AFC System Channel Availability Determination

Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for managing shared spectrum access in wireless networks face challenges in efficiently determining channel availability to prevent interference with incumbent users, particularly in high-demand frequency bands like the 6 GHz band, where protecting incumbents from non-incumbent users' transmissions is crucial.

Innovation Solution

A shared-spectrum Automatic Frequency Coordinator (AFC) system that calculates and determines available frequency channels by computing the RLAN service area (RSA) and incumbent protection contours (IPCs), using parameters such as location, EIRP, and antenna height to ensure minimal interference, and transmits channel availability responses to RLAN APs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional spectrum management systems are used to determine channel availability, then interference protection for incumbent users is provided, but computational complexity and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterference protectionVSAvoidcomputational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores propagation loss data in lookup tables before runtime operations. The database contains pre-computed path loss values for various transmitter-receiver separations and frequency combinations, allowing the AFC to quickly retrieve interference information without performing complex real-time calculations, thus reducing computational complexity while maintaining interference protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses contour files that represent pre-computed interference patterns and propagation characteristics. Instead of recalculating interference contours from scratch for each channel availability request, the AFC retrieves and utilizes pre-generated contour data, significantly reducing computational burden while preserving the accuracy of interference protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If traditional spectrum management systems are used to determine channel availability, then interference protection for incumbent users is provided, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterference protectionVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores propagation loss data in lookup tables before runtime operations. The database contains pre-computed path loss values for various transmitter-receiver separations and frequency combinations, allowing the AFC to quickly retrieve interference information without performing complex real-time calculations, thus reducing computational complexity while maintaining interference protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses contour files that represent pre-computed interference patterns and propagation characteristics. Instead of recalculating interference contours from scratch for each channel availability request, the AFC retrieves and utilizes pre-generated contour data, significantly reducing computational burden while preserving the accuracy of interference protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If spectrum sharing is implemented to meet increasing demand, then spectrum utilization improves, but interference management becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespectrum utilizationVSAvoidinterference management

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The AFC acts as an intermediary system between incumbent users and non-incumbent users sharing the spectrum. It automatically performs interference assessments by comparing transmitted signals against pre-computed contour data, and dynamically allocates channels to ensure incumbent protection is maintained. This automated intermediary function simplifies interference management while enabling efficient spectrum sharing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses contour files that represent pre-computed interference patterns and propagation characteristics. Instead of recalculating interference contours from scratch for each channel availability request, the AFC retrieves and utilizes pre-generated contour data, significantly reducing computational burden while preserving the accuracy of interference protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11882585B2Systems and methods for determining channel availability by an automated frequency coordination system

Publication Date: 2024.01.23 FEDERATED WIRELESS

AI summary

Methods are provided for managing frequency channels in a shared spectrum available to a radio local access network (RLAN) access point (AP) in a wireless network. The methods may comprise receiving a request for channel availability from the RLAN AP to access the shared spectrum, computing, based on a plurality of parameters associated with the RLAN AP, an RLAN service area (RSA) associated with the RLAN AP, retrieving one or more incumbent protection contours (IPCs) associated with one or more incumbent users in the wireless network, identifying an IPC, among the one or more retrieved IPCs, that overlaps with the RSA associated with the RLAN AP, determining, based on the identified IPC, available frequency information corresponding to the received request for channel availability, and transmitting, to the RLAN AP, a channel availability response comprising the available frequency information.