Method and apparatus for time division LTE transmission in unlicensed radio frequency bands

• US 10,206,223 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Belghoul, Farouk, Tabet, Tarik, Mujtaba, Syed A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shand, Roberta A
• Application Number:
  US15/014,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20160233989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• 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 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• 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 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for time division based communication between a wireless device and a wireless network in a licensed radio frequency (RF) band and an unlicensed RF band are disclosed. The wireless device receives downlink control information (DCI), via a primary component carrier (PCC) of a primary cell (Pcell) in the licensed RF band, indicating downlink (DL) data transmission via a secondary component carrier (SCC) of a secondary cell (Scell) in the unlicensed RF band. The wireless device receives via the SCC part of the DL data transmission and transmits a control message via the PCC in response. The wireless device sends a scheduling request (SR) to the eNodeB and receives uplink (UL) transmission opportunities in a combination of the licensed RF band and the unlicensed RF band. The wireless device performs a clear channel assessment before reserving and transmitting to the eNodeB in the unlicensed RF band.

Claims

1. A wireless network apparatus of a wireless network, the wireless network apparatus comprising:

a cellular wireless subsystem configurable for time division based communication in a licensed radio frequency (RF) band and an unlicensed RF band; and

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the cellular wireless subsystem and configured to cause the wireless network apparatus to;

establish a connection between the wireless network apparatus and a wireless communication device using a primary component carrier (PCC) of a primary cell (Pcell) in the licensed RF band;

receive a scheduling request (SR) message via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band, the SR message indicating pending uplink (UL) data available for transmission to the network apparatus;

transmit downlink control information (DCI), from the wireless network apparatus via the PCC of the Pcell, indicating a plurality of UL transmission opportunities via a secondary component carrier (SCC) of a secondary cell (Scell) in the unlicensed RF band, where the plurality of UL transmission opportunities restrict the wireless communication device to transmit continuously in the UL RF band for no more than four or five milliseconds; and

transmit, to the wireless communication device via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band, a control message comprising a bundled set of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) and negative acknowledgement (NACK) messages corresponding to the plurality of UL transmission opportunities after all of the plurality of UL transmission opportunities have occurred.

2. The wireless network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control message comprises a hybrid HARQ ACK message, when the wireless network apparatus determines that receipt of at least a portion of the UL data is successful.

3. The wireless network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control message comprises a HARQ NACK message, when the wireless network apparatus determines that receipt of at least a portion of the UL data is not successful.

4. The wireless network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DCI further indicates a UL transmission opportunity via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band.

5. The wireless network apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless network apparatus to transmit, to the wireless communication device via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band, a second control message, in response to receipt of at least a second portion of the UL data from the wireless communication device via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band.

6. The wireless network apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second control message comprises a HARQ ACK message, when the wireless network apparatus determines that receipt of the second portion of the UL data is successful.

7. The wireless network apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second control message comprises a HARQ NACK message, when the wireless network apparatus determines that receipt of the second portion of the UL data is not successful.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

a cellular wireless subsystem;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) wireless subsystem; and

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the cellular wireless subsystem and the WLAN wireless subsystem, the processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless communication device to;

establish a connection between the wireless communication device and an eNodeB of a wireless network using a primary component carrier (PCC) of a primary cell (Pcell) in a licensed radio frequency (RF) band;

transmit a scheduling request (SR) message via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band, the SR message indicating pending uplink (UL) data available for transmission to the eNodeB;

receive downlink control information (DCI), from the eNodeB via the PCC of the Pcell, indicating a plurality of UL transmission opportunities via a secondary component carrier (SCC) of a secondary cell (Scell) in an unlicensed RF band, where the plurality of UL transmission opportunities restrict continuous transmissions in the UL RF band to no more than four or five milliseconds;

perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) for at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band during one of the plurality of UL transmission opportunities;

transmit, to the eNodeB via the SCC of the Scell in the unlicensed RF band, at least a portion of the pending UL data, when the CCA indicates that the at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band is available for transmission;

repeat the CCA for the at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band during a second one of the UL transmission opportunities after waiting for a back-off time period, when the CCA indicates that the at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band is not available for transmission during the one of the UL transmission opportunities; and

transmit, to the eNodeB via the SCC of the Scell in the unlicensed RF band, at least a portion of the pending UL data, when the CCA indicates that the at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band is available for transmission during the second one of the plurality of UL transmission opportunities.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to increase the back-off time period between each successive CCA attempted during the one of the UL transmission opportunities.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to increase a time period for each successive CCA attempted up to a maximum length CCA time period threshold during the one of the UL transmission opportunities.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

transmit, to the eNodeB via the SCC of the Scell in the unlicensed RF band, a preamble with the at least a portion of the pending UL data, when the CCA indicates that the at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band is available for transmission.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the preamble precedes the at least a portion of the pending UL data.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the preamble is transmitted as part of the at least a portion of the pending UL data.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication device transmits the preamble to reserve the at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band for transmission of the at least a portion of the pending UL data.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication device transmits the preamble to the eNodeB to assist the eNodeB to perform at least one of time synchronization and frequency synchronization.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the DCI indicates at least one additional UL transmission opportunity via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band and the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

transmit, to the eNodeB via the PCC of the Pcell in the licensed RF band, at least part of the pending UL data during one or more of the at least one additional UL transmission opportunity.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

determine an UL transmission failure, when all CCAs attempted during the plurality of UL transmission opportunities indicate that the at least a portion of the unlicensed RF band is not available for transmission.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

receive, from the eNodeB via the PCC of the PCell in the licensed RF band, a control message comprising a bundled set of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) and negative acknowledgement (NACK) messages corresponding to the plurality of UL transmission opportunities after all of the plurality of UL transmission opportunities have occurred.