Network nodes and methods thereof

• US 10,631,325 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2018
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Soldati, Pablo, Legg, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US15/990,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20180279355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a first network node. The first network node comprises a transceiver configured to receive a network information message from a second network node configured to use a shared communication channel for wireless communication, the network information message indicating a set of third network nodes configurable (or contending) to use the shared communication channel for wireless communication; a processor configured to determine, for the second network node, at least one first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel based on the network information message; wherein the transceiver further is configured to transmit a first network control message to the second network node, the first network control message indicating the first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel. Furthermore, the present disclosure also relates to corresponding method, a wireless communication system, a computer program, and a computer program product.

Claims

1. A first network node for a wireless communication system, the first network node comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a network information message from a second network node, wherein the network information message indicates a set of third network nodes configurable to use a shared communication channel for wireless communication, and wherein the second network node is configured to use the shared communication channel for wireless communication; and

a processor configured to determine, for the second network node, a first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel based on the network information message;

wherein the transceiver further is configured to transmit a first network control message to the second network node, the first network control message indicating the first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel.

2. The first network node according to claim 1, wherein the network information message further indicates a traffic load of the shared communication channel or a traffic load of the second network node in the shared communication channel.

3. The first network node according to claim 1,

wherein the processor further is configured to:

determine at least one further shared communication channel for the second network node based on the network information message, and

determine at least one further channel access time interval for accessing the at least one further shared communication channel based on the network information message;

wherein the transceiver further is configured to;

transmit the first network control message indicating the at least one further shared communication channel and the at least one further channel access time interval for accessing the at least one further shared communication channel.

4. The first network node according to claim 1,

wherein the processor further is configured to determine at least one first channel access priority associated with the first channel access time interval based on the network information message;

and

wherein the transceiver further is configured to transmit the first network control message further indicating the at least one first channel access priority.

5. The first network node according to claim 4, wherein the at least one first channel access priority grants a channel access probability p between zero and one.

6. The first network node according to claim 1,

wherein the processor further is configured to determine, for the second network node, at least one first channel idle time threshold based on the network information message;

and

wherein the transceiver further is configured to transmit the first network control message further indicating the at least one first channel idle time threshold.

7. The first network node according to claim 1, wherein the processor further is configured to:

derive channel contention relations between the second network node and the set of third network nodes based on the network information message; and

determine one or more of a first channel access time interval, a first channel access priority, a first channel idle time threshold, and the shared communication channel based on the derived channel contention relations and the network information message.

8. The first network node according to claim 1,

wherein the processor further is configured to determine, for at least one third network node belonging to the set of third network nodes, at least one second channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel based on the network information message;

and

wherein the transceiver further is configured to transmit a second network control message to the at least one third network node, the second network control message indicating the second channel access time interval.

9. The first network node according to claim 1, wherein the first network node is configured to operate in a first radio access technology (RAT) and the second network node is configured to operate in a second RAT.

10. The first network node according to claim 1, wherein the first network node is configured to operate in a licensed frequency band and the second network node is configured to operate in an un-licensed frequency band.

11. A second network node for a wireless communication system, the second network node comprising

a processor configured to determine a set of third network nodes configurable to use a shared communication channel for wireless communication;

and

a transceiver configured to;

transmit a network information message to a first network node, the network information message indicating the set of third network nodes;

receive a first network control message from the first network node, the first network control message indicating a first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel by the second network node based on the network information message; and

use the shared communication channel according to the first network control message.

12. The second network node according to claim 11,

wherein the processor further is configured to determine at least a traffic load of the shared communication channel or a traffic load of the second network node in the shared communication channel;

and

wherein the transceiver further is configured to transmit the network information message further indicating the traffic load of the shared communication channel or the traffic load of the second network node in the shared communication channel.

13. The second network node according to claim 11, wherein the first network control message further indicates at least one channel access priority associated with the first channel access time interval.

14. The second network node according to claim 11,

wherein the first network control message further indicates a first channel idle time threshold;

and

wherein the transceiver further is configured to use the shared communication channel according to the first network control message in response to the processor determining that the shared communication channel is free for an interval of time at least equal to the first channel idle time threshold.

15. The second network node according to claim 11, wherein the first network node is configured to operate in a first radio access technology (RAT), and the second network node is configured to operate in a second RAT.

16. The second network node according to claim 11, wherein the first network node is configured to operate in a licensed frequency band and the second network node is configured to operate in an un-licensed frequency band.

17. A method for a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a network information message from a second network node, wherein the network information message indicates a set of third network nodes configurable to use a shared communication channel for wireless communication, and wherein the second node is configured to use the shared communication channel for wireless communication;

determining, for the second network node, a first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel based on the network information message; and

transmitting a first network control message to the second network node, the first network control message indicating the first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the network information message further indicates a traffic load of the shared communication channel or a traffic load of the second network node in the shared communication channel.

19. A method for a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

determining a set of third network nodes configurable to use a shared communication channel for wireless communication;

transmitting a network information message to a first network node, the network information message indicating the set of third network nodes;

receiving a first network control message from the first network node, the first network control message indicating a first channel access time interval for accessing the shared communication channel by the second network node according to the first network control message; and

using the shared communication channel according to the first network control message.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first network control message further indicates at least one channel access priority associated with the first channel access time interval.