Methods and nodes for balancing load on channels

摘要

Methods and nodes for balancing load on channels available for secondary usage by a secondary network (404). A channel handling node (400) determines channel quality metric values for the available channels, which indicate expected utility when the channels are used for radio communication. The channel handling node then adjusts the channel quality metric value of a superior channel with higher expected utility than the other available channels, to indicate equal or lower expected utility than a channel with the next highest expected utility, when the amount of channel queries (Q) from the secondary network exceeds a limit. The channel handling node then returns the adjusted channel quality metric value of the at least one superior channel, in response to a subsequent channel query (Q). A secondary network node (406) of the secondary network that receives channel quality metric values for the available channels, including the adjusted channel quality metric value of the superior channel, can then select a channel for secondary usage based on the received channel quality metric values, and is thus influenced to select a channel other than the at least one superior channel.

主权项

1. A method in a channel handling node associated with a white space database, for balancing load on channels available for secondary usage by a secondary network for radio communication in a specific geographical area, wherein the channel handling node returns information about available channels in response to channel queries from the secondary network, the method comprising:
determining values of a channel quality metric for the available channels, the values indicating expected utility when the channels are used for radio communication in the geographical area, characterized in that the method further comprises:
adjusting the determined channel quality metric value of at least one superior channel having a channel quality metric value that indicates higher expected utility than the channel quality metric values of the other available channels, to indicate equal or lower expected utility of the at least one superior channel than a channel of the other available channels having the next highest expected utility, when the amount of channel queries received from the secondary network during a given time span exceeds a first limit, andreturning the adjusted channel quality metric value of the at least one superior channel, in response to at least one subsequent channel query from the secondary network, thereby influencing the secondary network to select a channel other than the at least one superior channel for radio communication to balance the load on the available channels.