Method and apparatus for operating a device on a licensed spectrum and an unlicensed spectrum

• US 10,206,140 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Ranjeet, Van Bosch, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Xavier Szewai
• Application Number:
  US15/341,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus operate a device on a licensed spectrum and an unlicensed spectrum. The device can operate on a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) channel via a WWAN base station using a WWAN Radio Access Technology (RAT). The device can detect at least one WWAN RAT Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) base station using the WWAN RAT operating on a WLAN frequency. The device can communicate with the WWAN RAT WLAN base station on a WWAN RAT WLAN channel operating on the WLAN frequency. The device can scan WLAN frequencies. A WLAN access point load on the WWAN RAT WLAN channel can be calculated based on scanning the WLAN frequencies, where a WLAN access point uses a WLAN RAT. The device can disable communication using the WWAN RAT WLAN channel when the WLAN access point load exceeds a threshold and allow communication on the WWAN channel when the WLAN access point load exceeds a threshold.

Claims

1. A method in a device, the method comprising:

operating a device on a wireless wide area network channel via a wireless wide area network base station using a wireless wide area network radio access technology;

detecting, by the device, at least one wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network base station using the wireless wide area network radio access technology operating on a wireless local area network frequency;

communicating, by the device, with the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network base station on a wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel operating on the wireless local area network frequency;

scanning, by the device, wireless local area network frequencies;

calculating a wireless local area network access point load on the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel based on scanning the wireless local area network frequencies, where a wireless local area network access point uses a wireless local area network radio access technology, and where the access point load is based on a determined number of access points on wireless local area network frequencies; and

disabling, by the device, communication using the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel if the wireless local area network access point load exceeds a threshold and allowing communication using the wireless wide area network channel if the wireless local area network access point load exceeds a threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

computing a channel quality indicator of the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel,

wherein the method further comprises

disabling communication using the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel if the channel quality indicator is below a threshold and allowing communication using the wireless wide area network channel if the channel quality indicator is below a threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a location of the device; and

enabling communication using a wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel if the location of the device has changed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating comprises receiving carrier aggregated data on a combination of the wireless wide area network channel and the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless wide area network comprises a long term evolution-based network and a wireless local area network comprises an 802.11 frequency-based network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network frequencies comprise frequencies in a range of 4,915 MHz to 5,925 MHz.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network base station using the wireless wide area network radio access technology and the wireless wide area network base station using the wireless wide area network radio access technology are base stations of a same service provider.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication of the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel from a network operator.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending, to a wireless wide area network radio access technology service provider, information indicating communication was disabled using the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein scanning comprises scanning, by the device, wireless local area network frequencies if a wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network transceiver of the device is idle.

11. A device comprising:

a first transceiver to operate the device on a wireless wide area network channel via a wireless wide area network base station using a wireless wide area network radio access technology;

a second transceiver to detect at least one wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network base station using the wireless wide area network radio access technology operating on a wireless local area network frequency and communicate with the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network base station on a wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel operating on the wireless local area network frequency; and

a controller to

scan wireless local area network frequencies,

determine a wireless local area network access point load on the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel based on scanning the wireless local area network frequencies, where a wireless local area network access point uses a wireless local area network radio access technology, and where the access point load is based on a determined number of access points on wireless local area network frequencies,

disable communication using the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel if the wireless local area network access point load exceeds a threshold, and

allow communication using the wireless wide area network channel if the wireless local area network access point load exceeds a threshold.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the controller computes a channel quality indicator of the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel, disables communication using the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel if the channel quality indicator is below a threshold, and allows communication using the wireless wide area network channel if the channel quality indicator is below a threshold.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the controller monitors a location of the device and enables communication using a wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel if the location of the device has changed.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the second transceiver receives carrier aggregated data on a combination of the wireless wide area network channel and the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless wide area network comprises a long term evolution-based network and a wireless local area network comprises an 802.11 frequency-based network.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless local area network frequencies comprise frequencies in a range of 4,915 MHz to 5,925 MHz.

17. The device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless local area network base station using the wireless wide area network radio access technology and the wireless wide area network base station using the wireless wide area network radio access technology are base stations of a same service provider.

18. The device according to claim 11, wherein the controller receives an indication of the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel from a network operator.

19. The device according to claim 11, wherein the controller sends, to a wireless wide area network radio access technology service provider, information indicating communication was disabled using the wireless wide area network radio access technology wireless local area network channel.

20. The device according to claim 11, wherein the controller scans wireless local area network frequencies if the second transceiver is idle.