Wireless operation in license exempt spectrum

• US 10,051,624 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaur, Samian, Bala, Erdem, Deng, Tao, Shah, Kandarp, Vanganuru, Kiran K., Pietraski, Philip J., Terry, Stephen E., Yang, Rui, Sternberg, Gregory S., Castor, Douglas R., Pragada, Ravikumar V., Beluri, Mihaela C., Stern-Berkowitz, Janet A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMAN, SHAH M
• Application Number:
  US13/991,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20150131536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,443 Days
• Field of Search: 370329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0006 Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2657 Carrier synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2662 Symbol synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A grant that includes a resource allocation for a subframe set may be communicated. The subframe set may include a subframe resource and another subframe resource following the subframe resource. Sensing, during a sensing time prior to utilization of the subframe resource, that the unlicensed spectrum is available may be performed. Transmitting, based on the sensing, data on the subframe resource and the another subframe resource without further sensing may also be performed.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

utilizing, by the WTRU, carrier aggregation with an uplink primary component carrier in licensed spectrum and an uplink secondary component carrier in unlicensed spectrum;

receiving, by the WTRU on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal on a downlink component carrier, a grant for physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission on the uplink secondary component carrier, wherein the grant includes a resource allocation for a subframe set;

wherein the subframe set includes a first subframe resource and another subframe resource following the subframe resource; and

sensing, by the WTRU during a sensing time prior to utilization of the subframe resource, that the unlicensed spectrum is available; and

transmitting, based on the sensing, data on the subframe resource and the another subframe resource, wherein the data is transmitted on the another subframe resource without further sensing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of timing and frequency synchronization for the uplink secondary component carrier utilizes at least one of a frame preamble, periodic beacons, or primary and secondary synchronization symbols.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing time is prior to a start of a subframe with which the sensing time is associated or at a start of a subframe with which the sensing time is associated.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting on a PUSCH of the uplink primary component carrier without performing carrier sensing.

3. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a processor, electrically coupled to a transceiver, configured to utilize carrier aggregation with an uplink primary component carrier in licensed spectrum and an uplink secondary component carrier in unlicensed spectrum;

the transceiver configured to receive, on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal on a downlink component carrier, a grant for physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission on the uplink secondary component carrier, wherein the grant includes a resource allocation for a subframe set;

wherein the subframe set includes a subframe resource and another subframe resource following the subframe resource; and

the processor configured to sense, during a sensing time prior to utilization of the subframe resource, that the unlicensed spectrum is available; and

the transceiver configured to transmit, based on the sense that the unlicensed spectrum is available, data on the subframe resource and the another subframe resource, wherein the data is transmitted on the another subframe resource without further sensing.

5. The WTRU of claim 3, wherein the sensing time is prior to a start of a subframe with which the sensing time is associated or at a start of a subframe with which the sensing time is associated.

7. The WTRU of claim 3 further comprising the transceiver configured to transmit on a PUSCH of the uplink primary component carrier without performing carrier sensing.