Method and apparatus for spectrum use

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for facilitating charging in cognitive radio systems. The apparatus is configured to receive a data structure comprising accounting information, to obtain price information relating to the accounting information and to derive charging information and to send the charging information to a network. In some embodiments the apparatus is further configured to derive a revenue distribution scheme.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application was originally filed as PCT Application No. PCT/FI2011/050340 filed Apr. 15, 2011.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates generally to optimizing signaling procedures and/or allocation of radio resources.

BACKGROUND

Radio frequencies form an electromagnetic spectrum which may be subdivided into spectrum bands. For a geographical area, regulatory authorities may define uses for different bands of spectrum. Certain sections of the spectrum may be reserved for air traffic communication, others for commercial radio channels, others for television broadcasts and yet others for cellular communication networks, for example.

As uses for spectrum have become varied, spectrum has become a scarce resource and it has become desirable to optimize use of spectrum. Allocating spectrum in a way that leaves a section dedicated for a certain use unused while other users suffer lack of spectrum is inefficient. For example, a spectrum band reserved for emergency communication may be used only intermittently while a spectrum band reserved for cellular communications may suffer multiple-user interference due to a high volume of data traffic in proportion to allocated spectrum.

Some communication devices are capable of using more than one spectrum band. For example certain cellular phones are configured to be capable of communicating using a first band and a first radio access technology, or alternatively a second band and a second radio access technology. Devices may select a less heavily loaded band to use. Multiband cellular devices are also capable of operating in different countries, where different spectrum bands are reserved for cellular use.

Cognitive radio is a technique wherein either a network or a wireless node changes its transmission or reception parameters, such as frequency band, to avoid interference caused from or to other users. Cognitive radios may be capable of sensing unused spectrum and taking advantage of it as long as it remains unused. Cognitive radios may be configured to detect that a user with higher access rights to the spectrum band becomes active, responsive to which the cognitive radio may leave the affected spectrum band to avoid causing interference to the user with higher access rights.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus, comprising a receiver configured to receive a data structure comprising accounting information, at least one processor configured to obtain price information relating to the accounting information and to derive charging information, and a transmitter configured to send the charging information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising receiving a data structure comprising accounting information, obtaining, in at least one processor, price information relating to the accounting information and deriving charging information, and transmitting the charging information.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor, at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least compile a subscriber-specific data structure comprising accounting information, and transmit the data structure to a further apparatus, wherein the accounting information comprises a plurality of spectrum use records.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory storing computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, together with the processor, configured to cause the apparatus at least to receive information describing a spectrum visit opportunity and to configure a radio transceiver of the apparatus to at least in part use the spectrum visit opportunity;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An example embodiment of the present invention and its potential advantages are understood by referring toFIGS. 1 through 5of the drawings.

FIG. 1illustrates an example of a system capable of supporting some embodiments of the invention.FIG. 1illustrates a mobile node, or mobile,120, although the scope of the invention includes also embodiments where this node is not mobile. Mobile120is capable of communicating using more than one spectrum band. Mobile120may be configured to employ cognitive radio principles to determine spectrum resources that are usable at a given time, and to use those resources when communicating. Mobile120may be, for example, a mobile device or a mobile apparatus. Mobile120may be a user equipment, cellular phone, personal digital assistant, smartphone, laptop computer, music player, car computer or other device. InFIG. 1it is illustrated that mobile120communicates with access point130using radio link126. It is also illustrated that mobile120communicates with base station140using radio link125.

Radio link125may conform to a cellular radio access technology such as GSM, WCDMA or LTE, for example. Radio link125may comprise an uplink for conveying information from mobile120to base station140and radio link125may comprise a downlink for conveying information from base station140to mobile120. The uplink and downlink may be separated from each other such that they occupy different frequency bands, which is known as frequency division duplex communication. Alternatively or additionally the uplink and downlink may occupy the same frequency band and be separated from each other in the time domain, which is known as time division duplex communication. The frequency band or bands allocated to radio link125may change over time. The change over time may be dynamic.

Radio link126may conform to a cellular or a non-cellular technology. Examples of non-cellular technologies include wireless local area network, WLAN, and bluetooth technologies. Radio link126may also comprise an uplink and a downlink, which may occupy different frequency bands. The frequency bands may change dynamically, and the frequency bands may comprise frequency ranges in licensed and unlicensed bands.

Mobile120may be configured to use one, two or more than two radio links at the same time. Mobile120may be capable of utilizing more than two spectrum bands, and more than two radio access technologies. One radio link may use more than one spectrum band at the same time. Therefore two links are illustrated onFIG. 1only as an example. Radio links may be based on time division multiple access, TDMA, code division multiple access, CDMA, frequency division multiple access, FDMA, or combinations of these, for example.

Mobile120may be configured to operate as a cognitive radio. Mobile120may be configured to sense unused spectrum bands and take advantage of them. Sensing may comprise detecting energy on frequencies. Mobile120may be configured to sense when users with higher access rights to the bands begin using the bands and to responsively cease taking advantage of the bands. Mobile120may be configured to receive indications of unused spectrum bands from a network node, such as for example a spectrum broker or a regulatory authority. The network node may provide information on free spectrum bands responsive to being made aware of a geographical location of mobile120. Free spectrum bands may be defined as a function of location, since radio waves are attenuated over distance, with higher frequencies attenuating more rapidly than lower frequencies. Unlicensed bands may occupy higher frequency ranges, meaning that they may be unused locally and thus provide opportunities for mobile120to opportunistically use them. Also lower frequency ranges may contain bands that are unused locally, for example on a regional scale. Mobile120may inquire concerning unused spectrum bands by transmitting a request to the network node. The request may comprise indications of at least one of the location of mobile120and its capabilities. Alternatively a network may add at least one of indication of location and its capabilities to the request message before it reaches the network node.

Access point130is operably connected to gateway130G. The connection may traverse intermediate nodes and may be effected over wire-line or wireless, such as microwave, links Likewise base station140is operably connected to gateway140G. Gateways130G and140G are configured to compile spectrum use records concerning mobile120. When mobile120makes use of a spectrum band with surplus capacity, a gateway compiles a spectrum use record comprising information on the use. A spectrum band may have surplus capacity locally, meaning that it has surplus capacity within a certain geographical area. For example, when mobile120operates under a cellular network and is camped under the cell of base station140, its cognitive spectrum usage may be monitored by gateway140G. Gateway140G may advise mobile120on usable spectrum bands, or gateway140G may observe messages from a network node to mobile120comprising information on usable spectrum bands. When mobile120makes use of spectrum bands, for example spectrum bands other than those explicitly allocated to base station140, it may be configured to inform gateway140G of this use. Similarly when mobile120operates under access point130, gateway130G may compile spectrum use records concerning mobile120.

Gateways130G and140G are operably connected to server110. Gateways130G and140G may be configured to send spectrum use records they have compiled to server110. For example, gateways130G and140G may compile a data structure, such a data container, comprising a plurality of spectrum use records. Server110may be connected to a home operator of the subscriber of mobile120, illustrated in the figure as150. Server110may further be connected to at least one regulatory authority160. Server110may further be connected to at least one broadcaster170. Server110may further be connected to at least one media company180. Server110may further be connected to at least one spectrum broker190. Said authority, said broadcaster, said media company, and said spectrum broker are examples of parties that may hold rights to grant permission for use for a spectrum band or a part of it. These parties may regulate the spectrum, may own the spectrum or may be licensees of a spectrum portion. Gateways130G and140G may also be connected directly to home network150.

At least one of at least one regulatory authority160, at least one broadcaster170, at least one media company180and at least one spectrum broker190may be singly or collectively known as “network node” for the sake of brevity. Therefore, in this sense network node may refer also to more than one node or to distributed nodes. This node may act like a server, a database, a web URL, a portal or other point of contact for that party. Server110may receive spectrum use offers from a network node, which may comprise information defining a spectrum band that may be used. These offers may be a response to a request by the server for a portion of a spectrum band, or these offers may be advertisements for spectrum availability, or these offers may be based on an auction, either initiated, or called, by server110, or arranged by the offering party or an authority. In some embodiments, availability and price information have a local geographical scope. In some embodiments, availability and price information have a defined validity time. The spectrum use offers may also comprise information on a price that a spectrum owner wants to extract from users of mobile nodes120making use of the spectrum. Server110may pass the spectrum use offers on to gateways such as gateways130G and140G. This information for the spectrum availability, price and so on may be provided to gateways prior its actual use, or the use may happen first according to given constraints, with tracking of use and charging happening afterwards. Gateways130G and140G may advise mobile120of spectrum use opportunities that mobile120is capable of utilizing. The advice may be based at least in part on information comprised in spectrum use offers. Responsive to mobile120making use of such opportunities, gateways130G and140G may be configured to compile spectrum use records comprising information on the uses. Server110may transmit intermittent advice of charge messages toward mobiles120informing mobiles120concerning how much use of the spectrum bands has cost so far. This report may be positive in nature stating the cost saving of using spectrum cognitively, or it may be triggered based on certain thresholds set for cognitive use of spectrum, or it may be periodic as a fraction of the actual invoicing period.

A gateway or server110may provide a query to its client mobile120, requesting an acknowledgement of a spectrum cost. The user by responding to the query, for example by clicking an icon, and accepting the costs gets invoiced of the use of spectrum either by its operator's invoice or by a credit card, if the user has so preferred. This query can represent the cumulative costs of spectrum visits and the user may accept the costs at his convenience or at the latest, when the due date of payment expires. This way, the payment of the spectrum use would be very similar and as easy as buying a service from an online store.

Server110may be configured to receive from gateways such as gateways130G and140G data structures, for example data containers comprising accounting information. Server110may react to receiving the data structures by obtaining price information relating to the accounting information, which means that server110associates prices to items comprised in the accounting information. By associating prices to items in the accounting information server110may derive charging information that is usable in charging subscribers. The derived charging information may be transmitted from server110to an operator of network, such as for example a home network of a subscriber, so that the operator of the home network may invoice subscribers based on the charging information. Alternatively server110may be configured to provide the charging information to an invoicing entity within the network where server110is comprised. Server110may overall provide a charging service for cognitive usage of spectrum by mobiles120. Server110may also provide charging server functionality to an authority, owner or licensee of spectrum. Server110may also add cost elements for the charging service as such.

The data structures received in server110from gateways may be subscriber-specific, meaning that the gateways may have compiled accounting information specific to a subscriber for inclusion in one data structure. The accounting information may be compiled in the home network, at a serving gateway. The accounting information may be compiled in the visited network, at the serving gateway, respectively. For example, where a gateway is a gateway of a visited network for a subscriber, the gateway may compile accounting information concerning a subscriber over the duration of the entire visit and transmit it in one data structure. A data structure may therefore comprise accounting information that relates to behaviour of a mobile120over a period of time, and may comprise information relating to usage of a plurality of spectral bands. The data structures may comprise an identification of at least one of the network where the gateway sending the structure is comprised and a home network of the subscriber whom the data structure is associated with.

The data structure may comprise at least one spectrum use record. A spectrum use record may indicate a usage of a spectrum band by mobile120. The spectrum band or bands may lie outside bands allocated to a network in which the respective gateway is comprised. The data structure may comprise more than one spectrum use record, providing for efficient signaling between the gateway and server110.

A spectrum use record may comprise an identification of at least one of a spectrum band, a portion of a spectrum band and a set of spectrum portions, which may be expressed in terms of at least one of a frequency, a bandwidth and a frequency channel number. The identification of a spectrum band may be encoded according to an appropriate scheme, for example in some communication systems there exist mappings of frequency channel number to physical frequency, or to a range of frequencies, and/or a bandwidth. The spectrum use records may also comprise an indication of an owner or a licensee of the spectrum band. The spectrum use records may also comprise indications of at least one of extent of use and a location of usage. The location of usage may be expressed in terms of a cell or access point under which the use occurred, or a location expressed in terms of a city, region or country. Alternatively or additionally, geographical coordinates may be employed. A spectrum use record may comprise an indication that specifies that the use occurred responsive to a specific spectrum use offer received from a network node. A spectrum use offer may be received in server110from a network node for forwarding or broadcasting to mobiles120in a certain area. The spectrum use offer may identify a spectrum band that is available for opportunistic use, a time interval when the offer is valid and/or pricing information identifying how much it would cost mobile120to take up the offer. The pricing information comprised in the spectrum use offer may comprise different prices or pricing policies for different time instances within the validity period of the offer, and different prices for different types of data. Spectrum use offers may also be routed to mobiles120and/or gateways and/or operator's radio networks without sending them via server110. A benefit from the offers is that mobile access to spectrum is facilitated, which makes cognitive radio more efficient.

The indication of extent of use may comprise an indication as to for how long mobile120has used the spectrum band. The indication of extent of use may comprise an indication as to a quantity of data received and/or transmitted using the spectrum band. The indication of extent of use may comprise an indication as to the type of data communicated using the spectrum band. Types of data may include quality of service classes such as conversational, streaming, interactive or background/non-urgent. The extent of use may also comprise an indication as to at what time of day the use occurred.

Server110may obtain price information by consulting a database, a charging policy server or information provider. A network node may have furnished server110with price information in the past, or server110may responsive to receiving accounting information query for price information. For example, where server110receives a spectrum use record for which it doesn't have price information in an internal database, it may query a network node for the price information. Where the spectrum use record comprises an identity of an owner of the spectrum band concerned, server110may query the identified spectrum owner for price information. A spectrum use record may also indicate that a spectrum broker190manages the spectrum band concerned, in which case server110may be configured to consult spectrum broker190for price information. Price information can also be based on auctions. Server110may also be configured to act on an indication of spectrum band comprised in a spectrum use record. Server110may query regulatory authority160for information on what instance is responsible for the spectrum band, and responsive to receiving a response query a responsible instance identified in the response for pricing information. The responsible instance may be a spectrum owner or spectrum broker, for example.

In cases where server110has forwarded toward gateways spectrum use offers it has received from a network node, server110may be configured to observe price information comprised in the offers and store it in a database. When server110subsequently receives spectrum use records relating to the offer, the spectrum use records may comprise information associating the actual use with the offer, which allows server110to obtain corresponding price information from the database. In some embodiments, the spectrum use records themselves comprise price information. In some embodiments of the invention spectrum use offers are not used and mobiles120sense free spectrum autonomously.

Using price information associated with accounting information such as spectrum use records, server110may be configured to derive a revenue distribution scheme for the spectrum uses described in the received data structure. Deriving a revenue distribution scheme may comprise determining revenue shares for each spectrum owner, licensee or broker. Deriving a revenue distribution scheme may comprise that server110participates in or facilitates arranging an auction to determine prices. An action may comprise communicating among at least one of a spectrum owner, a spectrum licensee, a regulatory authority, a spectrum broker, server110and a serving operator to determine pricing. On the principle that spectrum owners rent excess capacity to mobiles120operating under cognitive radio principles, the owners should receive compensation for each use of spectrum they control.

Using the revenue distribution scheme, server110may be configured to cause revenue to be distributed to respective owners, licensee and/or spectrum brokers. This may occur on a credit basis so that server first finances the expenses of the use of spectrum and may later request and receive the expenses and planned revenue from the operators under which mobiles120are subscribed. Invoicing may then happen via the home operator of the subscriber.

Server110may receive data structures from gateways, such as serving gateways, from mobile operators, virtual operators, visited networks, spectrum licensees, regulatory authorities and/or spectrum brokers. In the case of spectrum licensees the data structures may be a way to charge for spectrum use by the licensee or his customers in accordance with a licensing agreement. In the case of regulatory authorities the data structures may perform a role of accounting and keeping track of how much spectrum each authority uses to enable managing spectrum resources allocated to public use. For example, if it is discovered that an authority is using an unjustifiably large part of spectrum resources, for example ranked by traffic priority, the communication solutions of that authority may be adapted to consume less resources. For example, server110may transmit an instruction message to a gateway of the authority instructing some or all of mobiles120to switch to a lower rate codec or lower rate services which will use less spectrum resources. This way, spectrum resources can be allocated according to defined priorities.

FIG. 3illustrates an example spectrum range, where frequency increases from left to right. In this example, spectrum band310corresponds to a band, where frequencies are licensed to cellular use. Within band310are illustrated three carriers. Without cognitive radio principles, mobiles120under the cellular system to which spectrum band310is allocated are restricted to spectrum resources within this band. However using cognitive radio principles, mobiles120may sense or be advised that spectrum band320isn't in use, or is in use only to such an extent that mobile120might use it as well. Mobile120may be so advised, for example, by receiving a spectrum use offer from server110or from the owner or licensee of spectrum band320. Alternatively, the mobile may be configured to operate on band320by the serving network, which may be aware of the spectrum availability and allocate the communication resources for the mobile into that band. In this example, spectrum bands320,330and340may have different owners or licensees, for example media companies such as the Finnish National Broadcasting Company, other media companies and telecom operators. To make use of spectrum band320, mobile120may conduct a spectrum visit350to spectrum band320. Mobile120may be configured to do this, for example, responsive to determining that it has a large data file to transfer, and the transfer would complete sooner using spectrum band320in addition or alternatively to spectrum resources in spectrum band310. Other reasons for such a spectrum visit may be heavy data flows, for example associated with transmitting video, or a local scope of the transfer, so that a data storage such as a media server is nearby, or cost efficiency where visited spectrum is cheaper to use. Mobile120may therefore also consider the cost of the spectrum visit prior to deciding to embark on the spectrum visit if mobile120has price information relating to spectrum band320. Alternatively, the network may allocate resources on the visited spectrum for the mutual cost-per-bit benefit of the mobile user and the network. In this example, when mobile120concludes spectrum visit350, it returns to spectrum band310.

Table 1 describes an example data structure received in server110from a gateway. Each row corresponds to a spectrum use record. In the left-hand-side, or first, column is time information detailing when the spectrum use occurred. The second column from the left describes the duration of the spectrum use. The third column described a volume of data transferred, or alternatively a width of spectrum band used. The fourth column identifies a spectrum owner. The second column comprises duration of use in time or in tokens. When tokens are used, the definitions and number of tokens may be set in a spectrum use offer. A gateway, for example, may allocate tokens to mobiles120to allow spectrum visits in a controlled manner. The spectrum owner or licensee controls the overall presence and duration of presence of cognitive radios in his spectrum band by setting the number and definition of the tokens in a spectrum use offer he creates. A gateway, for example, may allocate the tokens between mobiles120in its domain according to a priority scheme of the network in which the gateway is comprised. The tokens may be prepaid or may be invoiced after the use.

FIG. 4is a flowchart of an example process according to some embodiments of the invention. In phase410a data structure is received, for example in server110, comprising accounting information. The accounting information may comprise at least one spectrum use record. In phase420, price information relating to the accounting information is obtained, for example as described above. For determining the price information, accounting information, charging policy and unit price may be used. In phase430, charging information is derived based on the accounting information and the price information. In phase440, the charging information is transmitted, or caused to be transmitted. The charging information may be transmitted from server110to home network150, for example. In optional phase450a revenue distribution scheme is derived based on the accounting information and the price information. In optional phase460, revenue is caused to be distributed in accordance with the derived revenue distribution scheme. All phases illustrated may take place in server110, or alternatively the functionality may be distributed between distinct units that are arranged to communicate with each other. In one embodiment, phases410,420,430and440take place in server110and phases450and460take place in a separate unit capable of initiating monetary transactions, such as invoicing. In communications inFIG. 4, all transmissions may make use of encryption to improve security and privacy of subscribers. Alternatively, some transmissions may be secured and others not secured.

Table 2 describes an example of how spectrum use can be summed for each spectrum owner or licensee over all subscribers over several gateways over a period of time. Starting from the left-hand-side, the first column identifies a spectrum owner or licensee, the second column comprises an indication as to frequency resources involved, the third column comprises an indication as to an extent of use, terabyte as an example, the fourth column an indication of the total cost and the last column indicates the time period.

TABLE 2An example of a cost of using spectrum, summedover all users over a billing periodOwnerFrequencyΣ useExpenseTimeFicora#23500TB40,0001.1.-28.2.Ficora#521700TB70,0001.1.-28.2.YLE1080.5 MHz300TB50,0001.1.-28.2.

Table 3 described an example of a section of a subscriber invoice concerning cognitive radio usage, such as for example an invoice of a user of mobile120. The table includes, starting from the left, a timestamp associated with each spectrum visit, indications as to extent of use in terms of time and data volume, a cost, and an identification of spectrum broker, owner or licensee.

TABLE 3An example of an excerpt of a subscriber invoicedisplaying costs incurred from spectrum visitsEventtime units[date &time]of useAmountExpenseinvoice5.1.2011 21:3035:002,600MB1.40Ficora7.2.2011 00:3050:0056,000MB0.50YLE

FIG. 5is a flowchart of an example process according to an embodiment of the invention. Element510corresponds to mobile120, elements520to gateways such as130G and140G, element530to an element such as server110and elements540to network nodes as described above. Mobile510may be configured to communicate via gateways520with other mobiles or with other network resources such as servers, URLs, databases, services and applications.

In phase501, server530may be configured to inform mobile510of a spectrum visit opportunity. In an alternative embodiment, the radio access network including base stations may be informed of a spectrum visit opportunity. In this case, the radio access network may arrange the spectrum visit for mobile510. Also both the radio access network and mobile510may be informed of a spectrum visit opportunity. The informing may take place via gateways520or via another route or routes. In phase501A at least one spectrum visit occurs and mobile510communicates using a spectrum band, for example one identified in phase501. The visit may occur under the guidance of a gateway520. Gateway520records accounting information concerning the spectrum visit to a data structure. In optional phase502, server530may be configured to request accounting information and in phase503server530may be configured to receive accounting information in a data structure from at least one gateway520. When server530doesn't explicitly request accounting information, it may receive it unsolicited. In phase504server530may be configured to collect data structures, such as containers, comprising accounting information and to arrange spectrum charging based at least in part on the received accounting information. In phase505server503may be configured to request price information from at least one network node, and in phase506server530may be configured to responsively receive the requested price information. The accounting and pricing information may be used to derive charging information. In optional phase507server530is configured to advise mobile510of costs incurred from at least one spectrum visit. In phase508server530may be configured to transmit charging information. Charging information may be delivered for a party for invoicing the subscriber.

In an alternative embodiment, the process is initiated by the mobile510recognizing usable spectrum without signaling501. In this case, the mobile may get permission to operate on visited spectrum from server530or from the gateways520or from the radio access network. The permission to use visited spectrum may be apriori known to the serving network, e.g. by a visit of database prior the actual use of the spectrum by mobile510. Once using the visited spectrum, the mobile accounting at the gateways520will establish the spectrum use records according to the invention. The mobile may indicate need of such spectrum use records along communication501A or related signaling, or the gateways520may establish the accounting records at its own initiative based on its knowledge of mobile's510spectrum visit.

FIG. 2illustrates an example apparatus201capable of supporting embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus may correspond to server110, for example. The apparatus is a physically tangible object, for example a server apparatus, mobile telephone, personal digital assistant, data dongle or a similar device. The apparatus may comprise a control apparatus210, for example a digital signal processor, DSP, processor, field-programmable gate array, FPGA, application-specific integrated circuit, ASIC, chipset or controller. The apparatus may further comprise a transmitter and/or a receiver210aconfigured to enable the apparatus201to connect to other apparatuses. A combination of transmitter and receiver may be called a transceiver. The apparatus may comprise memory210bconfigured to store information, for example price information. The memory may be solid-state memory, dynamic random access memory, DRAM, magnetic, holographic or other kind of memory. The apparatus may comprise logic circuitry210cconfigured to access the memory210band control the transmitter and/or a receiver210a. The logic circuitry210cmay be implemented as software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware. The logic circuitry may comprise at least one processing core. The logic circuitry210cmay execute program code stored in memory210bto control the functioning of the apparatus201and cause it to perform functions related to embodiments of the invention. The logic circuitry210cmay be configured to initiate functions in the apparatus201, for example the sending of data units via the transmitter and/or a receiver210a. The logic circuitry210cmay be control circuitry. The transmitter and/or a receiver210a, memory210band/or logic circuitry210cmay comprise hardware and/or software elements comprised in the control apparatus210. Memory210bmay be comprised in the control apparatus210, be external to it or be both external and internal to the control apparatus210such that the memory is split to an external part and an internal part. If the apparatus201does not comprise a control apparatus210the transmitter and/or a receiver210a, memory210band logic circuitry210cmay be comprised in the apparatus as hardware elements such as integrated circuits or other electronic components. The same applies if the apparatus201does comprise a control apparatus210but some, or all, of the transmitter and/or a receiver210a, memory210band logic circuitry210care not comprised in the control apparatus210.

Without in any way limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the claims appearing below, a technical effect of one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein is that signaling related to charging is optimized and simplified, as a plurality of uses of a subscriber may be charged based on information contained in one data structure. Another technical effect of one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein is that spectrum resources can be allocated according to defined priorities. Another technical effect of one or more of the example embodiments disclosed herein is that mobile access to spectrum is facilitated, making cognitive radio and use of spectrum more efficient. Needs for roaming agreements for spectrum visits are reduced by implementing charging via a server.