Patent ID: 8812011

Claim:
A method of operating a portable wireless device in communication with at least one other portable wireless device, the method performed by the portable wireless device and comprising: wirelessly sending a request for a spectrum database; wirelessly receiving a communication from the at least one other portable wireless devices, the communication comprising at least one copy of the spectrum database, the spectrum database comprising information indicating a plurality of white space frequency bands or white space channels in a publicly licensed spectrum, wherein the white space frequency bands or white space channels have not been assigned to any entity by a corresponding regulatory entity; selecting, by the portable wireless device, from among the white space frequency bands or white space channels in the spectrum database, a target white space band or white space channel; selecting transmission and receiving parameters corresponding to the target white space band or white space channel; and configuring the device to use the selected parameters to communicate using the publicly unassigned target white space band or white space channel.