Performing environmental radio frequency monitoring

Abstract

An environmental frequency sensing device, includes logic that performs signal strength (SS) level separation on a received band of frequencies to produce SS level separated frequencies. The logic performs frequency grouping on the SS level separated frequencies for each signal strength level to produce magnitude information for each grouping. The logic generates peak data by detecting peaks of the produced magnitude information. The logic generates an edge event indicating a signal edge based on arrival or departure of a given peak and compares, on a frequency basis, generated edges to stored fingerprint data of a signal of interest. Based on the comparison, the logic provides detected signal data indicating current use of a range of frequencies in an environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method executed by data processing hardware that causes the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 detecting, using a plurality of environmental radio frequency (RF) sensors, signal data from a plurality of antennas, the detected signal data representing one or more RF frequencies that are in use by each of the plurality of antennas;   based on the detected signal data, determining a defined protection region corresponding to a location of a source device transmitting the RF frequencies that are in use by each of the plurality of antennas; and   preventing user devices located in the defined protection region from using the RF frequencies that are in use by each of the plurality of antennas.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the defined protection region comprises using GPS location information associated with the plurality of environmental RF sensors. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the defined protection region comprises determining, using the detected signal data, frequency use in a particular geographical area associated with the source device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein preventing user devices located in the defined protection region comprises refusing assignment of frequency to one or more of the user devices. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining, using the detected signal data, a particular RF frequency that is not in use in the defined protection region; and   based on determining that the particular RF frequency is not in use, allowing the user devices located in the defined protection region to use the particular RF frequency.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the source device comprises a mobile device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the source device comprises a non-mobile device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each environmental RF sensor is associated with a respective geographical area; and   determining the defined protection region is based on the respective geographical areas.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein preventing the user devices located in the defined protection region comprises preventing the user devices via an application executing on the user devices. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of antennas comprises a left antenna and a right antenna that are co-located. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 data processing hardware; and   memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 detecting, using a plurality of environmental radio frequency (RF) sensors, signal data from a plurality of antennas, the detected signal data representing one or more RF frequencies that are in use by each of the plurality of antennas; 
 based on the detected signal data, determining a defined protection region corresponding to a location of a source device transmitting the RF frequencies that are in use by each of the plurality of antennas; and 
 preventing user devices located in the defined protection region from using the RF frequencies that are in use by each of the plurality of antennas. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein determining the defined protection region comprises using GPS location information associated with the plurality of environmental RF sensors. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein determining the defined protection region comprises determining, using the detected signal data, frequency use in a particular geographical area associated with the source device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein preventing user devices located in the defined protection region comprises refusing assignment of frequency to one or more of the user devices. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining, using the detected signal data, a particular RF frequency that is not in use in the defined protection region; and   based on determining that the particular RF frequency is not in use, allowing the user devices located in the defined protection region to use the particular RF frequency.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the source device comprises a mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the source device comprises a non-mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 each environmental RF sensor is associated with a respective geographical area; and   determining the defined protection region is based on the respective geographical areas.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein preventing the user devices located in the defined protection region comprises preventing the user devices via an application executing on the user devices. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of antennas comprises a left antenna and a right antenna that are co-located.