06.18.09
Posted in Intelligent Transportation Systems, SDRF, White Space at 10:41 am by jody
Not quite as slammed today, so I might update this post throught the workshop.
Andrew MacDonald from Onstar
While giving an overview of varying wireless protocols and their applicability to vehicular applications, Andrew mentioned white spaces in passing. I think that should get a higher profile. I’ve been concerned both about the commercial viability of 802.11p (not enough bandwidth for less critical data - which is what people will pay for - connectivity issues in sparsely populated highways) and white space devices (low bandwidth, intermittent availability, boot strapping issues, but good range) and I think that a combined system makes a lot of sense.
Basically the dedicated control channels of 802.11p can be used to solve the bootstrapping problem (how do I know which channels are available when I turn on without access to the internet) and simplify the coordination of control. At the same time, 802.11p / DSRC networks have issues with low vehicle density. But low vehicle density correlates well with low population density which in turn correlates with high white space availability. So for situations when vehicles are more widely spaced, the network could use white space channels for communications.
Permalink
06.16.09
Posted in SDRF, coexistence, humor at 9:57 am by jody
Can’t liveblog the workshop as work is in the way, but I’ll share an amusing note.
Edgar Riehl of Shure (wireless microphone manufacturer) was starting his spiel on how the FCC regs will impact wireless microphone use when John Chapin asked if Edgar thought he needed a wireless mic (so people could hear him better).
Edgar said no.
Clearly Shure’s marketing department has failed in its assimilation of Edgar.
Permalink
06.12.09
Posted in CRWG, Intelligent Transportation Systems, SDRF, Shameless self-promotion, TV Bands, White Space, coexistence at 10:49 am by jody
Today’s the day the transition happens. As I don’t know of any white space devices ready to go (and without a FCC database online and without coexistence issues worked out, even if they were ready to go, they still couldn’t launch), the first big wave of CR deployments will not happen tomorrow, but an important hurdle to their deployment has been cleared.
*Update*
(link) The FCC fielded 300,000 phone calls on Friday related to the transition. Not too bad, all-in-all. Of course that may be more of a testament to the number of people who exclusively use cable or satellite now.
*End Update *
While I’m too busy to blog in depth (probably not uch blogging until early July), I will note the following in passing:
1) The SDRF will hold a general meeting next week in Detroit. On Monday the CRWG has the following agenda:
- Meeting with the SATCOM SIG to start putting together use case scenarios and to identify cognitive radio based technologies for deconflicting commercial satellite.
- Beginning work on defining use cases and requirements for enhanced cognitive radio databases
- Integrating and reviewing contributions on publicly reported quantifiable benefits of cognitive radio
- Reviewing use cases with the public safety SIG for how CR can aid in a disaster response.
Also there will be a workshop on white space coexistence issues in the white space bands on Tuesday and a workshop on cognitive radio / software radio and intelligent transportation systems on Thursday.
2) One of the publicly available things I’ve been doing is putting together and giving an overview of all the upcoming commercial wireless standards (that I had time for, at least, which means LTE vs WiMAX, but also 802.11n,y,aa,ac,ad, various CR efforts plus there’s stuff on WPANs, vertical handoffs and so on) at the VT Wireless Summer School last week. You can download a pdf of the slides here.
Permalink
05.06.09
Posted in CogNeA, spectrum at 4:42 pm by jody
(link) CogNeA has a website. While it’s very light on information and looks none too professional (see the White Space Alliance’s page for a comparison) which makes it somewhat suspect, the domain is registered to Phillips so I think it’s legit.
(link) National Inventory of Spectrum?
The Google Policy Blog notes that:
“Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olivia Snowe (R-ME) have introduced a bill in Congress that seeks to do just that. The Radio Spectrum Inventory Act calls on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to take a full inventory of our nation’s spectrum resources between the 300 MHz and 3.5 GHz bands.”
I still think a great way to provide some public feedback on nationwide spectrum availability is to collect the data in a big google map.
Permalink
05.01.09
Posted in Conferences, Quick Links at 10:59 am by jody
Or more accurately, quick notes on two conferences…
(link) Emerging Network Intelligence 2009, Malta, October 11-16
Key dates:
|
Submission (full paper)
|
May 20, 2009
|
|
Notification
|
June 25, 2009
|
|
Registration
|
July 12, 2009
|
|
Camera ready
|
July 15, 2009
|
CrownCom 09 Rough Schedule and Acceptance Rate
You should’ve gotten your reviews back by now and according to an email from the organizers, here’s some stats and initial plans for conference organization:
Organization
- 3 keynotes
- 2 plenary panels
- 1 mini panel
- 4 tutorials
- and only 2-4 invited papers.
“Acceptance rate of CrownCom 2009 is approx. 55% ( 61 /111) Rejection rate is approx. 45% (50/111)”
Permalink
04.22.09
Posted in CogNeA, SDRF, Shameless self-promotion at 5:13 pm by jody
I’ve mentioned it before, but the program is now up here. However, the information on who’s presenting in the coexistence workshop is in the flyer for the Intelligent Transportation Systems workshop flyer here.
Besides the fact that we’ll be giving a talk there (loosely on killing two birds with one stone by co-designing coexistence mechanisms to incorporate the transmitter ID protocol required by the FCC), it’s also worthwhile to note that there will be a presentation by CogNeA which I figure will be popular as I get almost daily questions on their status.
Permalink
04.17.09
Posted in Business, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Jobs, Lynchburg, SDRF, Shameless self-promotion, coexistence at 9:55 am by jody
Stumbled across a few more links of interest last night…
(link) Nokia’s cognitive radio research page.
(link) Faculty position in cognitive radio at Aalborg University, Denmark.
(link) Wireless Summer School at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IUPUFW), June 17-18. Sponsored by ITT, there’s a lot on CR and the DoD (e.g., Cummings on whitespaces and metalanguages, Lin on DSA and DSO).
(link) I can’t attend the preceding as I’m triply booked at the SDR Forum June 15-18 meeting in Dearborn, MI where there will be two workshops: 1) white space coexistence, 2) SDR, CR and ITS. Plus there will be a CRWG meeting where we should start working on a new CR databases project. Assuming I get bored in an airport next week, I’ll preview my talks in Dearborn and the plans for the databases project.
(link) Webcast on why Harris bought Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems.
While perhaps more tenuously related to cognitive radio (though people in both organizations are working on CR), I think the trend of DoD communications companies leveraging their advanced R&D position in SDR and CR to move into other markets is something to watch. In this case, Harris’s R&D in SDR for DoD got them ahead of the curve in multi-band handsets and, in theory, interoperability which are two emerging drivers in the public safety market. Purchasing TE WS then allows for quicker market entry and some potentially nice synergies.
Not that this is a one-way street, as there’s movement of WiMAX into the DoD.
(link) What’s the top ranked metro area for job growth in Virginia? Not DC or Richmond - it’s Lynchburg. (I often get asked “Why Lynchburg” and since my primary purpose for the site is to organize relevant links for quick personal use and since we’re likely hiring again this summer, I’m going to start collecting some quasi-recruiting links in my quick links posts under the Lynchburg category.)
[Update - fixed the time traveling date in the title]
Permalink
04.15.09
Posted in 700 MHz, CRWG, Conferences, E3, Europe, Quick Links, SDRF, Shameless self-promotion, White Space, military, public safety, standardss at 4:32 pm by jody
Real work intruded for a bit again so blogging dropped off, but now there’s a huge backlog of stuff to post. Must mean it’s time for another link dump.
Calls for contributions to standards
(via email, no link) 1900.6 is soliciting contributions for System Model and Reference Model for P1900.6. Contributions should be made by emailing Klaus Moesner (kDOTmoessnerATsurreyDOTacDOTuk) and should be submitted by May 8th for discussion during during the call on May 12th The CRWG submitted the system model in its 2008 nomenclature document.
(link) 1900.5 (languages) is looking for contributions of use cases to help guide the language development process. More details are at the link, though contributions are due by April 30.
DoD DSA Events
(link) DISA Emerging Spectrum Technology Workshop on DSA. It’s June 1,2 in Falls Church, VA and will look at DoD and CR, SDR, and DSA issues. Attendance is restricted to US citizens only.
It appears that a seemingly very similar event (large overlap in lineup and scope from what I saw) will also be held at Fort Monmouth on June 4 as an AFCEA personal development seminar. While, I can’t find a link for that one and figure it’s also limited to US citizens, I think Myron Cichanowsky [732) 578-1671, cichanowsky_myron -AT- bah DOT com] can fill you in on more details on the event.
Conferences
(link) Wireless Symposium at VT June 3-5. The agenda is now posted, and while I’ll oddly enough not be giving a tutorial on cognitive radio this year (thought there was more than enough CR content elsewhere there, which makes the value-added lie elsewhere), there will be talks from folks such as Neil Fox (DARPA), Ryan Thomas (AFRL), Monisha Ghosh (Phillips), Michael Marcus (Marcus Spectrum Solutions) and a host of other speakers on all matters cognitive radio.
(link) IBBT and MIT will be holding a joint workshop on cognitive radio standardization & markets in Brussels on May 11 with inputs from E3. Nut graph from the announcement:
the objective of this first joint workshop is to discuss policy, regulation and market issues surrounding Cognitive Radio together with regulators and business strategists. Academic experts from both IBBT and MIT, as well as representatives from European and North-American regulatory agencies and industry will lead the discussion on the harmonization of spectrum for Cognitive Radio, standardization of Cognitive Radio, business model issues related to a Cognitive Pilot Channel and business and policy implications of Dynamic Spectrum Access.
Participation to this workshop is free of charge, but attendance will be limited in order to encourage active discussion between participants. Therefore, it is important to register promptly.
Other
(link) Joe Heaps has an article on research directions at NIJ related to SDR and CR.
(link) A writeup on the ORACLE project. Here’s a white paper on the project (pdf) and here’s ORACLE’s homepage.
(link) Raytheon adding DSA to EPLRS.
(link) Verizon says just give Block D to the states and let them sort out what they want to do with it. [ed - I concur. If the public-private partnership is the no-brainer win-win its proponents claim, then the only thing that should be needed is a little regulatory flexibility and the partnerships should arise organically.]
Permalink
03.26.09
Posted in Shameless self-promotion at 7:39 pm by jody
Even though it’s not yet officially shipping according to Amazon, the co-authors got their copy today.
My copy of the 2nd edition on my desk.
In addition to the amazon link above, you can also get it straight from Elsevier here.
The biggest changes were the addition of the following 8 chapters were added for the second
- Chapter 16: Cognitive Radio in Multiple Antenna Systems by J. M. Kim. S. J. Sohn, N Han, S. Choi, C. Ahn, G. Hong, and Y. Yun
- Chapter 17: Cognitive Radio POlicy Language and Policy Engine by G. Denker, D. Elenius, and D. Wilkins (I think this is more focused on the xG / SRI policy engine than Chapt 6 which is more general)
- Chapter 18: Spectrum Sensing Based on Spectral Correlation by C. Spooner and R. Nicholls
- Chapter 19: Rendevous in Cognitive Radio Networks by L. DaSilva and R. Thomas
- Chapter 20: Spectrum Consumption Models by J. Stine
- Chapter 21: Protocols for Adaptation in Cognitive Radio by M. Pursley and T. Royster IV
- Chapter 22: Cognitive Networking by R. Thomas and L. DaSilva
- Chapter 23: The Role of IEEE Standardization in Next Generation Radio and Dynamic Spectrum Access Developments by R. Martinez and D. He
While all the material is excellent, the 15th chapter is the real standout 
Permalink
03.23.09
Posted in White Space, regulation at 5:35 pm by jody
Spurred on by an email on the SDRF TVWS group listserv, I decided to burn a few hours reading all of the requests for reconsideration on opening up the white spaces (link). Broadly, there’s still the competing camps on sensing versus not sensing and what the appropriate sensing levels are and who should be protected or not, but there appears to be general consensus that the geolocation database should be secured and should permit more frequent updates / access.
It’s also interesting that some parties on both sides of the debate seem to think that there will be no usable spectrum in metropolitan areas.
The following has my brief summary of what each request for reconsideration would like to have changed and a link to the online petition. Since it gets a little repetitive and lengthy, I’ve placed the summaries below the fold.
Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
« Previous entries
