Radio Protocol Capability Exchange for Spectrum Utilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Bluetooth radio communication devices inefficiently detect and utilize radio spectrum usage, leading to power wastage and slow protocol switching due to reliance on energy measurement and lack of active protocol information.

Innovation Solution

A communication device with a receiver to obtain information about other devices' radio protocol capabilities, including performance, capacity, and operational frequency parameters, allowing for intelligent protocol selection and efficient spectrum use without activating all radios.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If energy measurement methods are used to detect radios in the area, then device discovery can be performed, but power consumption increases and no reliable information about radio channel usage is obtained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation about radio channel usageVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having devices exchange capability information (FHS packets) during the inquiry phase before actual communication begins. This allows the detecting device to obtain advance knowledge of radio channel usage and protocols without needing to activate all radios for measurement, thus resolving the contradiction between information acquisition and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If all radios are activated to detect radio spectrum usage, then complete information about channel usage is obtained, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of radio spectrum informationVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary information about radio protocol capabilities and channel usage from the FHS packets exchanged during inquiry, rather than activating all radios to perform comprehensive measurements. This selective information extraction resolves the contradiction by obtaining sufficient data with minimal power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If energy measurement is used to predict radios in the area, then device discovery is possible, but the predicted radios may not actually exist and no channel usage information is obtained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice discovery capabilityVSAvoidaccuracy of radio detection
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using the capability information obtained from FHS packets to verify and refine the list of detected radios. Devices provide feedback about their actual protocols and channel usage, allowing the detecting device to confirm which predicted radios actually exist and are actively using the spectrum, thus resolving the reliability issue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP1964371B1Efficient use of the radio spectrum
Publication Date: 2015.10.21 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP1964371B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1964371B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP1964371B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A communication device comprising: a receiver for receiving information via a first radio protocol directly from a first communication device concerning at least a second radio protocol; and a controller for controlling communication of the communication device in dependence upon the received information.