Patent ID: 6477378
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
A method, to be performed by a low power radio frequency (LPRF) device, for determining in what radio frequency (RF) band to communicate, if at all, with another LPRF device, the LPRF band to be determined based on the country where the LPRF device is being used by resorting to information indicating the location and width of the LPRF band for a plurality of countries, the method comprising the steps of:a) acquiring clues from at least one source from among different kinds of sources and from among at least one of different individual sources of each particular kind, the clues consisting of at least one country code indicating one particular country; b) applying a likely determination algorithm to attempt to determine a likely country based on the clues acquired and a predetermined threshold; c) attempting to establish a link with the other LPRF device by providing a link setup signal, in a globally available LPRF service band, including, as a self-signaled country code, the likely country code, and receiving from the other LPRF device a corresponding link setup signal; d) deciding whether the country code signaled by the other LPRF device corresponds to the same RF band as does the self-signaled country code, and so deciding whether there is an agreed-on country code, and if so providing a signal indicating that the link setup is to be completed for communication on the band corresponding to the agreed-on country code, or else repeating the method starting from the acquiring clues step.