Subcarrier Power Allocation for Overlapping Wireless Channels

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Solution Overview

Problem

In geographic areas with flat terrain, wireless channels are often unavailable due to small overlaps with incumbent channels, leading to reduced channel availability and interference issues.

Innovation Solution

Implementing Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) to determine power levels for subcarriers based on incumbent indications, allowing non-overlapping and overlapping subcarriers to operate at different power levels, thereby reducing interference and increasing channel availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wireless channels operate at standard power levels to maintain signal strength, then communication reliability is improved, but interference with incumbent channels increases and channel availability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidinterference with incumbent channels

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating power levels across different frequency subcarriers within the same wireless channel. Non-overlapping subcarriers operate at standard power levels to maintain communication reliability, while overlapping subcarriers operate at reduced power levels to minimize interference with incumbent channels. This selective power adjustment resolves the contradiction by optimizing both reliability and interference reduction in different spectral regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the power parameter dynamically based on the overlap characteristics between wireless channels and incumbent channels. By adjusting the power level of specific subcarriers according to their overlap status, the system maintains adequate signal strength for reliable communication while reducing interference in overlapping regions, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If wireless channels avoid overlapping with incumbent channels to reduce interference, then interference is reduced, but channel availability decreases due to limited usable frequencies

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveinterferenceVSAvoidchannel availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the wireless channel into multiple subcarriers and applies different power levels to overlapping and non-overlapping portions. This segmentation allows the system to utilize channels that would traditionally be avoided, thereby increasing channel availability while controlling interference through selective power reduction in overlapping subcarrier regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

By applying local quality to different subcarrier regions, the patent enables wireless channels to operate in frequency regions with incumbent channels by reducing power only in overlapping portions. This approach increases overall channel availability while maintaining interference reduction, allowing more channels to be usable simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Area of stationary object

If channels operate at higher power levels to extend coverage area, then coverage area is improved, but interference with incumbent channels increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidinterference

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by maintaining higher power levels for non-overlapping subcarriers to extend coverage area while reducing power levels for overlapping subcarriers to minimize interference. This selective approach allows the system to achieve both extended coverage and reduced interference simultaneously by optimizing power distribution across different spectral regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12557036B2Increasing channel availability

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Increased channel availability may be provided. A computing device may receive radio channel information comprising a radio channel to operate within and an incumbent indication indicating whether an incumbent is using the radio channel. Next, power to operate a radio at may be determined based on the incumbent indication. When the incumbent indication indicates an incumbent is present on the radio channel, determining the power to operate the radio based on the incumbent indication comprises: i) determining a first power level for subcarriers in the radio channel that are non-overlapping with a portion of the radio channel used by the incumbent; and ii) determining a second power level for subcarriers in the radio channel that are overlapping with the portion of the radio channel used by the incumbent wherein the first power level is greater than the second power level. The radio may then be operated at the determined power.