Method and apparatus for managing dynamic sharing of spectrum services

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing a dynamic sharing of available spectrum services. The approach involves causing information corresponding to one or more available spectrum services provided by one or more spectrum service holders to be stored in a cloud spectrum service database. The approach also involves processing a request for spectrum sharing to cause a determination to share one or more of the one or more available spectrum services with a source of the request for spectrum sharing based on a matching of one or more spectrum sharing criteria stored in the cloud spectrum service database and one or more service criteria associated with the source of the request for spectrum sharing. The approach further involves causing one or more of the one or more available spectrum services to be allocated to the source of the request for spectrum sharing based on the matching.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 causing, at least in part, information corresponding to one or more available spectrum services provided by one or more spectrum service holders to be stored in a cloud spectrum service database, the information comprising one or more spectrum sharing criteria respectively associated with the one or more available spectrum services, the one or more spectrum sharing criteria being provided by the one or more spectrum service holders;   processing a request for spectrum sharing to cause, at least in part, a determination to share one or more of the one or more available spectrum services with a source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on a matching of the one or more spectrum sharing criteria stored in the cloud spectrum service database and one or more service criteria associated with the source of the request for spectrum sharing; and   causing, at least in part, one or more of the one or more available spectrum services to be allocated to the source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on the matching.   
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining one or more regulatory rules associated with a spectrum service allocation regulator; and   causing, at least in part, the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services to be further based on the one or more regulatory rules.   
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing, at least in part, the cloud spectrum service database to be updated based, at least in part, on the allocation of the one or more of the one or more available spectrum services to the source of the request for spectrum sharing.   
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing, at least in part, a notification indicating the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services to be sent to the one or more spectrum service holders associated with the one or more allocated spectrum services.   
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 4 , wherein the notification indicating the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services comprises one or more details relating to the determination to share the one or more spectrum services with the source of the spectrum sharing request. 
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing, at least in part, a notification indicating the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services to be sent to the source of the request for spectrum sharing.   
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more spectrum sharing criteria comprises a period of time during which the one or more spectrum services are available. 
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more spectrum sharing criteria comprises one or more of an asking price for sharing the available spectrum service, a performance data of the available spectrum service, a frequency range of the available spectrum service, and a spectrum sharing requestor with which the available spectrum service is allowed to be shared. 
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more service criteria comprises one or more of a period of time during which the requested spectrum sharing is to occur, a price offering range for the requested spectrum sharing, a frequency range within which the requested spectrum sharing is allowed to occur, a performance requirement associated with the source of the request for spectrum sharing, and a spectrum service holder with which the requested spectrum sharing is allowed to occur. 
     
     
         10 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the source of the request for spectrum sharing is another spectrum service holder. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,   cause, at least in part, information corresponding to one or more available spectrum services provided by one or more spectrum service holders to be stored in a cloud spectrum service database, the information comprising one or more spectrum sharing criteria respectively associated with the one or more available spectrum services, the one or more spectrum sharing criteria being provided by the one or more spectrum service holders;   process a request for spectrum sharing to cause, at least in part, a determination to share one or more of the one or more available spectrum services with a source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on a matching of the one or more spectrum sharing criteria stored in the cloud spectrum service database and one or more service criteria associated with the source of the request for spectrum sharing; and   cause, at least in part, one or more of the one or more available spectrum services to be allocated to the source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on the matching.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine one or more regulatory rules associated with a spectrum service allocation regulator; and   cause, at least in part, the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services to be further based on the one or more regulatory rules.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 cause, at least in part, the cloud spectrum service database to be updated based, at least in part, on the allocation of the one or more of the one or more available spectrum services to the source of the request for spectrum sharing.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 cause, at least in part, a notification indicating the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services to be sent to the one or more spectrum service holders associated with the one or more allocated spectrum services.   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus  claim 14 , wherein the notification indicating the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services comprises one or more details relating to the determination to share the one or more spectrum services with the source of the spectrum sharing request. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 cause, at least in part, a notification indicating the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services to be sent to the source of the request for spectrum sharing.   
     
     
         17 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more spectrum sharing criteria comprises a period of time during which the one or more spectrum services are available. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more spectrum sharing criteria comprises one or more of an asking price for sharing the available spectrum service, a performance data of the available spectrum service, a frequency range of the available spectrum service, and a spectrum sharing requestor with which the available spectrum service is allowed to be shared. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more service criteria comprises one or more of a period of time during which the requested spectrum sharing is to occur, a price offering range for the requested spectrum sharing, a frequency range within which the requested spectrum sharing is allowed to occur, a performance requirement associated with the source of the request for spectrum sharing, and a spectrum service holder with which the requested spectrum sharing is allowed to occur. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the source of the request for spectrum sharing is another spectrum service holder. 
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to:
 cause, at least in part, information corresponding to one or more available spectrum services provided by one or more spectrum service holders to be stored in a cloud spectrum service database, the information comprising one or more spectrum sharing criteria respectively associated with the one or more available spectrum services, the one or more spectrum sharing criteria being provided by the one or more spectrum service holders;   process a request for spectrum sharing to cause, at least in part, a determination to share one or more of the one or more available spectrum services with a source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on a matching of the one or more spectrum sharing criteria stored in the cloud spectrum service database and one or more service criteria associated with the source of the request for spectrum sharing; and   cause, at least in part, one or more of the one or more available spectrum services to be allocated to the source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on the matching.   
     
     
         22 . A computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine one or more regulatory rules associated with a spectrum service allocation regulator; and   cause, at least in part, the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services to be further based on the one or more regulatory rules.   
     
     
         23 . An apparatus comprising:
 a control logic that causes, at least in part, information corresponding to one or more available spectrum services provided by one or more spectrum service holders to be stored in a cloud spectrum service database, the information comprises one or more spectrum sharing criteria respectively associated with the one or more available spectrum services, the one or more spectrum sharing criteria being provided by the one or more spectrum service holders;   a communication module that receives a request for spectrum sharing;   a sharing decision module that determines to share one or more of the one or more available spectrum services with a source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on a matching of the one or more spectrum sharing criteria stored in the cloud spectrum service database and one or more service criteria associated with the source of the request for spectrum sharing; and   an allocation module that causes, at least in part, one or more of the one or more available spectrum services to be allocated to the source of the request for spectrum sharing based, at least in part, on the matching.   
     
     
         24 . An apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a regulatory rules module that determines one or more regulatory rules associated with a spectrum service allocation regulator,   wherein the allocation of the one or more available spectrum services is further based on the one or more regulatory rules.