tenth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program causes a computer to perform any of the methods described above. Attached Figure Description

[0046] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure or related technologies, the following drawings will be described in the brief description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without meeting any preconditions.

[0047] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a spectrum management device in a communication network system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating a spectrum management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a first granularity level for trading usage rights according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0050] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a data structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a second granular level for trading usage rights according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0052] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0053] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of a spectrum management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of a spectrum management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The technical problems, structural features, objectives, and effects of the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specifically, the terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is only used to describe the purpose of a particular embodiment and is not intended to limit the disclosure.

[0056] Blockchain

[0057] Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that consists of a continuously growing list of records (called blocks) securely linked together using cryptographic techniques. Each block contains the cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data (typically represented as a Merkle tree, where data nodes are represented by leaf nodes). The timestamp proves that the transaction data existed at the time the block was created. Because each block contains information about the previous block, these blocks effectively form a chain (comparable to a linked list data structure), with each new block linked to all the blocks preceding it. Therefore, blockchain transactions are irreversible because once they are recorded, the data in any given block cannot be retroactively altered without changing all subsequent blocks.

[0058] A blockchain can be managed by a peer-to-peer (P2P) computer network, serving as a public distributed ledger where nodes collectively adhere to a consensus algorithm protocol to add and verify new transaction blocks. Blockchain records are not immutable, as blockchain forks are possible. Blockchains can be designed to be secure, and examples of distributed computing systems with high Byzantine fault tolerance are provided.

[0059] Spectrum Management

[0060] In a simple approach, governments divide the spectrum into non-overlapping blocks. Licenses are then issued, granting their recipients exclusive rights to transmit within one such block of spectrum in a given geographic region. Clearly, proprietary access solves the problem of mutual interference and requires no coordination (although some negotiation may occur along spectrum and geographic boundaries, where guard bands are typically needed). Therefore, most of the world's spectrum is licensed in this way. However, proprietary spectrum licensing has several drawbacks: 1) the spectrum allocation process is time-consuming; 2) the deployment of selected new technologies cannot be achieved immediately, resulting in a low return on investment; and 3) governments need to expend additional effort to monitor whether effective spectrum utilization is ensured in practice.

[0061] It's worth noting that timely market penetration is key to promoting new technologies. For example, in the 1980s, VHS beat Beta in the video recording market, not because VHS was a better technology, but because two-hour VHS tapes had been available months earlier. Therefore, a lengthy spectrum allocation process can sometimes stifle a promising technology.

[0062] Technical issues

[0063] To address the shortcomings of traditional spectrum management and further improve spectrum utilization efficiency, as well as to incentivize spectrum holders with higher returns on investment, this disclosure proposes the concept of flexible spectrum sharing in some embodiments. This new flexible spectrum sharing is achieved using blockchain infrastructure and distributed ledger technology.

[0064] Figure 1 The following embodiments illustrate a spectrum management device 10 in a communication network system 30 (e.g., a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a terrestrial network) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication network system 30 includes the spectrum management device 10. The spectrum management device 10 may include a memory 12, a transceiver 13, and a processor 11 coupled to the memory 12 and the transceiver 13. The processor 11 may be configured to implement the functions, programs, and / or methods set forth in the description herein. Multiple layers of a radio interface protocol may be implemented in the processor 11. The memory 12 is operatively coupled to the processor 11 and stores various information for operating the processor 11. The transceiver 13 is operatively coupled to the processor 11, and the transceiver 13 transmits and / or receives radio signals.

[0065] Processor 11 may include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, and / or data processing devices. Memory 12 may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, memory cards, storage media, and / or other storage devices. Transceiver 13 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. When embodiments are implemented in software, the techniques described herein may be implemented by modules (e.g., programs, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Modules may be stored in memory 12 and executed by processor 11. Memory 12 may be implemented within processor 11 or external to processor 11. When memory 12 is implemented externally to processor 11, memory 12 may be communicatively coupled to processor 11 in various ways known in the art.

[0066] In some embodiments, the processor 11 is configured to use a blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks. This can improve spectrum utilization efficiency and / or provide flexible spectrum sharing.

[0067] Figure 2 A spectrum management method 200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. In some embodiments, method 200 includes: block 202, using a blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks. This can improve spectrum utilization efficiency and / or provide flexible spectrum sharing.

[0068] In some embodiments, the rights to a spectrum block include the right to use the spectrum block, the ownership of the spectrum block, and / or the title to the spectrum block. In some embodiments, the rights to regulate a spectrum block are based on a first granularity level. In some embodiments, the first granularity level includes frequency domain, time domain, spatial domain, and / or geographic domain. In some embodiments, the blockchain includes nodes dedicated to spectrum block usage right transactions. In some embodiments, the blockchain includes a consortium blockchain. In some embodiments, the nodes on the blockchain are consortium members or approved by the consortium. In some embodiments, nodes in the blockchain have node accounts with account addresses that serve as the identity of the node. In some embodiments, the node accounts include information for spectrum block usage right transactions.

[0069] In some embodiments, the information used for spectrum block usage rights transactions includes account balances for transaction payments and authentication-related information, which proves that a user is allowed to participate in spectrum block usage rights transactions. In some embodiments, spectrum block usage rights transactions include auctions or non-auctions. In some embodiments, an auction includes creating a smart contract for the auction and sharing the smart contract address with all nodes interested in participating in the auction. In some embodiments, the conditions for invoking the smart contract include at least one of the following: a consortium member; a user account with sufficient funds in its balance account to trigger an auction; and a user who has obtained authentication to participate in the spectrum block usage rights transaction. In some embodiments, creating a smart contract for the auction is based on a technical dimension, and / or the funds include coins or tokens. In some embodiments, the technical dimension includes one or more technologies that will be used in the spectrum block.

[0070] In some embodiments, one or more technologies include at least New Radio (NR), 3GPP technology, or Wi-Fi or IEEE technology. In some embodiments, the smart contract includes an auction deadline or remaining time, a holder ID or holder signature, the holder's smart contract account address, and the auction amount for each invocation / triggering of the smart contract. In some embodiments, after the smart contract is created, it is published via the blockchain by a blockchain miner. In some embodiments, when the smart contract is triggered, it checks whether the auction deadline or remaining time has been met; if so, the smart contract is not triggered again.

[0071] In some embodiments, when a smart contract is triggered, it checks whether the bidding deadline or remaining time has been met. If not, it checks whether all user conditions are met, and then automatically executes a fee transaction to transfer a pre-defined bid amount from the user's balance account to the smart contract account, and updates the latest user identifier (ID) or address with the highest bid. In some embodiments, when the bidding deadline or remaining time ends, the smart contract automatically transfers the final bid amount from the smart contract account to the holder's account and returns the funds to the accounts of all users who lost the auction. In some embodiments, the smart contract records data on fee transactions related to spectrum usage rights in a ledger, and further updates the usage rights data structure. In some embodiments, non-auctions require fixed transaction fees. In some embodiments, in non-auctions, when a user invokes / triggers the smart contract, a transaction is performed and usage rights are granted.

[0072] In some embodiments, to invoke a smart contract, a user's funds in their balance account must be equal to or greater than the required transaction fee, and / or the user must be authenticated. In some embodiments, access rights are granted to multiple users when multiple users successfully invoke the smart contract. In some embodiments, when multiple users are granted access rights for the same frequency band within the same time period and geographical location, users enforce conflict avoidance access rules. In some embodiments, a smart contract is created to control the number of users, ensuring a low level of conflict. In some embodiments, a maximum number of smart contract invocations is set, and the number of invocations decreases until zero each time the smart contract is successfully invoked by a user. In some embodiments, once the number of smart contract invocations reaches zero, the smart contract is no longer invoked / triggered to control the number of users granted access rights.

[0073] In some embodiments, the rights to spectrum blocks can be further traded on a secondary market. In some embodiments, the rights to spectrum blocks are traded on the secondary market based on a second granularity level. In some embodiments, the second granularity level is a layering of the first granularity level. The second granularity level includes frequency domain, time domain, spatial domain, and / or geographic domain.

[0074] The examples given in this disclosure can be applied to IoT devices, NB-IoT devices, NR devices, and LTE devices, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0075] Example

[0076] To address this technical problem, it is crucial to find a method for regulating spectrum usage rights or ownership. In traditional spectrum management, spectrum usage rights are allocated by the government through licensing. Operators obtain spectrum block licenses, thus gaining access to the spectrum blocks. However, spectrum licensing is inflexible and not easily regulated. In some embodiments of this disclosure, spectrum block usage rights and / or ownership can be allocated and subsequently regulated, meaning that the rights to a spectrum block can be transferred from one holder to another.

[0077] In some embodiments, the government initiates a coarse allocation of spectrum usage rights to a limited number of users, who can be, but are not limited to, traditional operators. These users then become usage right holders, which we will simply refer to as holders. Holders are allowed to transfer their usage rights to other users, and in return, they can receive benefits from the usage right transactions, such as fees. Because holders can transfer spectrum blocks not used for their own services, and this can vary over time and / or geographically, this allows holders to determine a finer granularity for the usage right transactions. For example, in addition to the frequency domain, some embodiments may add at least two dimensions, namely, such as... Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the time and geographic domains, where spectrum blocks can be further subdivided into smaller blocks, and time can be divided into predefined time ranges (e.g., hours, days, months, etc.). The geographic dimension defines the granularity of the geographic domain; an example could be a country-specific geographic region, such as streets, blocks, cities, departments, or regions. Alternatively, the geographic dimension can be defined by GPS location. When a holder wants to trade spectrum usage rights, they can trade one or more frequency bands for which they have usage rights. Once the usage rights are transferred, the new holder only has rights within the defined time range and geographic location. This finer granularity provides greater flexibility for the initial holder, potentially incentivizing them to engage in such transactions.

[0078] In some embodiments, usage rights transactions are implemented via a blockchain. First, the initial holder and users wishing to become potential new holders should be nodes in the blockchain dedicated to usage rights transactions. One example is that such a blockchain could be a consortium blockchain, established by government authorities, operators, blockchain infrastructure builders, etc. To become a node on the blockchain, one needs to be a member of the consortium or approved by the consortium. A node may have a node account with an account address that identifies it as a node. The account may contain one or more pieces of information for the transaction, such as an account balance for transaction payments and authentication-related information, where authentication proves that the user is allowed to participate in the transaction. This authentication may be granted by a government authority or other party. A user can be authenticated if certain conditions are met. For example, one condition could be a test certificate for the user's use of spectrum, the user's device meeting regulations, being controlled for out-of-band interference, or conforming to the target / requested technology (e.g., New Radio (NR), 3GPP technology, or Wi-Fi or IEEE technology). Transactions can take the form of auctions or non-auctions. For auction transactions, the holder can set an initial price for the target spectrum block and initiate an auction. Potential users can bid for usage rights. The auction process is described as follows: The holder creates a smart contract for the auction and shares the smart contract address with all nodes interested in participating in the auction. In some embodiments, the creation of the smart contract for the auction is based on a technology dimension. In some embodiments, the technology dimension includes one or more technologies that will be used in the spectrum block. In some embodiments, one or more technologies include at least New Radio (NR), 3GPP technology, or Wi-Fi or IEEE technology.

[0079] In a smart contract, all granular information can be precisely specified as described above, and the conditions for invoking the smart contract are at least one of the following: 1) a consortium member; 2) the user's account balance has sufficient funds to trigger an auction; 3) the user obtains authentication to participate in the transaction. In some embodiments, funds include coins or tokens.

[0080] A smart contract can be a program stored on a blockchain that executes when one or more predetermined conditions are met. Smart contracts are used to automate protocols, enabling all participants to determine the outcome immediately without any intermediary involvement or time loss. Smart contracts can also automate workflows, triggering the next action when one or more conditions are met.

[0081] A token refers to any cryptocurrency with its own independent blockchain, such as Bitcoin. These cryptocurrencies are built from scratch, and the broader network is explicitly designed to achieve a specific goal. For example, Bitcoin is a censorship-resistant store of value and medium of exchange, with a secure and fixed monetary policy. Bitcoin's native coin, BTC (i.e., Bitcoin), is the most liquid cryptocurrency on the market, boasting the highest market capitalization and realized market capitalization in the cryptocurrency space. Token projects often draw inspiration from past technologies or other cryptocurrencies, integrating them into an innovative network catering to a specific purpose. Another example of a coin is Ethereum's Ether (ETH), the native coin of the smart contract platform used to create general-purpose computer programs that run on a decentralized blockchain. Ethereum doesn't focus on financial data but rather on arbitrary program data, which can encompass anything from games to social media. Ether is used to send / receive, manage assets, pay gas fees, and interact with decentralized applications on the network.

[0082] Tokens are dedicated investments in broader smart contract platforms like Ethereum, which enable users to create and manage tokens as derivatives of major blockchains. Tokens occupy a unique position in the cryptocurrency market, acting as "utility" tokens within the ecosystem of applications to incentivize specific actions or pay fees. A token can refer to a digital unit of value representing an asset or utility. Unlike coins, tokens do not have their own blockchain. Unlike coins, tokens are not generated through "mining" during transaction verification. Instead, tokens are produced through "minting."

[0083] In addition to the above, smart contracts may contain other information such as the auction deadline or remaining time, the holder's ID or signature, the holder's smart contract account address, and the auction amount for each call / trigger of the contract. After the smart contract is created, it can be published on the blockchain by blockchain miners. In return, the holder receives the contract address, which potential users can use to call the smart contract. The holder can share the address with potential users. Potential users can use the smart contract address to trigger the smart contract and bid. Once the smart contract is triggered, it may first check if the deadline has been met. If so, the user will not trigger the smart contract again. However, if not, the smart contract will continue to check if all user conditions have been met. The smart contract may automatically execute a fee transaction to transfer the pre-defined auction amount from the user's balance account to the smart contract account and update the latest user identifier (ID) or address of the highest bidder. When the auction deadline ends, the smart contract may automatically transfer the final auction amount from the smart contract account to the holder's account and simultaneously return the funds to the accounts of all users who lost the auction. The smart contract will then record the data regarding spectrum usage fee transactions in the ledger, and will also update the usage data structure. An example of the data structure can be found in... Figure 4 Described in the text.

[0084] On the other hand, for non-auction transactions, a fixed transaction fee is required. This means that when a smart contract is invoked / triggered by a user, a transaction will take place, and usage rights can be granted. Similarly, to invoke a smart contract, user conditions must be met, such as the user's funds in their balance account must be equal to or greater than the requested transaction fee, and the user needs to be authenticated. In this case, it's important to note that when multiple users successfully invoke the smart contract, usage rights can be granted to multiple users. When multiple users obtain usage rights for the same frequency band within the same time period and geographical location, users need to enforce conflict avoidance access rules, such as Listen Before You Speak (LBT). Smart contracts can be created to control the number of users, ensuring a low level of conflict. For example, the holder can set a maximum number of times the smart contract can be invoked, which decreases until zero each time a user successfully invokes the smart contract. Once this number reaches zero, the smart contract can no longer be invoked / triggered, thus controlling the number of users granted usage rights.

[0085] In another example, once a user acquires usage rights through the above process, they are allowed to further trade their rights on a secondary market. For complete flexibility, users can decide how... Figure 5 The second granularity level of transaction usage rights is shown.

[0086] Figure 6 The right to use a blockchain to regulate spectrum blocks according to embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 6In some embodiments, a spectrum usage right holder can create a smart contract using a blockchain. A first non-holder of the spectrum usage right can invoke the smart contract using the blockchain, as can a second non-holder. In some embodiments, it should be understood that usage rights can be granted to multiple users when multiple users (e.g., the first and second non-holders of the spectrum usage right) successfully invoke the smart contract. When multiple users are granted usage rights for the same frequency band at the same time and geographical location, users need to enforce conflict avoidance access rules, such as Listen Before You Speak (LBT). Smart contracts can be created to control the number of users, ensuring a low level of conflict. For example, the holder can set a maximum number of times the smart contract can be invoked, which can be decremented to zero each time a user successfully invokes the smart contract. Once the number reaches zero, the smart contract can no longer be invoked / triggered, thus controlling the number of users granted usage rights.

[0087] Figure 7 A spectrum management device 1700 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. The spectrum management device 1700 includes a regulator 1701 configured to use a blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks. This can improve spectrum utilization efficiency and / or provide flexible spectrum sharing.

[0088] In some embodiments, the rights to a spectrum block include the right to use the spectrum block, the ownership of the spectrum block, and / or the title to the spectrum block. In some embodiments, regulator 1701 is configured to regulate the rights to the spectrum block based on a first granularity level. In some embodiments, the first granularity level includes frequency domain, time domain, spatial domain, and / or geographic domain. In some embodiments, the blockchain includes nodes dedicated to spectrum block usage right transactions. In some embodiments, the blockchain includes a consortium blockchain. In some embodiments, nodes on the blockchain are consortium members or approved by the consortium. In some embodiments, nodes in the blockchain have node accounts with account addresses that serve as the identity of the node. In some embodiments, the node accounts include information for spectrum block usage right transactions.

[0089] In some embodiments, the information used for spectrum block usage rights transactions includes account balances for transaction payments and authentication-related information, which proves that a user is allowed to participate in spectrum block usage rights transactions. In some embodiments, spectrum block usage rights transactions include auctions or non-auctions. In some embodiments, an auction includes creating a smart contract for the auction and sharing the smart contract address with all nodes interested in participating in the auction. In some embodiments, the conditions for invoking the smart contract include at least one of the following: a consortium member; a user account with sufficient funds in its balance account to trigger an auction; or a user who has obtained authentication to participate in spectrum block usage rights transactions. In some embodiments, creating a smart contract for the auction is based on a technical dimension, and / or the funds include coins or tokens. In some embodiments, the technical dimension includes one or more technologies that will be used in the spectrum block.

[0090] In some embodiments, one or more technologies include at least New Radio (NR), 3GPP technology, or Wi-Fi or IEEE technology. In some embodiments, the smart contract includes an auction deadline or remaining time, a holder ID or holder signature, the holder's smart contract account address, and the auction amount for each invocation / triggering of the smart contract. In some embodiments, after the smart contract is created, it is published via the blockchain by a blockchain miner. In some embodiments, when the smart contract is triggered, it checks whether the auction deadline or remaining time has been met; if so, the smart contract is not triggered again.

[0091] In some embodiments, when a smart contract is triggered, it checks whether the auction deadline or remaining time has been met. If not, it checks whether all user conditions are met, and then automatically executes a fee transaction to transfer the pre-defined auction amount from the user's balance account to the smart contract account, and updates the latest user ID or address of the highest bidder. In some embodiments, when the auction deadline or remaining time ends, the smart contract automatically transfers the final auction amount from the smart contract account to the holder's account and returns the funds to the accounts of all users who lost the auction. In some embodiments, the smart contract records data on fee transactions related to spectrum usage rights in a ledger, and further updates the usage rights data structure. In some embodiments, non-auctions require fixed transaction fees. In some embodiments, in non-auctions, when a user invokes / triggers the smart contract, a transaction is performed and usage rights are granted.

[0092] In some embodiments, to invoke a smart contract, a user's funds in their balance account must be equal to or greater than the required transaction fee, and / or the user must be authenticated. In some embodiments, when multiple users successfully invoke the smart contract, access rights are granted to multiple users. In some embodiments, when multiple users are granted access rights for the same frequency band within the same time period and geographical location, users enforce conflict avoidance access rules. In some embodiments, a smart contract is created to control the number of users, ensuring a low level of conflict. In some embodiments, a maximum number of smart contract invocations is set, and the number of invocations decreases until zero each time a user successfully invokes the smart contract. In some embodiments, once the number of smart contract invocations reaches zero, the smart contract is no longer invoked / triggered to control the number of users granted access rights.

[0093] In some embodiments, the rights to spectrum blocks can be further traded on a secondary market. In some embodiments, the rights to spectrum blocks are traded on the secondary market based on a second granularity level. In some embodiments, the second granularity level is a layering of the first granularity level. The second granularity level includes frequency domain, time domain, spatial domain, and / or geographic domain.

[0094] Some embodiments of this disclosure offer the following commercial benefits: 1. Improved spectrum utilization efficiency; 2. Provision of flexible spectrum sharing; 3. Some embodiments of this disclosure are used by manufacturers including: 5G-NR chipset suppliers, V2X communication system development suppliers, automobile manufacturers (including cars, trains, trucks, buses, bicycles, motorcycles, helmets, etc.), drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) manufacturers, smartphone manufacturers, communication equipment manufacturers for public safety use, and AR / VR device manufacturers (e.g., for gaming, conferences / seminars, educational purposes). Some embodiments of this disclosure are combinations of "technologies / processes" that can be adopted in 3GPP specifications to create the final product. Some embodiments of this disclosure can be adopted in 5G NR licensed and unlicensed or shared spectrum communications. Some embodiments of this disclosure propose technical mechanisms.

[0095] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of an exemplary system 700 for wireless communication according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in the system using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. Figure 8System 700 is shown, comprising radio frequency (RF) circuitry 710, baseband circuitry 720, application circuitry 730, memory / storage device 740, display 750, camera 760, sensor 770, and input / output (I / O) interface 780, all of which are coupled to each other at least as shown. Application circuitry 730 may include, for example, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors). The processor may be coupled to the memory / storage device and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage device to implement various applications and / or operating systems running on the system.

[0096] The baseband circuit 720 may include circuitry, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor may include a baseband processor. The baseband circuitry can handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuitry. Radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation, encoding, decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry can provide communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry can support communication with networks such as the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and / or other Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), and Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry is configured to support radio communication with more than one radio protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0097] In various embodiments, baseband circuitry 720 may include circuitry that operates on signals not strictly considered to be at baseband frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, baseband circuitry may include circuitry that operates on signals having an intermediate frequency (IF) between the baseband frequency and a radio frequency. RF circuitry 710 may enable communication with a wireless network using modulated electromagnetic radiation via a non-solid-state medium. In various embodiments, RF circuitry may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with a wireless network. In various embodiments, RF circuitry 710 may include circuitry that operates on signals not strictly considered to be at radio frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, RF circuitry may include circuitry that operates on signals with an intermediate frequency (IF) between the baseband frequency and a radio frequency.

[0098] In various embodiments, the transmitter circuitry, control circuitry, or receiver circuitry discussed above with respect to user equipment, eNB, or gNB may be wholly or partially embodied in one or more of the RF circuitry, baseband circuitry, and / or application circuitry. As used herein, “circuit” may refer to, be part of, or include the following components: application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) executing one or more software or firmware programs, electronic circuitry, processors (shared processors, dedicated processors, or processor groups) and / or memories (shared memory, dedicated memory, or memory groups), combinational logic circuitry, and / or other suitable hardware components providing the described functionality. In some embodiments, electronic device circuitry may be implemented in one or more software or firmware modules, or the functionality associated with the circuitry may be implemented by one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, some or all of the components of the baseband circuitry, application circuitry, and / or memory / storage device may be implemented together on a system-on-a-chip (SOC). Memory / storage device 740 may be used to load and store, for example, data and / or instructions for the system. One embodiment of the memory / storage device may include any combination of suitable volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory).

[0099] In various embodiments, I / O interface 780 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable a user to interact with the system and / or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable peripheral components to interact with the system. User interfaces may include, but are not limited to, a physical keyboard or keypad, touchpad, speaker, microphone, etc. Peripheral component interfaces may include, but are not limited to, a non-volatile memory port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an audio jack, and a power interface. In various embodiments, sensor 770 may include one or more sensing devices to determine environmental conditions and / or location information relevant to the system. In some embodiments, sensors may include, but are not limited to, a gyroscope sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a positioning unit. The positioning unit may also be part of, or interact with, baseband and / or RF circuitry to communicate with components of a positioning network (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites).

[0100] In various embodiments, display 750 may include a display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touchscreen display. In various embodiments, system 700 may be a mobile computing device, such as, but not limited to, a laptop, tablet, netbook, ultrabook, smartphone, AR / VR glasses, etc. In various embodiments, the system may have more or fewer components and / or different architectures. Where appropriate, the methods described herein may be implemented as a computer program. The computer program may be stored on a storage medium, such as a non-transitory storage medium.

[0101] Those skilled in the art will understand that each of the units, algorithms, and steps described and disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure is implemented using electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether a function operates in hardware or software depends on the application conditions and design requirements of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the functions for each specific application, and such implementations should not exceed the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that since the working processes of the above-described systems, devices, and units are substantially the same, they can refer to the working processes of the systems, devices, and units in the above embodiments. For the sake of convenience and brevity, these working processes will not be described in detail.

[0102] It should be understood that the systems, devices, and methods disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in other ways. The above embodiments are merely exemplary. The division of units is based solely on logical function, and other divisions exist in the implementation. Multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system. Some features may also be omitted or skipped. On the other hand, the mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication coupling shown or discussed operates indirectly or communicatively through some ports, devices, or units in an electrical, mechanical, or other form.

[0103] The units used for illustration may or may not be physically separate. The units shown may or may not be physical units; that is, these units may be located in one location or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be used depending on the purpose of the embodiment. Furthermore, each functional unit in each embodiment may be integrated into a processing unit, physically independent, or integrated into a processing unit having two or more units.

[0104] If a software functional unit is implemented and used and sold as a product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium within a computer. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure can be implemented substantially or partially in the form of a software product. Alternatively, a portion of the technical solution that is advantageous to conventional technology can be implemented in the form of a software product. The software product in the computer is stored in a storage medium and includes multiple commands for a computing device (e.g., a personal computer, server, or network device) to execute all or part of the steps disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure. The storage medium includes a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a floppy disk, or other types of media capable of storing program code.

[0105] While this disclosure has been described in conjunction with what are considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various configurations made without departing from the broadest interpretation of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A spectrum management method, comprising: Use blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The rights to the spectrum block include the right to use the spectrum block, the ownership of the spectrum block, and / or the title to the spectrum block.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The right to adjust the spectrum block is based on the first granularity level.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first granularity level includes the frequency domain, time domain, spatial domain, and / or geographic domain.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The blockchain includes nodes dedicated to trading the right to use the spectrum blocks.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The blockchain includes consortium blockchains.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The nodes on the blockchain are either alliance members or approved by the alliance.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, Nodes in the blockchain have node accounts, and the node accounts have account addresses that serve as the identity of the nodes.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The node account includes information for the use rights transaction of the spectrum block, and the information for the use rights transaction of the spectrum block includes the account balance for transaction payment and authentication-related information, the authentication being used to prove that the user is allowed to participate in the use rights transaction of the spectrum block.

10. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein, The trading of the right to use the spectrum block can be either auctioned or not auctioned.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The auction includes: creating a smart contract for the auction, and sharing the smart contract address with all nodes interested in participating in the auction.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The conditions for invoking the smart contract include at least one of the following: the alliance member, a user account with sufficient funds in its balance account to trigger the auction; or a user with authentication to participate in the use rights transaction of the spectrum block.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The creation of the smart contract for the auction is based on technical dimensions, and / or the funds include coins or tokens.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The smart contract includes the auction deadline or remaining time, the holder ID or holder signature, the holder's smart contract account address, and the auction amount for each time the smart contract is called / triggered.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein, When the smart contract is triggered, it checks whether the bidding deadline or remaining time has been met. If not, it checks whether all user conditions are met. Then, it automatically executes a fee transaction that transfers the pre-defined bidding amount from the user's balance account to the smart contract account and updates the latest user identifier (ID) or address of the highest bidder.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein, When the bidding deadline or remaining time ends, the smart contract automatically transfers the final bidding amount from the smart contract account to the holder's account and returns the funds to the accounts of all users who failed in the auction.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The smart contract records data on fee transactions related to the spectrum usage rights in the ledger, and the smart contract further updates the usage rights data structure.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, When multiple users successfully invoke the smart contract, the right to use the contract is granted to the multiple users.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, When multiple users obtain the right to use the same frequency band for the same time period and geographical location, the users execute the conflict avoidance access rules.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein, Set the maximum number of times the smart contract can be called. Each time the smart contract is successfully called by the user, the number of times the smart contract can be called decreases until it reaches zero.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein, The rights to the spectrum blocks are permitted to be further traded on the secondary market.

22. A spectrum management device, comprising: The regulator is configured to use the blockchain to regulate the rights of spectrum blocks.

23. A spectrum management device, comprising: Memory; transceiver; as well as The processor is coupled to the memory and the transceiver; The processor is configured to execute any one of claims 1 to 21.

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