A beacon detection method for sharing spectrum between wireless access systems and fixed microwave systems

A measurement-based frequency sharing technique using an alternative to detecting power from existing point-to-point microwave transmitters is proposed. In this technique, continuous wave (CW) beacon signals are transmitted through every point-to-point microwave receiver antenna system. Each beacon protects its corresponding microwave receiver by identifying the frequency of the point-to-point receiver. Appropriately designed beacon signals can be adequately detected with simple receivers. This technique allows a higher density of simultaneous uncoordinated wireless access system transmissions, without causing interference to point-to-point receivers, than could be achieved using path loss models to design geographic exclusion zones or by detecting energy from point-to-point transmitters.