Timing information for discovery in unlicensed spectrum

• US 10,512,033 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yerramalli, Srinivas, Luo, Tao, Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Gaal, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Nowlin, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/009,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• 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 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for transmitting and discovering timing information during wireless communications are described herein. In an aspect, the systems and methods include monitoring at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity; receiving the discovery signal during a subframe from the network entity; and determining a current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal, wherein the discovery signal includes timing information corresponding to the current subframe location.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

monitoring, at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, for a discovery signal from a network entity on a downlink control channel, wherein the discovery signal comprises a synchronization signal and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising timing information corresponding to a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB);

receiving the discovery signal during a subframe from the network entity;

determining the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal; and

demodulating the downlink control channel based on the non-periodic current subframe location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery signal includes synchronization information corresponding to a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a radio frame boundary (RFB) based on the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a discovery window and a discovery period based on the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a first size of the discovery window and a second size of the discovery period are preconfigured.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the discovery signal is received as a non-periodic opportunistic signal during the discovery window.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing with the network entity based on the non-periodic current subframe location corresponding to the subframe.

8. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a memory configured to store data, and

one or more processors communicatively coupled with the memory, wherein the one or more processors and the memory are configured to;

monitor at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity on a downlink control channel, wherein the discovery signal comprises a synchronization signal and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising timing information corresponding to a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB);

receive the discovery signal during a subframe from the network entity;

determine the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal; and

demodulate the downlink control channel based on the non-periodic current subframe location.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the discovery signal includes synchronization information corresponding to a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and the memory are further configured to determine a radio frame boundary (RFB) based on the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and the memory are further configured to determine a discovery window and a discovery period based on the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a first size of the discovery window and a second size of the discovery period are preconfigured.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the discovery signal is received as a non-periodic opportunistic signal during the discovery window.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and the memory are further configured to synchronize with the network entity based on the non-periodic current subframe location corresponding to the subframe.

15. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for monitoring at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity on a downlink control channel, wherein the discovery signal comprises a synchronization signal and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising timing information corresponding to a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB);

means for receiving the discovery signal during a subframe from the network entity;

means for determining the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal; and

means for demodulating the downlink control channel based on the non-periodic current subframe location.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communications, comprising:

code for monitoring at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity on a downlink control channel, wherein the discovery signal comprises a synchronization signal and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising timing information corresponding to a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB);

code for receiving the discovery signal during a subframe from the network entity;

code for determining the non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal; and

code for demodulating the downlink control channel based on the non-periodic current subframe location.

17. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

monitoring at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity;

receiving the discovery signal during a subframe on a downlink control channel from the network entity after a clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure to establish whether a channel of the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band is available;

determining a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal, wherein the discovery signal includes timing information corresponding to the non-periodic current subframe location and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising the timing information in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB); and

demodulating the downlink control channel based on the non-periodic current subframe location.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

demodulating the downlink control channel; and

determining a symbol location of the eSIB within the subframe in response to demodulating the downlink control channel.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the downlink control channel corresponds to either a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced downlink control channel (ePDCCH).

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising synchronizing with the network entity based on the non-periodic current subframe location corresponding to the subframe.

21. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a memory configured to store data, and

one or more processors communicatively coupled with the memory, wherein the one or more processors and the memory are configured to;

monitor at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity;

receive the discovery signal during a subframe on a downlink control channel from the network entity after a clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure to establish whether a channel of the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band is available;

determine a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal, wherein the discovery signal includes timing information corresponding to the non-periodic current subframe location and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising the timing information in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB); and

demodulate the downlink control channel based on the non-periodic current subframe location.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors and the memory are further configured to:

demodulate the downlink control channel; and

determine a symbol location of the eSIB within the subframe in response to demodulating the downlink control channel.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the downlink control channel corresponds to either a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced downlink control channel (ePDCCH).

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors and the memory are further configured to synchronize with the network entity based on the non-periodic current subframe location corresponding to the subframe.

25. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for monitoring at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity;

means for receiving the discovery signal during a subframe on a downlink control channel from the network entity after a clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure to establish whether a channel of the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band is available;

means for determining a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal, wherein the discovery signal includes timing information corresponding to the non-periodic current subframe location and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising the timing information in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB); and

means for demodulating the downlink control channel based on the non-periodic current subframe location.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for demodulating the downlink control channel; and

means for determining a symbol location of the eSIB within the subframe in response to demodulating the downlink control channel.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the downlink control channel corresponds to either a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced downlink control channel (ePDCCH).

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for synchronizing with the network entity based on the non-periodic current subframe location corresponding to the subframe.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communications, comprising:

code for monitoring at a user equipment (UE) over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band for a discovery signal from a network entity;

code for receiving the discovery signal during a subframe on a downlink control channel from the network entity after a clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure to establish whether a channel of the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band is available;

code for determining a non-periodic current subframe location of the network entity based on the discovery signal, wherein the discovery signal includes timing information corresponding to the current subframe location and an enhanced system information block (eSIB) comprising the timing information in at least one or more of a system information block 1 (SIB1), a system information block 2 (SIB2), or a master information block (MIB); and

demodulating the downlink control channel based on the current subframe location.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code for demodulating the downlink control channel; and

code for determining a symbol location of the eSIB within the subframe in response to demodulating the downlink control channel.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the downlink control channel corresponds to either a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced downlink control channel (ePDCCH).

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising code for synchronizing with the network entity based on the non-periodic current subframe location corresponding to the subframe.