An intelligent spectrum management (ISM) system and method that includes
sophisticated features to detect, classify, and locate sources of RF
activity. The system comprises one or more radio sensor devices
positioned at various locations in a region where activity in a shared
radio frequency band is occurring. A server is coupled to the radio
sensor devices and aggregates the data generated by the sensor devices.
The server receives data from each of the plurality of sensor devices and
executes functions to process the data. One feature of the system is to
correlate data collected from the sensor or from suitably equipped
devices that operate (and may move about) in a space with locations where
provocation of that data occurs. To this end, radio frequency energy is
received at each of a plurality of known positions (e.g., the sensors) in
a space. The positions in the space of one or more devices emitting radio
frequency energy in the space is determined from the received radio
frequency energy at the plurality of known positions (e.g., the sensors).
A variety of positioning techniques may be employed, such as received
signal strength, time-difference-of arrival, time-of-arrival, etc.
Activity data representing characteristics of received radio frequency
energy in the space is generated at the sensors or at suitable equipped
devices that may move about the space. The server correlates the activity
data with the positions in the space that are associated with the
provocation of the activity data.