METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING SECONDARY USAGE OF LICENSED CELLULAR SPECTRUM

• US 20130003573A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reznik, Alexander, Chincholi, Amith V., Demir, Alpaslan, Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, Miller, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,007,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a secondary wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to use of secondary cellular spectrum are provided. The secondary WTRU monitors transmissions of a primary WTRU; determines whether to provide assistance to the primary WTRU; and in response to a determination to provide assistance, performs cooperative communications with the primary WTRU for its transmission of data to a base station. If the assistance results in the data being transmitted to the base station faster than it would have with out assistance, the secondary WTRU may utilize uplink resources originally intended for the primary WTRU.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining use of secondary cellular spectrum by a secondary wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

receiving information from a base station regarding a set of primary WTRUs needing assistance;

determining whether to provide assistance to a primary WTRU from the set of primary WTRUs;

in response to a determination to provide assistance, performing cooperative communications with a selected primary WTRU from the set of primary WTRUs to assist the selected primary WTRU with data transmissions transmitted from the selected primary WTRU to the base station; and

on a condition that the assistance results in the data being transmitted from the selected primary WTRU to the base station at a higher data rate than it would have with out the assistance, utilizing uplink resources originally intended for the selected primary WTRU.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination to provide assistance is based on measurements performed at the secondary WTRU.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination to provide assistance is based on information provided to the secondary WTRU by the network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the utilizing uplink resources is done in response to receiving a grant at the secondary WTRU.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein performing a relay function at the secondary WTRU includes establishing a first radio bearer for transmission of the data associated with the selected primary WTRU;

and establishing a second radio bearer for transmission of data associated with the secondary WTRU.

6. A secondary wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) for obtaining use of secondary cellular spectrum, the WTRU comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information from a base station regarding a set of primary WTRUs needing assistance;

a processor configured to determine whether to provide assistance to

a primary WTRU from the set of WTRUs, and in response to a determination to provide assistance, perform cooperative communications with a selected primary WTRU for transmission of data associated with the selected primary WTRU to the base station; and

a transmitter configured to, on a condition that the assistance results in the data being transmitted to the base station at a higher data rate than it would have with out assistance, transmit data relating to the secondary WTRU on the uplink resources originally intended for the selected primary WTRU.

7. The secondary WTRU of claim 6 wherein the processor is configured to determine to whether to provide assistance based on measurements performed at the secondary WTRU.

8. The secondary WTRU of claim 6 wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to provide assistance based on information provided to the secondary WTRU by the network.

9. The secondary WTRU of claim 6 wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit data relating to the secondary WTRU in response to receiving a grant at the secondary WTRU.

10. The WTRU of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to establish a first radio bearer for transmission of the data associated with the selected primary WTRU, and establish a second radio bearer for transmission of data associated with the secondary WTRU.

11-15. -15. (canceled)