Wireless communication between wideband eNB and narrowband UE

• US 10,548,131 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2017
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yerramalli, Srinivas, Kadous, Tamer, Liu, Chih-Hao, Patel, Chirag, Rico Alvarino, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Skripnikov, Alex
• Application Number:
  US15/635,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/12 by using return channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/189 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of a message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• 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 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for wireless communication in the unlicensed spectrum between an eNB and UEs having different bandwidths, e.g., between a narrowband UE and a wideband eNB. A base station apparatus performs an LBT procedure at a beginning of frames and transmits a plurality of repetitions of a transmission. When the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames and the LBT procedure is not successful for a first frame, the base station drops or postpones at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame when the LBT procedure is successful. A UE receives the plurality of repetitions and may combine a plurality of repetitions across multiple frames. The UE may determine whether the base station drops the at least one repetition in the first frame or postpones the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

performing a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure at a beginning of each of a plurality of frames; and

transmitting at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a transmission, comprising determining whether to drop at least one repetition of the plurality of repetitions in a first frame when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames and the LBT procedure is not successful for the first frame or to postpone the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame when the LBT procedure is successful.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission comprises a control channel transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmission comprises a Machine Type Communication Physical Downlink Control Channel (MPDCCH) transmission.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission comprises a data transmission.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmission comprises a Machine Type Communication Physical Downlink Shared Channel (MPDSCH) transmission.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station drops the at least one repetition in the first frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station postpones the at least one repetition in the first frame until the second frame when the LBT procedure is successful.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on at least one of:

an interference environment;

a likelihood of a user equipment missing the transmission directed to the user equipment;

a likelihood of the user equipment making a false detection;

a reliability of the user equipment detecting whether the base station drops or postpones the transmission; and

user equipment procedures of the UE.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the base station receives the RACH transmission from the user equipment, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication comprises Internet of Things (IoT) communication.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

means for performing a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure at a beginning of each of a plurality of frames; and

means for transmitting at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a transmission, wherein the means for transmitting determines whether to drop at least one repetition of the plurality of repetitions in a first frame when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames and the LBT procedure is not successful for the first frame or to postpone the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame when the LBT procedure is successful.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the determining is based on at least one of:

an interference environment;

a likelihood of a user equipment missing the transmission directed to the user equipment;

a likelihood of the user equipment making a false detection;

a reliability of the user equipment detecting whether the base station drops or postpones the transmission; and

user equipment procedures of the UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the base station receives the RACH transmission from the user equipment, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.

16. An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

perform a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure at a beginning of each of a plurality of frames;

transmit at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a transmission, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether to drop at least one repetition of the plurality of repetitions in a first frame when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames and the LBT procedure is not successful for the first frame or to postpone the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame when the LBT procedure is successful.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the determining is based on at least one of:

an interference environment;

a likelihood of a user equipment missing the transmission directed to the user equipment;

a likelihood of the user equipment making a false detection;

a reliability of the user equipment detecting whether the base station drops or postpones the transmission; and

user equipment procedures of the UE.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the base station receives the RACH transmission from the user equipment, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication at a base station, comprising code to:

perform a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure at a beginning of each of a plurality of frames;

transmit at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a transmission, comprising determining whether to drop at least one repetition of the plurality of repetitions in a first frame when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames and the LBT procedure is not successful for the first frame or to postpone the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame when the LBT procedure is successful.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the determining is based on at least one of:

an interference environment;

a likelihood of a user equipment missing the transmission directed to the user equipment;

a likelihood of the user equipment making a false detection;

a reliability of the user equipment detecting whether the base station drops or postpones the transmission; and

user equipment procedures of the UE.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising code to:

receive at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the base station receives the RACH transmission from the user equipment, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.

24. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment, comprising:

receiving at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a downlink transmission from a base station;

when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames, determining whether the base station transmits at least one repetition of the downlink transmission in a first frame; and

determining whether the base station drops the at least one repetition in the first frame or postpones the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

combining the plurality of repetitions across the multiple frames.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the transmission comprises a control channel transmission.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmission comprises a Machine Type Communication Physical Downlink Control Channel (MPDCCH) transmission.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the transmission comprises a data transmission.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the transmission comprises a Machine Type Communication Physical Downlink Shared Channel (MPDSCH) transmission.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the user equipment transmits the RACH transmission to the base station in the frame when the base station did not transmit the downlink transmission, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the wireless communication comprises Internet of Things (IoT) communication.

33. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment, comprising:

means for receiving at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a downlink transmission from a base station;

means for determining whether the base station transmits at least one repetition of the downlink transmission in a first frame, when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames; and

wherein the means for determining is configured to determine whether the base station drops the at least one repetition in the first frame or postpones the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for combining the plurality of repetitions across the multiple frames.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for transmitting at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the user equipment transmits the RACH transmission to the base station in the frame when the base station did not transmit the downlink transmission, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.

37. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a downlink transmission from a base station;

determine whether the base station transmits at least one repetition of the downlink transmission in a first frame, when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames; and

determine whether the base station drops the at least one repetition in the first frame or postpones the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

combine the plurality of repetitions across the multiple frames.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the user equipment transmits the RACH transmission to the base station in the frame when the base station did not transmit the downlink transmission, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.

41. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication at a user equipment, comprising code to:

receive at least a portion of a plurality of repetitions of a downlink transmission from a base station;

determine whether the base station transmits at least one repetition of the downlink transmission in a first frame, when the plurality of repetitions span multiple frames; and

determine whether the base station drops the at least one repetition in the first frame or postpones the at least one repetition in the first frame until a second frame.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising code to:

combine the plurality of repetitions across the multiple frames.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising code to:

transmit at least one of an uplink control transmission, an uplink data transmission, or a Random Access Channel (RACH) transmission from a user equipment in a frame when the base station did not transmit a downlink transmission.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the user equipment transmits the RACH transmission to the base station in the frame when the base station did not transmit the downlink transmission, and wherein the RACH transmission is based on an allocated cell specific configuration.