White Space Data Access via Intermediary Database

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable wireless devices lack the sensitivity to accurately distinguish between licensed communications and noise, and often do not have ready access to white space data, hindering the adoption of unlicensed use of white space in the licensed spectrum.

Innovation Solution

Configuring portable wireless devices to request and share white space data with nearby devices, allowing them to synthesize and obtain up-to-date information on available channels, thereby selecting suitable channels for unlicensed communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If portable wireless devices use their receivers to detect unused channels in the licensed spectrum, then they could identify white space channels, but their receivers lack the sensitivity to distinguish between licensed communications and noise with sufficient accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel detection accuracyVSAvoidreceiver sensitivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a database server as an intermediary that stores authoritative white space data. Instead of relying on the device's own receiver to detect white space channels, the device queries the database server which provides pre-analyzed channel availability information. This mediator resolves the sensitivity limitation by centralizing the detection function in infrastructure with adequate reception capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The database server performs channel detection and white space identification in advance, storing the results for subsequent queries. This prior analysis cushions the portable devices from having to perform sensitive detection themselves, allowing them to simply retrieve pre-validated channel availability data without needing enhanced receiver sensitivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If portable wireless devices do not have ready access to white space data, then they cannot reliably identify available channels, but this lack of access hinders the adoption of unlicensed white space use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewhite space data availabilityVSAvoidaccess to white space data
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A database server acts as an intermediary repository that centralizes white space data storage and distribution. Portable devices access this data through standardized queries rather than attempting to gather it independently. This mediator ensures reliable data availability while simplifying device operation, as devices only need to query the database rather than perform complex spectrum analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The database server automatically maintains and updates white space data based on queries from multiple devices. When devices query for channel availability, the server serves the data and can update its records based on aggregated information. This self-service mechanism ensures data remains current without requiring manual intervention, balancing reliability with ease of access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2534771B1Distributed database access for spectrum access
Publication Date: 2019.02.27 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2534771B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2534771B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2534771B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A bootstrapping technique for wirelessly obtaining white space data that may be used to identify an available white space channel for connecting to a service. Portable wireless devices may collaborate to provide white space data to a device requesting such data. A requesting device transmits a request for the white space data using, for example, an unlicensed band. A device receiving the request may transmit a copy of the data to the requesting device. The transmitted copy may be obtained by the receiving device from a local data store or may be provided from a database server to which the receiving device is connected. In the later case the receiving device acts as a proxy between the database server and the requesting device. Once the white space data is received by the requesting device it may be used to select a channel for communication in the white space.