Controlling Communication Between Whitespace Devices

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for controlling communication between whitespace devices are provided. Embodiments include identifying, by a base-station array controller, a user whitespace device within a coverage area of a base-station array, wherein the base-station array includes a plurality of base-station whitespace devices of varying power consumption profiles; identifying for each base-station whitespace device, by the base-station array controller, transmission channels available to the base-station whitespace device; selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, a base-station whitespace device based on the power consumption profiles and the identified available transmission channels corresponding to the plurality of base-station whitespace devices; and instructing, by the base-station array controller, the selected base-station whitespace device to communicate with the identified user whitespace device on one of the identified available transmission channels.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for controlling communication between whitespace devices, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
 identifying, by a base-station array controller, a user whitespace device within a coverage area of a base-station array, wherein the base-station array includes a plurality of base-station whitespace devices of varying power consumption profiles;   identifying for each base-station whitespace device, by the base-station array controller, transmission channels available to the base-station whitespace device;   selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, a base-station whitespace device based on the power consumption profiles and the identified available transmission channels corresponding to the plurality of base-station whitespace devices; and   instructing, by the base-station array controller, the selected base-station whitespace device to communicate with the identified user whitespace device on one of the identified available transmission channels.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, a base-station whitespace device is further based on a location of the identified user whitespace device relative to locations of the base-station whitespace devices. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, a base-station whitespace device is further based on throughput requirements of the identified user whitespace device. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
 detecting, by the base-station array controller, a change in a location of the whitespace user device relative to locations of the base-station whitespace devices; 
 selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, another base-station whitespace device based on the power consumption profiles, the determined available transmission channels, and the location of the identified user whitespace device relative to the locations of the base-station whitespace devices; and 
 instructing, by the base-station array controller, the selected other base-station whitespace device to communicate with the identified user whitespace device on one of the identified available transmission channels. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein identifying for each base-station whitespace device, by the base-station array controller, transmission channels available to the base-station whitespace device includes retrieving from a spectrum-map database, by the base-station array controller, spectrum maps indicating transmission channels available to the plurality of base-station whitespace devices within the base-station array. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the base-station array includes a first base-station whitespace device with a fixed location within the coverage area of the base-station array and a second base-station whitespace device that is mobile whitespace device. 
     
     
         13 . A computer program product for controlling communication between whitespace devices, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable, when executed, of causing a computer to carry out the steps of:
 identifying, by a base-station array controller, a user whitespace device within a coverage area of a base-station array, wherein the base-station array includes a plurality of base-station whitespace devices of varying power consumption profiles;   identifying for each base-station whitespace device, by the base-station array controller, transmission channels available to the base-station whitespace device;   selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, a base-station whitespace device based on the power consumption profiles and the identified available transmission channels corresponding to the plurality of base-station whitespace devices; and   instructing, by the base-station array controller, the selected base-station whitespace device to communicate with the identified user whitespace device on one of the identified available transmission channels.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, a base-station whitespace device is further based on a location of the identified user whitespace device relative to locations of the base-station whitespace devices. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, a base-station whitespace device is further based on throughput requirements of the identified user whitespace device. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 13  further comprising computer program instructions capable, when executed, of causing a computer to carry out the steps of:
 detecting, by the base-station array controller, a change in a location of the whitespace user device relative to locations of the base-station whitespace devices; 
 selecting from the plurality of base-station whitespace devices, by the base-station array controller, another base-station whitespace device based on the power consumption profiles, the determined available transmission channels, and the location of the identified user whitespace device relative to the locations of the base-station whitespace devices; and 
 instructing, by the base-station array controller, the selected other base-station whitespace device to communicate with the identified user whitespace device on one of the identified available transmission channels. 
 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein identifying for each base-station whitespace device, by the base-station array controller, transmission channels available to the base-station whitespace device includes retrieving from a spectrum-map database, by the base-station array controller, spectrum maps indicating transmission channels available to the plurality of base-station whitespace devices within the base-station array. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the base-station array includes a first base-station whitespace device with a fixed location within the coverage area of the base-station array and a second base-station whitespace device that is mobile whitespace device. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the computer readable medium further comprises a computer readable signal medium. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the computer readable medium further comprises a computer readable storage medium.