Downlink control format indicator

• US 10,548,124 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wanshi, Xu, Hao, Gaal, Peter, Luo, Tao, Yerramalli, Srinivas, Ji, Tingfang, Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Wei, Yongbin, Bhushan, Naga, Malladi, Durga Prasad, Sukhavasi, Ravi Teja
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven H
• Application Number:
  US15/659,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• 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 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication. In one method, a control format indicator value for a frame may be received over a physical carrier in a shared spectrum. Based on the control format indicator value, a number of subframes of the frame to be used by a base station for downlink transmissions over the physical carrier may be determined. The control format indicator value may indicate an end of transmission, if data is to be transmitted during the frame, a number of subframes to be used for transmission, or whether the current subframe is the final subframe used for transmission. In some cases, a user equipment (UE) may use the control format indicator value to determine a sleep schedule. Further, ACK/NACK transmissions by a UE may be scheduled based on the control format indicator value.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

monitoring a first carrier for an indication of a result of a clear channel assessment (CCA) for a second carrier, wherein the first carrier is in a licensed dedicated spectrum and the second carrier is in an unlicensed spectrum;

receiving, over the second carrier, a control format indicator value for a frame based on the indication of the result; and

determining, based on the control format indicator value, a number of subframes of the frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over the second carrier, wherein the control format indicator value is received during one of a first symbol of a first subframe of the frame or a last symbol of a last subframe of a previous frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sleep schedule of a user equipment (UE) for the frame based on the control format indicator value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a bitwidth of the control format indicator value is based on a structure of the frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of subframes of the frame comprises at least one partial subframe.

5. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

monitor a first carrier for an indication of a result of a clear channel assessment (CCA) for a second carrier, wherein the first carrier is in a licensed dedicated spectrum and the second carrier is in an unlicensed spectrum;

receive, over the second carrier, a control format indicator value for a frame based on the indication of the result; and

determine, based on the control format indicator value, a number of subframes of the frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over the second carrier, wherein the control format indicator value is received during one of a first symbol of a first subframe of the frame or a last symbol of a last subframe of a previous frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a sleep schedule of a user equipment (UE) for the frame based on the control format indicator value.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a bitwidth of the control format indicator value is based on a structure of the frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the number of subframes of the frame comprises at least one partial subframe.

9. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

transmitting over a first carrier an indication of a result of a clear channel assessment (CCA) for a second carrier, wherein the first carrier is in a licensed dedicated spectrum and the second carrier is in an unlicensed spectrum;

determining a number of subframes of a frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over the second carrier; and

transmitting, over the second carrier, a control format indicator value for the frame based on the determined number of subframes of the frame, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during one of a first symbol of a first subframe of the frame or a last symbol of a last subframe of a previous frame.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a bitwidth of the control format indicator value is based on a structure of the frame.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the number of subframes of the frame comprises at least one partial subframe.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

transmit over a first carrier an indication of a result of a clear channel assessment (CCA) for a second carrier, wherein the first carrier is in a licensed dedicated spectrum and the second carrier is in an unlicensed spectrum;

determine a number of subframes of a frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over the second carrier; and

transmit, over the second carrier, a control format indicator value for the frame based on the determined number of subframes of the frame, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during one of a first symbol of a first subframe of the frame or a last symbol of a last subframe of a previous frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the number of subframes of the frame comprises at least one partial subframe.